Our French Heritage: Exploration Issue
No. 20, January 26, 1999, of the Lafayette (LA) Daily Advertiser's HISTORY OF ACADIANA, a publication dedicated to preserving Acadiana's heritage and culture

Spaniards and Frenchmen sailed all along the coast of South Louisiana during the earliest years of exploration in North America, but only shipwrecks sent them ashore.

1. Spanish seamen were first to flirt with Acadiana coastline
2. Indians on Bad Luck Island may have been Attakapas, But the mosquitoes were 'of three sorts'
3. Survivors of De Soto expedition may have camped here
4. Good fishing led early Frenchmen to American shores, Fishermen were off Grand Banks in 1504
5. Jacques Cartier looked for gold, nutmeg and men with wings
6. Bitter winter ends hope of French settlement on St. Lawrence
7. First Frenchmen in Caribbean were probably up to no good
8. Religion, riches prompt attempt at settlement
9. Fort Caroline was second French attempt, Settlers were still after gold
10. Spaniard slaughtered Frenchmen who would not claim Catholicism
11. Single Frenchman vows revenge for Menendez' massacre, Angry sailor organizes ships, wild Indians for attack
12. Furs become the 'gold' that lures settlers to New France
13. Keeping track of kings of Europe of the era
14. 'Hideous monsters' greeted early Mississippi river explorers, Nicolet traveled in Oriental robes to greet the Chinese
15. La Salle reached mouth of Mississippi River in 1682
16. Settlement expedition missed river's mouth
17. 'Iron Hand' helped lead La Salle expedition, Henri de Tonti was "born for the life of adventure"
18. Spanish ships pass our coast in search for French colony
19. Wild tale sends Spanish back to Gulf shore
20. Frenchman sent by God to rule among the Indians, Jeau Gery turned out to be crazy
21. Mosquitoes prime tenants of first fort
22. Iberville unexpectedly finds the Spanish at Pensacola
23. Spanish preoccupation lets France get foothold
24. La Balise may have lighted the way for ships form the Gulf
25. Simars de Belle-Isle told grisly tale about Attakapas
26. Jean Beranger might have landed on the Acadiana coast, He made a petit dictionnaire of Attakapas words
27. Shipwrecks brought other people to Acadiana shores
28. Simon Le Page du Pratz described voyage to Louisiana, He wrote the first history of Louisiana's discovery
29. Cypress, sassafras, saffron among Louisiana's possible trade goods
30. Some important dates affecting colonial history and Acadiana
31. Further Reading