Marquette, in 1672, used the word Mississippi. Hennepin's map of 1683 names the Mississippi as River Colbert, which was the name given to the water by LaSalle March 13, 1682, with great ceremony, at Kapaha. LaSalle speaks of the Indian name Mississippi, meaning among the Ontaonas (Owtawans); the Great River, and Masciccipi, as spoken by the Illinois with the same meaning.

When Iberville sailed westward looking for "LaSalle's river," in 1698, he was told by the Biloxi Indians that the great river he looked for was known in their language as the Malbanchia, and had been called by the Spaniards the River of the Palisades.

The Choctaw traditional name for the Mississippi was Occochappo The Ancient Waters (H. B. Cushman). J. V. Brower, in his book on the Mississippi, page 282, gives, under the title of "Traditionary and Geographic Nomenclature of the Mississippi," the following observations:

"Prior to DeSoto's expedition, the savage tribes applied names to their respective possessions along its banks. From Cortez's map, Espirito Sancto, in two words is Meche Sebe, original Algonquin. In various relations of DeSoto's expedition the following Indian names for the great stream, Muskogean in origin, are given: Chicagua, Tamaliseu Japatu, Mico, Rio Grande and The River.

"Palisado and Escondido were later Spanish designations, the first referring to floating trees seen at the mouth, the second because of cut-offs, bayous, etc., making it difficult to follow its channel.

"St. Louis was the original French designation then, conception by Marquette; Buade, family name of Frontenac, by Joliet; Colbert, after the eminent French statesman, by LaSalle; Mischipi, by Freytas, who came with Penicaut in 1661 to the Arkansas country; Messipi, by Father Allonez, quoting the Algonquin terms, in 1667; Meschasipi, Hennepin's map, 1683; Michi Sepe, Laval's version; Labat, Misisipi later French version; Mississipi, pioneer western Mississippy; Mississippi, American version, nineteenth century. Gould says: 'An analysis of the word shows that it does not mean 'Father of Waters' at all. Thus: Mis-sisk grass; Mis-sisk-ke-on-weeds; Mis-siskke-medical herbs, and Mis-ku-tuk. The broad bottom lands of the river were called Mis-ku-tuk; the tribes along the river, Mis-shu-tau, signifying 'meadow people;' thus the literal meaning of the word is the River of Meadows and Grass.''

From the above we gather that, having made the circle of many names and gotten back to an elaborated spelling of the original Algonquin designation, the largest of the linguistic tribes living on its borders, we may let "Great Waters," "Father of Waters," or "Meadow River" be its poetic interpretation. Mississippi, as it is now recorded, well names this noble stream, and, within its four syncopating syllables, there rolls from the tongue a name that brings to Americana students a world of romance and story.

MEETING OF JANUARY, 1917.

The Louisiana Historical Society held its annual meeting on the evening of January 17th in the Cabildo, with a good attendance of officers and members.

The Secretary read the minutes of the previous meeting, which were approved.

The following communication was read from Mr. Gustave Pitot, giving information about the painter Jacques Amans, who had painted many portraits in New Orleans:

NEW ORLEANS, December 8, 1916. An article from C. W. Boyle, curator of the Delgado Museum, is herewith enclosed, which will prove interesting.

Amans was always known to our family and others as plain "Jacques" Amans. He invariably signed his works "J. Amans.' He married a Miss Landreaux, daughter of a sugar planter of St. Charles Parish, and, fearing the consequences of the Civil War, left with her for Europe, with her nephew and niece, Pierre and Marie Landreaux. He purchased a beautiful property near Versailles, "Lacour Levy," where he and his wife died, leaving all of their property to their nephew and niece.

Among his portraits, of which I had any knowledge, are those of Mrs. Isadore Labatut and Honorable Felix Grima and his aged mother and wife; Armant Pitot and wife; Mrs. Alfred Bouligny; Gabriel Montegut, and others whose names have escaped my memory.

An interesting painting of his is that of "Mariquite a la Calentura," as she appeared in the passage of St. Antoine, near

the Presbytery of the St. Louis Cathedral, old and shriveled up, warming herself by a fire; she is accompanied by a young woman carrying a pail of water and a gypsy woman. I see her as she there appears in her painting, now in the possession of Miss Alice Pitot, and recall the days of my childhood when to meet her was an occasion of fright and a running off to my old mammy. Mariquite has left little to be known of her. I have forgotten her family name. Her father came to New Orleans with her, a young girl, and lived, I think, corner of St. Claude and Esplanade, on the site now occupied by the Augustin family. She was held indoors, like all Spanish girls, and forbidden to see any one alone; but love was stronger than her father's commands, and she eloped with a young man and her father never forgave her. It may be that the father's unnatural act tended to prey on her mind and eventually brought on a stage of occasional folly, which marked here declining years.

