LOUISIANA.

Boundaries and Extent. THE boundaries of Louisiana are not settled on the E. on the W. or on the N. On the E. the United States insist that the Perdido, a river of West-Florida, which empties 140 miles E. of the mouth of lake Ponchartrain, is the true boundary while Spain insists that the Missisippi from lat. 31° to the Ibberville, (129 miles on the river,) and below, the Ibberville itself, with lakes Maurepas and Ponchartrain, constitute the eastern boundary of Louisiana.

On the W the viceroy of Mexico claims, that his jurisdiction reaches eastward to the Rio Mermentas or Mexicano, emptying into the gulf in lat. 29 37 N. and in lon. 93 12 W.; while the United States insist, that the Rio Bravo del Norte, which empties into the gulf of Mexico in lat. 25 50, and lon. 97 30 W. is the boundary between Louisiana and Mexico. The interval of sea coast, between the Mexicano and Bravo is about 600 miles. For reasons hereafter to be stated, we are led to believe, that the Bio Colorado, is the true western boundary. This falls into the northwest corner of the gulf, about half way between the other two, in lat. 29. 15 N. and lon. 97 10 W. On the N. Louisiana is unlimited; but may fairly be considered as reaching to Winnipec river and lake.

The extent of coast between the mouth of lake Ponchartrain and that of the Mexicano is about 280 miles; between the Mexicano and the Perdido 420; between the Perdido and Colorado 720; and between the Perdido and Bravo 1020.

Divisions. Louisiana is divided into two governments, the state of Louisiana, and the territory of Louisiana.

The state of Louisiana comprehends,

1. The country between the Perdido on the E. the Missisippi on the W. the Ibberville and the gulf on the S. and the Missisippi territory on the N.

2. The island of Orleans, which is the tract of land lying between the Missisippi on the S. W. and the Ibberville and lakes Maurepas and Ponchartrain, on the N. E. The Ibberville is a bayau or arm of the Missisippi, which leaves it on the E. 208 miles from its mouth, according to the course of the river, and flows through lakes Maurepas and Ponchartrain, to the gulf of Mexico. The island stretches from E. S. E. to W. N. W. in a straight line, about 160 miles. Its breadth varies from 6 to 25 miles.

3. All the territory W. of the Missisippi and S. of lat. 33°. The territory of Louisiana comprehends all the country W. of the Missisippi and N. of lat. 33°.

The former is bounded N. by Louisiana and Missisippi territorics; E. by the Missisippi between lat. 33° and 31° N. which for 290 miles coasts between it and the Missisippi territory, and far

This is in lat. 30° N. and lon. 89 40 W.

ther S. by the Perdido, which divides it from the rest of WestFlorida; S. by the gulf of Mexico; and W. by Mexico.

The latter has Mexico on the W.; the state of Louisiana on the S.; the Missisippi, which separates it from the Missisippi territory, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Illinois territory, on the E.; and unexplored regions on the N.

Name. The name of Louisiana was given to the territory in honor of Louis XIV. by Mons. de la Salle.

History. This country was first discovered by Ferdinand de Soto, in 1541; it was afterwards visited by col. Wood, in 1654; by capt. Bolt, in 1670; and in 1682, by Mons. de la Salle, from Canada, who was the first who traversed the river Missisippi.† In 1684, he left France with a colony of about 170 men, for the mouths of the Missisippi. By mistake, they passed the place of destination, and landed, Feb. 1685, in the bay of St. Bernard, about 300 miles W. of the mouths of the Missisippi. Most of them perished. In 1699, Mons. Ibberville of Canada, laid the foundation of the first French colony on the Missisippi. The country now for the first time was called Louisiana.‡

The French remained in quiet possession of this extensive country, except frequent contests with the Indians, till 1762.

The Natchez tribe of Indians proved for a time a formidable enemy to the colony; but in the year 1731, the whole tribe was nearly extirpated. In 1756, and again in 1740, the colonists were engaged in bloody wars with the Chicasaw Indians, in the former of which the French were defeated; the latter terminated in peace, which has not since been interrupted.

In April, 1764, the French court announced to the inhabitants, that in Nov. 1762, Louisiana, embracing New-Orleans, and the whole territory W. of the Missisippi, had been ceded to Spain by a secret treaty. They did not submit to this unjust measure without manly opposition, so that complete possession of the country was not obtained by Spain, till the 17th of August, 1769.

By the treaty of peace, in 1763, Canada with the whole territory belonging to France, eastward of the middle of the Missisippi to the Ibberville, thence through the middle of that river to the lakes Maurepas and Ponchartrain to the gulf of Mexico, was ceded to Great Britain. By this treaty, the boundaries of the British provinces were extended southward to the gulf of Mexico, and westward to the Missisippi, the navigation of which to its mouth was to be free to both nations, and Louisiana was limited N. by Canada, and E. by the Missisippi, excepting that it included the island of New-Orleans, on its E. bank. This state of things remained till the American revolutionary war, during which, Spain, in 1779, 1780, and 1781, took from Great Britain, the two Floridas; the United States, according to their present limits, became an independent government, leaving to Great Britain, of all her American provinces, those only which lie N. and E. of the United States. All

• The Perdido has been made the boundary by the government of the United States; we know not by what authority.

