Publications (Volume 8) - new book

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: BIENVILLE'S DIFFICULTIES IN THE FOUNDING OF NEW ORLEANS. How Louisiana's Chief City Came Near Being Built At Natchez, Manchac, Or On St. Bernard Bay, Texas. The first immigration "en masse" to Louisiana was in 1718, but there was no New Orleans then to receive and welcome the colonists. The colony had at that time only 700 inhabitants, and in one day 800 persons landed in Louisiana, thus doubling the human charges under Bienville's care, and also increasing his desire to found a city on the Mississippi so as to provide better accommodations for his people. A few colonists had settled on the new site?the New Orleans of to-day?but in 1719 only the impassioned eloquence of Bienville and the trust and confidence felt in him prevented the whole place from being depopulated. The flooded city on one hand, urging withdrawal from its perils, and on the other hand the devoted Governor appealing to the sufferers to remain. The waters rose, but Bienville's pleadings were stronger than the flood?one affected purses, the other their hearts. Love and trust and "sentiment" won the day?New Orleans was saved. The first settlement on the banks of the Mississippi was not made with any intention of its being the seat of government for the Louisiana Province. It happened thus: Iberville was told by Bienville how he had "turned back" an English vessel which was seeking a site for an establishment on the Mississippi. As the French did not then have even a foothold on that river, Iberville saw the necessity of providing an appearance of French possession as soon as possible, or England would forstall his plans. He immediately, January, 1700, set out with a small vessel and fifty Canadians, in order to secure some spot in the lower part of the river where he could erect a fort flying theflag...