La Salle and the discovery of the great West - North Central ...

1685.J DEPARTURE OF BEAUJEU. 887Directly after he writes again, " I cannot help conjuringyou once more to try to give us the iron."Beaujeu replies :" To show you how ardently I wishto contribute to the success of your undertaking, Ihave ordered your iron to be got out, in spite of myofficers and sailors, who tell me that I endanger myship by moving everything in the depth of the holdon a coast like this, where the seas are like mountains.I hesitated to disturb my stowage, not somuch to save trouble as because no ballast is to begot hereabout; and I have therefore had sixcannon,from my lower deck battery, let down into the holdto take the place of the iron." And he again urgesLa Salle to accept his offer to bring provisions to thecolonists from Martinique.On the next day, the "Amiable'' was wrecked.Beaujeu remained a fortnight longer on the coast,and then told La Salle that being out of wood,water, and other necessaries, he must go to MobileBay to get them.Nevertheless, he lingered a weekmore, repeated his offer to bring supplies fromMartinique, which La Salle again refused, and atlast set sail on the twelfth of March, after a leavetakingwhich was courteous on both sides. 1ofLa Salle and his colonists were left alone.Severalthem had lost heart, and embarked for home withBeaujeu. Among these was Minet the engineer,who had fallen out with La Salle, and who when hei The whole of this correspondence between Beaujeu and L«Salle will be found in Margry, ii.