+ Hutchins.

Raynal,

See Treaty.

these changes were sanctioned and confirmed by the treaty of 1783. From that period, these respective proportions of North-America remained without any change of proprietors, till the treaty of St. Ildefonso, of Oct. 1, 1800. By this treaty, Spain "promises and engages on her part, to cede to the French republic, six months after the full and entire execution of the conditions and stipulations therein contained relative to the Duke of Parma, the colony or province of Louisiana, with the same extent that it actually has in the hands of Spain, that it had when France possessed it, and such as it should be after the treaties subsequently entered into between Spain and other states." "This treaty was confirmed and enforced by that of Madrid, on the 21st of March, 1801. From France it passed to the United States by the treaty of the 30th of April, 1803, as above mentioned, with a reference to the above clause as de scriptive of the limits ceded.”*

The above recited clause from the treaty of Ildefonso, which makes a part of the treaty of the 30th of April, 1803, between the United States and the French republic, contains our title to Louisiana, for which the government of the United States engaged to pay to the French government, the sum of 60,000,000 of francs, independent of the sum fixed by another convention for the payment of the debts due by France to the citizens of the United States.†

In December, 1803, Louisiana was, in due form, delivered by the commissaries of Spain, to the commissioner of France, Mons. Laussat, who delivered it over to the commissioners of the United States, gov. Claiborne and gen. Wilkinson, on the 20th day of the same month.

In Nov. 1808, at the treaty of fort Clark, the Great and Little Osage Indians agreed, for certain stipulated advantages, that the boundary line between them and the United States should be as follows, viz. "beginning at fort Clark on the Missouri, 5 miles above Fire Prairie, and running thence a due S. course to the river Arkansas, and down the same to the Missisippi, ceding and relinquishing forever to the United States, all the lands which lie east of the said line, and N. of the southwardly bank of the said river Arkansas, and all lands situated northwardly of the river Missouri." They further ceded, at the same time, a tract of 2 leagues square to embrace fort Clark.

• Jefferson.

For the payment of this sum of 60,000,000 francs, it was stipulated that "the United States shall create a stock of 11,250,000 dollars, bearing an interest of six per centum, per annum, payable half yearly in London, Amsterdam, or Paris, amounting by the half year to 337,500 dollars, according to the propor tions which shall be determined by the French government to be paid at either place: The principal of the said stock to be reimbursed at the treasury of the United States, in annual payments of not less than 3,000,000 of dollars each; of which the first payment shall commence 15 years after the date of the exchange of ratifications; this stock shall be transferred to the government of France, or to such person or persons as shall be authorised to receive it, in three months at most, after the exchange of the ratifications of this treaty, and after Louisiana shall be taken possession of in the name of the government of the United States,"

The territory of Orleans was made a state, by the name of LouIsiana, in 1811; and the country between the Ibberville and the Perdido was taken possession of in the latter part of that year, and in 1812.

Religion. The state of religion in this newly acquired territory is sufficiently deplorable. The Spaniards and French who remain here are professedly Catholics. The clergy consist of 2 canons, having each a salary of 600 dollars, and 25 curates, 5 for the city of New-Orleans, and 20 for as many country parishes, who receive each from 360 to 480 dollars a year. There is also, at New-Orleans, a convent of Ursulines, to which is attached about 1000 acres of land, rented out in three plantations. The nuns are now in number not more than 10 or 12, and are all French.

The emigrants from the states are principally adventurers, more intent on gain than concerned for their religious interests. They have few places of worship. The whole of this country is proper missionary ground.

Population. The number of inhabitants in the whole of Louisiana was estimated, in 1757, at 10,000. An accurate census was taken, 1766, by order of gov. Ulloa, the result of which was as folJows:

An incomplete census, taken in 1804, gave the following results

The following is the result of the census of 1810.

Whites 34,511

3,011

The items of the census of 1810 were as follow:

County of
Orleans

1st District<

Germans Coast

Acadia

The state of Louisiana is divided into 5 districts, as follows:

Ibberville

Ibberville

Baton Rouge

3d District Point Coupee

Point Coupee

8,897

Concordia

Concordia

76,556

This state is entitled to send one representative to congress.
Divisions of Louisiana territory.

Population.

District of St. Charles

3505

Do. of St. Louis

5667

Do. of St. Genevieve

4620

Do. of Cape Girardeau

3888

Do. of New-Madrid

2103

Settlements of Hopefield and St. Francis

188

Do. on the Arkansas

874

20.845

Militia. The militia of this extensive country amounts to about 15,000 men; but of their present condition we have no authentic information.

Inhabitants and Character. At least two fifths, if not a greater proportion of all the settlers on the Spanish side of the Missisippi, are supposed to be Americans. Below New-Orleans the population is altogether French and the descendants of Frenchmen.*

Language. Spanish, French, and English are all spoken at New-Orleans; but neither of them with any considerable degree of purity.

• Jefferson,