The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-08-23
louisiana.


has seen, and to display the curiosities he has
gathered along his course it is with us,
who have lately travelled into the Past of our
native State, to speak of what we have learned
and to relate to our readers, especially to the
youth of Louisiana, a few of the many varied
and beautiful incidents of it's early history.
1t was by means of the charmed pages of the
Hon. Charles Gayarre, the distinguished his
| torian of Louisiana, that we enjoyed this de-
lightful journey into the dim regions of our
own antiquity, from which we have returned
with mind stored with clear and shining
pictures of the past, and heart replete with
rare and beautiful recollections of our mother
land.
May others be tempted to follow our wan
derings and garner for themselves those treas
ures of fact and fancy, of truth and poetry, of
which we can give but a very feeble specimen.
But as it is impossible for the traveller to de-
scribe all he has seen at once but finds it
easier to answer questions, or to tell the story
of particular locality, or to detail the associ-
ations connected with some one of his many
| treasures even so can we find time only to
answer few questions at present, or to speak
| of some exquisite incident, or to relate the
beauties of some particular event.
What was Louisiana when first its name ap-
pears upon the pages of history 2 All that
vast tract of country watered by the Missis-
sippi, and extending from the Gulf of Mexico
| to the Lakes of Canada, bore this name and
| from this immense territory have been formed
many of the noblest States belonging to our
grand Confederation, that the history of
Louisiana may well excite the interest of all
who live within reach of it's magnificent river.
The first time that the foot of the white
man disturbed the lunbroken silence of the
Father of Waters, according to history, was in
1541, when DeSoto stood upon its banks some
where in the neighborhood of " the Egyptian
named city, Memphis"
The gallant Spanish soldier thought very
little then Of what that mighty food was des-
tined to become, but pursuing his ownward
search for gold and fame and empire, he crossed
over the flowing tide-and went his way.
But the proud form that passed that day was
destined in few short years to find sepul- |
chre beneath those waters.
In 1873, Marquette, priest, and Joliet a
merchant might, with small band of Euro
peans, have been seen floating down the royai
river, prototypes" says Mr.. Gayarre, " of the |
two great sources of power, Religion and Com |
merce, destined to exercise such q mighty in |
fuence on the civilization of the Western ter |
ritory, traversed by the mighty river which |
they had discovered" But these travellers did |
nothing more than carry back to Canada and |
to the world, the knowledge that the Misss-
sipp was indeed the high road of the western
world, connecting the waters of the North
with those of the Gulf of Mexico.
But it was this knowledge which inspired
the zeal of Robert Cavalier de La Sale and
led his daring footsteps to the very mouth of
the far-famed river, where in 1862, he took
possession of all the lands he had discovered
in the name of the glorious Louis NV, King
of France
La Sale imagined the sources of the Missis-
sippi to be near, or within the Celestial Empire,
and he naturally looked forward with Joyous
pride to the time when its rich treasures should
be poured into the lap of France. Yet all these
glorious plans were to eud, as far as he was
concerned, in defeat and death.
His story is a sad one: Having obtained the
patronage of the King, and being provided
with ships and men; he sailed across the At
lantic to establish colony on the banks of
the Mississippi but failing to make the mouth
of the river, he lost his direction, landed some
where on the coast of Texas, and, after three
years of sad disappointments, was murdered
by his companions.
And now come to names destined
to live forever in the history of our State,
Bienville and Iberville. These brave SOL
aiers of France were brothers, and had {
served their country CALAMITY both upon
land and sea, when they were sent, at last to
re-discover the mouth of the mighty river
which had been SO sadly missed by the heroic
La Sale
Bienville in 1899, was accompanied by Father I
Anastase, who had been one of the gallant c
band that had sailed with La Sale down the
liver in 1852, so that here again we see Religion
'iding enterprise, and sharing all the hopes and
ears of every glorious undertaking. .
Bienville first anchored his Aeet at the Cham a
eleur Islands These were SO called because e.
discovered on the day called by rs Candle. u
nas day on which the Church commentaries p
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