290 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 43 



Orleans, as stated by La Harpe, but a few years later moved to the 

 southern part of what is now Ascension parish. A small village 

 called the Little Houmas was on the Mississippi, 2 leagues below the 

 head of Bayou La Fburche, while the Great Houma village was half a 

 league inland from this point.'' 



La Harpe, who stopped at the town in 1718 on his way to Red river, 

 says of this village : " It is situated in a level country ; the houses or 

 cabins surround a large open space; they number 60, which may 

 contain 200 men. This nation busies itself in raising hens and in the 

 culture of maize and beans." ^ 



Charlevoix mentions the place in 1721, but made no stay there.'' 

 Poisson, who stopped a day in 1727 on his way up the Mississippi, 

 calls it a French settlement and makes no mention of the Indians.^ 



For their condition in 1739 see pages 278-279. 



De Kerlerec, in 1758, says of this tribe : 



The Houmas were foimerly very numerous, but they are, like the Tonikas, 

 very much reduced on account of the amount of liquor that has been sold to 

 them. This nation is also still able to furnish about 60 men able to bear arms. 

 It is very lazy and debased by drink. As it is only 22 leagues from New 

 Orleans and 23 from Point Coupee, it serves as an advance post and barrier 

 against the incursions which enemies might wish and be able to make upon our 

 establishments ; in consequence of this they are treated with much considera- 

 tion. It performs some knavish tricks on us from time to time, but it is easy 

 to reduce when we demand satisfaction.'^ 



It appears from all the records extant that the Hoinna continued 

 to live here at least until 1776. In that year we learn from a volume 

 of Laws of the United States Relating to Public Lands, published in 

 1828, that Alexander La-til_and MaLiirice Conway, evidently French 

 Creoles, purchased 96 arpents of land from the Houma Indians " in 

 the district of the parish of the Ascension, or La Fourche, on the left 

 bank of the Mississippi, about 22 leagues above the said capital (New 

 Orleans)." This is plainly the site they had occupied immediately 

 after leaving the mouth of Red river, and although it is not actually 

 said that they were living at the place when the land was sold, such 

 is a fair inference; otherwise the title Avoidd not have been good, 

 according to Spanish law. The chief of the Houma at that time was 

 named Calabe. Before this time, as already noted, their numbers had 

 been swelled by the remnants of the Bayogoula and Acolapissa. If 

 the date of the above sale of land is reliable, however, it would seem 

 either that all of the land was not sold or that they continued to live 

 on the ground for some time longer, for Hutchins, in 1784, locates 



"Charlevoix in French, Hist. Coll. La., 17r,, 1851. 



f" Margrj', Decouvertes, vi, 244-245. 



"Jes. Rol., Lxvii, 296-297. 



<* Pe Kerlerec in Compte Rendu Cong. Intoruat. des Amer., 15th soss., I, 75. 



