DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS

PROVINCE OF QUEBEC

Quebec, July 9th, 1968

Mr Jarratt:

I just receive[ed] your little parcel with the ceramics and these fragments of ceramics are obviously English and from the first quarter of the XIXth century. Some are typical with their designs and I am looking on the map you send [sic] me and suggest to have a look on the small hill about 3,000 feet South-East of the place you found this pottery marked x.

There is a farm or building on top of this small hill and if I was LaSalle that is the best spot I had prefer to place my fort because it is isolated and the site on top of this hill look pretty good. Also it is close to the river: that is only a suggestion.

I will send you a fragment of domestic pottery we found in Quebec coming from the end of the XVIIth century and also a piece of porcelain (faience) imported from France. This second piece is glazed on both sides with a white glaze. I am sure you know the type of pipe found on sites of the end of the XVIIth century. I will send you a drawing of those pipes. [DRAWING (pipes)] Also, there is in those forts a typical type of gunflints that we call "gunspall". I send you a little drawing of these. Those flints were used between 1610-1700. [DRAWING (gunspall)]

There is, speaking of other things, a book published by University of Toronto in English, and by Universite Laval in French, title "Canadian bibliography" and there is about 6 or 7 pages on Cavelier de LaSalle and a complete bibliographical on the best look's [sic] written on this man. If you are interested to have this, I can send you a photocopy of the text.

Good luck searching the St-Louis Fort of La-Salle in Texas.

Sincerely yours,

Michel Gaumond
Chef de Service
Service d'Archeologie

MG/cp

Mr John L. Jarratt
505 East Commercial street
Victoria Texas 77901