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History of Louisisana by Le Page Du Pratz

L >> Le Page Du Pratz >> History of Louisisana




I gave great attention to keep my plantation clear of all weeds,
observing in weeding it with the hoe not to touch the stalks, about
which I caused to lay new earth, as well to secure them against gusts
of wind, as to enable them to draw from the earth a more abundant
nourishment. When the tobacco began to put forth suckers, I plucked
them off, because they would have shot into branches, which would
impoverish the leaves, and for the same reason stopped the tobacco
from shooting above the twelfth leaf, afterwards stripping off the
four lowermost, which never come to any thing. Hitherto I did nothing
but what was ordinarily done by those who cultivate tobacco with some
degree of care; but my method of proceeding afterwards was different.

I saw my neighbours strip the leaves of tobacco from the stalk, string
them, set them to dry, by hanging them out in the air, then put them
in heaps, to make them sweat. As for me, I carefully examined the
plant, and when I observed the stem begin to turn yellow here and
there, I caused the stalk to be cut with a pruning-knife, and left it
for some time on the earth to deaden. Afterwards it was carried off,
on handbarrows, because it is thus less exposed to be broken than on
the necks of negroes. When it was brought to the house, I caused it to
be hung up, with the big end of the stem turned upwards, the leaves of
each stalk slightly touching one another, being well assured they
would shrivel in drying, and no longer touch each other. It hereby
happened, that the juice contained in the pith (sometimes as big as
one's finger) of the stem of the plant, flowed into the leaves, and
augmenting their sap, made them much more mild and waxy. As fast as
these leaves assumed a bright chesnut colour, I stripped them from the
stalk, and made them directly into bundles, which I wrapped up in a
cloth, and bound it close with a cord for twenty four hours; {174}
then undoing the cloth, they were tied up closer still. This tobacco
turned black and so waxy, that it could not be rasped in less than a
year; but then it had a substance and flavour so much the more
agreeable, as it never affected the head; and so I sold it for double
the price of the common.

The cotton which is cultivated in Louisiana, is of the species of the
white Siam, [Footnote: This East-India annual cotton has been found to
be much better and whiter than what is cultivated in our colonies,
which is of the Turkey kind. Both of them keep their colour better in
washing, and are whiter than the perennial cotton that comes from the
islands, although this last is of a longer staple.] though not so
soft, nor so long as the silk-cotton; it is extremely white and very
fine, and a very good use may be made of it. This cotton is produced,
not from a tree, as in the East-Indies, but from a plant, and thrives
much better in light than in strong and fat lands, such as those of
the Lower Louisiana, where it is not so fine as on the high grounds.

This plant may be cultivated in lands newly cleared, and not yet
proper for tobacco, much less for indigo, which requires a ground well
worked like a garden. The seeds of cotton are planted three feet
asunder, more or less according to the quality of the soil: the field
is weeded at the proper season, in order to clear it of the noxious
weeds, and fresh earth laid to the root of the plant, to secure it
against the winds. The cotton requires weeding, neither so often, nor
so carefully as other plants; and the care of gathering is the
employment of young people, incapable of harder labour.

When the root of the cotton is once covered with fresh earth, and the
weeds are removed, it is suffered to grow without further touching it,
till it arrives to maturity. Then its heads or pods open into five
parts, and expose their cotton to view. When the sun has dried the
cotton well, it is gathered in a proper manner, and conveyed into the
conservatory; after which comes on the greatest task, which is to
separate it from the grain or seed to which it closely adheres; and it
is this part of the work, which disgusts the inhabitants in the
cultivation {175} of it. I contrived a mill for the purpose, tried it,
and found it to succeed, so as to dispatch the work very much.

[Illustration: Top: Cotton on the stalk--Bottom: Rice on the stalk]

The culture of indigo, tobacco, and cotton, may be easily carried on
without any interruption to the making of silk, as any one of these is
no manner of hindrance to the other. In the first place, the work
about these three plants does not come on till after the worms have
spun their silk: in the second place, {176} the feeding and cleaning
the silk-worm requires no great degree of strength; and thus the care
employed about them interrupts no other sort of work, either as to
time, or as to the persons employed therein. It suffices for this
operation to have a person who knows how to feed and clean the worms;
young negroes of both sexes might assist this person, little skill
sufficing for this purpose: the oldest of the young negroes, when
taught, might shift the worms and lay the leaves; the other young
negroes gather and fetch them; and all this labour, which takes not up
the whole day, lasts only for about six weeks. It appears therefore,
that the profit made of the silk is an additional benefit, so much the
more profitable, as it diverts not the workmen from their ordinary
tasks. If it be objected, that buildings are requisite to make silk to
advantage; I answer, buildings for the purpose cost very little in a
country where wood may be had for taking; I add farther, that these
buildings may be made and daubed with mud by any persons about the
family; and besides, may serve for hanging tobacco in, two months
after the silk-worms are gone.

