MDPOD - Masson du Parc Online Database

Note for Mr Raudot (Paris) Memoir for the islands. One must ask the islands for crabs, spiders, lobsters, sea crayfish and starfish of all kinds, which must be thoroughly dried and, in order to send them, they must be spread out in a box filled with sawdust or wood shavings, and the box must be closed so that nothing can escape during transport. To this end, strips of paper must be stuck over all the joints. You should also ask for a small caiman, lizards and small turtles of all kinds, dried with their heads and feet intact, as well as land crabs and soldier crabs in the various shells they occupy. The latter can be brought back alive if the crossing is made during the winter by feeding the soldier crabs grass or greenery. A few should be dried and prepared in the same way as the crabs. Small conch shells of all colours and various species of helmet shells can also be found in the same places. To prevent them from rolling away, they must be wrapped separately in a piece of paper or dry grass, but it should be noted that only young, lively shells should be used, i.e. they must not be damaged or chipped, nor have wormholes. You should also ask for a small, whole, dried slipper shell with its fins and tail; one measuring 18 inches to 2 feet long will suffice.

Note for Mr Raudot (Paris) Memoir for the islands. One must ask the islands for crabs, spiders, lobsters, sea crayfish and starfish of all kinds, which must be thoroughly dried and, in order to send them, they must be spread out in a box filled with sawdust or wood shavings, and the box must be closed so that nothing can escape during transport. To this end, strips of paper must be stuck over all the joints. You should also ask for a small caiman, lizards and small turtles of all kinds, dried with their heads and feet intact, as well as land crabs and soldier crabs in the various shells they occupy. The latter can be brought back alive if the crossing is made during the winter by feeding the soldier crabs grass or greenery. A few should be dried and prepared in the same way as the crabs. Small conch shells of all colours and various species of helmet shells can also be found in the same places. To prevent them from rolling away, they must be wrapped separately in a piece of paper or dry grass, but it should be noted that only young, lively shells should be used, i.e. they must not be damaged or chipped, nor have wormholes. You should also ask for a small, whole, dried slipper shell with its fins and tail; one measuring 18 inches to 2 feet long will suffice.

Another list of seabirds seen around the Isle. Whether whales are seen there and whether they are sometimes caught. Whether porpoises are fished there and what colour they are. Whether green and dried cod, salted salmon and other species of fish are brought to St Christopher and where they come from. If bears, wolves, cows and sea lions are sometimes caught. If ambergris is sometimes found on the coast or in the sea around the island, and in what circumstances it is most commonly found. The coast is covered with a large number of shellfish. What species are they, and which are the best to eat? Whether there are mussels and oysters and of what species. Whether mother-of-pearl is found there and whether it is fertile. Whether there are many land crabs and soldier crabs, and in what season they come to lay their eggs on the coast and the latter to change their shells. Whether there are many crocodiles and whether they are very dangerous.Many lizards are caught and the use made of them, whether they are eaten and how they are prepared.

Few turtles are caught in Saint Christophe. No more than twenty are caught in a year with a net that we call folle that the inhabitants put to the sea in the Canaries district. Sometimes in the months of July and August when the turtles strand at night on beaches to lay their eggs, the inhabitants run up to them and turn them on their backs to prevent them from walking away. The turtles are commonly two feet in diameter and weigh 150 pounds. Their scales are not suitable for anything. But we sometimes catch in these same nets another species of turtle called caret whose shell is suitable for fashioning. They sell to Europeans for 5 to 6 pounds per pound. There are some residents of Saint Christophe who equip boats to go to Turtle Island to fish for turtles where they are abundant. They salt them for food for the negroes and bring some alive. This animal can go 4 to 5 weeks without eating. They rarely do this fishing in the Cayman Islands where there are a lot of turtles because it is too far from Saint Christophe. Great and Little Cayman are located west of Saint Domingue near the island of Cuba. The Caymans are small desert islands and the English have no establishment there, but they have 14 leagues to windward of Saint Christophe a small, very flat and sandy island called Barbuda where they fish a lot of turtles. This island, which is only a league around, belongs to the heirs of General Codrington. There are horses, lots of sheep, deer and guinea fowl chickens. There is a tower equipped with some cannon guarded by 20 men hired by the Codrington. We don't take manatee...

