A Pictorial History of Texas, From the Earliest Visits of European Adventurers, to A.D. 1879. Page: 87 of 859

LASALLE AND HIS COMPANIONS.

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streams were swollen, and progress was difficult, but he
finally reached the villages of the friendly Nassonite
and Cennis Indians, on the Trinity and Neches Rivers.
While camped on the latter strean, he and his nephew
were prostrated by a fever. When they ha d sufficiently
recovered to resume their journey, they found that the
improvidenlt hunters had nearly exhausted their ammiaunition,
and it would be necessary to return to their fort
for a fresh supply. Between deaths and desertions, La
Salle now had but eight, of the twenty mlen with whom
he started. These, with five horses procured from the
Indians, reached the fort in August. They found the
number in the fort also greatly reduced, so that there
were now but thirty-four remainiz ng alive.
Again, on the 12th of January, 1687, La Salle, with
seventeen companions, started to the northeast. This
time he took Joutel, leaving the fort with seventeen persons,
including seven women, in charge of Sieur Barbier,
who had just married one of the mraidens brought out
from France. In giving dates and the route of travel,
we follow the journal of Joutel, though he tells us that
he is not certain as to imany of them. Onl Joutel's miap
there is a place laid down, called Bconz, about where the
Texana and Victoria road crosses the Larvaca Rivrer.
This is the point where La Salle camped on the night he
left the fort. The next day they crossed a plain two
leagues, to the Prince's (Naviclad) River; this they found
swollen, and fortwo days traveled up its west bank. On
the third day, by felling a tree, they succeeded in crossing
their baggage. On Skull Creek they found an Indian
village; (probably Tonlkawas) the French called it Habemos.
On the 21st they crossed the river of Canies,
(Colorado, about Eagle Lake). Heavy rains delayed
them, and they crossed the river of Sand Banks, (San