204 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 43 



away these two unfortunates to embark them, one of them, The Bearded, ceased 

 for a moment sinijing his death song and sang that of war. He related his 

 great deeds against different nations and the number of scalps he had carried 

 away. He named the five Frenchmen wliom he had caused to die, and said that 

 he died with regret at uot having killed more. The Tattooed-serpent, who was 

 then the only one of his nation among us, listened attentively and said to 

 M. de Bienville, " He is my brother, but I do not regret liim. You are ridding 

 us of a bad man." 



As the Mississippi did not lower and the water was always H or (! inches over 

 the surface of the earth, whicli continued to give us much sickness, M. de Bien- 

 ville made the sick and the convalescent pass to the village of the Tonikas, who 

 are ou very high ground. These savages took great care to furnish them fresh 

 bison and deer meat. 



June 14 there arrived among the Tonika 8 Natchitoches in a pirogue loaded 

 with salt, which these came to sell. By these savages M. de Bienville had news 

 of the march of the Spaniards from Mexico to come and establish themselves 

 en Red river, to the number of 500 men on horseback, with 250 pack mules. 

 In order to prevent them, he at once sent out soldiers- and a sergeant to take 

 possession of the upper part of this river before them.« 



July 1 M. de Bailloux wrote M. de Bienville that three-quarters of the piles 

 for our fort were brought to the place; that there were savages at work making 

 trenches, and that there would be need of skillful soldiers to show the savages 

 how to plant the piles straight and of equal height. The next day, the 2d of 

 the said month, 6 soldiers and all the necessary tools were sent. 



The 22d M, de Bienville, having learned that his fort was almost finished, 

 ordered a chief of the Tonikas to furnish him 30 of his peoi)le to aid him hi 

 ascending the river, which was very rapid. There remained to us only (i well 

 soldiers. 



The 2(;th we arrived at Natchez. The Tattooed-serpent, whom we had with 

 us, made 150 of his peo]»le come, and they carried our things to the fort tlie 

 same day. 



The next day we put the few soldiers that were well at work on the fort, and 

 continued until the 2d of August, when it was entirely closed. The Natchez 

 furnished us all the bark that had been demanded of them, and they were 

 employed to cover a magazine, a powder magazine, a guardhouse, and barracks. 

 All was finished the 3d of August. 



The 25th .30 men of the Yazous and Oft'agoulas came to sing the calumet song 

 to M. de Bienville, who received them very well. The same day the Natchez 

 came, to tlie number of 500 to GOO men, without arms, and about 300 women, to 

 give a public dance before our fort. The chiefs went inside, made M. de Bien- 

 ville smoke, and told him that all these people were come to dance at liis gate 

 In order to show him their joy at having Frenchmen established among them. 



The 2Sth of August M. de Bienville, seeing that things wei'e entirely tranquil 

 in his garrison and that he had nothing to fear on the part of the savages, gave 

 the Sieur de Paillonx orders and instructions about what he was to do and 

 determined to descend to Mobile to render an account to M. liamothe-Cadillac. 

 The 4th of October he arrived at Mobile, where he was given a packet from the 

 council of marine, in which was a royal order for him as conunander in chief in 

 the colony, in the absence of M. d'Epinay, named to this Government in place 

 of the Sieur de Lamothe-Cadiilac, to whom it was not at all disagreeable for 

 him 1(1 render an account. 



Thus ended the first war with the Natchez.* 



« According to La Ilarpe, .Tour. Illst., l.S0-1.'?1, this was not executed until .Tnnuai-y. 171' 

 "French, Hist. Coll. La., 241-252, 18.'51. 



