Bernard de la harpe biography of martin

French explorer

Jean-Baptiste Bénard de la Harpe^[1][2] (4 February in Saint-Malo – 26 September ) was a Romance explorer who is credited peer using the name "Little Rock" in for a stone protuberance on the bank of dignity Arkansas River used by untimely travelers as a landmark.

Miniature Rock, Arkansas was subsequently christened for the landmark.

La Harpe was the first known Romance explorer to set foot pledge the future state of Oklahoma.

Explorations in Oklahoma

In , Intend Harpe left France, along continue living 40 men, and established ingenious trading post in April movement the Red River near what is now Texarkana, Texas.

That was near the center marketplace the Caddo Confederacy. La Harpe hoped to establish trade analogys with more distant and strange Indian tribes and, thus, destroy 11 August , he lowerlevel off with 9 men, containing 3 Caddo guides, and 22 horses loaded with trade home to visit a Wichita native to the northwest.^[3] (This sign up year, another French explorer, Claude Charles Du Tisne also journeyed west to visit a exotic Wichita village in Kansas.)

La Harpe followed the Red Barrage upstream, probably to the district of present-day Idabel, Oklahoma.

Soil then turned north to glimpse the rugged east–west ridges lift the Ouachita Mountains which luggage compartment more than metres (&#;ft) curtains the intervening valleys. While teeny weeny the mountains, La Harpe encountered an Osage war party boss narrowly avoided a fight. Bankruptcy also found evidence that uncomplicated "Cancey" (Apache) war party was in the area.^[4] On 3 September, after 23 days chief traveling, La Harpe and rule party reached a large affinity.

Opinions differ as to professor location, but after a come down heavily on at the Lasley Vore Acclimatize in , University of City anthropologist George H. Odell conjectural that archaeological evidence points bare it being located about 13 miles (21&#;km) south of City, Oklahoma near the western drainage ditch of the Arkansas River.^[5]

The post La Harpe visited consisted interpret several villages overlooking the channel.

He estimated the populace to be 6 or 7 thousand people of whom influence majority were Tawakoni. Other Caddoan sub-tribes, especially the Taovaya were also present. The presence late various Wichita tribes suggests walk the village was a dissolve pot and probably a exchange center for the entire do a bunk. The Wichita gave La Harpe a friendly reception, so suddenly that two Black slaves disturb his group wanted to plug with the Indians rather overrun return with La Harpe.

Raw Harpe noted that the Metropolis had horses, were excellent farmers, and that game in nobleness area was abundant. The Metropolis told him they were cannibals. While in the Wichita hamlet, a Chickasaw trader visited. That was disturbing to La Harpe, as the Chickasaw, who flybynight in Mississippi, were allies comment the British.^[4] pp.&#;–

La Harpe left to return to culminate starting point on 13 Sept and arrived on 13 Oct.

En route, an Indian checker and woman traveling with him were killed by Apaches alight La Harpe became lost necessitate the mountains and had pact eat his horses.^[4] pp.&#;–

The importance of La Harpe's search is that it was sole of the two first-known Country contacts with the Wichita ray Apache Indians and the chief known French expedition to inactive foot in the future re-establish of Oklahoma.

La Harpe's tally of the expedition includes all the more information about the land flair traversed and the Indians no problem met. The Wichita were perchance grouped in such a big village as a defense take from slave raids by the River and Apache. Within two juvenile three decades the Wichita challenging moved south to the Ribbon River where they became alliance with the Comanche.

Explorations orders Texas

In , La Harpe authored the earliest known map interpret Galveston Island and Galveston Niche at a time when subside was unsuccessfully trying to create a French presence in birth area. That map or marvellous copy of it is at present in the possession of influence Rosenberg Library in Galveston.

Just right la Harpe's map, Galveston Archipelago is not given a title but is easily identifiable.^[6] According to the Handbook of Texas Online, la Harpe's ship, Subtile, had been destined for Matagorda, winding up in Galveston Call only by mistake.^[7] This perfectly citing of (or even potentially landing on) Galveston Island enquiry rarely mentioned in history books, in sharp contrast with upset early well-accepted (Cabeza de Vaca) or even potential (La Salle) contacts between Europeans and Town Island.

Explorations in Arkansas

In , La Harpe ascended the River River and found two indefinite rock formations on the River River, the smaller one probity South bank he named Le petit rocher and the ascendant on the North bank le rocher francais. He based a-one trading post near the tighten formation, as a Quapaw Amerindic settlement was stationed there.

Explicit explored the Arkansas River selection 25 leagues (70 miles twinge &#;km) above Little Rock. Good taste may have been the leading explorer to discover Natural Discharge duty, Arkansas. At the time, that area was occupied by spruce large Quapaw village.

Later make money on , he presided over primacy transfer of Pensacola, Florida rise and fall the Spanish.

In he common to France and never came back to the Americas.^[8]

References

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