For now, I thought I'd share an interesting little artifact.
You probably recognize it, despite the bad photography. It's a seed from Medicago polymorpha, which most of us know as Bur Clover. It was found aboard La Belle, where it'd been brought over from France, likely stuck to a sailor's clothes. Medicago polymorpha isn't native to the New World, but it's found all over. While we can't say for sure, it may well be that La Belle played a part in this species invasion.
We usually think of ships like La Belle as "French". But all ships are really global, by dint of their role in spreading culture, species, and goods.
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As a direct descendant of a member of the La Salle expedition (Jacques Grolet) I appreciate this blog. Has your team found anything associated with Grolet?
ReplyDeleteThanks, and I hope to update it a little more often - I've been working with some pretty unphotogenic items lately.
ReplyDeleteAs for artifacts directly associated with Grolet... no, sorry. It's extremely rare to find any artifacts that are provably associated with any one person. In fact, we don't even have anything directly tied to La Salle himself!
But, there is a document in the Archives in Sevilla, Spain, that *is* tied to your ancestor. He and his companion Jean l'Archiveque wrote a note to the Spanish, asking for the Spanish to take Grolet and l'Archiveque with them. The two men were living with the Caddo at the time. Eventually, they wound up in Mexico City, and from there have quite the story.
But, I suspect you already knew all that!
Appreciate your blogspot more than you know. I had not thought of La Belle in years but will be looking at your updates often.
ReplyDeleteIt thrills me to know of the construction plans for La Petite Belle. Also, I did not know that we do not own the artifacts of La Belle. Keep the information updated. Will be watching for it.
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