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becomes “the ally of four nations west of the Mississippi.” [Because of his inability to fully communicate with the natives, Iberville is left with the impression that a river to the east (the Pascagoula; may be the East Fork of the Mississippi. However, the evidence is not strong, and Iberville focuses his efforts on finding the West Fork.]
27, 1633
With "wind in the southeast, with rain and drizzle” Iberville sets out from Ship Island in his smaller vessels in search of the West Fork of the Mississippi. He tells us “I steered south to make some islands that were visible there, and running along the shore for 6 leagues, I ran along the islands of grass and sand and passed through bays and by hooks covered with grass and rushes, but without trees.”
Iberville is now approximately 15 miles into what is presently Chandeleur Sound. On today’s map he would be in open w'ater with the Chandeleur Light House some 5 miles to his east-northeast and Isle aux Pitre some 15 miles to his northwest.
Yet his description of the this area and of all the
area he will travel in what is now present day Chandeleur-Breton Sound is not of open water but of shallow passes and bays connected by a maze of closely spaced, low lying islands. Some of these islands are of sand. Others are covered with grasses and shrubs. All become inundated. Some may not be islands, but extensions of the mainland. All are being directly affected during Iberville’s voyage by the flow of the Mississippi, which is not in flood at this season.
^rclj 2, 1&33
Iberville is running along the southern coast of Breton Sound near the present day Spanish Point -Bird Island area. Within hours he will find and enter one of the Forks of the Mississippi River.
He is unaware that success is so close. Rather, he is fearful for the safety of his crew and vessels.
He has come into heavy seas and finds himself on what appears to be a rocky coast.
Iberville tells us he is abandoning his effort "to round (avoid) a rocky point as night was coming on and the foul weather continuing. Least we perish at sea. I stood for those rocks in order to run ashore by day to save my men and long boats.”
Cartouche 10 "Map of Mexico and Florida (also) of the English lands and the Antilles (and) of the course and environs of the Mississippi River. Drawn from a great number of reports (but) principally from those of Misters d'Iberville cr.tl i'e Sueur,By Guillaume De I’sle, Geographer oj the Royal Academy of Sciences. At Amsterdam wih Jean Covens and Corneille Moriier. W;k the permission (of ike King). 1722"


Hancock County History General On-The-Eve-Of-Conquest-Coastal-LA-1699-(29)
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