From Natchitoches to the Rio Grande with Francois Derbanne

Posted by Doyle Bailey for Tour Natchitoches with Barbara



This is part two of three posts about a journey undertaken in November of 1716 by Francois Derbanne from Natchitoches, Louisiana to the Rio Grande.

Francois Derbanne resumes his account of this amazing journey on March 22, 1717. He writes:

"We passed that day the last Spanish mission where there are two Recollect priests. We crossed two rivers, which are fairly large but cannot carry pirogues. That day's journey we made ten leagues (fifteen miles) to the South-West...."

Derbanne further observes:

• on the 23rd they caught up with the mules, they had left two days earlier.
• he clarifies that mules do not make more than 6 or 7 leagues a day and if they do more it is only because they need water.
• the mules load is 300 livres (a French monetary unit equal to one pound of silver),

Of the mules Derbanne wrote:

"They start off at eight or nine o'clock in the morning, and they make camp at three o'clock in the afternoon. We made 9 leagues that day".

Of the following day Derbanne records the following:

• "on the 24th. we made nine leagues, we crossed the river which the Spaniards call the Trinity...very much spread our-150 paces wide...it had little water, but there are times when it is very dangerous. It floods a wide area of bottom lands, its banks are beautiful prairaies; the woods which border it are oak and walnut."On the 25th we were stopped by the rain".

The record of the journey continues from March 26th to April 2, 1717. Highlights include:

• beautiful country and very fine woods and prairies
• wild beeves (cattle) which became a food source for the party
• most days they traveled about 5 leagues

What a journey of adventure, discovery and exploration! If you have something of the adventurer and explorer in you and would like to discover historic Natchitoches, contact Barbara and she will be your tour guide and start you on your sight-seeing journey. She is a ninth generation descendant of Francois Derbanne and his spirit lives on in her.

Tour Natchitoches with Barbara specializes in:

• Tours of French Creole Plantations on the Cane River
• "Steel Magnolias" Tours of all the filming sites of the movie in Natchitoches.
• Tours of Ft. St. Jean Baptiste Derbanne left for his journey to the Rio Grande from here.
• Customized Tours to fit your schedule, interests and budget including Tours in Spanish

{click here for contact info}

THE FRENCH CAME TO NATCHITOCHES IN 1714. NOW IT'S YOUR TURN