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The French Colony
Birth of an Expedition

Death of a Colony
The LaSalle Expedition to Texas

Image is Garcitas Creek:  Location of LaSalle’s Colony
Credit:  Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History

BN, Nouvelles acquisitions françaises 21443
Mémoire de ce qui aura esté acordé au Sieur de La Salle

Versailles, 23 March 1684

The Sieur de la Salle requires:

1.  A good vessel of thirty cannons; because it is a long voyage, it must be a fine sailing ship, (with) good artillery; The complete authority to the Sieur de La Salle; the aforesaid says that a good subaltern or two with two good pilots would be enough to bring back the vessel.
2.  The food and the wages for the officers and sailors of the vessel during the voyage which is supposed to last six months.
3.  Enough (money) to recruit one hundred men for the King and pay their wages for one year at a rate of 120 livres each, the enrollment and wages costing 12,000 livres
4.  The salaries of 4 captains, 4 lieutenants and 4 sub-lieutenants, or 2 of each of these officers for one year.
5.  Their food during the voyage and expedition, which is supposed to last six months.
6.  The wages of another one hundred men for six months at a rate of 100 livres per year, 5,000 livres
7.  The food for these two hundred men for six months, at a rate of eight sols per day, the cost of the refreshments they may need, 14,400 livres
8.  20,000 livres (pounds) of gunpowder for rifles, at 7 sols each livre, 7,000 livres
9.  30,000 livres (pounds) of shot, musket size
10.  600 rifles
11.  150 swords and as many sabers.
12.  12 cannons for the two fortresses that is, eight of 10 to 12 pounds of cannonball, which could be of iron, and four of 4 pounds of bronze, to be carried.
13.  Two hundred cannonballs for each piece, with gunpowder in proportion, six of the smallest detonators.  Three or four hundred grenades, twenty-five partisans and as many halberds.
14.  A hundred pair of pistols at five livres a pair.
15.  600 livres (pounds) of flat and square iron and 2,000 livres (pounds) of iron in rods, at 100 livres to the thousand, 800 livres
16.  600 pounds of steel, at 40 sols. the hundred, 240 livres
17.  A forge and its equipment, 300 livres
18.   For 5 to 600 pounds of tools for carpenters, joiners, cartwrights, armorers, bricklayers and rope-makers.
19.  400 pounds in weight of wrought iron used in pincers, iron masses, wedges, at 20 sols to the hundred, 80 livres
20.  For 500 livres of axes, shovels, hoes, peaks, spades and other tools, 500 livres
21.  Two surgeon's chests, 600 livres
22.  A bark of 40 to 50 tons, fitted out or in bundles, with its tackle, 1,200 livres
23.  Refreshments for the ill, 500 livres
24. Two chapels and the necessary ornaments.
25.  Maintenance of four missionaries.

Image is A  French Marine
Credit:  Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History/LaSalle Odyssey

From “The Seventy-Four Gun Ship-Vol 4”, by Jean Boudriot translated by David Roberts, 1988 by Naval Institute Press, Annapolis Maryland

3 meals per day:  breakfast at 7:00 or 8:00AM, Dinner at 11:30AM, Supper at 5:00 or 6:00PM (time depends on the Season)

Ships Menu consisted of the following foods:

*Biscuit:  Prebaked and aged six weeks before loading.  3 per day per man

Dried Vegetables: peas, beans, lentils, rice

Cheese:  Gruyere and Dutch Cheese.

Salt Pork

Salt Beef

Salt Cod

Live Sheep:  5 to 6 per month per 100 men

Poultry:  1 chicken per month for every 7 men

Wine/Brandy:  Only red wine is used, Brandy from Cognac could be issued under special circumstances.  Issue is 3/4 quart per man per day.

Water: 1 Quart per day, plus communal water from a small  hinged cask called the “scuttlebutt”

Miscellaneous:  Vinegar, olive oil, mustard seed, prunes, pickled sorrel and onions

*Biscuit Preparation:  Pure wheat flour is used.  In order to make the dough, the yeast must be several days old, and it is used in the proportion of 5% of the weight of the flour; the water used must be warm, and the amount varies depending on the quality of the flour.  What is important is that a firm dough must be obtained without having to add further flour after the first kneading.  The dough must be worked a great deal more than is the case with bread, it must be much stiffer, and when it is no longer possible to knead it with the hands the work continues with the feet. A piece of sailcloth is spread over the dough and the kneader stands on top, hanging by his arms from a rope; he uses the full weight of his body to knead the dough.  The dough must be left to rise for six hours after the biscuits have been formed.  The baking time is such that there are ten or so bakings in 24 hours; biscuits require twice as long as bread.  The dough is not salted so that it absorbs less moisture….biscuit should not be supplied to the ships before it had cooled off for six weeks in the bakery storerooms.

Map is Coronelli, America Settentrionale, 1688
Credit:  Special Collections, University of Texas at Arlington Libraries

Educational Resources Cultural Encounters "La Salle Activities"