Few turtles are caught in Saint Christophe. No more than twenty are caught in a year with a net that we call folle that the inhabitants put to the sea in the Canaries district. Sometimes in the months of July and August when the turtles strand at night on beaches to lay their eggs, the inhabitants run up to them and turn them on their backs to prevent them from walking away. The turtles are commonly two feet in diameter and weigh 150 pounds. Their scales are not suitable for anything. But we sometimes catch in these same nets another species of turtle called caret whose shell is suitable for fashioning. They sell to Europeans for 5 to 6 pounds per pound. There are some residents of Saint Christophe who equip boats to go to Turtle Island to fish for turtles where they are abundant. They salt them for food for the negroes and bring some alive. This animal can go 4 to 5 weeks without eating. They rarely do this fishing in the Cayman Islands where there are a lot of turtles because it is too far from Saint Christophe. Great and Little Cayman are located west of Saint Domingue near the island of Cuba. The Caymans are small desert islands and the English have no establishment there, but they have 14 leagues to windward of Saint Christophe a small, very flat and sandy island called Barbuda where they fish a lot of turtles. This island, which is only a league around, belongs to the heirs of General Codrington. There are horses, lots of sheep, deer and guinea fowl chickens. There is a tower equipped with some cannon guarded by 20 men hired by the Codrington. We don't take manatee...

Few turtles are caught in Saint Christophe. No more than twenty are caught in a year with a net that we call folle that the inhabitants put to the sea in the Canaries district. Sometimes in the months of July and August when the turtles strand at night on beaches to lay their eggs, the inhabitants run up to them and turn them on their backs to prevent them from walking away. The turtles are commonly two feet in diameter and weigh 150 pounds. Their scales are not suitable for anything. But we sometimes catch in these same nets another species of turtle called caret whose shell is suitable for fashioning. They sell to Europeans for 5 to 6 pounds per pound. There are some residents of Saint Christophe who equip boats to go to Turtle Island to fish for turtles where they are abundant. They salt them for food for the negroes and bring some alive. This animal can go 4 to 5 weeks without eating. They rarely do this fishing in the Cayman Islands where there are a lot of turtles because it is too far from Saint Christophe. Great and Little Cayman are located west of Saint Domingue near the island of Cuba. The Caymans are small desert islands and the English have no establishment there, but they have 14 leagues to windward of Saint Christophe a small, very flat and sandy island called Barbuda where they fish a lot of turtles. This island, which is only a league around, belongs to the heirs of General Codrington. There are horses, lots of sheep, deer and guinea fowl chickens. There is a tower equipped with some cannon guarded by 20 men hired by the Codrington. We don't take manatee...

