Notwithstanding the late Monsieur de la Sale’s Voyage had a most unfortunate End, as to his own Person, yet that will not hinder Posterity, from ever allowing him the Title of a most renowned Traveller.
The History of his Enterprize will be acceptable to future Ages, for laying before them, the extraordinary Genius, the invincible Courage, and the undaunted Resolution of such a Man, who could contrive and execute the Means for discovering the remaining Part of the World.
And in regard that the Particulars of the Discovery of those large and immense Provinces, will always be the Object of curious and understanding Persons, it is not to be wonder’d, that after what has been writ by Father Hennepin, a Recolet, the Chevalier Tonty and some others, we here now publish an Historical Journal of the last Voyage Monsieur de la Sale undertook into the Gulf of Mexico, to the Country of Louisiana, to finish what he had projected at his former Voyage, had not the Treachery of his own Men cut him off.
This Journal of Monsieur Joutel, whereof Monsieur Tonty makes mention in the Book that has been printed of the last Discoveries in America, Folio 319, has this peculiar, that it exactly contains what hap’ned to Monsieur de la Sale, Day by Day, in that fatal Voyage, since his Departure from Rochelle to his death, and till the Return of his Brother Monsieur Cavelier the Priest, Monsieur Cavelier his Nephew, the Reverend Father Anastasius, the Recolet, and the said Sieur Joutel, who in Order to return to France, took that long Journey by Land, from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada, being a Tract of above 800 Leagues.
Many Adventures of all Sorts, most of which are Tragical, will please the curious Reader; and above all he will admire the Protection of Divine Providence, in Conducting and Preserving that small Company throughout those vast Regions, and among so many barbarous Nations.
We do not here pretend to Criticise upon the Work of Father Hennepin, or that of Monsieur Tonty; but even their own Favourers cannot take it ill, that this Author does not sometimes say as they do; that he plainly delivers what he saw, and that he exposes to publick View all the Truths he was an Eye Witness to, without magnifying or inventing.
It is nevertheless true, that they may be all excus’d as to some Particulars; Father Hennepin and Monsieur Tonty may have seen some Things, that did not come to the Knowledge of Monsieur Joutel; but there is a Fact of great Consequence in the History of Monsieur de la Sale, which must not be pass’d over in Silence.
It is, that Monsieur Tonty, in his Book affirms, that Monsieur de la Sale at length found the Mouth of the Missisipi, and Monsieur Joutel asserts the contrary, and says, that is so far from being true, that during his last Progress towards the Cenis, when the said Sieur Joutel was with him, and had never been parted, Monsieur de la Sale’s principal Care was to enquire of all the Nations they pass’d through, where the Missisipi was, and could never hear any thing of it; that this is evidently made out, because if Monsieur de la Sale had found the Mouth of that River, he would infallibly have taken another Way, and other Measures, and all the Appearances are on this Side, as may be seen in this Relation.
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.
Whereas all Gentlemen ought to fit themselves betimes for those Employments which naturally fall to their Share, preferable to their Fellow Subjects; and that they who design in particular to serve their Prince Abroad, are obliged to understand the Interests and Pretentions of Foreign States, as well as the Laws and Constitution of their own Country: It has been judg’d very serviceable, by Persons of great Experience, to have the most celebrated Monsieur Wicquefort’s Ambassador translated into the English Tongue, as being the only Book that perfectly exhausts this Matter, little being written on the Subject by other Nations in Comparison of the Italians, whose Books are too defective and abstracted for common Practice. Proposals will shortly be published, for printing the said Book by Subscription, by the Undertaker Bernard Lintott between the two Temple-Gates.
The Tragedy of Jane Shore, written in Shakespear’s Style, by Nicholas Row Esq; as it is acted at the Queen’s Theatre in the Hay-Market. pr. 1 s. 6 d.
The Rape of the Lock, an heroick comical Poem, in 5 Canto’s, with 6 Copper Plates, by Mr. Pope. pr. 1 s.
The Works of Monsieur de Moliere, translated, in 6 Vols. 12s. printed on fine Paper and new Elziver Letter.
The Clergy-man’s Recreation, shewing the Pleasure and Profit of the Art of Gard’ning. By John Lawrence. A. M. Rector of Yelvertost in Northamptonshire, and sometime Fellow of Clare-Hall in Cambridge.
Miscellaneous Poems and Translations by several Hands, particularly, the first Book of Statius his Thebais translated. The Fable of Vertumnus and Pomoua, from the 14th Book of Ovid’s Metamorphosis. To a young Lady; with the Works of Voiture. On Silence. To the Author of a Poem entitled Successio. The Rape of the Lock. An Ode for Musick on St. Cecilia’s Day. Windsor Forest. To the Right Honourable George Ld. Lansdown. An Essay on Criticism. An Epigram upon Two or Three. All written by Mr. Pope.