SWANTON] INDIAN TRIBES OF THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY 287 



crown. The chiefs are no more masters of their people than are the 

 chiefs of the other nations in the direction of Canada. I have only 

 noticed among them more civility." " 



Another narrative of this visit is given in the journal of the frigate 

 Le Marin. It is practically the same as Iberville's narrative, but 

 contains a few interesting details not found there. Thus, when the 

 French had given presents to these i^eople, it states that " they raised 

 themselves to thank him, crying three times, ' IIou! hoii! hou! ' and 

 extending the arms, which they never omit when thej^ give presents 

 back and forth. The chief distributed the presents, thanking him at 

 the same time." The visitors were led into the temple on account of 

 the rain, placed on mats, made to smoke, and then given corn and 

 pumpkins. When they returned to their boats the savages followed, 

 and '' the chiefs, each holding a wooden cross in his hand, made a 

 circuit processionally of tJie cross which we had planted, throwing 

 tobacco upon and around it, and singing after their manner. Then 

 they presented the calumet to our messieurs; one of the principal men 

 harangued M. dTberville for an hour, when everyone appeared very 

 attentive, although we did not know what he was sajnng. All the 

 young people danced by the light of a torch, which illuminated them 

 until midnight, to the noise of two pieces of wood which they struck 

 against each other." The next day the Bayogoula chief spoke in his 

 turn, addressing both the Houma chief and Iberville, after which 

 they sang around the cross and threw tobacco upon it from time to 

 time " as if they wished to offer incense to it." The 23d, when Iber- 

 ville was on his return, the chief of the Houma and two of his prin- 

 cipal men came with a little wooden cross and sang about the great 

 cross for the third time, after which provisions were brought and 

 axes, knives, mirrors, etc., given in exchange. "This village," the 

 narrative goes on to say, " is composed of from six to seven hundred 

 persons, who are much more civilized and honest than the first (i. e., 

 than the Bayogoula). M. de Tonti passed there when he descended 

 in order to find M. de la Salle, in the month of April, of the year 

 1686. They put their dead on posts, like those of the other (i. e., the 

 Bayogoula) village, and when anyone falls ill there are two men who 

 sing to chase away the evil spirits." ^ Later the same year De Mon- 

 tigny and Davion stopped here and, learning of the French settle- 

 ment of Biloxi, proceeded thither, after which they returned to their 

 missions. De Montigny estimates the number of their cabins at 



March 4, 1700, Iberville again reached the Houma landing place, 

 and found that half of the tribe had been destroyed by what he calls 



« Iberville in Margry, Decouvertes, iv, 174-184. 



*" Margry, Decouvertes, iv, 265-271. 



« Compte Rendu Cong. Internat. des Am6r., 15th sess., i, 36. 