[?] in Saint-Christophe or in any Windward Islands. This fish has moved away and we no longer see them. We catch a lot of sardines in Saint Christophe. There are two kinds. One which is as big as those in Royan. It has a golden collar and head, a white belly and a green back. It is dangerous to eat and causes death to foreigners and new negroes who are not aware of it. It is only caught in the Windward Islands in the Cayenne and Canaris neighborhoods. The other species is called cayeux and is very good to eat. It is caught down wind of the island along the coast with baskets. It is smaller than the first and less golden. We salt them for Negro food. The English of this island are negligent about fishing and when some French of Saint Christophe come, they bring their fish to sell in the English neighborhoods. Our Frenchmen had several small local canoes equipped with two to three men and went a league away to the town of Basseterre on a bank near Nioeul to line fish for excellent fish, namely sardes, thazards, beaumes and vieilles. These last ones have been seen weighing up to 150 pounds. It is an excellent fish and when it is well sprinkled with salt twice in 24 hours, it equals the green cod, thazard and beaumes that are caught on the bank. They are not harmful but when we take them on the side of the Anse ? Louvet, towards the bottom of Basseterre, they are as dangerous as the golden sardine. Some French inhabitants have nets called senne that they use to catch, apart the above-mentioned fish, some carangues along the coast which are good fish. We see some of the latter weighing up to two hundred pounds. They also go on dark nights with their canoes along the rocks with lit torches to take lobsters which is a large sea crayfish. They also took king thazards, couronn?s, sardes, orphies, otherwise aiguilles. There is a small shrub in Saint Christophe as in the other islands called drunken wood. We plunder the branch and the leaf, which we enclose in small bags made of bad nets and in the lowlands of Basseterre near the Anse ? Louvet, negroes with water up to their shoulders beat water with these bags which intoxicate the fish which come to the surface of the water. Those in the canoes take them by hand or with small baskets and in very large quantities. The locals do these fishing trips more for pleasure than for utility. Bream (dorades) are rarely caught in all of the above-mentioned fisheries. Many seabirds are commonly seen around the island: mauves (Stern), gray and white egrets (Egretta), herons, great gullets, fous (Northern Gannet?), frigates (Frigate bird), sparrows. And in the months of July, August and September, there are plenty of of marine game, in such a large quantity in the salt fish district that in one day a hunter kills up to 500, namely, ducks, sarcelles (Eurasian teal), pluviers (Plover), sandpipers, snipe and sea larks. We see a few whales along the coast, and we have never heard of one being caught. No porpoises are caught there but sailing vessels going from one island to another sometimes harpoon them. They are of the same shape, color and size as those of the seas of Europe. No bears, cows, wolves or sea lions are taken there, and never ambergris along the coast...

[?] in Saint-Christophe or in any Windward Islands. This fish has moved away and we no longer see them. We catch a lot of sardines in Saint Christophe. There are two kinds. One which is as big as those in Royan. It has a golden collar and head, a white belly and a green back. It is dangerous to eat and causes death to foreigners and new negroes who are not aware of it. It is only caught in the Windward Islands in the Cayenne and Canaris neighborhoods. The other species is called cayeux and is very good to eat. It is caught down wind of the island along the coast with baskets. It is smaller than the first and less golden. We salt them for Negro food. The English of this island are negligent about fishing and when some French of Saint Christophe come, they bring their fish to sell in the English neighborhoods. Our Frenchmen had several small local canoes equipped with two to three men and went a league away to the town of Basseterre on a bank near Nioeul to line fish for excellent fish, namely sardes, thazards, beaumes and vieilles. These last ones have been seen weighing up to 150 pounds. It is an excellent fish and when it is well sprinkled with salt twice in 24 hours, it equals the green cod, thazard and beaumes that are caught on the bank. They are not harmful but when we take them on the side of the Anse ? Louvet, towards the bottom of Basseterre, they are as dangerous as the golden sardine. Some French inhabitants have nets called senne that they use to catch, apart the above-mentioned fish, some carangues along the coast which are good fish. We see some of the latter weighing up to two hundred pounds. They also go on dark nights with their canoes along the rocks with lit torches to take lobsters which is a large sea crayfish. They also took king thazards, couronn?s, sardes, orphies, otherwise aiguilles. There is a small shrub in Saint Christophe as in the other islands called drunken wood. We plunder the branch and the leaf, which we enclose in small bags made of bad nets and in the lowlands of Basseterre near the Anse ? Louvet, negroes with water up to their shoulders beat water with these bags which intoxicate the fish which come to the surface of the water. Those in the canoes take them by hand or with small baskets and in very large quantities. The locals do these fishing trips more for pleasure than for utility. Bream (dorades) are rarely caught in all of the above-mentioned fisheries. Many seabirds are commonly seen around the island: mauves (Stern), gray and white egrets (Egretta), herons, great gullets, fous (Northern Gannet?), frigates (Frigate bird), sparrows. And in the months of July, August and September, there are plenty of of marine game, in such a large quantity in the salt fish district that in one day a hunter kills up to 500, namely, ducks, sarcelles (Eurasian teal), pluviers (Plover), sandpipers, snipe and sea larks. We see a few whales along the coast, and we have never heard of one being caught. No porpoises are caught there but sailing vessels going from one island to another sometimes harpoon them. They are of the same shape, color and size as those of the seas of Europe. No bears, cows, wolves or sea lions are taken there, and never ambergris along the coast...

