[1] New Biscay. Refer to chapter "[New Mexico]."
[2] Lavaca River, also called by the French La Vache (the cow).
[3] St. Louis. This name was some time preserved in connection with St. Bernard, or Matagorda Bay. Not to be confounded with St. Louis of the Illinois.
[4] Cenis Indians occupied the east bank of the Trinity, toward Red River.
[5] The Murder is located at a point nearly midway between the Brazos and Trinity Rivers, on a map in the author's possession, and not far from the old Spanish trail between Nacodoches and the Presidio del Norte. After the murder, the survivors went forward to the Cenis villages. In a quarrel about the plunder, two of the ringleaders, Duhant and Liotot, were killed by their confederates. This left the way open for Joutel, the two priests, Cavelier (La Salle's brother), and Douay, with three others, to continue their attempt to reach the Mississippi. Those implicated in La Salle's murder, dared not return to the settlements. With Indian guides the river was struck at the Arkansas villages, where the fugitives met with two of Tonty's men, who helped them on their way. Tonty had been down the river on a fruitless search for La Salle.
[6] Texas. The name, in its present orthography, occurs at this time in connection with La Salle's colony, but is first found in "A Briefe Relation of Two Notable Voyages" (Hakluyt iii. 464), made first by the friar Augustin Ruiz, in 1581, to the Tiguas Indians, and next by Antonio de Espejo in 1583. Shortened to Tejas (Tahas), the name was easily turned into Texas, its present rendering.
IBERVILLE FOUNDS LOUISIANA.
Where La Salle had sowed, others were to reap, yet so comprehensive were his plans, so well matured, so entirely feasible withal, that what followed was but the natural result of his efforts. La Salle was like the general who falls in the moment of victory. All honor then to his name![1]
Therefore while we record his failure, individually, to do all he purposed in this, his last expedition, the success which came later was due to the master mind of La Salle. We shall not find, in any explorer of his time, so original a mind united with such rare gifts for doing the work to which he devoted himself.
For a time, the project of colonizing Louisiana[2] quietly slept. It was then revived by a naval officer named Iberville,[3] who thus became, in a manner, heir to La Salle's projects.