Mexico City.The City of Mexico, Capital of the Country and the Residence of the Vice-roy, is about eighty Leagues distant from Veracruz, to the Westward, the Way to it very bad and ill furnish’d with Provisions. That Country would be better in some Parts, if the people had the skill and energy to till it. They sow but little of our Wheat, and are satisfied with Indian Corn[128] and Cassabi Root, whereof they make Cakes, as is practis’d in the Islands. Their Trees and Fruits are the same as in other hot Countries. About the Town of Veracruz, there are Bushes of a Sort of Thorn, without Leaves, among which grows an extraordinary Plant; for tho’ it has but a small Stem, it shoots out Leaves of a Cabbage Green, as thick as a Man’s Finger, which grow out, one at the End of another, in the Shape of a Racket, and the Plant itself is so call’d. From those Leaves there grows out a Sort of red Figs, very juicy, with Seeds like those of the Pomgranate; the Juice is of a Violet Colour, but unsavoury. There is a Sort of Flies that cleave to it and are so fond of the Taste of the Fruit, that they burst and drop down dead. They are carefully gather’d and dry’d, and are the Scarlet Dye, call’d Cochinilla, which is brought into Europe, and makes that beautiful Colour. The Birds and Beasts are much the same as in other Countries of America. There is a Sort of Bird, all red, which for that Reason is call’d the Cardinal; this they often tame and teach to sing like a Canary Bird. This is what I have been told concerning the Town of Veracruz.
Havana. As for the Havana, a Town and Port no less famous, in the Island of Cuba, belonging as well as the other to the Crown of Spain, it stands towards the Western End, and on the North Side of that Island, almost under the Tropick of Cancer, and about four or five hundred Leagues on this Side of Veracruz. It is large and beautiful; the Port good, secur’d by two Forts on the two Sides, and good artillery, from twenty four to thirty six Pounds, the Entrance so narrow, that only one Vessel can go in at once. The Town is encompass’d by a good Wall, fortify’d with five Bastions, furnish’d with Cannon. The Streets are all as strait as a Line, and level, the Houses very handsome, but ill furnish’d. In the Midst of it is a fine Square, the Buildings about all uniform. The Churches are magnificent, and enrich’d with Gold and Silver, Lamps, Candlesticks, and Ornaments for the Altars. There are some Lamps curiously wrought, which weigh two hundred Marks of Silver, [each Mark being half a Pound.][129] The Revenue of the Bishoprick amounts to more than fifty thousand Crowns, and he who enjoy’d it in the Year 1703, as I was inform’d by my Friend, who gave me this Account of what he had seen, was the greatest Ornament of that City, for his Virtues and Charity, being satisfy’d with Necessaries, and spending all the rest upon the Poor, and in repairing decay’d Churches. Tho’ Strangers are prohibited to trade there, yet it is easier carried on than at Veracruz. The Inhabitants are more familiar; the Women have more Liberty, yet they do not go Abroad without their Veils to wrap and hide them. Many of them speak French, and dress after the French Fashion, and some of our Nation have settled themselves there. When my Friend was there, a magnificent Festival was celebrated for fifteen Days successively, in Honour of K. Philip the Fifth, and Monsieur du Casse being then there, with his Squadron, the City desir’d him to join with them. To that Purpose, he set ashore five hundred Men, who perform’d the Martial Exercise in the great Square, which was much admir’d. The Havana is the Place, where the Galeons meet. By this word should not be understood ships of extraordinary size; for most of them are but very inconsiderable craft which Spanish vanity strives to magnify by a swelling name. But if these ships are not great, their precious freight is so. For all that, this city, the gateway to the treasures of the West Indies, is full of beggars—but it is by their own fault, and by their idleness that they are such. Provisions are dear there, especially Bread; but the Wine is not, tho’ it is good. Fish and Flesh there, are unsavory. The Inhabitants are Spaniards.
We have thought fit to describe those two famous Ports of the Bay of Mexico, as well because it has not been so exactly done before, as in Regard that the Settlement which is going to be made in Louisiana, may have some Dependance on them; for the Havana lying in the Way, those who perform the Voyage may have the Conveniency of taking in Refreshments there, of putting in for Shelter in foul Weather, and of careening or refitting. As for the Veracruz, tho’ farther out of the Way, the Correspondence there may be advantagious for the Securing of the Colony of Louisiana.
