Life in Lower French Louisiana
Tonti experienced several financial difficulties in the 1690s, and in early 1700, he commenced a journey down the Mississippi to make contact with Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville, who had established the Louisiana (New France) colony. Tonti reached French Louisiana and joined the colony.
In 1702, at Old Mobile, he was chosen by Iberville as an ambassador to the Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes and conducted several negotiations. De Tonti, for whom the historic district north of present-day downtown Mobile is named, returned to the Old Mobile Site, with three Chickasaw chiefs and four Choctaw chiefs. The chiefs were rivals, but after Iberville had finished addressing them and presenting them gifts of guns and ammunition, they agreed to aid the settlers. The 22-year-old Bienville (a younger brother of Iberville) translated for Iberville.
Tonti also led punitive expeditions until 1704.
In August 1704 Tonti contracted yellow fever and died at Old Mobile, north of present day Mobile, Alabama.
Read more about this topic: Henri De Tonti
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