The English from Boston bring to Saint Christopher's in boats of 40 to 50 tons a great deal of dried cod, a little green cod, salmon and sturgeon in barrels, along with barrels of marinated oysters. There are a few shellfish along the coast, namely sea urchins, barnacles and burgotes. The latter are the best to eat and if, when collecting them, you place them in a basket on a white cloth, they release a foam that dyes the cloth a beautiful purple red colour that only disappears after two washes. There are no mussels, oysters or pearls. There are red crabs at the top of the mountains which are excellent but a little musky. In March, they change their shells and retreat into their holes, which they block with earth. When they are fat and full of roe, they are dug up. They are excellent to eat in the following May. Once their shells have hardened and their eggs have formed, they leave the woods to bathe in the sea and lay their eggs. There are soldiers along the coast. This animal changes its shell in March and April. We have never seen crocodiles. We catch large lizards in the woods that live only on leaves. We skin them, cut them into pieces, blanch them in warm water and make a fricassee like chicken. Done at Fort Royal on 5 December 1722 Lepau-Feuquiere Benard

The English from Boston bring to Saint Christopher's in boats of 40 to 50 tons a great deal of dried cod, a little green cod, salmon and sturgeon in barrels, along with barrels of marinated oysters. There are a few shellfish along the coast, namely sea urchins, barnacles and burgotes. The latter are the best to eat and if, when collecting them, you place them in a basket on a white cloth, they release a foam that dyes the cloth a beautiful purple red colour that only disappears after two washes. There are no mussels, oysters or pearls. There are red crabs at the top of the mountains which are excellent but a little musky. In March, they change their shells and retreat into their holes, which they block with earth. When they are fat and full of roe, they are dug up. They are excellent to eat in the following May. Once their shells have hardened and their eggs have formed, they leave the woods to bathe in the sea and lay their eggs. There are soldiers along the coast. This animal changes its shell in March and April. We have never seen crocodiles. We catch large lizards in the woods that live only on leaves. We skin them, cut them into pieces, blanch them in warm water and make a fricassee like chicken. Done at Fort Royal on 5 December 1722 Lepau-Feuquiere Benard

The English from Boston bring to Saint Christopher's in boats of 40 to 50 tons a great deal of dried cod, a little green cod, salmon and sturgeon in barrels, along with barrels of marinated oysters. There are a few shellfish along the coast, namely sea urchins, barnacles and burgotes. The latter are the best to eat and if, when collecting them, you place them in a basket on a white cloth, they release a foam that dyes the cloth a beautiful purple red colour that only disappears after two washes. There are no mussels, oysters or pearls. There are red crabs at the top of the mountains which are excellent but a little musky. In March, they change their shells and retreat into their holes, which they block with earth. When they are fat and full of roe, they are dug up. They are excellent to eat in the following May. Once their shells have hardened and their eggs have formed, they leave the woods to bathe in the sea and lay their eggs. There are soldiers along the coast. This animal changes its shell in March and April. We have never seen crocodiles. We catch large lizards in the woods that live only on leaves. We skin them, cut them into pieces, blanch them in warm water and make a fricassee like chicken. Done at Fort Royal on 5 December 1722 Lepau-Feuquiere Benard

