224 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 43 



All accounts which mention the use of sticks agree in stating that 

 in some manner one or two of those in the Natchez bundle were 

 destroyed, besides the ones abstracted according to agreement, but 

 they differ in the cause they assign to this. Dumont states that they 

 were destroyed by a little boy of the nobility who had followed the 

 great chief of the Natchez into the temple where the bundle had 

 been deposited, and, seeing him withdraw a stick and throw it into 

 the fire, imitated him by treating two others in the same manner. 

 Du Pratz was told by Tattooed-arm, mother of the great chief, that 

 she had extorted the secret regarding this plot from her son, and 

 being unable to convince the French commandant of its existence, had 

 destroyed several sticks in order to advance the day agreed upon so 

 that the Frenchmen in other' posts would be sjiared. The account 

 obtained by Colonel Hutchins," hoAvever, attributes this action to 

 " Stel-o-na, the beautiful daughter of White Apple,'" who was the mis- 

 tress of " Sieur de Mace." The two latter accounts may be reconciled 

 by the fact that Tattooed-arm had particularly informed M. de Masse, 

 the same as the man referred to by Hutchins, who was a second lieu- 

 tenant of the garrison, and these probably contain the truth of the 

 matter. Charlevoix, who says nothing of the employment of sticks, 

 admits, nevertheless, that the outbreak occurred in advance of the 

 time set, but attributes this to the arrival of several batteaux well 

 stocked with goods for several settlers and the Natchez and Yazoo 

 garrisons, and the arrival of the MM. Kolly, father and son, to 

 visit their concession of St. Catherine, as well as several other per- 

 sons of distinction.^ This, however, can hardly be urged as a suffi- 

 cient reason, because, in the first place, the batteaux would probably 

 be detained several days; and, secondly, it would have been fully as 

 easy to attack and capture them higher up at the little gulf, as had 

 been done on a previous occasion. In fact, Du Pratz states, instead, 

 that the day was postponed in order to allow the batteaux to reach 

 Natchez.^" 



Through the efforts of Tattooed-arm and others the French com- 

 mandant was repeatedly warned of the impending attack, but, like 

 all little men in high positions, he obstinately refused to believe any- 

 thing contrary to his wishes and preconceptions, and rewarded those 

 Avho brought him word by putting them in irons. The very evening 

 before the outbreak he proceeded to the Grand village, accompanied 

 by the Sieur Bailly, judge and commissary of the post, and the Sieur 

 Ricard, the storekeeper, to view the site of his intended habitation 



"■ In Clfiiborne's Hist. Miss., op. cit. 



* Slioa's Cliarlovoix, IHst. I,ouisian<a, vi, 81. Later on ho attributes it to tlie arrival of 

 English KOOfls among the Choctaw (ibid.. 91). 



« Du Pratz, Hist, de La Louisiane, in, 253-254. 



