swANTONi INDIAN 'ri;iHi:s oi" ■iiii'', i.owf.i: mississiimm \'ai,i.kv 45 



Biloxi. 120 (with Moctol)! M in H'-'-'s. 1 ?:> in IT'JO, lOr. in Iso:,, cr. in 

 18-21), perhaps (> to 8 in llMKs. 



Mobile and Tohoine, 1.22r» in 1<)1IS. 210 in IT-^S. Now pidhiiMy 

 fused with Choelaw. 



Chatot, 300 in 1720, 140 in 1T:)8, 100 in ISOn. Now extin.t. Morse's 

 fiirure, 240 in 1822, innsl lie iirossly exa«j<j:eraled. 



Tunica, 1,575 in l()i)8, 1,000 in 1702, 4(*)0 in 1722, 180 in 1758, CO in 

 1803, 50 mixed bloods in 1908, including: all (lie scattered renniants. 



Yazoo and Koroa, (;12 in K'.its. 175 in 1722, 150 in 1731. \\y 1710 

 fnsetl with (Miickasaw and ("lioctaw. 



Ofo, 203 in 1()98, 50 in 1722, 45 in 1758, 42 in 1784, 1 in 1908. 



Chitimacha, 2,025 in 1(U)8, 700 in 1758, 350 in 1784, 50 in 1908. 



Opelousa, 390 in 1715, 120 in 1805, 20 in 1814. Now extinct. 



Atakapa, 3,500, with allies, in 1()98, 1,750 of whom were in 

 Louisiana in 1098, 175 in Louisiana in 1805, 9 J^ouisiana Atakajia in 

 1908. The other tribes extinct. 



These figures must be understood to be simply approximations, and 

 far from close ones at that. It is believed that they correctly repre 

 sent the relative strength of the various tribes, however, and they tell 

 clearly enough the one story of decline and ultimate extinction. 

 Aside from the Tlouma, who at the present time are almost a new 

 race, and those bands incorporated into the Choctaw or Chickasaw, 

 the Indian tribes of the region we are discussing are represented at 

 the present day by not more than 200 mixed bloods, rapidly verging 

 to extinction in the surrounding population. Of these, probably not 

 a quarter are able to u>e the ancient languages of their people. 



THE NATCHEZ GROUP 



The Natchez 



geographical position 



The Natchez villages were scattered along St. Catherines creek, 

 cast of the jM-esent city of Natchez, at short intervals. According to 

 Tonti, it was 3 leagues from the French cam]) on the Mississippi to 

 the Natchez village whither La Salle had been invited." This would 

 probably be the Great village, which, according to later writers, was 

 not more than a league from the river, but La Salle's camp, instead of 

 being at the nearest point on the river, was jpi'obably below, near the 

 mouth of St. Catherines creek. Iberville was told that the Natchez 

 or " Theloel " occupied nine villages, whose names were given 

 him,* and, so far as the number is concerned, this statement is con- 

 firmed by Penicaut.^ while De Montigny says " ten oi- twelve."'' 



" Margry, Decouvertes, ij 603. 



*Ibid., IV, 179. 



" Ibid.. V, 44."). 



<* Compte Rendu Cong. Internal, des Am6r., 15th sess., i, 36. 



