AN
Historical Journal
OF THE
Late Monsieur de la Sale’s
LAST
VOYAGE
INTO
North America
To Discover the
River MISSISIPI.
It is Mr. Joutel that speaks in this Journal. At the Time when Monsieur de la Sale was preparing for his last Voyage into North America, I happen’d to be at Roan, the Place where he and I were both born, being return’d from the Army, where I had serv’d sixteen or seventeen Years.
The Reputation gain’d by Monsieur de la Sale, the Greatness of his Undertaking, the Natural Curiosity which all men are possess’d with, and my Acquaintance with his Kindred, and with several of the Inhabitants of that City, who were to bear him Company, easily prevail’d with me to make one of the Number, and I was admitted as a volunteer.
July 1684Our Rendezvous was appointed at Rochel, where we were to imbark. Messieurs Cavelier, the one Brother, the other Nephew to Monsieur de la Sale,[29] Messieurs Chedeville, Planteroze, Thibault, Ory, some others and I, repair’d thither in July 1684.
Departure from Rochel.Monsieur de la Sale having provided all Things necessary for his Voyage, surmounted all the Difficulties laid in his Way by several ill-minded Persons, and receiv’d his Orders from Monsieur Arnoult, the Intendant at Rochel, pursuant to those he had receiv’d from the King, we sail’d on the 24th of July, 1684,[30] being twenty four Vessels, four of them for our Voyage, and the others for the Islands and Canada.
Persons that went.The four Vessels appointed for Monsieur de la Sale’s Enterprize, had on Board about two hundred and eighty persons, including the Crews; of which Number there were one hundred Soldiers, with their Officers, one Talon, with his Canada Family, about thirty Volunteers, some young Women, and the rest hired People and Workmen of all Sorts, requisite for making of a Settlement.
Ships.The first of the four Vessels was a Man of War, call’d le Joly, of about thirty six or forty Guns, commanded by Monsieur de Beaujeu, on which Monsieur de la Sale, his Brother the Priest, two Recolet Fryars, Messieurs Dainmaville and Chedeville, Priests, and I imbark’d. The next was a little Frigate, carrying six Guns, which the King had given to Monsieur de la Sale, commanded by two Masters; a Flyboat of about three hundred Tuns Burden, belonging to the Sieur Massiot, Merchant at Rochel, commanded by the Sieur Aigron, and laden with all the Effects Monsieur de la Sale had thought necessary for his Settlement, and a small Ketch, on which Monsieur de la Sale had imbark’d thirty Tuns of Ammunition, and some Commodities design’d for Santo Domingo.[31]
All the Fleet, being under the Command of Monsieur de Beaujeu, was order’d to keep together as far as Cape Finisterre, whence each was to follow his own Course; but this was prevented by an unexpected Accident. We were come into 45 Degrees 23 Minutes of North Latitude, and about 50 Leagues from Rochel, when the Boltsprit of our Ship, the Joly, on a sudden, broke short, which oblig’d us to strike all our other Sails, and cut all the Rigging the broken Boltsprit lost.Boltsprit hung by.