Page:Joutel's journal of La Salle's last voyage, 1684-7 (IA joutelsjournalof00jout).pdf/228

 The Letters Patent granted by the King of France to M. Crozat.

Louis, by the Grace of God, King of France and Navarre: To all who shall see these present Letters, Greeting. The Care we have always had to procure the Welfare and Advantage of our Subjects having induced us, notwithstanding the almost continual Wars which we have been obliged to support from the Beginning of our Reign, to seek for all possible Opportunities of enlarging and extending the Trade of our American Colonies, ''We did in the Year 1683 give our orders to undertake a Discovery of the Countries and Lands which are situated in the Northern Part of America'', between New France and New Mexico: And the Sieur de la Sale, ''to whom we committed that Enterprize, having had Success enough to confirm a Belief that a Communication might be settled'' from New France to the Gulph of Mexico by Means of large Rivers; This obliged us immediately after the Peace of Ryswick ''to give Orders for the establishing a Colony there, and maintaining a Garrison which has kept and preserved'' the Possession, we had taken ''in the very Year 1683 of the Lands, Coasts and Islands which are situated in the Gulph of Mexico, between Carolina on the East, and Old and New Mexico on the West''. But a new War having broke out in Europe shortly after, there was no Possibility, till now, of reaping from that new Colony the Advantages that might have been expected from thence, because the private Men, who are concerned in the Sea Trade, were all under Engagements with other Colonies, which they have been obliged to follow: And whereas upon the Information we have received concerning the Disposition and Situation of the said Countries known at present by the Name of the Province of Louisiana, we are of Opinion that there may be established therein a considerable Commerce, so much