"Well, well, well! I should think you youngsters might be ashamed to
keep that poor captain talking and telling stories so long, just for
your amusement," remarked a strange voice, coming apparently from the
half open doorway of a nearby stateroom. "Can't you let him have a
little rest now?"
"Of course," replied Ned. "He tells splendid stories, and we like to
listen to them; but we don't want him to go on if he feels tired, for
he is our own dear, kind, good papa, whom we love ever so much."
"Huh!" returned the voice; "actions speak louder than words. So don't
coax for any more stories now. Have a good game of romps instead."
"The rest can do that," said Ned; "but uncle doctor wouldn't be likely
to let me romp very much."
"And you think you have to obey him, do you?"
"Of course, if I want him to cure me; and I'm very sure you would think
me a naughty boy if I didn't."
"If you didn't want to be cured?"
"No; if I didn't mind my uncle doctor."
"I thought he was your brother; he's married to your sister, isn't he?"
"Yes," laughed Ned; "and that makes him my brother; but he's my
mother's own brother, and that makes him my uncle. So he's both uncle
and brother, and that makes him a very near relation indeed."
"So it does, my little fellow, and you would better mind all he says,
even if he is a young doctor that doesn't know quite all the old
doctors do."
"He knows a great deal," cried Ned indignantly; "lots more, I guess,
than some of the other doctors that think they are very smart and know
everything."
"Well, you needn't get mad about it," returned the voice. "I like Dr.
Harold Travilla, and when I get sick I expect to send for him."
"But who are you?" asked Ned. "Why don't you come out of that stateroom
and show yourself?"
"Perhaps I might if I got a polite invitation," replied the voice.
Ned was silent for a moment, first looking steadily toward the door
from which the voice had seemed to come, then turning a scrutinizing,
questioning gaze upon Cousin Ronald.
The others in the room were all watching the two and listening as if
much entertained by the talk between them.
"I just know it's you, Cousin Ronald, making fun for us all," the
little boy remarked at length; "and that's very kind in you, for fun is
right good for folks, isn't it, Uncle Harold?"
"Yes, I think so," replied the doctor; "'laugh and grow fat' is an old
saying. So I hope the fun will prove beneficial to my young patient."
"I hope so," said the captain, "and now suppose you young folks rest
yourselves with some sort of games."
"I think we would all better wrap up and try a little exercise upon the
deck first, and after that have some games," said Harold, and everybody
promptly followed his advice.
When they had had their exercise and played a few games, dinner was
served. After that they again gathered in the saloon, and presently the
young folks asked for another of the captain's interesting stories of
the States.
"Well, my dears, about which State do you wish to hear now?" he asked.
"I believe we all want Louisiana, papa," replied his daughter Elsie.
"We know the story of the battle of New Orleans under General
Jackson--that grand victory--and pretty much all that went on in the
time of the Civil War, I believe; but I don't remember that you have
ever given us any of the early history of that State."
"Well, I shall try to do so now," her father said in reply, and after a
moment's silent thought he began.
"Louisiana is the central Gulf State of the United States, and has
the Gulf of Mexico for its southern boundary; the Sabine River and
Texas form the western boundary, and on the east is the Mississippi
River, separating it from the State of that name, which is the northern
boundary of that part of Louisiana east of the river. The part west of
that river is bounded on the north by Arkansas.
"That part of what is now our country was not taken by the whites from
the Indians so early as the more northern and eastern parts. History
tells us that Robert Cavalier de la Salle descended the Mississippi
to its mouth in April, 1682, named the country Louisiana, and took
possession of it in the name of the King of France. In 1699 Iberville
tried to form a settlement along the lower part of the river, but
succeeded only in forming the colony of Biloxi, in what is now the
State of Mississippi. In 1712, Louis XIV. of France named the region
for himself, and granted it to a wealthy capitalist named Antony
Crozat, giving him exclusive trading rights in Louisiana for ten
years. In about half that time Crozat gave back the grant to the King,
complaining that he had not been properly supported by the authorities,
and had suffered such losses in trying to settle the province as almost
to ruin him.
"In the same year a man named John Law got the King to give him a
charter for a bank and for a Mississippi company, and to grant the
province to them. For a time he carried out his scheme so successfully
that the stock of the bank went up to six hundred times its par value;
but it finally exploded and ruined every one concerned in it.