But how can that fail of succeeding, under the Conduct of Monsieur Crozat, who has the Charge of that Enterprize, and whom Providence seems to have in a Manner ingag’d to advance in Wealth and Honour, to the Amazement of the World, and yet free from Envy, from Jealousy, and from any Sort of Complaints. There is therefore no Reason to presage otherwise than well of the Event of this Affair; the Blessings God has pour’d down upon all his former Undertakings, seem to be a Security for what is to follow. There is Reason to hope for still greater Blessings on this Project of a Settlement in Louisiana, as being equally advantagious to Religion and the State; for the propagating of the Knowledge and Service of God among an infinite Number of Savages, by Means of the Missioners, who are to be sent to and maintain’d in those vast Countries; the Planting of the Faith in that New World, only the Name whereof is known to us, and the Reducing of it to be a Christian and a French Province, under the Dominion of our August Monarch, and to the eternal Memory of his Reign, will be the Consequences and the Fruits of Monsieur Crozat’s Care and Expence, the Glory of his Enterprize, the Security of the large Fortune he has made in this Life, and what is rare among such rich Men, the Earnest of much better in the Next. Heaven grant our Hopes and Wishes may be answer’d.
I am, &c.
The Letters Patent granted by the King of France to M. Crozat.
LOUIS, by the Grace of God, King of France and Navarre: To all who shall see these present Letters, Greeting. The Care we have always had to procure the Welfare and Advantage of our Subjects having induced us, notwithstanding the almost continual Wars which we have been obliged to support from the Beginning of our Reign, to seek for all possible Opportunities of enlarging and extending the Trade of our American Colonies, We did in the Year 1683 give our orders to undertake a Discovery of the Countries and Lands which are situated in the Northern Part of America, between New France and New Mexico: And the Sieur de la Sale, to whom we committed that Enterprize, having had Success enough to confirm a Belief that a Communication might be settled from New France to the Gulph of Mexico by Means of large Rivers; This obliged us immediately after the Peace of Ryswick to give Orders for the establishing a Colony there, and maintaining a Garrison which has kept and preserved the Possession, we had taken in the very Year 1683 of the Lands, Coasts and Islands which are situated in the Gulph of Mexico, between Carolina on the East, and Old and New Mexico on the West. But a new War having broke out in Europe shortly after, there was no Possibility, till now, of reaping from that new Colony the Advantages that might have been expected from thence, because the private Men, who are concerned in the Sea Trade, were all under Engagements with other Colonies, which they have been obliged to follow: And whereas upon the Information we have received concerning the Disposition and Situation of the said Countries known at present by the Name of the Province of Louisiana, we are of Opinion that there may be established therein a considerable Commerce, so much the more advantageous to our Kingdom in that there has hitherto been a Necessity of fetching from Foreigners the greatest Part of the Commodities which may be brought from thence, and because in Exchange thereof we need carry thither nothing but Commodities of the Growth and Manufacture of our own Kingdom; we have resolved to grant the Commerce of the Country of Louisiana to the Sieur Anthony Crozat our Councellor, Secretary of the Household, Crown and Revenue, to whom we entrust the Execution of this Project. We are the more readily inclined hereunto, because his Zeal and the singular Knowledge he has acquired in maritime Commerce, encourage us to hope for as good Success as he has hitherto had in the divers and sundry Enterprizes he has gone upon, and which have procured to our Kingdom great Quantities of Gold and Silver in such Conjunctures as have rendered them very welcome to us.
FOR THESE REASONS being desirous to shew our Favour to him, and to regulate the Conditions upon which we mean to grant him the said Commerce, after having deliberated this Affair in our Council, Of our certain Knowledge, full Power and Royal Authority, We by these Presents, signed by our Hand, have appointed and do appoint the said Sieur Crozat solely to carry on a Trade in all the Lands possessed by Us, and bounded by New Mexico, and by the Lands of the English of Carolina, all the Establishment, Ports, Havens, Rivers, and principally the Port and Haven of the Isle Dauphine, heretofore called Massacre; the River of St. Lewis, heretofore called Missisipi, from the Edge of the Sea as far as the Illinois; together with the River of St. Philip, heretofore called the Missourys, and of St. Jerome, heretofore called Ovabache, with all the Countries, Territories, Lakes within Land, and the Rivers which fall directly or indirectly into that Part of the River of St. Lewis.
The ARTICLES.