The Mississippi, otherwise called by the French, the Saint Louis River river in North America, the most considerable part in Louisiana, which is crosses from one side to the other up until its outlet into the sea. It runs through one of the largest countries in the world, inhabited by natives. Ferdinand Soto, a Spaniard, discovered it in 1541, and at this time, it was named Cucagna (or abundance). In 1673, Mr. Talone, intendant of New France, sent P. Marquette, a Jesuit, and Sister Joliet, a citizen of Quebec, to travel across the region. They went down from 43.20 latitude north to 33.49. Mr. d’Iberville, ship captain, discovered the country of Mississipi , and the first establishment of a French colony was made in 1598.

In 1700, Mr. de Lisle proved that the mouth of this river is in the middle of the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico. But today we attribute more than twenty different river mouths to it. For proof read the description written by Father Charlevoix.

Every day this river breaks through new terrain, where it establishes a new course, and in a short amount of time, very deep riverbeds. Its width is everywhere a half-league, or three-quarters of a league and often shared by isles. Its depth is in some parts sixty fathoms. Together with its swift-flowing current, this renders it difficult to navigate from its confluence with the Missouri, and makes it so that fishing is impossible almost everywhere.

During its course it welcomes from the right and the left many other very considerable rivers, whose names are known through the journals of voyagers who have moved up this river. But from the point where the Missouri tumbles into this river, it begins to be encumbered by floating trees, and it carries along such a great quantity, that piles are found everyplace, whose ramparts would fill the largest building sites in Paris. Finally, more than 650 leagues of area are attributed to it.