The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-01-29
FIRST WHITE MEN IN TEXAS.
La salle's French Colony Planted in
Matagorda Bay, 1882.

Ruins of Fort st. Louis still in Existence al
Port Lavacca--Disastrous End of the
| Colonv-The Region to This Day a
Terra IncogBita.
| Correspondence St. Louis GloEe-Demo-
crat.)
Port Lavaoca, Tex, Jan. iS-ln al
most every part Of tie worId Texas is re-
aarded as new country. Here at the
mouth of she Layaoca River white people
were dwelling in houses, eultiyatinR the
soil and harvesting crops at "a time when
the whole Valley of the Ohio and Missis-
sippi was wilderness, over which the
Indians held undisputed sway. just 210
years ago La Sale, the sreatest Of all
explorers, landed here, and built a fort,
which he called Fort st. Louis, in honor
of the grand monarch of France. The
ruins are still easily found, though but
little is known of the history of the
colony.
One hundred and forty gears after De
Soto had discovered the Mississippi River
La Sale came to the shore of the same
stream, searching for route to China.
He felt sure that the great river emptied
into tho Pacific Ocean, and he at once
embarked upon it's bosom, determ lining
TO follow it to the sea, and be the first to
ind short ronte to the wonderful cou II
tries of which Marco Polo had written
such glowing accounts. After long
voyage, during which he endured in =
credible hardhships and suffered many
narrow escapes from the Indians, he
finally reached the Gulf of Mexico. His
knowledge as an explorer soon convinced
him that he was still very far from the
Pacific Ocean. But he realized that he
had made the greatest discovery that had
been made in the new world since the
days of Columbus, and he FASTENED back
to France to report to his King. He was
received at the court of the grand mon
arch with every mark of respect, and
en- tertained at the royal palace as If he
had besn victorious general.
The King of the French was at that
time eager to secure strong foothold in
the new world, and he listened with great
satisfaction to the wonderful account
that La Sails gave him of the great
river with its numerous tributaries and
the vast forests growing out of The rich
est soil in the world. La Sale thought
that French colony should at once be
planted at the mouth of the Mississippi.
He believed that at that place would
some day exist one of the greatest cities
in the world. The King agreed with LA
Sale in everything, and WAS anxious to
help him to carry out his ideas OF colon
izat1on.
In very short time three ships were
made ready for sea, and 300 people,
to find homes In the New World were
collected and crowded ON board of the
vessels. The voyage was uneventful un-
til the little feet reached the waters of
the Gulf of Mexico. Here they fell in
with Spanish maB-of-war, and BATTLE
ensued, which resulted in the loss Of one
of thes.vessels. La Sale escaped with the
other.two ships, under cover of darkness,
and at once began to search for the
mouth of the Mississippi. After some
days a dispute arose. La Snlla had one
opinion. the pilot another, and the naval
officer In command Of the feet atill an
other. While disputing they continued
to sail west, and passed tie mouth of the
great river. They finally reached Malta
eords Bay, where some of the officers
commended that the ohahnel between Z the
island and the mainland muss be the
obieut of their search. La Sale. who
BRO badly knew better, but was worn out
with the constant wrangle, agreed to
disembark, dou btless thinking he could
not beIfar from the Mississippi, and that
he would continue his search on land.
It'll l.; he hos n fal-y
anchored near the mainland without any
difficulty, but the Admiral, La Sales
own ship, which had been presented to
him by the King was totally wrecked in
atteln pting to feach the harbor. The
coIonists, with nearly all of their effects,
were. however, saved and safely landed.
The naval officer in Command of the re-
naming vessel, who did not like La
Sale, had no sooner unloeded his chip
than hessannounced his intention of re-
turning to France. No entreaties could
prevail with thisastrapGe character, and
In few days he sailed away. leaving
the great explorer and his 900 and more
colonists on the inhospitable shores of
Texas. surrounded by swnrms Of savages.
La Sale at once laid off a little village
and planned fort, which the celonists
soon erected as protection against til e
Indians. AS long as In Sale lived his
geat talent and long experience with the
savages protected the colony from all
trouble with the natives. He made
many expeditions along the coast and
into the interior, but it WAS a long time
before he YVES fully convinced that rs
had located far west Of the mouth Of the
Mississippi River. When this fact dawned
on his mind he sRt once determined to
make an expedition that would lay all
doubts at rest. He had long before in
structed his friend De Tonti to establish
small force Mt the mouth ofsthe Arkan-
sas. River, and he now determined, with
a few picked followers, to set cut Sand
march through-the trackless wilderness
toward the north, hoping to find either
the Mississippi or De Toni. On this, his
Loot sxpedition he lost his life through