I have no record of how and when she died.

Another Amans painting held by Miss Pitot is the bust of a monk in contemplation before a skull.

These two paintings are now in the hands of Mr. Glenk, curator of the Museum, where you can see them at any time. Yours very truly,

PAINTER AMANS.

GUSTAVE PITOT.

NEW ORLEANS, September 7, 1914.

To the Editor of The Times-Picayune:

A writer in your paper has asked for information of the deceased painter, J. G. L. Amans.

From the best information at hand, I learn that he was born in Belgium, 1801, and died in Paris 1888. He painted in New Orleans from about 1830 until 1856; after which he went to Paris, and left as his agent here the firm of A. Rocherau & Co., and later Jules Andrieu of said firm. Many portraits by Amans are owned by old families of New Orleans, and there is at present one good example in the Delgado Museum of Art and another in the Louisiana State Museum.

C. W. BOYLE,

Curator Delgado Museum of Art.

The paper of the evening, "Forgotten Treks," by Mr. P. M. Milner, was read by Mr. T. P. Thompson, owing to Mr. Milner's enforced absence, caused by a bereavement in his family. The paper was of unusual interest, treating of the old highways through the country, the Indian trails and buffalo paths, that were the only paths, as we may say, opened to civilization through the forests of North America from Canada to Louisiana, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.

Mr. Milner's research work had been so carefully done that he presented a fairly complete compendium of all that had here. tofore been written upon the subject and traced upon the maps. The paper will furnish a new authority for consultation by future students, and the Historical Society points with pride to it. Mr. Milner, by vote, was thanked for the paper and Mr. Thompson for reading it. In the discussion that followed of complimentary remarks, Mr. Dymond contributed one of his bright and interesting short talks, relating some of his own voyages as a youth over these forgotten treks.

The following members were added to the Society:

Miss Rene Duncan

Mrs. S. B. Sneath

Alexander Hay

Mrs. E. W. Baker

Mrs. Ben Lewis

Mr. Thompson gave a rough outline of the historical facts to be commemorated in the forthcoming celebration of the bi-centennial of the founding of New Orleans.

The annual election of officers coming next on the program, Mr. Bentley, after an eulogistic preamble on the present officers, moved their reelection. Motion was seconded and all officers were reelected by acclamation.

Mr. Robert Glenk, Corresponding Secretary and Librarian, read his annual report, which showed a good and steady progress in the work and membership force of the Society. He was warmly applauded at the end of it, and with many expressions of selfcongratulation and satisfaction the Society adjourned.

FORGOTTEN TREKS.

By PURNELL M. MILNER.

What a wealth of picture, imagination and romance these words bring to mind. The old Dutch word for trails, as used in South Africa, has an instantaneous effect of removing us from the crowded streets, tall buildings, tumultuous activities and hideous noises of a modern city to faraway lands, quaint costumes and lumbering wagons.

It lends color to our thoughts, leaving us quieted, restful, inviting us to a dreamy, imaginative retrospection, letting us see, as it were, with half-closed eyes, the primitive condition of the early inhabitants as to travel and the vast stretches of mountains, plains and unexplored forests of our great country and later of Louisiana--the Louisiana of a hundred years ago and more.

How wonderful, how fear-inspiring, must have been the days when great-hearted men of supreme courage, splendid vitality and unsurpassed strength went forth to conquer and subdue Nature herself, represented by her primeval forests, her trackless plains and inaccessible mountain passes, hitherto untrodden by white men.

What an inspiring sight, therefore, was the great Spanish explorer, Fernando DeSoto, with his 600 followers, clad in mail and fully armed, with 200 splendid caparisoned horses, landing at Tampa Bay to explore the country in quest of gold and fortune.

Follow the wonderful expedition through magnificent forests, treeless prairies, vast dismal swamps and over almost impenetrable bogs, from Tampa Bay north to Tallahassee into and through Georgia, to Augusta, touching South Carolina, North Carolina, at Cherokee, and Southern Tennessee, passing through Indian villages, attacked night and day by marauding Indians, undergoing every conceivable hardship!

Turning southwest, after reaching Tennessee, the party passed through northwest Georgia and Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to Mobile; whence again they persevered and passed in a northerly direction through the State of Mississippi, discovering the Mississippi River in 1541, probably at Chickasaw Bluff, thus gaining, not gold, nor treasure, but everlasting fame. Crossing the river at