216 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 43 



I rejoined the command, and, expecting to be reprimanded for having driven 

 them without orders, I had my defense all ready, but I was deceived. They 

 gave me nothing but praise. I would not have reported this fact had not 

 M. de Bienville noted it more at length in the relation of this war which he 

 sent to the court, and which w'as placed in the Journal. 



This war, of which I will give no more details, lasted four days in that place. 

 M. de Bienville demanded the head of an old, unruly chief of this village, and 

 the natives gave it up to him in order to have peace." 



M. Barnaval, who had commanded at Fort Eosalie during this 

 period, was succeeded by the Sieur de Liette, formerly director of 

 Wliite Earth, and he in turn by the Sieur Brontin. The Sieur Bron- 

 tin being also director of White Earth found it convenient, on account 

 of the number of workmen and negroes to oversee at the latter place, 

 to reside there, leaving the fort in charge of the historian Dumont.^ 

 From this time a. deep tranquillity reigned in the district, broken only 

 by a slight disturbance happily put an end to without bloodshed. 



Dumont describes it as follows: 



There were at White Earth all kinds of beasts — oxen, cows, bulls, horses, etc. — 

 which went every day to graze in the plain. But it happened one day that a 

 savage gave a mare of this settlement a blow on the flank with an iris-shaped 

 war club on the near side, and not satisfied with having wounded it cut off 

 its tail, which among these savages is regarded as great an act of bravery and 

 courage as if they hud taken a scalp, and in consequence as a declaration of war. 

 Happily the mare was found in this state, and it was brought to the concession 

 and put into the hands of a farrier, who cured it. 



The Sieur Brontin wished to know the reason for this hostile act, and being 

 very desirous to penetrate at the same time the intention of the savage, who 

 perhaps had attacked the mare only because he did not dare to attack the 

 French, he sent woi'd to the Tattooed- serpent to come to speak with him. The 

 latter presented himself before him immediately; and the commandant having 

 asked him if he or his people were the ones who were going to live on good 

 terms with the French, the great chief wanted to know why he asked this 

 question. The Sieur Brontin explained, and even let him see the wounded 

 mare, but the Tattooed-serpent protested to him that this blow did not come 

 from any of the people of his nation, and wished, indeed, to impute it to the 

 little nation of Tioux, which lived about 2 leagues west of the grand village 

 and 1 league to the soutli of Fort Rosalie. At this reply the Sieur Brontin 

 immediately dispatched a messenger to one named Bamboche, who was regarde<l 

 as chief of the Tioux, with orders to come to speak with him. He presented 

 himself, and the commandant having made linown what liad passed, and what 

 the great chief of the Natchez had said of his village, this i)erson, who at heart 

 was a rascal, firmly maintained that the action could not have been performed 

 by any savage of his village, because there was not one who had an iris-shaped 

 war club, and that it came without doubt ft-om the Tattooed-serpent's own 

 people, since they had many of these arms in their five villages. The great chief 

 of the Natchez, stung by this reply, rose quickly and went out, saying : " I see 

 what is to be done; I am going to give the order for it." At the same time he 

 returned to his village, where he assembled his Honored men. 



n Du Pratz, Illst. de La Loulsiane, i, 197-200. 



* Dumoat, M6m. Hist, sur La Louislane, ii, 117-118. 



