enable him to construct the works and dams necessary for his 'mills, it being understood, that by this grant, it is not intended to prohibit the free navigation of the said Bayou to the rest of the inhabitants, who shall be free to use the same, without however, being permitted to throw across it any bridge, or to obstruct the navigation, which shall at all times remain free and open. Under the conditions here expressed, such mills as he may think proper to erect, may be disposed of by the petitioner together with the lands adjoining, as estates belonging entirely to him in virtue of this decree, in relation to which the surveys are to be continued, and the commandant, Don John Fethiol, will verify and remit them to me, so that the person interested may obtain a corresponding title in form. It being a formal and express condition of this grant, that at least one mill shall be constructed within two years, otherwise it is to remain null.

THE BARON DE CARONDELET, [SEAL.]

Registered,

ANDRE LOPES ARMESTO.

ས

[Here follow a petition and decree the same as the preceding, except that the petition asks for six toises of ground on each side of the Bayou de Liar from its source to its mouth, which are granted by the decree.]

The Baron de Bastrop contracts with his majesty, to furnish for the term of six months, rations to the families which he has latterly introduced at the post of the Ouachita, which are to be com. posed of twenty-four ounces of fresh bread or an equivalent in flour, twelve ounces of fresh beef or six of bacon, two ounces of fine menestra, or three of ordinary, and one thousandth part of a celemin (about a peck) of salt, for which there is to be paid to him, by the royal chests at the rate of a real and a half for each ration. For which purpose there shall be made out monthly, a particular account, the truth and regularity of which shall be attested at foot, by the commandant of that post. Under which conditions, I oblige myself with my person and estate, to the fulfilment of the present contract, subjecting myself in all things to the jurisdiction of this general intendancy.

In testimony of which I sign it at New Orleans, the 16th of June,

1797.

BARON DE BASTROP.

New Orleans, date as above. I approve this contract in the name of his majesty, with the intervention of Senor Gilbert Leonard, principal contador of the army in these provinces, for its validity. Two certified copies are to be directed to the secretary, Juan Ventura Morales. With my intervention, Gilbert Leonard. Copy of the original, which remains in my keeping, and which I certify,

and is taken out to be passed to the secretary of this general intendancy. New Orleans, ut supra.

GILBERT LEONARD.

Whereas the intendant, from the want of funds, has solicited the suspension of the last remittance of, families, until the decision of his majesty, there ought to be no prejudice occasioned to you, by the last paragraph of my decree, which expresses, that if within three years the major part of the establishment shall not have been made good, such families as may first present themselves shall be located within the twelve leagues destined for the settlement which you have commenced; and this shall only have effect two years after the course of the contract shall have again commenced to be executed, and the determination of his majesty shall have been made known to you. You will always remain persuaded, that on my part, I will observe religiously the engagements I have contracted; a principle which has constantly distinguished the Spanish nation.God preserve you many years. New Orleans, June 18, 1797. THE BARON DE CARONDELET.

To Baron de Bastrop.

No. 18.

Papers respecting the Houma claim on New-Orleans

island.

TO THE GOVERNOR GENERAL.

I, Maurice Conway, an inhabitant of this vicinity, with due respect do represent to your excellency;

That being about to settle myself up the country on the lands which Alexander Latil and I purchased, with your approbation, of the Houma Indians, and which are totally destitute of fences, and is cleared for upwards of one league in depth, in such a manner that the cypress trees may be about one league and a half from the river, without my having any right to them, your excellency having granted to us only the depth of forty arpens, with which shortness of depth I cannot have access to the cypress trees, so necessary for the construction of my fences and other utilities of a plantation; Therefore I humbly pray your excellency to take the circumstances into consideration, and to grant me all the depth which may be vacant behind or at the end of the aforesaid forty arpens of depth, whereof I am at present the sole owner, by virtue of a deed of conveyance passed before Andrew Almonester, notary public on the 4th day of January last, of the moiety be-longing to Mr. Latil, aforesaid. I also pray your excellency to appoint Louis Andry to put me in possession of the aforesaid

front and depth, by fixing the needful boundaries and furnishing me with due copies of the whole transaction for my use and guide.

And in duty bound I shall ever pray. New Orleans, September 9th, 1776.

(Signed)

MAURICE CONWAY.

New Orleans, September 27th, 1776.

Louis Andry, second adyudant of this place, is hereby directed to go to the land alluded in the within memorial, and to give the petitioner possession of that which may be vacant after the forty arpens in depth, of which he is in possession, following the same directions: provided it be vacant, and that no injury is thereby done to any of the adjoining inhabitants: to which effect he shall establish his boundaries and limits; and of the whole proceedings he shall make a process verbal, of which he will make a return to us, signed by himself and the parties, in order to issue the complete title in due form to the claimant.

