Aujourd'hui vingt troisieme jour du mois de Decembre de l'annee mil sept cent quatre vingt cinq par devant Nous Alexandre Chev. De Cluet Lt Colonel, Commandant civil et militaire dans Attakapas et Opeloussas, fut present en personne le Sieur Thomas Hoffbauer qui de son bon gre, propre mouvement dans la meilleure forme possible et avec garantie de toute hipotheque vend, cede et transporte en toute propriete au Sieur Luke Collins fils une Habitation de sept arpents de face et demie sur la profondeur de quarante situee aux coteaux, bornee d'un cote par le Sieur La

Caze pere, et de l'autre par le Sieur Antoine Godeau, telle que ledit Sr. Hoffbauer l'a [acquite?] de la nomme Josine mulatresse libre, a[vec] ses Batiments, Cloture et telle qu [illegible] se comporte de ce jour, ladite habitation livrable au premier du mois de Mars prochain. Le tout pour prix et somme de trois cents piastres dont deux cent piastres en dix meres vaches et leurs suivants et cent piastres en Boeufs de trois ans au prix du cours, tout marchand et livrables dans le courant du mois de Juin de l'annee prochaine au parc de Mr. Laurent Bailly.

fait et passe en notre Domicile de commandement en presence des Sieurs F. Brunet et Jean Quin[elty?] qui avec ledit Sr. Hoff(b/p)auer** ont signe et Nous Commandant civil et militaire ce meme jour et an que de l'autre part.

[illegible - might be in English?] Hoffpauer

John Quin[gelty?] Luke Collins Junr.

F. Brunet

English:

Today twenty-third day of the month of December of the year one thousand seven hundred eighty five before Us Alexandre Chev. De Clouet, Lt. Colonel, civil and military Commander in Attakapas and Opelousas, was present in person Sieur Thomas Hoffbauer who of his good will, own accord, in the best form possible and with warranty [against?] any mortgage sells, cedes and

transports in all propriety to Sieur Luke Collins junior a residence of seven arpents across and a half, with the depth of forty, situated in the hills, bordered on one side by the Sieur La Caze senior, and on the other by the Sieur Antoine Godeau, such that [i.e. the one that] the said Sr.

Hoffbauer [acquired?] from the named Josine, free mulatress, with its buildings, fence and [such as it is comprised of today] (this last is a guess), the said residence ready for delivery the first of the month next March. All for price and sum of three hundred piastres, of which two hundred piastres in ten mother cows and their followers [i.e. calves] and oxen of three years at the [current price?], all goods and deliveries in the course of the month of June of the next year on the grounds of Monsieur Laurent Bailly.

Done and passed in our domicile of command in the presence of the Sieurs F. Brunet and Jean Quin[elty?] who with the said Sr. Hoff(b/p)auer** have signed with Us civil and military Commandant this same day and year [on the other hand?].

[illegible - if in English, might be an attempt to write "witnesses present"]

John Quin[gelty?] Hoffpauer

F. Brunet Luke Collins Junr.

** The interesting thing about this document is that Alexandre De Clouet first wrote Thomas's name as "Hoffbauer" as he had been doing on all the documents up to this point; then he overwrote the "b" with a "p". How do I know which letter was written first? Because, in the next document, 457, dated the very next day, which I have transcribed but not yet posted, De

Clouet spelled Thomas's name as "Hoffpauer" consistently. To me this feels like a moment frozen in time - Thomas, looking over De Clouet's shoulder, notices the misspelling of his name and corrects it...

The piece of land being sold to Luke Collins Jr. appears to be the same piece that Thomas bought from Josine as shown in Document 304 dated October 15, 1783 although the neighbors on both sides seem to have changed. Thomas paid the value of 200 piastres for it and sold it for the value of 300 piastres. Not bad.

A follow-up on Document 406, concerning the phrase "argent ou monnaie du Prince" - I asked a fluent French speaker what that meant, thinking the English equivalent might be "money or coin of the realm." I was told that is roughly correct, but more specifically, "argent" probably meant silver money and "monnaie du Prince" probably referred to the gold Louis (Louis d'or). This informant says that in south Louisiana, people may still use the term "piastres" but they mean dollars, and "arpents" but they mean acres - neither word retaining the original meanings of the 1700s.

Barbara Hill