heard it and supposed it was La Salle. Duhaut and L'Archeveque, seeing La Salle approaching the place where they were, stopped, and Duhaut hid himself in the grass. Just as La Salle inquired of the other where his nephew was, Duhaut, from his concealment, shot the great captain in the head. He fell in the arms of the faithful priest; he never spoke, but pressed the father's hand in token of recognition, and expired. The good father, with his own hands, dug his grave and erected over it a rude cross. The chief conspirators did not long survive. Duhaut was shot by Hiens, and Liotot by Rutel, a Frenchman who had been lost during La Salle's first journey, and had now rejoined his companions. Joutel, who succeeded to the command, with six companions, after some delay, resumed their journey. Crossing Red River, June 16th, and pursuing their journey, they were gratified, on the 20th of July, by the sight of the French flag, floating over the fort erected by the faithful De Tonti at the mouth of the Arkansas River.

Soon after the departure of La Salle's party from Fort Saint Louis, that place, so weakened, fell before the bloodthirsty Caranchuas,* though it is said that De Leon the

* Jacob Grollet and John L'Archeveque, who were subsequently taken from among the Indians by De Leon, gave the following account of the destruction of the fort. The Indians referred to were another band of Caranchuas, or possibly a band of the Lipans, from the west. The two Frenchmen made in substance to the Governor the following statement: "That while the Indians in the vicinity of the fort appeared to be friendly with the French, and they had no reason to suspect any bad intentions or treachery from them, and at a time when the French were scattered about the bay constructing their fort, which they had named Saint Louis, and engaged in other peaceable pursuits, they were surprised and assailed by a large body of Indians, who had been watching them for some time, and all were killed except five, who only owed their salvation to the promptitude of their flight to the friendly Asinais."

next year found a few of the survivors among the Indians, and restored them to their countrymen.

The following map, from the journal of Joutel, indicates the portions of the State traversed by the French:

CHAPTER II.

DE LEON GOVERNOR OF MONCLOVA, IN TEXAS-FOUNDS PRESIDIO ON THE RIO GRANDE IN 1690-SUCCEEDED BY DOMINGO TERAN-ST. DENIS ON THE RIO GRANDE-CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN D'ALARCONNE AND LA HARPEBELISLE ON THE COAST-INDIAN LEAGUE.

THIS

HIS expedition into Texas by the French was soon known in Mexico. The Count of Monclova became viceroy in November 17, 1686, and one of the first acts of the new administration was to take measures to dislodge the colony of La Salle. A military post was established in the interior, named for the new viceroy, Monclova, and Captain Alonzo De Leon was appointed to the command, with the title of Governor of Coaquila, (afterwards spelled generally Coahuila). After settling affairs to his satisfaction, at Monclova, De Leon started to dislodge the French from their post on the Lavaca river. With one hundred men he left Monclova in the spring of 1689, and arrived at the ruins of the old fort, April 22d. He penetrated the country as far as the villages of the Cenis Indians, and recovered a few of the colonists of La Salle, and humanely returned most of them to their own country. Having been informed of the murder of La Salle, and that one or two of the conspirators were still among the Indians, he captured them, and they were condemned to the mines for life. In 1690 De Leon again visited Texas. He founded the mission of San Juan Bautista, on the Rio Grande, at

Presidio, and projected the mission of San Francisco, near the old fort of La Salle.

In 1691 he was superseded in the command by Domingo Teran, who became very much interested in Texas, and traversed the country as far as Red river. He projected quite a number of settlements and missions; but his plans were frustrated by the hostility of the Indians.

In 1712, Louis XIV, of France, granted to Anthony Crozat, September 14th, the Louisiana country, watered by the Mississippi and its tributaries. Two years later,

Crozat, who was a merchant, sent Huechereau St. Denis on a trading expedition to the Rio Grande. When St. Denis returned through Texas, the Spaniards sent Domingo Ramon, with a few soldiers and friars, to establish "missions."

In 1718, war was declared between France and Spain. Early in the spring of 1719, St. Denis and La Harpe collected a small force and invaded Texas, driving the Spaniards from the mission establishments in the east, and penetrated the country as far as San Antonio. Here they were met by the new governor, the Marquis De Aguayo, who had nearly five hundred soldiers, and was prepared to maintain Spanish authority in the province. St. Denis retired to Natchitoches; but La Harpe remained among friendly Indians, on the Neches river. In the meantime, De Aguayo had been superseded by Don Martin D'Alarconne, as Governor of Texas. When D'Alarconne learned that La Harpe was in the Indian village, he addressed him the following note:

"MONSIEUR: I am very sensible of the politeness that M. De Bienville and yourself had the goodness to show to me. The orders I have received from the king, my master, are, to maintain a good understanding with