192 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 43 



as he was there in November when Father Gravier passed. This priest 

 left the Qnapaw November 1, 1700, and reached the Tunica vilhiges 

 on the 14th. There he encountered M. de St. Cosme, who had heard 

 that Davion was in extremis and had hastened to him from the 

 Natchez. Shortly afterward Gravier himself proceeded to the 

 Natchez towns, where he seems to have spent several days, not leav- 

 ing until the 24th. From his own observations and the things related 

 to him by St. Cosme and the young man whom Iberville had sent 

 to learn the language he composed a very valuable sketch of the 

 people, one of the earliest that has come down to us." In 1704 

 De la Vente visited the Natchez and recorded some important facts 

 regarding their condition at that time and their previous history.'' 



St. Cosme continued his missionary labors until his death, late in 

 170G,^ at the hands of a Chitimacha war party when on his way to 

 Mobile. 



According to Penicaut, part of the spring and summer of 1704 

 was passed by himself and other Frenchmen in the Natchez villages, 

 and we are indebted to it for one of our chief accounts of their man- 

 ners and customs.'* His chronology is usually wrong, but in this 

 instance he may be correct, for he places it just before the arrival of 

 the ship Le Pelican from France, which we knoAv happened July 24, 

 1704.^ At the same time it is surprising that while referring to the 

 mission of De Montigny he appears to be ignorant of that of St. 

 Cosme. Possibly St. Cosme was with the Taensa during the time of 

 Penicaut's stay. The Natchez occupied a position which formed a 

 convenient stopping place for parties ascending and descending the 

 Mississippi, their customs Avere striking, and their manners sufficiently 

 free and easy to suit the average voyageur^ so it is probable that they 

 had no lack of white visitors before a definite post and a regular 

 settlement were established near them. 



In 1713 f M. de Lamothe-Cadillac, governor for Crozat, Avho had 

 obtained a grant of Louisiana from the king, sent the MM. de la 

 Loire to the Natchez, with 12 men and 2 canoes, to establish a trading 

 post.J' 



They were, of course, moved principally by connnercial considera- 

 tions, but the steady advance of English traders into the Mississippi 

 valley no doubt acted as a powerful incentive from a political stand- 

 point. As early as 1700 some of these men were reported among the 

 Chickasaw and Quapaw,'' and in 1713, the year when the company 



"Shea, Early Voy. Miss., l."?6-142 ; Jes. Rel., lxv, 134-145. 



''Compto Rondu Tons. Internat. des Amer., 15th soss., 35-38. 



« La Ilarpo, .Four. Hist., 101, 1831. Penicaut says 1702-3; as u.tiial, an orror. 



'' Margry, D^couvcrfcs, v, 441-456. 



« Il)id., 456. 



I La Ilarpo, .Tour. Ilist., 84. 



Marsry, Decouvortcs, v, 506. 



* Sliea, Early Voy. Miss., 120-127. 