Louis Andry, captain of infantry and second adjutant, major of the city of New Orleans, duly commissioned and authorised by his excellency the governor general of this province of Louisiana, for the purposes mentioned in the above petition and decree; do certify that I have transferred myself on the 1st day of October 1776, to the land referred to in the above documents, which land is situated in the district of the parish of the Ascension or La Fourche, on the left bank of the Mississippi, about twenty two leagues above the said capital; being accompanied by the petitioner Maurice Conway, and the commandant of the said district, Louis Judice, whom I requested, (as being well versed in the language of the Houma Indians,) to send for their chief, named Calabe, seller of the land in question, in order that be might point out to me the boundaries which are to limit the same on both upper and lower sides; which being done, and the said chief present. he answered to me through the assistance of the interpreter aforesaid, that the land sold by him, and formerly occupied by the Indians, extended from the lower line of Francis Duhon on the upper side, to that of Michael Chiasson, on the lower, (although these names do not correspond now with those which appear in the instrument of sale, because since that time the said adjoining lands have passed through the hands of several owners ;) and which intermediary land I then measured, drawing to this effect through the woods the necessary lines to ascertain its length, (which lines are described, in the figurative plat of my operations, which I deliver

ed to the party,) and found that it contains ninety-six arpens in front on the river, opening one hundred and twenty degrees towards its rear, owing to its situation in the bottom of the bend; the upper line, adjoining lands of Francis Duhon, being directed north fifty degrees west; and the lower adjoining those of Michael Chiasson, running north seventy degrees east.

The measurements of the said front being concluded, I proceeded to put the petitioner in possession of the depth which by the aforesaid decree has heen granted to him-To this end, having transferred myself to the upper line, which joins Francis Duhon aforesaid, I examined in his presence the stakes which had been planted by me on the 22d December, 1773, which stakes still exist in the same situation, distance and direction, both of Mulberry tree: the first measuring five feet, &c. planted at thirtyseven toises and two feet from the present margin of the river; and the second of 6 feet, &c. planted at one arpent, or 30 toises further back towards the rear.

Afterwards I proceeded on the same line and on the same course (viz.) north fifty degrees west until the forty arpens in depth, opening for that purpose a road through the woods, at which point I caused to be planted a stake of cypress of six feet in length, &c. And at two arpens further still, that is to say, at forty-two arpens from the river, I planted another stake similar in all to the last above described.

This line being concluded, I went to the lower one, adjoining lands of Michael Chiasson, whom I also sent for; and after having measured the seven arpens, which by decree of the 27th September, of this same year, were granted to him by the same governor aforesaid, I caused to be planted on it two stakes of Mulberry tree; the first measuring four feet, &c. at twenty toises from the present margin of the river; and the second at twenty toises further back: After which I went on through the woods, and in the aforesaid direction of north seventy degrees east, on the same line, until the forty arpens in depth, at which point I caused to be planted a cypress stake, six feet long, &c. and at two arpens further from the river, I caused another stake to be planted, (that is, at 42 arpens from the river,) of the same size as the precedent, in order to keep the course.

And for the end that all the above stated may be proven, I give the present certificate, signed by me, together with the party Maurice Conway, and the commandant aforesaid, and interpreter in this case, the chief of the Indians having declared, as well as the two adjoining neighbors aforesaid, that they did not know how to sign; which I do attest—in the abovesaid court and district, the day, month and year above written.

(Signed)

LOUIS ANDRY,

MAURICE CONWAY,
LOUIS JUDICE,

Don Bernard de Galvez, Colonel of the Battalion of Infantry of Louisiana, Governor, Intendant and Inspector pro-tem. of the troops thereof, &c.

Having seen the proceedings of the second adjutant of this town, captain Louis Andry, relative to the possession by him given to Maurice Conway, pursuant to the above decree issued by my predecessor, of all the vacant land lying behind and on the rear of the first forty arpens which he possesses, by ninety-six arpens in front on the river, following the same direction of these. And finding them to be conformable to the rules of survey, and agreeable to the concessions of the adjoining inhabitants, without causing to these last, any harm or injury whatsoever, nor having by them' been claimed; but on the contrary consented to it, as it appears by their assistance to the said operations.

Approving of the same, as we do by these presents approve; using of the power to us conferred by the King: We hereby do grant in his royal name to the said Maurice Conway, the aforesaid land behind or at the end of the forty arpens which contains his plantation, situated in the district of La Fourche, by ninety-six in front on the river, following the same direction which those run, in order that it being his property he may share and dispose of the same, ruling himself upon the aforesaid proceedings, and observing the conditions prescribed in the ordinance relative to this subject.

Given under our hand and seal, at the city of New Orleans, and countersigned by our secretary, this 21st day of June, 1777. BERNARDO DE GALVEZ.

(Signed)

By order of his Excellency,

JOSEPH FOUCHER.

[Under the preceding grant, more than one hundred thousand acres are now claimed, viz. On a front of about a league on the Mississippi, the upper boundary line as claimed runs parallel to the Mississippi as far as Manshak, the lower line stretches to Lake Maurepas, and the back line as claimed, extends from the Mississippi to the lower end of said lake; along the Iberville, Amite and said Lake.]

No. 19.

General permission to cut Cypresses in Opelousas.

To the Baron de Carondelet, Field Marshal of the Armies of his Catholic Majesty, Chevalier of the religion of St. John, and Governor General of the Province of Louisiana.

The Syndics of Opelousas, in the name of the inhabitants of our district, represent to your lordship, with all the respect and