Excerpt from Historical Collections of Louisiana, Vol. 2: Embracing Translations of Many Rare and Valuable Documents Relating to the Natural, Civil and Political History of That State

Since the above was written by Mr Sparks, another account of this expedition into Florida and Louisiana has been found in manuscript, in Spain, written by Luis Hernandez de Biedma (facteur de sa Majesté), and presented by him to the king In 1544, which seems to have fur nished the materials for these histories, and establishes beyond a doubt the claim of Spain to the discovery of the Mississippi River, and the extensive country lying on-both sides of it. It is written iii a plain and unpretending style, and gives apparently a faithful account of the countries traversed by 'de Soto - the manners and customs of the Indians - their towns and villages-the mountains, rivers, and val leys - the currents, islands, and other physical features of the great Missmsippi valley and river and finally the preparation and' departure of his successor Luis de Moscoso, from the mouth of the Arkansas, until his arrival In the river of Panuco In 1543. A translation of this rare and curious manuscript, together with an autograph letter of the Adelantado de Soto Is now published for the first time in this volume. After the death of Hernando de Soto, more than' a century elapsed before any further attempt was made to explore the Mississippi. In 1673, M. Talon, the French governor of Canada, took measures to secure the dominion of France over all the countries lying south and west of the Canadian lakes, and, anxious to discover the sources, course, and direction of the great river which had been mentioned to the French mission ries by the Indians of the west, to flow towards the south, he sent Marquette and J oliet to explore it to the sea. They embarked In May, and proceeded down the river as far as the Arkansas, from whence they returned to Canada, and published an account of their voyage in the French language several yeais after. But it was left for the greatest traveler of his age, the Sieur Robert Cavalier de la Salle, to finish what they had begun. He set out from Canada In 1682 and reached its mouths on the 9th of April, and took possession Of the country in the name of his sovereign, and called it Louisiana. The valuable and rare map accompanying this volume is a well-executed fac simile of the original. It aspires to a degree of accuracy that Is Of great importance both to the historian and anti quarian. It preserves not only the Indian names of the lakes and rivers, but traces the routes of the early explorers, and lays down the localities of the numerous Indian tribes who' once held sway over this extensive country.

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