River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-02-08
WIVES BY TIE CARGO.
Populating New Orleans in 1140--
Shipping Girls TO the Pioneers

Shipping Girls TO the Pioneers.
One volume of" lie Voyageur Francois, y
published in Paris in 1872 says the New
Orleans Picayune, contains number OF
letters from a Partisan traveller in Amer
lea to a lady in Paris. He writes under
date of August %, l749, that he met at
Fort St. Louis, in Mobile, NJ de Belle
Isle, Chevalier of St Louis, who was
then Major General of the marine troops
of Louisiana. The general tells him a
strange story of adventure. In 1919 the
general came from France with other
officers destined for service in the col
ony. They were carried by contrary
winds into the Bay of st. Bernard, In
the Gulf of Mexico. lie went hunting
with four comrades, and the ship sailed
away and left them The abandoned Of
ficers found nothing to cat except insects
and disagreeable herbs. Bell-Isle's COM
rades We're fairly starved TO death. lie
was only saved by catching and eating a
wood-rat, which lie says was as large as
a sucking pig. lie lived upon this say
age and barbarouS nation of Attakapas,
whose name indicates that they were
man-eaters. They did not eat bin be
cause he was so lean An old widow of
the nation became enamored of him, and
he served as her slave for two years,
when deputies OF n neighboring tribe
put him in communication with the
French and he was rescued.
The Partisan traveller writes to this
lady friend an interesting account OF the
method adopted for populatlng the city
of New Orleans. Ladies of that city who
pride themselves upon especially an
cient ancestry may not be battered by
the picture He writes:
"After many fatigues, the recital of
which. However, would contain nothing
remarkable I have at last arrived, ma
dam. in the capital of Louisiana"
The founding of this town is, as you
know, Of very recent date. The India
Company, building great hope on the flu
ture of this country, occupied itself with
peopling it, Itsent hither ship freight
ed with girls, who had been enrolled by
force, and without whom it was thought
that it could be impossible to form a set
Element on a solid basis. AS soon as
these girls were landed they were all
lodged il the same house with senti-
mel at the door Permission was given
to visit them during the day, and to Sc
ect among them those whom the visitors
wished to marry; but, rs soon as night
y
classes. Those girls did not fail to be
provided with husbands. But the first
cargo did not suffice for the number of
applicants who presented themselves,
for the last young girl of the lot caused q
very serious atfray between several
young men who fought among them
selves for her possession. although she
had more the air Of agrenadier than 3
Helen"
"a second cargo Of the same sort of
merchandise arrived the next year, but
the haste to get married had SO dimin-
ished that there was no hurry in seek
ing them. Finally, third cargo was
landed, but this was more dlstingue.
Those who composed it were called los
| files de Ia cassette, because on their de-
parture from France they had received,
through the liberalty of the company, a
| little chest of linen and clothes. Besides,
they were in charge of nuns. Nor did
they have to wait long for husbands
They had not the less been brought over
by force, with single exception, who
was known as q Ia demoiselle de bonnie
Violence"
"The number of these different inn
poTtations was about 800 girls. Some
established themselves in the captial
others settled III the country of the Nat
chez, where more than twenty years
previously il had beed proposed 10
found the metropolis, under the name
of Resale which was that of Mpe. la
Chanceliere de Pontchartrain."
M, lie Marquis de Van IreuiI, who
commands here, is to receive, it is said,
twcuty-four additional companies of
marines There is talk, also OF new i'm
portations OF girls enrolled in France,
who are to be brought here to populate
these regions. industrious soldiers who
may desire TO marry then will be released
from military service. The King will
grant them certain number of acres of
land to cultivate, viii provide them with
provisions and other necessaries of life
for three years, and viii provide them
with powder, shot, cattle, guns and inn
elements of labor. l will say, en- PEASANT,
that the table of this Governor Van
dreulD is Il great resource for those new
" arrived, and that he does TIE honors
of host with as much generosity as dig
nitY."