Mullet is abundant and excellent. It is like those in France but better and bigger. It is salted and it keeps wonderfully by drying it after salting it. There are also some that are smoked like salmon. The trout is abundant, much larger and as good as the best in France. They keep better in salting than the male. The rougeris abundant in all seasons. This fish is usually 3 and a half feet long. Some are up to 5 and a half feet long. It is spotted with black marks and has flesh almost like carp. It is one of the best fish on the coast and it can be salted. Sarde is a fish almost like cod which, being salted, has flesh like salmon. This fish is found around the mouth of the Mississippi and towards Pensacola in abundance in almost all seasons. Considerable salting can be done. There are captains who are certain that they can usually load ships with them. This fish does not frequent the coast but the islands east and west of the Mississippi. There are a very large number of other very excellent fish. There is a species of uncurled ray which is very abundant and excellent. It is called in the country taire. It is found along the entire coast in all rivers. There is another species of fish that we have called carangue which is usually a length of 3...

Mullet is abundant and excellent. It is like those in France but better and bigger. It is salted and it keeps wonderfully by drying it after salting it. There are also some that are smoked like salmon. The trout is abundant, much larger and as good as the best in France. They keep better in salting than the male. The rougeris abundant in all seasons. This fish is usually 3 and a half feet long. Some are up to 5 and a half feet long. It is spotted with black marks and has flesh almost like carp. It is one of the best fish on the coast and it can be salted. Sarde is a fish almost like cod which, being salted, has flesh like salmon. This fish is found around the mouth of the Mississippi and towards Pensacola in abundance in almost all seasons. Considerable salting can be done. There are captains who are certain that they can usually load ships with them. This fish does not frequent the coast but the islands east and west of the Mississippi. There are a very large number of other very excellent fish. There is a species of uncurled ray which is very abundant and excellent. It is called in the country taire. It is found along the entire coast in all rivers. There is another species of fish that we have called carangue which is usually a length of 3...

Mullet is abundant and excellent. It is like those in France but better and bigger. It is salted and it keeps wonderfully by drying it after salting it. There are also some that are smoked like salmon. The trout is abundant, much larger and as good as the best in France. They keep better in salting than the male. The rougeris abundant in all seasons. This fish is usually 3 and a half feet long. Some are up to 5 and a half feet long. It is spotted with black marks and has flesh almost like carp. It is one of the best fish on the coast and it can be salted. Sarde is a fish almost like cod which, being salted, has flesh like salmon. This fish is found around the mouth of the Mississippi and towards Pensacola in abundance in almost all seasons. Considerable salting can be done. There are captains who are certain that they can usually load ships with them. This fish does not frequent the coast but the islands east and west of the Mississippi. There are a very large number of other very excellent fish. There is a species of uncurled ray which is very abundant and excellent. It is called in the country taire. It is found along the entire coast in all rivers. There is another species of fish that we have called carangue which is usually a length of 3...

Mullet is abundant and excellent. It is like those in France but better and bigger. It is salted and it keeps wonderfully by drying it after salting it. There are also some that are smoked like salmon. The trout is abundant, much larger and as good as the best in France. They keep better in salting than the male. The rougeris abundant in all seasons. This fish is usually 3 and a half feet long. Some are up to 5 and a half feet long. It is spotted with black marks and has flesh almost like carp. It is one of the best fish on the coast and it can be salted. Sarde is a fish almost like cod which, being salted, has flesh like salmon. This fish is found around the mouth of the Mississippi and towards Pensacola in abundance in almost all seasons. Considerable salting can be done. There are captains who are certain that they can usually load ships with them. This fish does not frequent the coast but the islands east and west of the Mississippi. There are a very large number of other very excellent fish. There is a species of uncurled ray which is very abundant and excellent. It is called in the country taire. It is found along the entire coast in all rivers. There is another species of fish that we have called carangue which is usually a length of 3...