I own I have not seen the wax-tree cultivated in Louisiana; people
content themselves to take the berries of this tree, without being at
pains to rear it; but as I am persuaded it would be very advantageous
to make plantations of it, I shall give my sentiments on the culture
proper for this tree, after the experiments I made in regard to it.

I had some seeds of the wax-tree brought me to Fontenai le Comte, in
Poictou, some of which I gave to several of my friends, but not one of
them came up. I began to reflect, that Poictou not being by far so
warm as Louisiana, these seeds would have difficulty to shoot; I
therefore thought it was necessary to supply by art the defect of
nature; I procured horse, cow, sheep, and pigeon's dung in equal
quantity, all which I put in a vessel of proportionable size, and
poured on them water, almost boiling, in order to dissolve their
salts: this water I drew off, and steeped the grains in a sufficient
quantity thereof for forty-eight hours; after which I sowed them in a
box full of good earth; seven of them came up, and made shoots between
seven and eight inches high, but they were all {177} killed by the
frost for want of putting them into the greenhouse.

This seed having such difficulty to come up, I presume that the wax,
in which it is wrapped up, hinders the moisture from penetrating into,
and making its kernel shoot; and there fore I should think that those
who choose to sow it, would do well if they previously rolled it
lightly between two small boards just rough from the saw; this
friction would cause the pellicle of wax to scale off with so much the
greater facility, as it is naturally very dry; and then it might be
put to steep.

Hops grow naturally in Louisiana, yet such as have a desire to make
use of them for themselves, or sell them to brewers, cultivate this
plant. It is planted in alleys, distant asunder six feet, in holes two
feet and one foot deep, in which the root is lodged. When shot a good
deal, a pole of the size of one's arm, and between twelve and fifteen
feet long, is fixed in the hole; care is had to direct the shoots
towards it, which fail not to run up the pole. When the flower is ripe
and yellowish, the stem is cut quite close to the earth and the pole
pulled out, in order to pick the flowers, which are saved.

If we consider the climate of Louisiana, and the quality of the high
lands of that province, we might easily produce saffron there. The
culture of this plant would be so much the more advantageous to the
planters, as the neighbourhood of Mexico would procure a quick and
useful vent for it.




CHAPTER X.

_Of the Commerce that, and may be carried on in_ Louisiana. _Of the
Commodities which that Province may furnish in return for those of_
Europe. _Of the Commerce of_ Louisiana _with the Isles_.


I have often reflected on the happiness of France in the portion which
Providence has allotted her in America. She has found in her lands
neither the gold nor silver of Mexico and Peru, nor the precious
stones and rich stuffs of the East-Indies; but she will find therein,
when she pleases, mines of iron, lead, and copper. She is there
possessed of a fertile soil, {178} which only requires to be occupied
in order to produce not only all the fruits necessary and agreeable to
life, but also all the subjects on which human industry may exercise
itself in order to supply our wants. What I have already said of
Louisiana ought to make this very plain; but to bring the whole
together, in order, and under one point of view, I shall next relate
every thing that regards the commerce of this province.

_Commodities which_ Louisiana _may furnish in return for those
of_ Europe.

France might draw from this colony several sorts of furs, which would
not be without their value, though held cheap in France; and by their
variety, and the use that might be made of them, would yield
satisfaction. Some persons have dissuaded the traders from taking any
furs from the Indians, on a supposition that they would be moth-eaten
when carried to New-Orleans, on account of the heat of the climate:
but I am acquainted with people of the business, who know how to
preserve them from such an accident.

Dry buffalo hides are of sufficient value to encourage the Indians to
procure them, especially if they were told, that only their skins and
tallow were wanted; they would then kill the old bulls, which are so
fat as scarce to be able to go: each buffalo would yield at least a
hundred pounds of tallow; the value of which, with the skin, would
make it worth their while to kill them, and thus none of our money
would be sent to Ireland in order to have tallow from that country;
besides the species of buffaloes would not be diminished, because
these fat buffaloes are always the prey of wolves.

Deer-skins, which were bought of the Indians at first, did not please
the manufacturers of Niort, where they are dressed, because the
Indians altered the quality by their way of dressing them; but since
these skins have been called for without any preparation but taking
off the hair, they make more of them, and sell them cheaper than
before.

