Margry gives in his Collection, vol. ii., pp. 501-509, a portion of a journal kept by Cavelier. Both these narratives from Cavalier's pen are very imperfect, the former failing for the latter part of the expedition, and the journal stops before the landing in Texas. La Salle's assassination, which took place in 1687, was witnessed by Douay, who gives an account in his journal. Joutel relates the event from the testimony of eye-witnesses, and Tonty states what he learned from the survivors of La Salle's party. See also "Relation de la mort du Sr. de La Salle, suivant le rapport d'un nommé Couture à qui M. Cavelier l'apprit en passant aux Akansas," in Margry, vol. iii., pp. 601-606.
A letter written by La Salle, March 4, 1685, erroneously dated at the mouth of the Mississippi, is in Margry, vol. ii., pp. 559-563, and a translation is appended to Shea's "Early Voyages." The "Procès verbal fait par La Salle avant de conduire son frère au Mississipi, 18. avril 1686," in Margry, vol. iii., pp. 535-549. relates La Salle's operations in Texas, including his first two journeys from the Texas colony to find the Mississippi by land.
The Spaniards, in 1689, visited the site of La Salle's colony, and made prisoners of the survivors whom they found among the Indians. Two of these captives escaped to France, and their testimony in regard to the fate of the colony is given in Margry, vol. iii., pp. 610-621.
Parkman cites the official journal of this Spanish expedition, which is inedited. It is entitled "Derrotero de la jornada que hizo el General Alonzo de Leon para el descubrimiento de la Bahia del Espíritù Santo, y problacion de Franceses." Buckingham Smith's "Colleccion de varios documentos para la historia de la Florida," pp. 25-28, contains a narrative by a member of the Spanish company, entitled "Carta en que se da noticia de un viaje hecho á la Bahia de Espíritù Santo, y de la poblacion que tenian ah los Franceses," which is also inserted in French's "Historical Collections," second series, pp. 293-295. Barcia, in his "Ensayo chronológico para la historia general de la Florida," Madrid, 1723, gives an account, from an unknown source, which is translated in Shea's "Discovery of the Mississippi."
This closes the list of principal contemporary narratives of the first explorations by the French of western territory. Margry's Collection contains many documents of minor interest, but important, which have not been noted. A journal by Minet, the engineer who returned to France with Beaujeau in 1686, in Margry, vol. II, pp. 589-601, and Tonty's "Lettres sur ce qu'il a appris de La Salle, le voyage qu'il a fait pour l'aller chercher," 1686-1689, in Margry, vol. iii., pp. 551-564, must, however, be mentioned.
SECONDARY AUTHORITIES.
Charlevoix's "Histoire et Description générale de la Nouvelle France," Paris, 1744, is the first historical work of value to treat of