"It had, however, accomplished the settlement of New Orleans. In 1760
a war was begun between England and France, in which the former
took Canada from the latter. Then a good many Canadians emigrated to
Louisiana, and settled in that part of it west of the Mississippi. In
1762 France ceded her possessions in Louisiana west of the Mississippi
to Spain, and the country east of that river to England. New Orleans
was soon taken possession of by the Spanish authorities, who proved
themselves so cruel and oppressive that the French settlers were filled
with dismay. The Spaniards still held that province at the time of
the American Revolution, and near the close of that war the Spanish
governor of New Orleans captured the British garrison at Baton Rouge."
"I suppose that was hardly because he wanted to help us," laughed Elsie
Dinsmore.
"No," smiled the captain; "I rather think he wanted to help himself.
The navigation of the Mississippi River was opened to all nations
by the treaty of 1783, but the New Orleans Spaniards completely
neutralized it by seizing all merchandise brought to that city in any
but Spanish ships. In 1800 Spain ceded Louisiana back to France, but it
suited Napoleon, then emperor of that country, to keep the transfer a
secret until 1803, when he sent out Laussat as prefect of the colony,
who informed the people that they were given back to France, which news
filled them with joy.
"Jefferson was then our President, and on learning these facts, he
directed Robert Livingston, the American Minister at Paris, to insist
upon the free navigation of the Mississippi, and to negotiate for the
acquisition of New Orleans itself and the surrounding territory. Mr.
Monroe was appointed with full powers to assist him in the negotiation.
"Bonaparte acted promptly. He saw that the English wanted Louisiana
and the Mississippi River, and was determined that they should not
have them. They had twenty vessels in the Gulf of Mexico, and he saw
that they might easily take Louisiana, and to deprive them of all
prospect of that, he was inclined to cede it to the United States.
He (Bonaparte) speedily decided to sell to the United States not
New Orleans only, but the whole of Louisiana, and did so. On the
30th of April, 1803, the treaty was signed. Our country was to pay
$15,000,000 for the colony, be indemnified for some illegal captures,
and the vessels of France and Spain, with their merchandise, were to
be admitted into all the ports of Louisiana free of duty for twelve
years. Bonaparte stipulated in favor of Louisiana that as soon as
possible it should be incorporated into the Union and its inhabitants
enjoy the same rights, privileges and immunities as other citizens of
the United States; and the third article of the treaty, securing these
benefits to them, was drawn up by Bonaparte himself and presented to
the plenipotentiaries with the request that they would make it known to
the people of Louisiana that the French regretted to part with them,
and had stipulated for all the advantages they could desire; and that
in giving them up France had secured them the greatest of all; for in
becoming independent they would prosper as they never could have done
under any European government. But he bade them, while enjoying the
privileges of liberty, ever to remember that they were French, and
preserve for their mother country the affection which a common origin
inspires.
"This was a most important transaction, and its completion gave equal
satisfaction to both parties. Livingston said, 'I consider that from
this day the United States takes rank with the first powers of Europe,
and she is entirely escaped from the power of England;' and Bonaparte
said, 'By this cession of territory I have secured the power of the
United States, and given to England a maritime rival who at some future
time will humble her pride.'
"And that seems like a prophecy which came true, when one thinks of
Jackson's victory on the 8th of January, 1815," remarked Grandma Elsie.
"Yes," assented the captain; "that was a signal overthrow to British
troops on the plains of Louisiana."
"Yes; I remember that was a great victory for our United States
troops," said Elsie Dinsmore. "But who of our folks took possession now
that it was bought from the French, and just when did they do it?"
"It was on the 20th of December of that same year," replied the
captain, "that General Wilkinson and Governor Claiborne, who were
jointly commissioned to take possession of the country for the United
States, entered New Orleans at the head of the American troops. The
French governor gave up his command, and the tri-colored flag of France
gave place to the star-spangled banner."
"Oh, that was good," said Elsie Dinsmore; "and was Louisiana made a
State at once, captain?"
"No," he replied; "it was erected into a Territory by Congress in
1804. In 1810 the Spanish post at Baton Rouge was seized by the United
States forces under General Wilkinson and the territory connected with
it added to Louisiana, which in 1812 was admitted into the Union as a
State."
"But, papa, was what is now the State of Louisiana all we bought from
France by that treaty of 1803?" asked Grace.
"No, by no means," replied the captain. "The territory purchased by
that treaty is now occupied by the States of Louisiana, Arkansas,
Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas, Nebraska, Oregon, Dakota, Colorado,
Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and Washington."
"My, what a big purchase it was!" cried Ned. "But how did France get so
much?"
"No doubt she just helped herself," laughed his sister. "The State went
out of the Union in the time of the Civil War, didn't it, papa?"
"Yes; on the 26th of January, 1861, but was readmitted into the Union
on the 25th of June, 1868."