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Our Catholic Heritage in T cxas J outel, "about settling exactly the place we were in, and the course we were to steer, some positively affirming we were farther than we imagined." La Salle was forced to admit that perhaps he was past the mouth of the great river, "which was but too true," again says Joutel, "for that river emptying itself in the sea by two channels, it followed that one of the mouths fell about the shoals we had observed on the sixth of the month [January] ; and particularly because those shoals were very near the latitude that M. de La Salle had observed when he came by the way of Canada to discover the mouth of that river, as he told me several times." 16 The landi11g on Matagorda Bay. On February I 5, 1685, the expedition discovered a beautiful river, about one-eighth of a league in width, which emptied into a bay where there was a small island at the entrance. Soundings were taken and it was found that there were only ten or twelve feet of water over the bar. Part of the men were landed, the pilots of the Joly, the Amiable and the Belle carefully staked the channel to facilitate bringing in the vessels, and things seemed to promise a happy landing. La Salle distrusted the ability of the captain of the Amiable and tried to persuade him to allow the pilot of the Belle to bring her in. Instructions were given for the maneuver on the 20th, which La Salle had intended to supervise in person, but just at that time, a lieutenant named Sablonniere, who had gone ashore with some of the men, was captured by Indians. While La Salle hurried to rescue the -captives, the captain of the Amiable proceeded to bri!1g in the ship with such ill success that he ran her into a sand bar where the vessel was stranded. Th is misfortune proved a serious handicap to the attempted settlement and seemed an omen of its fate. On board this vessel were most of the munitions, utensils, tools, and everything needed for the establishment of the little colony. In vain did La Salle _hurry back to salvage its precious cargo. With the aid of the long boat of the frigate, he succeeded in saving part of the baggage, the powder, some provisions, and a part of the liqueurs. Darkness prevented him from getting everything ashore. Next morning it was too late. During the night a fresh wind blew in from the sea and pounded the helpless ship to pieces against the shore. 17 "This loss was followed by others still more regrettable. The Indians were already beginning to crowd around, and all precautions were useless in preventing them from stealing part of what had been saved from
16/ bid., I, I oo. 1 7Joutel, np. cit., I, 103-104; Castaneda, Jlf{lrfi's Histor,y nf Texas, 122-123.
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