﻿HISTORICAL 
  OUTLINE. 
  23 
  

  

  pirogue, 
  accompanied 
  by 
  seven 
  men, 
  to 
  ascertain 
  the 
  

   truth 
  of 
  the 
  report. 
  This 
  was 
  the 
  third 
  voyage 
  of 
  this 
  

   energetic 
  and 
  enterprising 
  man 
  down 
  the 
  Mississippi, 
  

   first 
  in 
  company 
  with 
  La 
  Salle, 
  when 
  he 
  explored 
  the 
  

   river 
  to 
  its 
  mouth, 
  and 
  again 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  meeting 
  

   his 
  old 
  associate 
  and 
  friend, 
  who, 
  he 
  was 
  apprised, 
  was 
  at- 
  

   . 
  tempting 
  to 
  enter 
  the 
  Mississippi 
  by 
  sea, 
  in 
  which 
  he 
  was 
  

   grievously 
  disappointed. 
  De 
  Tonti 
  had 
  distinguished 
  

   himself 
  in 
  the 
  European 
  wars, 
  and 
  had 
  lost 
  a 
  hand, 
  which 
  

   he 
  had 
  had 
  supplied 
  by 
  an 
  artificial 
  substitute 
  <5f 
  iron, 
  of 
  

   which 
  at 
  times 
  he 
  was 
  wont 
  to 
  make 
  a 
  formidable 
  use, 
  

   and 
  which 
  procured 
  for 
  him 
  the 
  sobriquet 
  of 
  the 
  " 
  Iron 
  

   Hand." 
  He 
  met 
  Iberville 
  and 
  Bienville 
  at 
  Bayou 
  Goula, 
  

   and 
  they 
  accompanied 
  him 
  on 
  his 
  return 
  up 
  the 
  river 
  as 
  

   far 
  as 
  Natchez. 
  There 
  they 
  met 
  with 
  St. 
  Come, 
  a 
  mis- 
  

   sionary 
  from 
  Canada, 
  who 
  had 
  fixed 
  his 
  residence 
  among 
  

   this 
  people. 
  

  

  The 
  Natchez, 
  greatly 
  advanced 
  beyond 
  the 
  other 
  

   Indian 
  tribes 
  in 
  civilization, 
  had 
  been 
  reduced 
  from 
  a 
  

   once 
  powerful 
  nation, 
  and 
  now 
  numbered 
  only 
  about 
  

   twelve 
  hundred 
  warriors. 
  The 
  Great 
  Sun, 
  as 
  their 
  

   king 
  was 
  termed, 
  welcomed 
  the 
  French 
  at 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  

   a 
  large 
  retinue, 
  borne 
  in 
  state 
  on 
  the 
  shoulders 
  of 
  some 
  

   of 
  his 
  attendants. 
  They 
  were 
  worshippers 
  of 
  the 
  sun, 
  

   and 
  maintained 
  a 
  perpetual 
  fire 
  in 
  their 
  temples. 
  

  

  One 
  of 
  these, 
  during 
  the 
  visit 
  of 
  the 
  French, 
  was 
  set 
  

   on 
  fire 
  by 
  lightning, 
  when 
  the 
  frenzied 
  and 
  superstitious 
  

   women, 
  at 
  the 
  call 
  of 
  the 
  vociferating 
  and 
  demoniac 
  

   priests, 
  cast 
  their 
  infant 
  children 
  into 
  the 
  flames 
  to 
  ap- 
  

   pease 
  their 
  irritated 
  divinity. 
  

  

  The 
  country 
  of 
  the 
  Natchez 
  greatly 
  interested 
  Iber- 
  

   ville, 
  who, 
  considering 
  it 
  the 
  most 
  eligible 
  position 
  for 
  

   the 
  principal 
  establishment 
  of 
  the 
  province, 
  selected 
  a 
  

   commanding 
  situation 
  on 
  the 
  river 
  for 
  a 
  town, 
  for 
  which 
  

  

  