to have been satisfied with discovering his river, without undertaking to
conduct three vessels with troops two thousand leagues through so many
different climates, and across seas entirely unknown to him. I grant that
he is a man of knowledge; that he has reading, and even some tincture of
navigation; but there is so much difference between theory and practice,
that a man who has only the former will always be at fault. There is also
a great difference between conducting canoes on lakes and along a river,
and navigating ships with troops on distant oceans." [Footnote: "Si vous
me permettez de dire mon sentiment, M. de la Salle devait se contenter
d'avoir decouvert sa riviere, sans se charger de conduire trois vaisseaux
et des troupes a deux mille lieues au travers de tant de climats
differents et par des mers qui lui etaient tout a fait inconnues. Je
demeure d'accord qu'il est savant, qu'il a de la lecture, et meme quelque
teinture de la navigation. Mais il y a tant de difference entre la theorie
et la pratique, qu'un homme qui n'aura que celle-la s'y trompera toujours.
Il y a aussi bien de la difference entre conduire des canots sur des lacs
et le long d'une riviere et mener des vaisseaux et des troupes dans des
mers si eloignees."--_Lettre de Beaujeu au Ministre_, 20 _Oct_. 1684, MS.]

It was near the end of November before La Salle could resume the voyage.
Beaujeu had been heard to say, that he would wait no longer for the
storeship "Amiable," and that she might follow as she could. [Footnote:
_Memoire autographe de l'Abbe Jean Cavelier_, MS.] La Salle feared that he
would abandon her; and he therefore embarked in her himself, with his
friend Joutel, his brother Cavelier, Membre, Douay, and others, the
trustiest of his followers. On the twenty-fifth, they set sail; the "Joly"
and the little frigate "Belle" following. They coasted the shore of Cuba,
and landed at the Isle of Pines, where La Salle shot an alligator, which
the soldiers ate; and the hunters brought in a wild pig, half of which he
sent to Beaujeu. Then they advanced to Cape St. Antoine, where bad weather