The wax-tree produces wax, which being much drier than bees-wax, may
bear mixture, which will not hinder its lasting longer than bees-wax.
Some of this wax was sent to Paris to {179} a factor of Louisiana, who
set so low a price upon it as to discourage the planters from sowing
any more. The sordid avarice of this factor has done a service to the
islands, where it gives a higher price than that of France.

The islands also draw timber for building from Louisiana, which might
in time prevent France from making her profits of the beauty,
goodness, and quantity of wood of this province. The quality of the
timber is a great inducement to build docks there for the construction
of ships: the wood might be had at a low price of the inhabitants,
because they would get it in winter, which is almost an idle time with
them. This labour would also clear the grounds, and so this timber
might be had almost for nothing. Masts might be also had in the
country, on account of the number of pines which the coast produces;
and for the same reason pitch and tar would be common. For the planks
of ships, there is no want of oak; but might not very good one be made
of cypress? this wood is, indeed, softer than oak, but endowed with
qualities surpassing this last: it is light, not apt to split or warp,
is supple and easily worked; in a word, it is incorruptible both in
air and water; and thus making the planks stouter than ordinary, there
would be no inconvenience from the use of cypress. I have observed,
that this wood is not injured by the worm, and ship-worms might
perhaps have the same aversion to it as other worms have.

Other wood fit for the building of ships is very common in this
country; such as elm, ash, alder, and others. There are likewise in
this country several species of wood, which might sell in France for
joiners work and fineering, as the cedar, the black walnut, and the
cotton-tree. Nothing more would therefore be wanting for compleating
ships but cordage and iron. As to hemp, it grows so strong as to be
much fitter for making cables than cloth. The iron might be brought
from France, as also sails; however, there needs only to open the iron
mine at the cliffs of the Chicasaws, called Prud'homme, to set up
forges, and iron will be readily had. The king, therefore, might cause
all sorts of shipping to be built there at so small a charge, that a
moderate expence would procure a numerous fleet. If the English build
ships in their colonies {180} from which they draw great advantages,
why might not we do the same in Louisiana?

France fetches a great deal of saltpetre from Holland and Italy; she
may draw from Louisiana more than she will have occasion for, if once
she sets about it. The great fertility of the country is an evident
proof thereof, confirmed by the avidity of cloven-footed animals to
lick the earth, in all places where the torrents have broke it up: it
is well known how fond these creatures are of salt. Saltpetre might be
made there with all the ease imaginable, on account of the plenty of
wood and water; it would besides be much more pure than what is
commonly had, the earth not being fouled with dunghills; and on the
other hand, it would not be dearer than what is now purchased by
France in other places.

What commerce might not be made with Silk? The silk-worms might be
reared with much greater success in this country than in France, as
appears from the trials that have been made, and which I have above
related.

The lands of Louisiana are very proper for the culture of Saffron, and
the climate would contribute to produce it in great abundance; and,
what would still be a considerable advantage, the Spaniards of Mexico,
who consume a great deal of it, would enhance its price.

I have spoken of Hemp, in respect to the building of ships: but such
as might be built there, would never be sufficient to employ all the
hemp which might be raised in that colony, did the inhabitants
cultivate as much of it as they well might. But you will say, Why do
they not? My answer is, the inhabitants of this colony only follow the
beaten track they have got into: but if they saw an intelligent person
sow hemp without any great expence or labour, as the soil is very fit
for it; if, I say, they saw that it thrives without weeding; that in
the winter evenings the negroes and their children can peel it; in a
word, if they saw that there is good profit to be had by the sale of
it; they then would all make hemp. They think and act in the same
manner as to all the other articles of culture in this country.

{181} Cotton is also a good commodity for commerce; and the culture of
it is attended with no difficulty. The only impediment to the culture
of it in a greater quantity, is the difficulty of separating it from
the seed. However, if they had mills, which would do this work with
greater dispatch, the profit would considerably increase.

The Indigo of Louisiana, according to intelligent merchants, is as
good as that of the islands; and has even more of the copper colour.
As it thrives extremely well, and yields more herb than in the
islands, as much Indigo may be made as there, though they have four
cuttings, and only three in Louisiana. The climate is warmer in the
islands, and therefore they make four gatherings; but the soil is
drier, and produces not so much as Louisiana: so that the three
cuttings of this last are as good as the four cuttings in the islands.

The Tobacco of this colony is so excellent, that if the commerce
thereof was free, it would sell for one hundred sols and six livres
the pound, so fine and delicate is its juice and flavour. Rice may
also form a fine branch of trade. We go to the East-Indies for the
rice we consume in France; and why should we draw from foreign
countries, what we may have of our own countrymen? We should have it
at less trouble, and with more security. Besides, as sometimes,
perhaps too often, years of scarcity happen, we might always depend
upon finding rice in Louisiana, because it is not subject to fail, an
advantage which few provinces enjoy.