[up to 4 and a half feet long. Very large in its species, appearing short, with a monstrous head, this fish is found throughout the coast and rivers of the country.] It has a flesh that one would mistake for meat, mainly veal. It is of unparalleled excellence.We cut it into slices and prepare it like veal and any other meat. We lard it like beef. This is one of the most common and best. It seems that it could be marinated like tuna. There are plaice all the time along the entire coast and in the rivers to a certain extent. This fish is shaped like a limande or plie and comes in all sizes, from 9 to 10 inches to almost 2 feet. It is about two thirds of its length wide. It?s a fish that would be priceless in France. For its quality, it still surpasses all others and could be presented to a king as a delicacy. There are still burgos that have scales of almost the same shape. It is still one of the best fish you can find. It's not quite that big, or that strong.There are sometimes real hake or cod there, but rarely like those that we fish along the coast and in the rivers and that we do not fish offshore like everywhere else. It is presumed that there are a very large number of unknown fish which usually never come to the coast.There are monstrous carp in the rivers, not the best, but somewhat passable. There are also eels in different places as good as those of Europe. There are two species of river fish that are usually called big mouths and big ears. These two kinds of fish would be priceless in France for their taste and goodness. In Mobile, there are a very large number of brochelansin in swamps, which makes one believe that they could be found everywhere else. There is also a species of small fish called patassar, up to 7 to 8 inches long, mostly less than that. It is still a very exquisite and very excellent fish. There are crayfish and shrimp in very large quantities. There are sardines not in the shape of those from France. They are much larger and wider, but they have the same taste and goodness. There is such a large quantity that we find whole shoals of them, and in its season, all the rivers are filled with them. We salt it. There are French people in the country who trade it with other inhabitants. The whole country, that is to say, the coast and the river, are full of very large cancres which are better than in Europe. We are not aware of any salmon there. We are only talking here about the coast in general up to 10 or 12 leagues in the rivers. The beaver is found in the upper parts of rivers. We did not see any seals, nor any sea ox or sea calf of this species. No whale has ever been seen in the country. There are no turtles like in Madagascar and Bourbon Island. There are small land turtles like at the Cape of Good Hope. There are also a lot of sea turtles on different banks and islets almost all the time, except during very cold weather. They lay eggs there during two seasons, in March-April and September-October. There?s no [?]

[up to 4 and a half feet long. Very large in its species, appearing short, with a monstrous head, this fish is found throughout the coast and rivers of the country.] It has a flesh that one would mistake for meat, mainly veal. It is of unparalleled excellence.We cut it into slices and prepare it like veal and any other meat. We lard it like beef. This is one of the most common and best. It seems that it could be marinated like tuna. There are plaice all the time along the entire coast and in the rivers to a certain extent. This fish is shaped like a limande or plie and comes in all sizes, from 9 to 10 inches to almost 2 feet. It is about two thirds of its length wide. It?s a fish that would be priceless in France. For its quality, it still surpasses all others and could be presented to a king as a delicacy. There are still burgos that have scales of almost the same shape. It is still one of the best fish you can find. It's not quite that big, or that strong.There are sometimes real hake or cod there, but rarely like those that we fish along the coast and in the rivers and that we do not fish offshore like everywhere else. It is presumed that there are a very large number of unknown fish which usually never come to the coast.There are monstrous carp in the rivers, not the best, but somewhat passable. There are also eels in different places as good as those of Europe. There are two species of river fish that are usually called big mouths and big ears. These two kinds of fish would be priceless in France for their taste and goodness. In Mobile, there are a very large number of brochelansin in swamps, which makes one believe that they could be found everywhere else. There is also a species of small fish called patassar, up to 7 to 8 inches long, mostly less than that. It is still a very exquisite and very excellent fish. There are crayfish and shrimp in very large quantities. There are sardines not in the shape of those from France. They are much larger and wider, but they have the same taste and goodness. There is such a large quantity that we find whole shoals of them, and in its season, all the rivers are filled with them. We salt it. There are French people in the country who trade it with other inhabitants. The whole country, that is to say, the coast and the river, are full of very large cancres which are better than in Europe. We are not aware of any salmon there. We are only talking here about the coast in general up to 10 or 12 leagues in the rivers. The beaver is found in the upper parts of rivers. We did not see any seals, nor any sea ox or sea calf of this species. No whale has ever been seen in the country. There are no turtles like in Madagascar and Bourbon Island. There are small land turtles like at the Cape of Good Hope. There are also a lot of sea turtles on different banks and islets almost all the time, except during very cold weather. They lay eggs there during two seasons, in March-April and September-October. There?s no [?]

