Letter of Henry de Tonti, left near the mouth of the Mississippi river for René Robert Cavalier, Sieur de La Salle, with Indians in 1685. Source: Iberville's Journal of the Badine.
March 31, 1699. Iberville writes in his journal that his brother (Bienville) brought him a letter for M. de La Salle, which Tonti had left with the Mougoulacha chief while ascending the Mississippi in 1685.
Thinking that Iberville and his men were Spaniards, the chief had refused to give them the letter the first time they had come by his village on their way upstream.
Iberville continues: "The letter removes all doubt that the Malbanchia is the Mississippi".
From the Quinipissa village, April 20, 1685
Monsieur,
Having found the post upon which you had hung the arms of the King knocked down by driftwood, I had another erected on this side of it, about seven leagues from the sea, and I have left a letter in the hole of a tree nearby bearing an inscription on it.
The Quinipissas having danced the calumet with me, I leave this letter with them to assure you of my most humble respect and to let you know the news I have had of you at the fort, that you had lost a boat, and that the savages having plundered your supplies, you were fighting with them.
Upon this news, I have come down with twenty Frenchmen, five Chaouans and five Illenois. All the nations have danced the calumet with me.
These people have a great dread of us since you captured this village.
I close by assuring you that it is the greatest disappointment to me to return without having the fortune to find you, after two canoes have coasted alomg the shore thirty leagues towards Mexico and twenty-five leagues towards Florida, they being forced to return for lack of fresh water.
Though we have gotten no information of you nor found any trace of you, I do not despair that God will grant a full success to your business and your enterprise. I hope this with all my heart, for you have not a more faithful follower than I, who sacrifices everything to seek you.
HENRY de TONTI
[The remainder of the letter contains reports concerning the Illinois, Outaoua, and Chaouanon tribes and of the war they were waging against the Iroquois, about the deaths of several people in Canada, and about the arrival of M. Perrot with 25 soldiers at Acadia. The HCHS does not have a copy of this.]