340 BUKEAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 43 



Secondly, that tbey sliould abaudon their place of abode on their river, iu 

 order to come and establish themselves on the banks of the Mississippi, in a 

 place which should be designated to them, 1 league below the concession of 

 M. Paris, conditions which they accepted completely and which they have since 

 faithfully observed, since fifteen days later they descended with their families 

 and their canoes " loaded with their effects iu order to establish themselves 

 there. Before sending them back M. de Pailloux made them the presents which 

 M. de Bienville indicated should be made to them, with which they were very 

 well satisfied.'' 



Some discrepancies exist l)etween this account and what Dii Pratz 

 gives us. The latter arrived in Louisiana the same year and was 

 present at the peacemaking ceremonies (pL 4, r), which he represents 

 as having taken phice in the presence of Bienville himself, instead of 

 his lieutenant, M. de Pailloux. 



Before my arrival in Louisiana they had been at war with the nation of 

 Tchitimachas, because a man of this nation, having withdrawn into a place apart 

 on the banks of the river St. Louis, had assassinated M. de St. Come, missionary 

 of this colony. He was descending the river and had thought to be in security 

 in retiring into the cabin of this man during the night. M. de Bienville had 

 held the entire nation responsible for this murder, and in order to spare his 

 own people had had them attacked by many people allied to the French. Valor 

 is not the highest tpiality of the natives, and the Tchitimachas pride them- 

 selves on it less than the others. They had then the worst of it, and the loss 

 of their best warriors forced them to ask for peace. The governor having 

 granted it to them on condition that they would bring him the head of the 

 murderer, they satisfied this condition and came to present the peace calumet 

 to M. de Bienville, he having promised to receive it for the French. 



I learned of their arrival and the moment of the ceremony, which the com- 

 mandant-general had aunoimced. I repaired thither, because in such circum- 

 stances it is proper that he be accompanied by a little court. It is the usage 

 and does honor to the governor. My [Chitimacha] slave went with me in 

 order to see her parents. I was so much the more pleased at that, because 

 afterward I hoped she would explain to me the speech and the ceremonies of 

 this solemn embassy. All that being new to me, I desired to inform myself of 

 what I believed to merit the trouble. 



I was v.ith M. de Bienville when they arrived by the river in many pirogues. 

 They advanced singing the song of the calumet, which they waved in the wind 

 and in cadence to announce their embassage, which was one in fact, composed 

 of the word-bearer, as these peoples call him, or chancellor, and a dozen other 

 men. On these occasions they are dressed in all that is finest according to their 

 taste and never fail to have in hand a I'attle (chichicois) iu order to move that 

 also in cadence. 



There was not more than a hundred paces from the place where they disem- 

 l)arked to the cabin of M. de Bienville, yet this small piece of ground sufficed 

 to keep them on the way almost half an hour, always marching as the measure 

 and cadence governed them. They ceased this music only when they were in 

 front of the commandant. Then the chief of this troop, who was the word- 

 bearer, said to him: "Is it you, then, and I with you?" The governor simply 



" IMargry has hcstiaiix. " beasts," which, considering the nature of the country, would 

 be ridicuhjus. The oris'inal must have been bateaux. 

 'Penicaut iu Margry, D6couvertes, v, 554-557, 



