Maumee City express. [volume] (Maumee City, Ohio) 1838-184?, 1839-03-09
MISCELLANEOUS.
MISSISSIPPI vALLEY-les7-F

After the expedition conducted by La Sale
to colonize Louisiana in 1857, the results of
which have been stated, no further attempt of
the kind was made until 1899. During the in
terval a constant communication was kept up
between Canada and the settlement in Illinois.
Accessions were continually made to Cahokia
and Kaskaskia; but no new settlements were
formed with the exception of certain panta-
tions that were put under cultivation on fer
tile tract, between these two villages, called
Prairie du Rocher. The attention of the
French, however, was not withdrawn from this
newly explored region; and in 1899 an expe
dtion sailed from Pocheford under the COM
mand of Lemoine d'Ibbervillo, Canadian ma
val officer of reputation, destined to the mouth
ofthe Missssippi.--H was the first to enter
the river by sea; he examined the country by
its mouth and laid the foundation of the first
colony at the head ofa small bay named Biloxi
within the present limits ofthe State ofMisss-
sippi. The Spaniards who had long before
established colonies in Florida at st. Angus
tine and neighboring points, having just form
ed settlement at Pensacola, protested against
the occupation of what they claimed as their
own Territory, by the French. Their oppo-
sition, however, appears to have been ineffec-
tual, for In I7O2 the French occupied new
post on Mobile river, still nearer the Pensa-
cola.
But little attention was paid to agriculture
by the colony of Biloxi or Mobile. The colo
nists depended chiefly on the mother country
for supplies ofprovisons. Their principle OBJ
ject was the prosecution Of the fur trade and
search for the precious metals. Accordingly
they aimed only to establish convenient depot
in which to store the expected profits of the
chase and the mines in readiness to be shipped
for distant markets. No sooner, therefore
was a footing gained by the colonists at Mo-
bile than expeditions were despatched up the
Mississippi to trade with the natives and as
certain the mineral wealth of the country.
In an expedition of this kind, undertaken in
17O5, the French for the first time entered the
Missouri river and ascended it as far as the
mouth of the Kanzas, the point where the
western boundary line of the state Of Missouri
now crosses the river. The natives, with
whom they had interviews, cheerfuly engaged
in trade with them; and they, found the traffic
in furs highly profitable, though they now
here obtained the precious metals, in sufficient
quantities to remunerate them for thesearch.
1t may here be observed, that the French ira
ders have always been more fortunate in their
intercourse with the Indians than those of
any other nation.
The footing thus gained by the French at
the mouth of the river was of decided advan-
tage to the settlements in Upper Louisiana or
Illinois. It opened to them a direct avenue to
the ocean and greatly facilitated their commu-
nication with France. But these settlements
soon began to experience new obstacles to
their progress. The wars in Europe now de-
manded all their attention, and resources of
men and money could not bo obtained for car
rying on the projected enterprises IN Louisia-
ma, and they accordingly languished for sever
al years. During this period, too, the Span
iards neglected no opportunity, which occur
ed, to molest their enemies. But little pro-
gress, therefore, was made by any of the set-
Elements about this time. Those of Illinois
kept on the even tenor of their way; their reli-
ance for subsistence being on the cultivation Of
the soil. While those at the mouth of the ri
yer, depending upon supplies from abroad,
were at times extremely destitute. This state
of things, however, turned their attention,
from necessity, to agriculture, and put them
in condition, afterwards, to be more indie
pendent of external assistance. Most Of these
settlers, however, being people of rank, and
the leading men military characters, they
were inclined to labor on the soil with their
own hands, but procured slaves for the pur-
pose, and assigned the labors Of the field almost
exclusively to them.
Hitherto the affairs Of Louisiana had been
managed BY officers Of his appointment in the
name Of the king. AT length he, finding his !