SWANTON] TNDTAN TIUHKS OF TITK 1>()\VF,|{ MTSSISSI I'lM VAI.LKV 203 



they would coiuiiut tlu'iiisi'lvcs in .siith a nianiuT as no more to niorit our 

 reproaches; that they couiuieiuled the Sun. their (Jod. for haviuK inspired them 

 to eu};af,'e their war eliiefs. nuinU'rers of the Freneli, to eoine witli tlieni in 

 order to deliver llienis«'lves 1(. us; tliat witliout tliat it would liave been im- 

 possible for them to j;ive us satisfaction on account of the ^rreat authority 

 which these mifortunates had obtained over their nation; and tliat it was Just 

 that we should put them to death with the two others. They then rcix-alcd 

 all the articles and all the conditions to which they hound themselves, promised 

 to execute them faithfully, and to do even more. 



After these siteeclu-s were ended these chiefs asked M. de liienville if he 

 was willing to permit them to present their peace calumets to him to smoke, 

 but he told them that it was not yet time, that he wished first that they should 

 go to their villages, as.semble all their warriors there, and e.\i>lain to them the 

 conditions under which he accorded them peace, and that he would send an 

 olhcer and two soldiers with tliem to be witnesses of it. 



The ft)ur criminals, seeing themselves alone in tliis prison, suspected that we 

 were informed of what they hatl done and redoubled their cries and their death 

 songs. The Tattooed-serpent, fearing that those of his people who were about 

 to part for their village, would report that they wished to have these great 

 warriors die. and that that would occasion an uproar in the nation on account 

 of the great esteem which they had for them, prayed M. de Bienville only to let 

 the report be spread that tliey would be sent to the governor in the lower jtart 

 of the colony, who would decide their fate, and himself went to find them in 

 prison to assure them tliat tliey would not die and that they must be calm. 



June 3 the Sieur de Pailloux, adjutant, was commanded with 2 soldiers to 

 go to the village of the Natchez with all the chiefs and the others except the 

 Tattooed-serpent and his brother, whom M. de Bienville wished to keep as hos- 

 tages. He gave orders to M. de Pailloux in case this nation accepted the treaty 

 of peace to remain in the great village with a soldier and send back the other 

 with the chiefs, who must return to render an account of their mission. He also 

 recommended to M. de Pailloux to examine the most suitable place to locate 

 our fort, near the river, and to inform him of it. 



June 7 the pirogue which had been to the Natchez returned with nine old 

 men of this nation and the soldier, by whom the Sieur de Pailloux wrote that 

 he had seen the entire nation assembled ; that it had shown great joy at what 

 their chiefs had agreed with us ; and that all these Indians were very much 

 disposed to execute all that had been demanded of them. The said M. de 

 Pailloux also informed him that he had found near the river a hill situated very 

 advantageously for the construction of our fort. The same day M. de Bienville 

 received the calumets which were presented to him by these nine venerable old 

 men with many ceremonies. They were then made to smoke in ours. The next 

 day, the 8th of June, M. de Bienville sent the nine old men home. He also per- 

 mitted the chief Little Sun to part, but he kept near him the TattootKl-ser- 

 pent, and sent at the same time in a pirogue 4 soldiers to carry to the Sieur de 

 Pailloux axes, spades, pickaxes, nails, and other iron things necessary for the 

 construction of the fort. 



The 0th they had the soldiers lireak the heads of the two warriors." 



The 11th M. de Richebourg, caiitain, who was sick, parted with :> soldiers 

 to return to Mobile. 



The 12th M. de Bienville, who had retained the Canadian voi/agcurs for some 

 time, permitted them to go on their business to the lower part of the colony, 

 made them carry along the two war chiefs, and gave orders to them to break 

 their heads when they wei-e 10 to 12 leagues off. As they were conducting 



' P^nicaut says that the four were killed together immediately after their guilt had 

 been discovered and before terms of peace had l)een agreed upon. 



