t spots which the Frenchmen visited bore evidences of a
ghastly tragedy. So numerous were the human bones bleaching on the
sandy soil that they called it Massacre Island (to-day Dauphin Island).
It was surmised--and with some plausibility--that here had perished
some portion of the ill-fated following of Pamphile de Narvaez. (See
"Pioneer Spaniards in North America," p. 200.)

Another island, farther to the west, chiefly impressed the visitors by
the great number of {281} animals, of a species new to them, which they
found there. Isle des Chats they called it, and as "Cat Island" it is
known to this day. Had the Frenchmen been naturalists, they would have
seen that there was more of the bear than of the cat about this
creature, for it was none other than our sly friend, the raccoon.

Leaving his vessels at anchor near the mouth of Mobile River,
Iberville, with his brother Bienville and Father Douay, went in search
of the mouth of the Mississippi. They found it and ascended the river
a considerable distance. What assured them that they really were on
the Great River was that they received from the Bayagoulas a letter
which Tonty had left with them for La Salle, when he made, in 1686,
that heroic journey all the way from the Illinois country to the Gulf,
in the vain effort to succor his chief.

Another interesting relic which the explorers are said to have seen,
was a coat of mail shown to them by the Indians near the Red River, as
once having belonged to a Spaniard. Though nearly one hundred and
sixty years had gone by since Hernando de Soto's famous expedition, it
is by no means improbable that this was a genuine relic of that
enterprise. Naturally, the {282} Indians would have highly prized and
would have kept, as a precious trophy, such a reminder of their
forefathers' heroic stand against the dastardly invaders.

The appearance on the river of the two English vessels, whose captain
frankly said that he was seeking a place for a settlement, was
conclusive evidence that France was none too early in reaching out for
the prize that others coveted. Bienville has the credit of getting rid
of the Britons by telling the officer that he might easily judge how
numerous and strong were his master's, the French King's, subjects, in
that region, from seeing them on the river in small boats--a piece of
reasoning which was rather ingenious than ingenuous. It had its effect
in sending away the Briton with "a flea in his