However, this must be said in Behalf of Monsieur Tonty, that he deliver’d it upon the Report of Monsieur Cavelier the Priest, and Brother to Monsieur de la Sale; which Monsieur Cavelier might have Reasons to give out they had discover’d the Missisipi, upon the same Views as oblig’d him to conceal his Brother’s Death.
Now in regard we shall see Monsieur de la Sale, for some time ranging along the Coasts of North America, to find out the Mouth of that River, it will be proper to inform those who have not seen his first Voyage, and shew them how it hap’ned that his Search prov’d in vain, and he was oblig’d to land in another Place.
After Monsieur de la Sale had discover’d that vast Continent, which is a Part of North America, from Canada, by the Way of Montreal, going up the River of St. Laurence, then through the Country of the Iroquois, the Islinois and others, all which he call’d Louisiana, his Design was to find a shorter and a safer Way, than that he had Travell’d by Land.
For this Reason it was, that having upon his first Discovery found the great River, call’d by the Barbarians Missisipi or Mechasipi, according to Father Hennepin, and to which he gave the Name of Colbert, guessing by its Course that it fell into the Bay of Mexico, he resolved with himself to find out the Mouth of it.
In short, he ran down that River, with more Danger and Toil than can be imagin’d, found it parted into two Streams and follow’d that which was most to the Northward, to the Place where it is lost in the Sea. He took the Latitude that Mouth lay in, and found it was between 28 and 29 Degrees North, as Monsieur Joutel affirms he heard him say. He left Marks there, return’d the same Way to Canada and thence into France, well pleased with his Discovery, which would have been very glorious, had he succeeded in his second Voyage.
But whether he did not take his Measures right, when he made his Observations ashore, or whether that River disgorges it self at a flat Coast, and only leaves some inconsiderable Mark of its Channel for such as come by Sea; it is most certain, that when he came into the Bay of Mexico, he sought for the same Mouth in Vain, during the Space of three Weeks, and was oblig’d to go ashore to the S. W. of the Place, where it really was.
Monsieur Tonty, in his Book, Fol. 192, tells us, that he was present when Monsieur de la Sale took the Latitude of the Mouth of the Missisipi, at his first Voyage, and says it was between twenty two and twenty three Degrees North; but that is a Mistake, which must be assigned either to the Printer, or Transcriber, for in the Map the said Monsieur Tonty has added to his Book, he places the said Mouth in about twenty six Degrees and a Half of North Latitude, and there is Reason to believe he errs in that too.
Monsieur Joutel and some others are of Opinion, that the Mouth of that Branch Monsieur de la Sale went down, is in the Bay of the Holy Ghost, and actually between the twenty eighth and twenty ninth Degrees of North Latitude, as Monsieur de la Sale found it. As for the other Channel, the same Sieur Joutel believes it is farther towards the S. W. and about the Shoals they met with about the 6th of January, 1685, between the twenty seventh and twenty eighth Degrees of North Latitude, when they were sailing along the Coast of the Bay of Mexico, and that those Shoals were the Marks of a River discharging it self there, which they neglected to inquire into. If that be so, Monsieur de la Sale was very near it, and even pass’d along before both the Mouths, but unfortunately, without perceiving them, which was the main Cause of his Death and the Ruin of his Enterprize.
To conclude, it must be granted, that as the Return of that small Number of Persons from a Country so remote and through so many Dangers, is a visible Effect of the Divine Protection; so it is also an Effect of Heavenly Justice to have preserv’d those Witnesses, and to have brought them Home into Monsieur de la Sale’s Country, to retrieve his Reputation, which had been sully’d by his Enemies.
Monsieur de la Sale would have been taken for a Dreamer, and even for an Impostor; his Enterprize had been condemn’d, and his Memory blasted; but God would not permit the Honour of a Man of such singular Merit to suffer; it pleas’d him to preserve and bring Home unquestionable Witnesses, who, by Word of Mouth and other undoubted Proofs of the notable Discoveries made by Monsieur de la Sale, have stopp’d the Mouths of his Enemies, and made out the Truth of what has been asserted at the Beginning of this Discourse, viz. that Monsieur de la Sale only wanted good Fortune to secure him the Title of a great Man and a renowned Traveller.