314 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 43 



row neck of huul, which, from the circumstance of a cross having 

 been erected there by Il)erville (see p. 287), was called "the portage 

 of the cross." In time the river cnt partly through this, sending a 

 narrow, rapid stream directly across, and this was the condition of 

 affairs in Poisson's time. At the lower end was a landing and vil- 

 lage called " the little Tonicas," and at the upper end the landing and 

 village of "' the great Tonicas." " Subsequently this neck was cut 

 entirely through and the old channel abandoned by the river. 



In 1729 the great Natchez war broke out, and, as usual, this tribe 

 stood firmly by the French, furnishing them with their first base of 

 operations against the enemy. The Tunica, headed by their chief, 

 also accompanied both expeditions and assisted immensely as scouts 

 and in following up the retreating foe. In this w^ay they drew upon 

 themselves the j^eculiar wrath of the implacable Natchez, who finally 

 formed a plot for their destruction, wdiich well-nigh succeeded. The 

 account of this affair, as told by Charlevoix, has been given in re- 

 counting the history of the Natchez,'' and this is probably the most 

 correct, although it was for Perrier's interest to underrate the dam- 

 age done by the enemy, and other French Avriters speak of it as a 

 disaster which almost destroyed the Tunica nation. There can be 

 no doubt that this was a severe blow, one of the most severe the 

 little tribe had ever sustained, especially that in it they lost their 

 farsighted, if selfish and mercenary, great chief, Cahura-Joligo, the 

 most consistent Indian friend the French in America ever had. 



From now on the Tunica, along with the other tribes of Louisiana, 

 sink into insignificance and play little or no part in the history of the 

 country. We only learn from the accounts of travelers that they 

 continued to live near the same place, although at one time somewhat 

 nearer Pointe Coupee. 



In 1730 an officer under M. de Nouaille states that they were then 

 the first nation of any considerable size "which is found in stemming 

 the river, being capable of furnishing from DO to 100 warriors. They 

 have been at all times," he adds, " much attached to the French, 

 although they had been compelled four months before to send us 

 the heads of their two principal chiefs, Avho had been accomplices 

 in the assassination of two of our travelers. We observed that this 

 nation had much degenerated in the qualities which they had orig- 

 inally possessed for war."*^ 



In 1758 De Kerlerec states that their village was 7 leagues above 

 the fort at Pointe Coupee, and contained 60 warriore.'^ On March 22, 

 1764, in company with the Ofo. Avoyel, and some Choctaw, to the 



" Jes. Rel., Lxvii, .'?09. 



" See pp. 249-1250. 



'■ Claiborne, Hist. Miss., 67. 



<* Compte Rendu Cong. Intermit, ties Amer., l.Ttli s( ss., I, 74-75. 



