The first European flag to fly over Texas, albeit briefly, was France’s. René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, planted it in 1685. His venture ended badly — his body was likely fed to the fish of the muddy Trinity River. Later, in 1818, a group of Napoleon’s refugees attempted to establish Champ d’Asile near its mouth. Their presence unsettled the Spanish, though the Karankawa viewed the newcomers rather differently — as a potential food source. Two reportedly became dinner. The colony disappeared within eight months.