[There is no] ambergris. It has never shown up anywhere in the country. The ground does not allow it, being only mud and sand. There is no knowledge of there ever being any manatee. We do not fish for porpoises although all the banks of the rivers are full of them because there is no shortage of fish present in large quantities at all times. It is not known if there are sea bears. The whole Mississippi country is full of oysters. There are banks of them 4 to 5 leagues long. It?s a great pleasure in life. It is also used to make lime. There are clams like many places but larger and very excellent to eat. We also make very good lime from this shell which is very common. There are throughout the country a quantity of extraordinarily big and large mussels that are perfectly good to eat. There are some on Dauphine Island, almost 4 to 5 inches long, which makes us believe that they are everywhere. The whole country of Louisiana in general is full of fish in whatever places it may be. It seems that there is no country like it for fishing.We haven't wasted time verifying if they can be salted or not, since they are too abundant to bother about it.We cannot accurately describe the quality here, nor the species being too numerous and all the fish different from those found on our European coasts. We can only assure you that in general they are all very excellent. Travellers who have been in the country for a long time can be consulted to give more details about the interior of the rivers. I am only talking here about the coast and the bottom of the rivers where they meet the sea.

[There is no] ambergris. It has never shown up anywhere in the country. The ground does not allow it, being only mud and sand. There is no knowledge of there ever being any manatee. We do not fish for porpoises although all the banks of the rivers are full of them because there is no shortage of fish present in large quantities at all times. It is not known if there are sea bears. The whole Mississippi country is full of oysters. There are banks of them 4 to 5 leagues long. It?s a great pleasure in life. It is also used to make lime. There are clams like many places but larger and very excellent to eat. We also make very good lime from this shell which is very common. There are throughout the country a quantity of extraordinarily big and large mussels that are perfectly good to eat. There are some on Dauphine Island, almost 4 to 5 inches long, which makes us believe that they are everywhere. The whole country of Louisiana in general is full of fish in whatever places it may be. It seems that there is no country like it for fishing.We haven't wasted time verifying if they can be salted or not, since they are too abundant to bother about it.We cannot accurately describe the quality here, nor the species being too numerous and all the fish different from those found on our European coasts. We can only assure you that in general they are all very excellent. Travellers who have been in the country for a long time can be consulted to give more details about the interior of the rivers. I am only talking here about the coast and the bottom of the rivers where they meet the sea.

[There is no] ambergris. It has never shown up anywhere in the country. The ground does not allow it, being only mud and sand. There is no knowledge of there ever being any manatee. We do not fish for porpoises although all the banks of the rivers are full of them because there is no shortage of fish present in large quantities at all times. It is not known if there are sea bears. The whole Mississippi country is full of oysters. There are banks of them 4 to 5 leagues long. It?s a great pleasure in life. It is also used to make lime. There are clams like many places but larger and very excellent to eat. We also make very good lime from this shell which is very common. There are throughout the country a quantity of extraordinarily big and large mussels that are perfectly good to eat. There are some on Dauphine Island, almost 4 to 5 inches long, which makes us believe that they are everywhere. The whole country of Louisiana in general is full of fish in whatever places it may be. It seems that there is no country like it for fishing.We haven't wasted time verifying if they can be salted or not, since they are too abundant to bother about it.We cannot accurately describe the quality here, nor the species being too numerous and all the fish different from those found on our European coasts. We can only assure you that in general they are all very excellent. Travellers who have been in the country for a long time can be consulted to give more details about the interior of the rivers. I am only talking here about the coast and the bottom of the rivers where they meet the sea.