The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 62, July 1958 - April, 1959 Page: 255
617 p. : ill., maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Notes and Documents
The common trees are red and white cypresses, cedars, pines,
sweet gum, white woods, willows, ashes, oaks, walnuts, pecans,40
whose nuts are very good, mulberries, persimmons, which pro-
duce a fruit similar to the medlar, but much better, plums
whose fruits are very good and an infinite abundance of grape
vines, whose grapes are very delicate; my men made six casks of
good strong wine there. Game is abundant there especially in
winter; buffalo are killed at twenty leagues from the establish-
ment; bear, deer, hare, and rabbit are not far away, nor are the
turkey, the snipe, and other fowls.
The 21 st, my boats arrived at the Nassonites. I had the Te Deum
sung as an act of thanks for having arrived without accident after
incredible labors. The greater part of my men fell sick from
fatigue; fevers seized them, which have lasted a long time.
The 22nd, the four nations celebrated the Calumet for me;
it is a mark of alliance among these people. This festival lasted
twenty-four hours, during which time their music did not dis-
continue for a moment. If the ceremony is fatiguing, it is not
less burdensome to those to whom they render these honors,
being obliged to make presents to them. I gave 2,ooo livres of
merchandise to these nations, knowing the necessity of drawing
them into the interests of the Company, as much on account of
the proximity of the Spaniards of the province of Texas as for
their alliance with the Nadacos and Amedichez [Nabedache].
It is to be noticed that all the savage nations are extremely gen-
erous. When the Calumet is celebrated, they cast off all the
clothes that they might have on. This generosity takes place only
among these people; for, in regard to the French, they content
themselves only with presenting to them some deer hides and
these even in small number.
My design being to establish myself at the deserted place of
the chief of the Nassonites, I proposed to him, at this Calumet,
to cede to me his ground with its cabin and his antichon. He
consented, in consideration of a present of the value of thirty
pistoles" in merchandise. At the same time the chiefs of these
nations offered thirty of their men to me to bring cypress wood
to me for the construction of the house that I wished to construct.
4oPagamiers, however, pacaniers (pecan trees) is probably meant.
41A pistole was a Spanish coin worth ten francs.255
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 62, July 1958 - April, 1959, periodical, 1959; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101173/m1/300/: accessed March 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.