We may add to this commerce some drugs, used in medicine and dying. As
to the first, Louisiana produces Sassafras, Sarsaparilla, Esquine, but
above all the excellent balm of Copalm (Sweet-gum) the virtues of
which, if well known, would save the life of many a person. This
colony also furnishes us with bears oil, which is excellent in all
rheumatic pains. For dying, I find only the wood Ayac, or Stinking
Wood, for yellow; and the Achetchi for red; of the beauty of which
colours we shall give an account in the third book.

Such are the commodities which may form a commerce of this colony with
France, which last may carry in exchange all {182} sorts of European
goods and merchandize; the vent whereof is certain, as every thing
answers there, where luxury reigns equally as in France. Flour, wines,
and strong liquors sell well; and though I have spoken of the manner
of growing wheat in this country, the inhabitants, towards the lower
part of the river especially, will never grow it, any more than they
will cultivate the vine, because in these sorts of work a negro will
not earn his master half as much as in cultivating Tobacco; which,
however, is less profitable than Indigo.

_The Commerce of_ Louisiana _with the Islands._

From Louisiana to the Islands they carry cypress wood squared for
building, of different scantlings: sometimes they transport houses,
all framed and marked out, ready to set up, on landing at their place
of destination.

Bricks, which cost fourteen or fifteen livres the thousand, delivered
on board the ship.


Tiles for covering houses and sheds, of the same price.

Apalachean beans, (Garavanzas) worth ten livres the barrel, of two
hundred weight.

Maiz, or Indian corn.

Cypress plank of ten or twelve feet.

Red peas, which cost in the country twelve or thirteen livres the
barrel.

Cleaned rice, which costs twenty livres the barrel, of two hundred
weight.

There is a great profit to be made in the islands, by carrying thither
the goods I have just mentioned: this profit is generally _cent. per
cent._ in returns. The shipping which go from the colony bring back
sugar, coffee, rum, which the negroes consume in drink; besides other
goods for the use of the country.

The ships which come from France to Louisiana put all in at Cape
Francois. Sometimes there are ships, which not having a lading for
France, because they may have been paid in money or bills of exchange,
are obliged to return by Cape Francois, in order to take in their
cargo for France.

{183}




CHAPTER XI.

_Of the Commerce with the_ Spaniards. _The Commodities they bring to the
Colony, if there is a Demand for them. Of such as may be given in
return, and may suit them. Reflections on the Commerce of this
Province, and the great Advantage which the State and particular
Persons may derive therefrom._


_The Commerce with the_ Spaniards.

The commodities which suit the Spaniards are sufficiently known by
traders, and therefore it is not necessary to give an account of them:
I have likewise forebore to give the particulars of the commodities
which they carry to this colony, though I know them all: that is not
our present business. I shall only apprise such as shall settle in
Louisiana, in order to traffick with the Spaniards, that it is not
sufficient to be furnished with the principal commodities which suit
their commerce, but they should, besides, know how to make the proper
assortments; which are most advantageous to us, as well as to them,
when they carry them to Mexico.

_The Commodities which the_ Spaniards _bring to_ Louisiana, _if there is
a demand for them_.

Campeachy wood, which is generally worth from ten to fifteen livres
the hundred weight.

Brasil wood, which has a quality superior to that of Campeachy.

Very good Cacoa, which is to be met with in all the ports of Spain,
worth between eighteen and twenty livres the quintal, or hundred
weight.

Cochineal, which comes from Vera Cruz: there is no difficulty to have
as much of it as one can desire, because so near; it is worth fifteen
livres the pound: there is an inferior sort, called Sylvester.

Tortoise-shell, which is common in the Spanish islands, is worth seven
or eight livres the pound.

Tanned leather, of which they have great quantities; that marked or
stamped is worth four livres ten sols the levee.

{184} Marroquin, or Spanish leather, of which they have great
quantities, and cheap.

Turned calf, which is also cheap.

Indigo, which is manufactured at Guatimala, is worth three or four
livres the pound: there is of it of a perfect good quality, and
therefore sells at twelve livres the pound.

Sarsaparilla, which they have in very great quantities, and sell at
thirteen or fifteen sols.

Havanna snuff, which is of different prices and qualities: I have seen
it at three shillings the pound, which in our money make thirty-seven
sols six deniers.

Vanilla, which is of different prices. They have many other things
very cheap, on which great profits might be made, and for which an
easy vent may be found in Europe; especially for their drugs: but a
particular detail would carry me too far, and make me lose sight of
the object I had in view.

