island, and which were then on a cruise, not being able to return to any
of the West India Islands, made for Barrataria, there to take in a
supply of water and provisions, recruit the health of their crews, and
dispose of their prizes, which could not be admitted into any of the
ports of the United States, we being at that time in peace with Great
Britain. Most of the commissions granted to privateers by the French
government at Gaudaloupe, having expired sometime after the declaration
of the independence of Carthagena, many of the privateers repaired to
that port, for the purpose of obtaining from the new government
commissions for cruising against Spanish vessels. Having duly obtained
their commissions, they in a manner blockaded for a long time all the
ports belonging to the royalists, and made numerous captives, which they
carried into Barrataria. Under this denomination is comprised part of
the coast of Louisiana to the west of the mouths of the Mississippi,
comprehended between Bastien bay on the east, and the mouths of the
river or bayou la Fourche on the west. Not far from the sea are lakes
called the great and little lakes of Barrataria, communicating with one
another by several large bayous with a great number of branches. There
is also the island of Barrataria, at the extremity of which is a place
called the Temple, which denomination it owes to several mounds of
shells thrown up there by the Indians. The name of Barrataria is also
given to a large basin which extends the whole length of the cypress
swamps, from the Gulf of Mexico to three miles above New Orleans. These
waters disembogue into the gulf by two entrances of the bayou
Barrataria, between which lies an island called Grand Terre, six miles
in length, and from two to three miles in breadth, running parallel
with the coast. In the western entrance is the great pass of Barrataria,
which has from nine to ten feet of water. Within this pass about two
leagues from the open sea, lies the only secure harbor on the coast, and
accordingly this was the harbor frequented by the _Pirates_, so well