294 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 43 



confusion in the manuscript, since members of that tribe were more 

 likely to be encountered on the eastern side, their home being near 

 the junction of the Yazoo and Yalobusha. In 1699 De Montigny 

 states that the Tabougas [Taposas] and Taxoumans [Chakchiumas] 

 numbered " only 70 cabins." ° In 1700 Iberville relates that English 

 traders had induced the Quapaw to make an expedition against this 

 tribe in order to obtain slaves from them, but that the Quapaw were 

 beaten off.^ In 1702 Iberville wrote Father Davion, missionary to 

 the Tunica, of the peace he had made with the Choctaw and Chick- 

 asaw, and told him to inform the Chakchiuma, who had retired into 

 the Tunica country, that they might return to their own village.^ 

 Later De Richebourg quotes Bienville as reminding the Natchez 

 chiefs " that in 1704 the Chacchoumas murdered a missionary and 

 three other Frenchmen ; that on their refusal to deliver the mur- 

 derers to us all our allied nations had been let loose upon them, who 

 made war upon them in such a manner that from 400 families which 

 the}' had formerly numbered they were reduced in less than two years 

 to 80." '^ The authority for this event appears to be excellent, yet it is 

 strange that it is referred to by neither La Harpe nor Penicaut. In 

 the course of the same speech Bienville recalls that in 1715 the Chak- 

 chiuma had had satisfaction from the Choctaw for killing one of their 

 men.^ Du Pratz, Avhose information applies to the period between 

 1718 and 1730, gives the number of cabins in this tribe at '* not more 

 than 50." f In 1722 La Harpe states that the total population was 

 150.^ Later the same year he says that the Chakchiuma chiefs had 

 sent two of their people to inform the commandant of the Yazoo 

 fort that i\ye parties of Chickasaw had set out to make war on the 

 Yazoo, Koroa, and Ofo.'' Penicaut mentions them among the tribes 

 that sent representatives to the commissary, Hubert, about the same 

 time, when he arrived at Natchez to sing the calumet.' On the out- 

 break of hostilities with the Natchez this tribe appears to have allied 

 itself with the French, for Le Petit relates that some Choctaw and a 

 band of Indians belonging to this tribe set upon the Koroa and Yazoo, 

 took 18 scalps and delivered some French women and their children. 

 In 1739 the " Grand Chocchocima," presumably the head chief of 

 this tribe, was leader of those Indians friendly to the French in the 

 attack designed by them upon the Chickasaw.-' It was probably on 



" Compte Rendu Cong. Internat. des Amer., 15th sess., i, 36. 



*Margry, Decouvertes, iv, 430, 1880. 



■^ Ibid., 520. 



" French, Hist. Coll. La., 245, 1851. 



« Ibid., 246. 



f Du Pratz, Hist, de La Louisiane, ii, 226, 1758. 



B La Harpe, Jour. Hist., 311, 1831. 



''Ibid., 331, 1831. 



* Margry, Decouvertes, v, 575. 



i Claiborne, Hist. Miss., 64-85. 



