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Ot1r Catholic Heritage in Texas
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tility, immediately replied unceremoniously by firing three shots charged with ball. A boat was forthwith sent to reconnoiter the strangers, which found the fleet to consist of five vessels-three large frigates and two small ketches. When the sun dispelled the fog a little later, the flag of France was clearly seen floating in the breeze. The Spanish colors were promptly raised over the unfinished fort and the garrison put under arms in expectation of an attack. The day passed without any hostile move- ment. On the following day M. Escalette was sent by the commander of the French squadron, the Marquis of Chasteaumorant, to get permission of the Spanish commander to land and replenish their water and wood supply. M. Chasteaumorant declared he had come at the order of the king of France to drive out certain Canadian adventurers who were suspected of taking refuge in this region. The request was courteously but firmly refused and the French were instructed by Arriola to look for another place along the coast where they could get the desired water and wood. On the 29th, the French tried to sound the entrance to the harbor but were curtly ordered away. On Jan- uary 30, the little squadron put out to sea and was lost in the horizon, after having registered a formal protest with the Spanish commander against the inhospitable manner in which it had been received. It is to be noted that during the four days which the little fleet was anchored before Pensacola, Iberville and the colonists-for the expedition was no other-had been kept well in the background. The two ketches in which the settlers were quartered remained a safe distance away and no indication of the real purpose of the expedition was given to the Spaniards.H The French, it seems, had not expected to find Pensacola occupied by the Spaniards. Iberville had made careful inquiry, while in Santo Domingo, as to the location of the Mississippi and the presence of the English in the region, but had obtained no definite information about either. Fearful of repeating La Salle's mistake, he had decided to sail directly from Santo Domingo to Florida with the intention of following the coast west- ward from there until the Mississippi River was reached. Little did he think he would find the Spaniards already there. HThe Spanish sources for this incident are all included in the Testimonio de A11tos ejecutados, A. G. I., Audiencia de Afexico, 61-6-22, already referred to, (Dunn Transcripts), which consists of 343 typewritten pages. The French sources have been published in Margry, Decouvertes et Etablisse111e11ts de F-ran;ais, IV, A good account is found in Dunn, S,Panisll and F-rencll Rival-r,y in tlze Gulf Coast R1gio11, 146-191.
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