Does Attakapas's 1766 count of 409 people come from a real Spanish census?

Research question: Does the April 25, 1766 date and 409-inhabitant total for the Attakapas region in the St. Martinville article trace to an archival citation of an original Spanish census manuscript, and do other 1766 Louisiana post returns use the same counting method?

The records show that the St. Martinville article gives April 25, 1766 and 409 inhabitants for Attakapas but offers no archival citation for an original Spanish census manuscript ¹. A different source reports the Attakapas figure as 50 households with 137 individuals, which does not match the 409 total ³. The facts do not show whether other 1766 Louisiana post returns used the same counting method. The newest dated fact is from 1767, and none of the facts give publication dates for the sources, so their currency as of October 2026 cannot be assessed.

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