by an Indian Chief. 205 
Great Water was low, many rovks still appeared in those 
parts. Finding it therefore impracticable to proceed much 
furt her, on account of the severity of the climate, and the 
want of game, I returned by the samneroute by which I had 
set out 5; and reducing my whole travels westward to days 
journeys, Icompute that they would have employed me 
thirty-six moons ; but on account of my frequent delays, it 
was five years before I returaed to my relations among 
the Fazous.” 
“The remarkable difference I observed betaycen the 
Natches, including in that name the nations whom they treat 
as brethren, and the other people of Louisiana, made me 
extremely desirous to know whence both of them might ori- 
ginally come. We had not then that fall information which 
we have since received from the voyages and discoveries of M: 
De Lisle in the eastern parts of the Russian empire. I there. 
fore applied myself one day to put the Keeper of the temple 
in good humour, and having succeeded in that without much 
difficulty, I then told him that from the litule resemblance I 
observed between the Natches and the neighbouring nations, 
I was inclined to believe that they were not originally from 
the same country, which they then inhabited 3 and that if 
the ancient speech taught him any thing on that subject, he 
would do me a great pleasure to inform me of it. At these 
words he leaned his head on his two hands, with which he 
covered his eyes, and having remained in that posture about 
a quarter of an hour, as if to recollect himself, he answered 
to the following effect. 
“* Before we came into this land we lived yonder under the 
sun, (pointing with his finger nearly south west, by which I 
understood he meant Mexico,) we lived in a fine country 
where the earth is always pleasant ; there our suns had their 
abode, and our nation maiatained itself for a long time agains, 
the ancients of the country, who conqucred some of our vil- 
lages in the plains, but never could force us from the moun. 
tains, 
