The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-10-09

IeA9u 69qL TIos eQ4 SupBAINno 40
| received one ounce of anything from
France or from single European from
the time they landed here until the
savages swooped down upon them and
| rassacred them all but two. La Sale
sailed from France with a fleet of four
SHIPS, carrying 400 colonists. One Of
the vessels was captured off the coast
| or SantO Domingo. The great explorer
was looking for the mouth of the Mis-
slsslppi river, but he sailed too far
west in the unknown seas and entered
La Vacca bay Having quarreled with
| the admiral in command and fearing
| treachery on the part of that officer
he determined to disembark and prose-
| cute his search for the great river by
| land. Ii is estimated that there were
| at least 300 colonists, and La Sale
| stayed with them for nearly two years.
building the fort, constructing houses
and clearing fields, before he set out
| on the exploring expedition which end
ed in his death. He was murdered on
the banks of the Neches river by
olscontented wretch named Duhant
The colon1Sts never heard of his death
from the fact that the people who were
with La Sale continued their journey,
making one of the most fortunate and
astounding voyages through the track
less wilderness in the history Of the
world. They actually tramped through
Texas and portion OF Arkansas with
out guide, and stumbled upon a fort
at the mouth Of the Arkansas river
which La Sale had ordered his friend,
De Tonti to establish in a previous ex-
petition.
The wild Indians carried the news
far across the plains to Mexico that
there were white people building
houses and cultivating the land in
the country which the Spaniards called
the New Philippines De Leon. the
Spanish governor Of Coahuila, set out
at the head of 100 horsemen to find
Fort st. Louis. After long search he
found the place, but it was in ruins.
Deer were sleeping under the shade Of
the walls where only short time be-
fore were comfortable homes, and
herds of wild buffalo were galloping
over the fields. The Spanish governor
was astounded at the evidences of the
former prosperity Of the colony. Here
were fields already cleared and many
walls still standing. The country
abounded in game. The climate was
the finest that he had ever seen, and
the Indians appeared to be friendly.
He determined to take advantage OF
these favorable factors and establish
colony there at once. After returning
to Mexico he induced a few families to
settle at old Fort st. Louis, and at
| several other since noted localities.
| Although the Indians greeted them
| with the exclamation 'Tehias? mean
| ing friendship, it was not long before
| they murdered every Spaniard north
of the Rio Grande. Two of La Sale
Frenchmen were long afterward found
with the Comanches. The Spaniards
| got possession of these TWO unfortunate
| individuals and sent them in chains 20
| the silver mines, where they persisted.
| Ito was a long time after this before
/ the Indian word '"Fehias,' which the
| Spaniards pronounced Texas, was ap-
piled to the wild region north of the
Rio Grande. On all the old maps the
country was designated the New Phil
| ippines, and claimed by both Spain and
| France.
There is nothing lacking but the
| herds of buffalo and wild Indians TO
make this place as much of a wilder
ness as 1t was the day that the feet of
| the great explorer first touched the soil
! of Texas. Game of all kinds known to
| this climate is abundant. The two
young men from st. Louis who accom-
panied me killed three deer and were
chased by wounded bear during
hunt of a few hours, anu at night they
heard the scream of a panther and