Page:Joutel's journal of La Salle's last voyage, 1684-7 (IA joutelsjournalof00jout).pdf/229

 the more advantageous to our Kingdom in that there has hitherto been a Necessity of fetching from Foreigners the greatest Part of the Commodies which may be brought from thence, and because in Exchange thereof we need carry thither nothing but Commodities of the Growth and Manufacture of our own Kingdom; we have resolved to grant the Commerce of the Country of Louisiana to the ''Sieur Anthony Crozat'' our Councellor, Secretary of the Household, Crown and Revenue, to whom we entrust the Execution of this Project. We are the more readily inclined hereunto, because his Zeal and the singular Knowledge he has acquired in maritime Commerce, encourage us to hope for as good Success as he has hitherto had in the divers and sundry Enterprizes he has gone upon, and which have procured to our Kingdom great Quantities of Gold and Silver in such Conjunctures as have rendered them very welcome to us.

FOR THESE REASONS being desirous to shew our Favour to him, and to regulate the Conditions upon which we mean to grant him the said Commerce, after having deliberated this Affair in our Council, Of our certain Knowledge, full Power and Royal Authority, We by these Presents, signed by our Hand, have appointed and do appoint the said ''Sieur Crozat solely to carry on a Trade in all the Lands'' possessed by Us, and bounded by New Mexico, and by the Lands of the English of Carolina, ''all the Establishment, Ports, Havens, Rivers, and principally the Port and Haven of the Isle Dauphine, heretofore called'' Massacre; the River of St. Lewis, heretofore called Missisipi, from the Edge of the Sea as far as the Illinois; ''together with the River of St. Philip, heretofore called the'' Missourys, and of St. Jerome, heretofore called Ovabache, ''with all the Countries, Territories, Lakes within Land, and the Rivers which fall directly or indirectly into that Part of the River of'' St. Lewis.