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It has not been edited and may therefore contain several errors.

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EARLY SETTLERS
IN ALL PROBABILITY1 ROBERT CHEVALIER DE LA SALLE WAS THE FURST WHITE MAN TO EXPLCFRE THIr3 PART OF THE COAST. LA SALLE DESCENDED TO THE MOUTHi OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND ON APRIL 7, 1682, HE SET OUT TO EXPLORE THE SHORES OF THE GULF OF MEXICO AND WAS NEVER HEARD FROM AGAIN*
IN 1699, ON APRIL T2TO, PHERRE LE MOYNE D*IBERVILLE (INTENDING TO PLANT THE FRENCH FLAG ON THE COAST) "SET OttT TO VISIT A BAY ABOUT NINE LEAGUES FROM SHIP ISLAND*.*** BUT FINDING THE WATER VERY SHALLOW THERE* HE CONCLUDED TO FIX HIS SETTLEMENT AT BILOXI •* (HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS OF LOUISIANA FRENCH, VOL.?)* IT WAS HIS BROTWER, JEAN BAPTISTE LE MOYNE BIENVILLE, WO WAS THE FIRST ACTUALLY TO SET FOOT ON THIS LAND AND GIVE IT ITS NAME. ON AUGUST 25, T699, ACCORDING TO' THE JOURNALIST FROM THE FRIGATE LE MARIN, "WE SHORTLY AFTERWARDS FOUND A BEAUTIFUL BAY, ABOUT ONE LEAGUE IN WIDTH BY FOUR IN CIRCUMFERENCE, WHPCH WAS NAMED BAY OF ST. LOOTS BECAUSE IT WAS ON THE DAY OF ST. LOUIfS THAT WE ARRIVED THERE. WE HUNTED THREE DAYS AND KILLED FI'FTY DEER*"
BIENVILLE IN DECBWBER OF THE SAME YEAR, T699, PLACED A FEW FAMILIES HERE WITH A SERGEANT AND FIFTEEN MEN IN A SMALL FORT ON THE BEACH ABOUT WERE THE GEORGE HORTON RESIDENCE NOW STANDS, BETWEEN CARROLL AV&IUE AND DE MONTLUZIN AVENUE.
ON JANUARY 3» T72T, TWO SHIPS ARRIVED, SENT BY D*IBERVILLE, WITH ABOUT 300 PERSONS HOPING FOR LAND GRANTS IN THIS SECTION* A PART OF THE GROUP, COLONISTS UNDER A MADAME MEZIERES, WERE THE PIONEER SETTLERS OF BAY ST. LOUIS*
ON FEBRUARY TO, TT$J, A TREATY SIGNED IN PARIS CEDED THIS SECTION OF THE NEW WORLD TO ENGLAND, AND TO THE MUSIC OF BAGPIPES
AT MOBILE THE BRITISH FLAG TOOK THE PLACE OF THE FLEUR-DE-LIS OF FRANCE. ONLY SF’XTEEN YEARS LATER, HOWEVER, ON MAY 8, T779, SPAM