252 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 4:5 



force was assailed suddenly by 400 or 500 Indians led by ?>0 

 Eno^lishmen and utterly routed, D'Artaguette himself, the Jesuit 

 father, Senac, and 15 others being captured and burned alive.*^ In 

 1739-40 a second expedition, grander than anything the French had 

 yet attempted, was assembled on the Mississippi, but provisions run- 

 ning short, ignominiously dispersed. Celeron, however, an officer 

 who along with St, Laurent had brought a company of cadets 

 from Quebec and Montreal, marched against the Chickasaw Avith his 

 company, about 100 Frenchmen and 400 or 500 Indians, and w^as 

 greeted by them with an humble request for peace. Celeron accepted 

 their proposals and sent some of their chiefs after Bienville, whom 

 they overtook on his way to New Orleans. The latter made a treaty 

 with them on condition that they should deliver up the Natchez in 

 their possession and exterminate the rest, and in consequence of this 

 treaty they actually did deliver over a few Natchez to Celeron, who 

 passed them on to the Louisiana French.'' This peace was extorted 

 mainly by a fear that Celeron's force was simply the advance guard 

 of the enormous armament the Chickasaw had seen assembling 

 against them, and they shortly recommenced their depredations, 

 attacking the Point Coupee settlements and killing and plundering 

 French voyagers on their way up and down the Mississi])pi.'' In 

 the year following, Gayarre says the Chickasaw had become so hard 

 pressed by their French and Choctaw foes, that the Natchez, finding 

 themselves an incumbrance, passed over to the Cherokee." 



That they did not all leave at that time, however, is shown by 

 Adair, whose acquaintance with the Chickasaw began in 1744. He 

 says : 



The Muskobgeh cave, out of which one of their politicians persuaded them 

 [1. e., the Chicliasaw], their ancestors formerly ascended to their present terres- 

 trial abode, lies in the Nanne Hamgeh old town, inhabited by the INIississippi- 

 Nachee Indians, which is one of the most western parts of their old-inhabited 

 country. f^ 



Although it is uncertain where the Nanne Hamgeh old town was, 

 the general situation corresponds very well with that given on 

 Bowen's map of 17G4 in Schoolcraft, '^ where the " remainder of the 

 Natches " are placed, in the Chickasaw country on the east bank of 

 the Mississij^pi above the mouth of the xVrkansas. We may imagine 

 that these were the most implacable foes of the French, who elected 

 this position with the obvious advantage it gave of cutting off parties 

 of voyagers descending oi- ascending the river. Very likely they 

 were drawn from the foi-uier villages of the Apple, Jenzenaquo, and 

 the Gris. 



« Gayarr^, Hist, nouisiana, i, 485-488. •' Uiid., .519-.520. 



I* Ibid., .50r)-.510. 'Adniv, Hist. .\mor. Ind., 195. 



« Ibid.. 51G-517. f Schoolcraft, Ind. Tribes, v. facing 253. 



