La Salle had summoned the rest of…

La Salle had summoned the rest of the colonists from the temporary campsite to the new settlement site in early June.

Seventy people had begun the fifty-mile (eighty-kilometer) overland trek on June 12.

All of the supplies had to be hauled from the Belle, a physically draining task that is finally completed by the middle of July.

The last load was accompanied by the thirty men who had remained behind to guard the ship.

Although trees grow near the site, they are not suitable for building, and timber has to be transported to the building site from several miles inland.

Some timbers are even salvaged from the L’Aimable.

Over half of the settlers have died by the end of July, most from a combination of scant rations and overwork.

The remaining settlers have built a large two-story structure at the center of the settlement.

The ground floor is divided into three rooms: one for La Salle, one for the priests, and one for the officers of the expedition.

The upper story consists of a single room used to store supplies.

Surrounding the fort are several smaller structures to provide shelter for the other members of the expedition.

The eight cannons, each weighing between seven hundred and twelve hundred pounds (three hundred and eighteen to five hundred and fourteen kilograms), that had been salvaged from L'Aimable, are positioned around the colony for protection.