BENOIST TO VAUDREUIL, DECEMBER, 1752   745
qu'en La fin de febrier ou au Commencement de mars, Cequi me Derange Extraordinairement prevoyant que vous ne seres plus a La nouvelle Orleans Lorsque je Descendray, Les Echouments frequents que nous avons Eu Dans nostre Route, nous ont Bien Retarde surtout Ceux de la poudrierre, Ce Batteau nest nullement propre, pour une poudrierre, Les planches Des soutes Estant trop foibles, pour soutenir Leffort de la marche De lequipage dant le pesanteur a fait voiler toutes les Couvertures au travers Des quelles Leau De La pluye Entroit, et si L'on n'avoit point Defait Les Balots de Couvertes, toutes des poudres auroint Este gastees, Ce qui a Cause parmy Les Couvertes, Et La Limbour Beaucoup Damages Comme on na point pu prevenir Cet Evenement jl y a Eu pres de quinse Cent Livres de Biscuit gaste Cequi nous a Cause une grande disette, Et n'avoir Rien a manger que pour Un Repas, a Lisle au Bled,1 que nous avons Eu du secours des arkansas qui Est arrive a temps, pour nous Tirer de la Dernierre Extremitee, actuelement que nous somnes icy, nous vivons avec du pain seulement, mais j'espere avoir quelques arkansas, pour
[Translation]
months' delay as I cannot set out before the end of February or the beginning of March. This very much annoys me as I foresee that you will no longer be at New Orleans by the time I come down.
Frequent accidents that we have had en route have much delayed us, especially those to the powder boat. That boat is in no way fit for a powder boat. The planking of the magazine is too weak to stand the strain of the crew's walking on it. Their weight has borne down all the covers through which the rain water came in, and if we had not opened the bales of blankets all the powder would have spoiled. This has caused much damage to the blankets and the limbourg. As this could not be foreseen, almost fifteen hundred pounds of biscuit have been spoiled which has caused a great shortage, so that at Isle au Bled1 we had only provisions for one meal, until we had help from the Arkansas which came in time to relieve us from the last extremity. Actually since we have been here we have lived on bread only, but I hope
1 Isle au Bled was approximately at the present Bolivar, Mississippi.