26 [58] TRANS. ST. LOUIS ACAD. SCIENCE. 



EXPLANATORY AND CRITICAL REMARKS 



TCHIKILLrS KASI'HTA LEGEND. 



TcHiKiLLi, the head of the Maskoki confederacy, styled here 

 and elsewhere " Emperor of the Upper and Lower Creeks," is 

 but little known. A letter written or signed by him in March 

 1734, announcing his safe arrival in Savannah (cf. i. p. 336), has 

 been preserved ; also numerous letters of English oflicers, in 

 which he figures prominently.* In the sentences following the 

 legend he states that he originates from the oldest touun^ and was 

 elected to the head-chieftaincy after "Emperor" Bream's death ; it 

 is therefore highly probable that Kasi'hta town was his home. 

 Although he represented all the other tribes of the Upper and 

 Lower Creeks just as well as his own, he chose to relate to the 

 colonists the legendary history of his town, in preference to the 

 legends referring to other Creek towns. 



The name-list of the chiefs standing at the head of the legend 

 contains but Lower Creeks, Tchikilli, as the head-chief, being the 

 only representative of the Upper Towns. It is possible, however, 

 that the ''thirty other warriors " included Upper Creeks. The 

 names are written so carelessly that doubts arise about the real 

 pronunciation of some among them, as Eliche, Euchitaws, Eufan- 

 tees. "Euchitaws" is meant for the Hitchiti, not for the Yuchi 

 tribe, which in i735 had but a few representatives on and around 

 Chatahuchi river. The " Eufantees " are misspelt for Yufalis, 

 Yufala being an important community on the Lower Chatahuchi. 

 Many of the chiefs are mentioned by their war-titles, not by their 

 real names, e.g. the dog king of the Euchitaws ; but they came 

 to Savannah in a civil capacity, and the majority of the chiefs 

 and headmen, whose names are given, were the civil and not the 

 military heads of their respective towns. 



* D. G. Biinton, the Chahta- Musk. Legend, p. j. 



