There he met with favour, and the ministry, convinced that a colony at the mouth of the Mississippi was a strategic move of first importance against Spain, with whom France was then at war, authorized and aided La Salle to attempt it. La Salle was made governor of all Louisiana and the forts in the Illinois country were restored to him and repossessed by Tonti. In 1684 La Salle left France with four ships and about 400 men to make the settlement. The naval commander, Beaujeu, however, refused to obey La Salle from the first, and before long was responsible for the loss of the main supply ship to the Spanish. In the West Indies La Salle was seized with the fever and during his long illness the expedition became completely disorganized. When he finally continued with only i8o men it was only to miss the mouth of the Mississippi by proceeding too far to the westward. He retraced his steps and, conditions on shipboard becoming des perate, disembarked his colonists on the present Matagorda bay, Texas, the inlet of which he supposed to be the western outlet of the Mississippi. A short land journey soon convinced him of his mistake, and a longer land expedition to find the Mississippi was unsuccessful. Two of his remaining three ships were wrecked and
the third had returned to France. The plight of the colony—re duced to 45 men—had become so desperate that La Salle and a small party made a fruitless attempt to reach Canada where their situation might be made known. Finally, in January 1687, he de termined to make a second attempt and took about half the re maining survivors with him. On the way a mutiny occurred and La Salle was assassinated by one of his own men. A few reached Fort St. Louis on the Illinois river. Most of the colonists who had remained were murdered by the Indians. Magnificent in his personal failures, La Salle by his courage against odds has always made a great appeal. Though he seemed to fail, his explorations gave France claim to a splendid empire.
For sources see P. Margry, Decouvertes et Etablissements (1878) ; I. J. Cox, Journeys of La Salle (1922) ; L. P. Kellogg, Early Narratives of the Northwest (1917). For secondary works: F. Parkman, The Discovery of the Great West (1869) ; H. Lorin, Le Comte de Frontenac (1895) ; G. Gravier, Cavelier de La Salle (1871) ; L. S. Hasbrouck, La Salle (1916).