Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1885-03-26
An Indian Widows Slave.

Distant from the country of the Natchi.
toches Indians $50 leages to the north
west, some l6O years ago, lay the land of
the Attakapas nation, of whom the old
French historians of louisiana relate
that they were anttropophagi, or man.
eaters. 1t was among these people that
M. de Belle Isle, chevalier of the royal
and military order of st. Louis, and sub
sequently major general of the troops of
the marine in Louisiana and major of
New Orleans, an officer who served for
forty-fiye years in the colony with the
highest merit and distinction, dwelt for
two years captive, and the slave of a
widow of the nation.
The story of NJ. de Belle Isle occupies
q special place in the chronicles and re-
cords of the early annals of louisiana
Iteven formed the theme for two or
three sentimental romances and idylls.
Its currency in France may have been
due to the contrast it presented to the
ordinary phases of life familiar to the
courtiere of Louis XIV, who, cloyed per.
haps with the monotony of the dissipa-
tons of a sumptuous civilization and
the artificial atmosphere of life at Ver-
sailles, saw in the narrative of youth
ful French officer of noble family dwell
ing an enforced guest for two years
among cannibals (real or 80 declared) in
the primitive simplicity of the golden
age-the slave of an elderly widow-a
piquant change from their own vapid
existence.
In one of the several versions of the
chevalier's adventure, a copper. plate en-
craving represents him as parting from
the widow-a fearful scene, indeed, with
q foreground of human arms and legs ly-
ing about, mute witnesses to the anthro-
pophagic tastes of the Attakapea. The
"NOuveaux Voyages aux Indies Occiden-
tales" written by Chevalier Bossr, cap
tain of troops ofthe marine in Louisiana,
has presented this pictorial reminiscence
OF M. de Belle-Isle's experience.
1t was in the year 1918 that the cheva-
ier's fortunes led him, an ambitious
young ensign in the service of the India
company, to the then almost untrodden
wild, -untrodden by the foot of the Eu-
ropean-of Louisiana. New Orleans, at
that time mere collection of huts, bar.
racks, and officers quarters with an oc-
casional house Offering some pretensions
to ARCHITECTURAL symmetry, had been
founded only the previous year, and the
seat of government was still at Biloxi,
on the Mississippi sound, where Bien-
vile resided and exercised the duties of
Governor of the colony. M. de Belle. Isle
had sailed from the port of IOrient, in
France, in an expedition composed of q
thousand people-soldiers, civilians, etc,
sent out by the company to people the
colony. The expedition was bound for
the Mississippi and New Or cans; but
even as many years previously, La Sale
had missed the mouth of the great river,
80 was the ship, on which the chevalier
sailed driven by currents and contrary
winds far to the westward. 1t was at the
Bay of st. Bernard (now Matagorda bay,
in TeAas), finally, that the captain of the
bark, the drinking water having gwen
out, came to anchor and sent the ships
yawl ashore to obtain water.
Taking advantage of this temporary
stoppage, M. de BelleIsle, NJ. de Charlie
Vile, a Canadian, and an experienced
explorer, the Sieur Silvestre, sergeant
of the military detachment, and another
officer disembarked, with view of pass
ing the intervening hours. before the
vessels departure in the chase. The
ship was to sail the next day, and the
captain informed them that in the even
ing he would discharge several musket
shots 80 that they might know their
bearings, and on the following day he
would fire the cannon as a signal for the
bark's departure two hours later.
M. de BelleIsle and two Of his COM
panions. contrary to the advice of the
Fourth man of the party, NJ. de Charlie
vile, who, however, accompanied them,
plunged into the depths of the forest in
pursuit o. deer. Shutdown found them
lost in the intricacies of the woods. They
heard, it is true, the firing of the mus
kete, as the captain had promised, but
these discharges, like will O. the wisps of
sound, only served to lure them to their
ruin, for, as the reports seemed to come
from an opposite direction, they were
led by the delusive sounds still deeper
into the gloomy forest. AZ they went
onward they listened, but in vain, for
the beating Of the waves on the shore.
Finally night overlook them, and they
slept where the shadows found them.