The 30th, the Chevalier d’ Aire and the second Pilot of the Joly came aboard us to confer and adjust by our Recknings what Place we might be in, and they all agreed, according to Monsieur de la Sale’s Opinion, that the CurrentsCurrents. had set us to the Eastward, for which Reason we held on our Course, as we had done the Day before to the N. W. keeping along the Shore till the first of January 1685,Jan. 1685 when we perceiv’d that the Currents forc’d us towards the Land, which oblig’d us to come to an Anchor in six Fathom Water.
We had not been there long, before the Bark la Belle made a Signal that she had discover’d Land, which we descry’d at about 4 Leagues Distance from us. Notice was given to Monsieur de Beaujeu, who drew near to us, and it was resolv’d to send some Person to discover and take an Account of the Land that appear’d to us.
Accordingly a Boat was man’d, and into it went Monsieur de la Sale, the Chevalier d’ Aire and several others; another Boat was also put out, aboard which I went with Ten or Twelve of our Gentlemen, to join Monsieur de la Sale and the Bark la Belle was order’d to follow always keeping along the Shore; to the End that if the Wind shou’d rise, we might get aboard her, to lose no Time.
First Landing.Some of those who were in Monsieur de la Sale’s Boat, and the foremost,[48] went ashore and saw a spacious plain Country of much Pasture Ground; but had not the Leisure to make any particular Discovery, because the Wind freshning, they were oblig’d to return to their Boat, to come aboard again; which was the Reason why we did not go quite up to the Shore, but return’d with them to our Ship. All that could be taken Notice of was a great Quantity of Wood along the Coast. We took an Observation and found 29 Degrees 10 Minutes of North Latitude.
The Second, there arose a Fog, which made us lose Sight of the Joly. The next Day, the Weather clearing up, we fir’d some Cannon-shot and the Joly answer’d, and towards the Evening we perceiv’d her to the Windward of us. We held on our Course, making several Trips till the Fourth in the Evening, when being in Sight and within two Leagues of the Land, we came to an Anchor to expect the Joly, for which we were in Pain.
Monsieur Joutel believes here was one of the Mouths of the Missisipi. See the Pref. and what follows.The Fifth, we set Sail and held on our Course W. S. W. keeping along the Shore till about Six in the Evening, when we stood away to the Southward and anchor’d at Night in six Fathom Water. The Sixth, we would have made ready to sail, but the Pilot perceiving, that the Sea broke astern of us, and that there were some Shoals, it was thought proper to continue at Anchor, till the Wind chang’d, and we accordingly staid there the Sixth and all the Seventh. The Eighth the Wind veering about, we stood out a little to Sea, to avoid those Shoals, which are very dangerous, and anchor’d again a League from thence. Upon Advice, that the Bark la Belle had discover’d a small Island, which appear’d between the two Points of a Bay, Monsieur de la Sale sent a Man up to the round Top, from whence both the one and the other were plainly to be seen, and according to the Sea Charts we had with us, that was suppos’d to be the Bay of the Holy Ghost.
The Ninth, Monsieur de la Sale, sent to view those Shoals. Those who went reported there was a sort of Bank, which runs along the Coast; that they had been in one Fathom Water and discover’d the little Island beforemention’d, and as for the Sand Bank there is no such thing mark’d down in the Charts. Monsieur de la Sale having examin’d the Recknings, was confirm’d in his Opinion, that we were in the Bay of Apalache, and caus’d us to continue the same Course.
The Tenth, he took an Observation and found 29 Degrees 23 Minutes North Latitude. The eleventh, we were becalm’d, and Monsieur de la Sale resolv’d to go ashore, to endeavour to discover what he was looking for; but as we were making ready, the Pilot began to mutter because five or six of us were going with Monsieur de la Sale, who too lightly alter’d his Design, to avoid giving Offence to brutish People. In that Particular he committed an irretrieveable Error; for it is the Opinion of Judicious Men, who, as well as I, saw the rest of that Voyage, that the Mouth of one of the Branches of the Missisipi River, and the same whose Latitude Monsieur de la Sale had taken, when he travell’d to it from Canada, was not far from that Place, and that we must of Necessity be near the Bay of the Holy Ghost.[49]
It was Monsieur de la Sale’s DesignMonsieur de la Sale’s Mistake. to find that Bay, and having found it, he had resolv’d to have set ashore about thirty Men, who were to have follow’d the Coast on the Right and Left, which would infallibly have discover’d to him that fatal River, and have prevented many Misfortunes; but Heaven refus’d him that Success, and even made him regardless of an Affair of such Consequence, since he was satisfy’d with sending thither the Pilot, with one of the Masters of the Bark la Belle, who return’d without having seen any Thing, because a fog happen’d to rise; only the Master of the Bark said he believ’d there was a River opposite to those Shoals, which was very likely, and yet Monsieur de la Sale took no Notice of it, nor made any Account of that Report.
The Twelfth, the Wind being come about we weigh’d and directed our Course S. W. to get further from the Land. By an Observation found 25[50] Degrees 50 Minutes North Latitude, and the Wind shifting, and the Currents, which set from the Seaward driving us ashore, it was found convenient to anchor in four or five Fathom Water, where we spent all the Night.