This text was obtained via automated optical character recognition.
It has not been edited and may therefore contain several errors.

---

Chapter i
The Years 1698 and 1699
The author takes shift at La Rochelle—His arrival at Louisiana —Fort Biloxi established—How the savages proclaimed peace— First discovery of the Missicipy by way of Lake Pontchartrain
EING BORN in La Rochelle,1 I was no more than fifteen years old when I had a great urge to go on a journey. To satisfy my desire, I was induced, when I was eighteen, to enter the service of Elis Majesty on board the Count de Surgere’s 2 ship. It was in the year 1698, in the month of October, that we sailed from La Rochelle with two ships named Le Marin,3 commanded by the Count de Surgere, and La Renommee* commanded by M. d’Hyberville.8 Our voyage was very fortunate because of the constant favor-
1	A seaport town on the west coast of Francc.
2	Usually written Surgcres.
3	Not Le Cbeval Marin, of forty-eight guns, as several historians have insisted upon the basis of a single document, but indeed Le Marin, a frigate carrying thirty-two to thirty-six guns, according to all other documents. See the convincing argument made by Guy Fr£gault, Iberville le conquerant (Montreal, 1944), p. 272, n. 27.
4	An error for La Badine. Iberville was in command of La Kcnomntce on his second voyage. "Navigation de la Badine” in Margry, Decouvertes, IV, 131—32; and "Journal de D’Iberville commandant le vaisseau la Renommce dans son sccond voyage au Mississipi,” ibid., IV, 393—95.
8	Pierre Le Moyne d’lberville, the most daring and capable seaman-soldier France had in American waters at the close of the eighteenth century. Both D’Hyberville and D’Hibcrville are common spellings of his name. His autograph is Dlberville.