011,r Catlioli& Heritage in Texas
expressly declared that the point he intended to fortify was not the Mississippi, but one sixty leagues below the mouth of the River Colbert (the Mississippi) along the Gulf of Mexico, and it must be concluded that he passed the mouth of the great river purposely, rather than accidentally. 10 Organization of La Salle's expedition. Throughout the spring and summer active preparations for the expedition were carried on with great secrecy. Four vessels of different sizes were armed and made ready at La Rochelle in which two hundred and eighty persons took passage with their baggage. In addition to these there were one hundred soldiers, thirty volunteers, many of whom were of gentle birth, a Canadian family named Talon, some maidens, several hired servants, and a few artisans. The total number who embarked has been estimated as four hundred persons. But little or no discretion was exercised in the selection and enlistment of the prospective settlers and soldiers. "The greater part of the soldiers were wretched beggars, many were deformed or maimed and did not know how to use their guns. The artisans were no better. Experience soon revealed that no one understood his profession or trade." 11 Religio1's in tlze expedition. Among the members of the expedition were three Sulpician friars : M. Cavelier, brother of La Salle, M. Chefdeville, and M. Mazulle, also called D'Aimanville by J outel; four Franciscans: Fray Zenobius Membre, who had accompanied La Salle on ~is previous explorations, Fray Maximus Le Clercq, who had served in Canada for several years, Fray Anastasius Douay, and Fray James Morguet, who, because of illness, had to give up the trip three days after the expedition sailed. The four vessels that carried the settlers to Texas were the Joly, a royal ship of about forty guns; a frigate of six guns, called the Belle, which was given to La Salle by the king; the Amiable, a vessel capable of carrying about three hundred tons burden, in which all the equipment 1 0See original proposal in Margry, op. cit ., VoL II, 359. The full text of the com- mission granted La Salle is in Ibid., 382~383 . This opinion, although denied by many, is now being accepted in view of the numerous documents that point clearly to La Salle's ulterior designs. See Hackett, H istorical Doc11111e11ts, II, 49, 234-289, and Piclzardo' s Treatise, I, 436. llCastaiieda, Morft's H istory of Texas, 119. The best sources for the details of the expedition of La Salle are found in French, Historical Collect io11s of Louisiana, Volumes I and IV, in which are printed the Journal of Joutel ; Tonty's Memoir, and Le Clercq's Acco1111t.
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