152 Marcel Moraud
ruary 4th, and followed the shore till they came to what they
took to be a vast river, but which was no other than Mata-
gorda Bay which the “Belle” and the “Aimable” reached on
February 13th. On the 14th, the “Belle” entered the bay,
and a first temporary camp was established at the extreme
end of Cavallo pass, on the left side. On the 20th, Captain
Aigron of the “Aimable” trying to bring his ship in, ran it
aground, whether intentionally or not we do not know. The
loss proved a very serious handicap, as the ship was laden
with most of the food and other stores for the little colony.
On the 12th of March Captain Beaujeu with his ship, the
“Joly,” left for France taking to Seignelay a report in which
de La Salle explained the difficulties encountered, described
the situation of the colony, and announced that to keep out
of reach of Spanish ships he was going to move up the river,
and finally that he would go to Illinois to obtain the latest
news from France before undertaking anything further.
Beaujeu had intended looking for the Bay of Espiritu del
Santo, on his way back, but owing to contrary winds he had
to change his course and make for Cape San Antony at the
western end of the island of Cuba. He was delayed there
a few days because of the capture of his launch by Spanish
buccaneers, then he met a British ship the captain of which
advised him to go to Virginia to get the water and food he
needed, which he did, and finally he set sail once more for
France where he arrived on the 5th of July 1685, after a
voyage of nearly one year.
The news that de La Salle had not found his river soon
filtered out. No doubt, the number of those who as Beaujeu
had written a year before, in July, 1684, thought the explorer
“slightly unbalanced,” and considered him as somewhat
“visionary” increased. Then for three years, no more was
heard from the expedition. Still, the government had not