44 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 43 



try to reconcile their claiins here with those made to Du Pratz and 

 other writers. According to the former, they anciently extended 

 from east to west a distance of more than twelve days' journey, and 

 fifteen from north to south, and counted more than 500 Suns." From 

 this data Du Pratz sujoposes that they had occupied all of the coun- 

 try from the Manchac to the Ohio.'^ On this point Le Petit says: 

 " In former times the nation of the Natchez was very large. It 

 counted 60 villages and 800 Suns, or princes; now it is reduced to 

 G little villages and 11 Suns." « And La Harpe: "According to 

 their report they had formerly counted 1,900 Suns in their nation 

 and more than 200,000 persons." ^ 



While such statements have small historic value, there is no doubt 

 that the Natchez had formerly been a larger tribe than when the 

 French first met them. In view of the rapid decrease which thase 

 peoples are known to have suffered, it is not at all improbable that 

 Tonti's figure of 1,500 warriors in 168G ^ is correct, and that between 

 this date and 1698 they had lost one-third. An examination of the 

 later figures for this tribe leads the writer to suggest the following 

 estimates: 600 warriors and 2,100 people in 1730, 250 warriors and 

 825 people in 1734, 135 warriors and 470 people in 1800. At the 

 present time there remains only a small neighborhood and some 

 scattered individuals in the Cherokee Nation, among whom but four 

 speak the language. The figures for other tribes show a similar 

 tiiough not in all cases as striking a decline. 



The following may give a rough idea of their total population at 

 various periods: 



Taensa, 875 in 1690, 400 in 1730, 100 in 1764, 70 in 1805. Now 

 extinct. 



Avoyel, 280 in 1698, 140 in 1715, 2 or 3 in 1805. Now extinct. 



Quinipissa, practically destroyed in 1700. 



Bayogoula, 825 (with Quinipissa) in 1698, 350 in 1702, 140 in 1715. 

 Fused with Acolapissa and Houma by 1739. 



Acolapissa, 1,050 in 1698, 700 in 1722. Fused with Houma by 1739. 



Houma, 1,225 in 1698, 700 in 1700, 450 in 1718, 300 in 1739 (includ- 

 ing the remnants of the two preceding), 180 in 1758, 75 in 1784, 60 in 

 1804. (See p. 291.) 



Upper Yazoo tribes, 750 in 1698, 250 in 1722. United with Chicka- 

 saw by 1770. 



Washa, Chawasha, and Okelousa, 700 in 1698, 315 in 1715, 100 to 

 120 in 1739, 60 to 75 in 1758. Now extinct or united with Houma. 



Pascagoula, 455 in 1698, 260 in 1720, 150 in 1805, 111 in 1829. 

 Now extinct. 



« Du Pratz, Hist, de La Louisiane, ii, 338. ''La Ilarpe, Jour, fnst., 2!), 1831. 



* Uiid., 223. « Margry, D(5couvertes, in, 556. 



" Jes. Rel., Lxviii, 135. 