What I have just said of the commerce of Louisiana, may easily shew
that it will necessarily encrease in proportion as the country is
peopled; and industry also will be brought to perfection. For this
purpose nothing more is requisite than some inventive and industrious
geniuses, who coming from Europe, may discover such objects of
commerce as may turn to account. I imagine a good tanner might in this
colony tan the leather of the country, and cheaper than in France; I
even imagine that the leather might there be brought to its perfection
in less time; and what makes me think so, is, that I have heard it
averred, that the Spanish leather is extremely good, and is never
above three or four months in the tan-pit.

The same will hold of many other things, which would prevent money
going out of the kingdom to foreign countries. Would it not be more
suitable and more useful, to devise means of drawing the same
commodities from our own colonies? As these means are so easy, at
least money would not go out of our hands; France and her colonies
would be as two families who traffick together, and render each other
mutual service. Besides, there would not be occasion for so much money
to carry on a commerce to Louisiana, seeing the inhabitants have need
of European goods. It would therefore be a commerce {185} very
different from that which, without exporting the merchandise of the
kingdom, exports the money; a commerce still very different from that
which carries to France commodities highly prejudicial to our own
manufactures.

I may add to all that I have said on Louisiana, as one of the great
advantages of this country, that women are very fruitful in it, which
they attribute to the waters of the Missisippi. Had the intentions of
the Company been pursued, and their orders executed, there is no doubt
but this colony had at this day been very strong, and blessed with a
numerous young progeny, whom no other climate would allure to go and
settle in; but being retained by the beauty of their own, they would
improve its riches, and multiplied anew in a short time, could offer
their mother-country succours in men and ships, and in many other
things that are not to be contemned.

I cannot too much shew the importance of the succours in corn, which
this colony might furnish in a time of scarcity. In a bad year we are
obliged to carry our money to foreigners for corn, which has been
oftentimes purchased in France, because they have had the secret of
preserving their corn; but if the colony of Louisiana was once well
settled, what supplies of corn might not be received from that
fruitful country? I shall give two reasons which will confirm my
opinion.

The first is, That the inhabitants always grow more corn than is
necessary for the subsistence of themselves, their workmen, and
slaves. I own, that in the lower part of the colony only rice could be
had, but this is always a great supply. Now, were the colony gradually
settled to the Arkansas, they would grow wheat and rye in as great
quantities as one could well desire, which would be of great service
to France, when her crops happen to fail.

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Turkey is restoring the citizenship of its most famous 20th century poet Nazim Hikmet over 50 years after it branded him a traitor.

Hikmet, a communist who died in exile in Moscow in 1963, was imprisoned in Turkey for more than a decade. He was stripped of his Turkish nationality in 1951 because of his communist views, but despite a ban on his poetry which remained in place until 1965, has remained one of Turkey's best-loved poets. His work, much of which was written in prison, including his masterpiece Human Landscapes, has been translated into more than 50 languages.

"This is very good news," said Richard McKane, Hikmet's English translator. "The restoration of his Turkish citizenship is long overdue: the people of Turkey and his readers are owed that."

Immortalised by Pablo Neruda, with whom he shared the Soviet Union's International Peace Prize in 1950, with the lines "Thanks for what you were and for the fire / which your song left forever burning", Hikmet was also supported by Jean-Paul Sartre and Pablo Picasso. Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk, when given the editorship for a day of Turkish newspaper Radikal two years ago, used the example of Hikmet in his cover story to criticise the lack of freedom of expression in Turkey. In 2000, 500,000 Turks petitioned the government to restore Hikmet's citizenship rights and repatriate his remains.

Deputy prime minister Cemil Cicek told the Associated Press that it was time for the government to change its mind about Hikmet. "The crimes which forced the government to strip him of his citizenship at that time are no longer considered a crime," the BBC quoted him as saying.

Hikmet, whose remains are currently in Russia, had said that he wished to be buried in Turkey in his 1953 poem Testament, translated by Ruth Christie. "Friends if it's not my lot to see the day / of independence... / if I die before that day / - and it seems I will - / bury me in a village graveyard in Anatolia / and if it's fitting / and a plane tree grows at my head, / then there's no need for a gravestone or anything else."

Cicek said that Hikmet's family would now decide whether to ship his remains back to his homeland.

Hikmet introduced free verse to Turkey in the 1930s, with his themes ranging from war to love. Despite his imprisonment he retained a deep passion for Turkey. "I love my country", he wrote in one of his poems. "I swung in its lofty trees, I lay in its prisons. Nothing relieves my depression like the songs and tobacco of my country."

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