In 1699, the French explorer Sieur d’Iberville arrived in Louisiana to establish a French colony near the mouth of the Mississippi River. In his initial exploration of the river, Iberville ascended the Mississippi to near the mouth of the Red River before returning to his base at Ship Island.
Bayou Manchac
Some Bayougoula Indians served as Iberville’s guides, and they told him there was a shortcut through a series of streams and lakes that would take him back to Ship Island quicker than returning by way of the Mississippi River.
Curious, Iberville took a few men and guides to explore the shortcut while the rest of the party continued down the river.
The first leg of the journey was into a distributary of the Mississippi that connected to the Amite River. Iberville reported that the bayou was full of “crocodiles” and fallen logs that required 50 portages over a nine-mile stretch.
The French originally named this stream the “rivière d’Iberville,” but it later became known as Bayou Manchac. Manchac is a corruption of the Choctaw word mashaka, which means “the rear entrance.” This was a reference to the bayou being used to access the Mississippi farther upstream from the Gulf than if one came through the delta.
Lakes Pontchartrain and Maurepas
From the Amite River, Iberville passed through three large lakes to enter the Gulf and return to Ship Island.
Iberville was a navy officer and his superior back in France was Minister of Marine, Comte de Pontchartrain. Iberville’s career depended on a successful mission, and he needed to stay in Comte Pontchartrain’s good graces. Therefore, he named the largest of the three lakes for his boss.
Apparently with his eye firmly set on his career, Iberville named the second largest body of water after Pontchartrain’s son, Comte Maurepas, another important French dignitary.
Lake Borgne was the third lake Iberville crossed to reach the Gulf.
This series of lakes and streams became a popular shortcut for those in small boats traveling from the Gulf Coast to the Mississippi River. The narrow pass connecting lakes Pontchartrain and Maurepas also became known as Pass Manchac, reflecting the route’s purpose of reaching the Mississippi River through the “back door.”
Within just a few years, 10,000 deer skins and 5,000 bear skins were transported from the upper Mississippi River through this passageway for shipment to France.
Pearl River
During this initial French exploration, Iberville’s younger brother, Sieur d’Bienville, made his own contribution to the naming of Louisiana’s streams.
While the French were investigating the Gulf Coast, they discovered the mouth of a large river that contained oyster beds. The local Acolapissa Indians called the river Taleatcha, but Bienville named it La Rivière des Perles, or Pearl River, for the pearls the oysters contained.
The French hoped the pearls would become an important Louisiana export, but the pearls proved to be of too poor quality to be valuable.
Fontainebleau State Park
Fontainebleau State Park, near Mandeville, is conveniently located near all of the above-mentioned bodies of water. It has hiking trails, RV hookups and improved campsites with water and electricity, and primitive campsites without. There are also 12 furnished cabins, three of which are ADA compliant.
Fontainebleau is also one of several state parks that offer glamping. Glamping is a more luxurious style of camping with a safari-like tent, queen-sized bed, propane heater, picnic table, fire pit with grill, solar shower and portable toilet.
