68 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 73 
Wanniah, Elasie, Isaw, Cotachicach, some of these haue 4 or 5 Caswikaes more, or 
Less Truly to define the power of these Cassukaes I must say thus; it is noe more 
(scarce as much) as we owne to ye Topakin in England, or A grauer person then our 
selues; I finde noe tributaries among them, butt intermariages & pouerty causeth 
them to visitt one Another ; neuer quarrelling who is ye better man ; they are generally 
poore & Spanish; Affraid of ye very foot step of a Westoe; A sort of people y* Hue vp 
to the westward [which these say eat people and are great warriors]. 1 
Elsewhere in the same letter Mathews mentions an expedition 
inland in which "About 30 miles or more vpwards wee came Among 
the Cussoo Indians our friends; with whome I had been twice before." 
This was on Ashley Kiver. 
In September, 1671, a war broke out with the Coosa Indians. 
The occasion of this is given in the Council Journal under date of 
September 27 as follows : 
At a meeting of the Goverrour and Councill September 27th sitting and present 
(the same [as given above]). The Governour and Councill taking into their serious 
consideration the languishing condition that this Collony is brought into by reason 
of the great quantity of corne from time to time taken out of the plantations by the 
Kussoe and other Southward Indians and for as much as the said Indians will not 
comply with any faire entreaties to live peaceably and quietly but instead thereof 
upon every light occasion have and doe threaten the lives of all or any of our people 
whom they will sufore (?) to them and doe dayly persist and increase in their insolen- 
cyes soe as to disturb and invade some of our plantation in the night time but that 
the evill of their intentions have hitherto been prevented by diligent watchings. 
And for as much as the said Indians have given out that they intend for and with the 
Spaniards to cutt off the English people in this place &c Ordered ordeyned by the 
said Governuor &c Councill (nemine contra dicente) that an open Warr shall be 
forthwith prosecuted against the said Kussoe Indians and their co-adjutors & for the 
better effecting thereof that Commissions be granted to Capt. John Godfrey and Capt. 
Thomas Gray to prosecute the same effectually. And that Mr. Stephen Bull doe 
take into his custody two Kussoe Indians now in Towne and them to keepe with 
the best security he may till he receive firther orders from this Board. 2 
As, in a letter written to Lord Ashley by Joseph West on Sep- 
tember 3 preceding, the murder of an Indian by an Irish colonist is 
referred to, 3 probably the provocation was not all on one side. This 
war seems to have been pushed with exceeding vigor, since in the 
Council Journal for October 2 we read : 
Upon consideration had of the disposing of the Indian prisoners now brought in 
for their better security and maintenance. It is resolved and ordered by the Grand 
Councill that every Company which went out upon that expedition shall secure and 
maintaine the Indians they have taken till they can transport the said Indians, but 
if the remaining Kussoe Indians doe in the meanetime come in and make peace and 
desire the Indians now prisoners then the said Indians shall be sett at Liberty having 
first paid such a ransom as shall be thought reasonable by the Grand Council to be 
shared equally among the Company of men that tooke the Indians aforesaid. 4 
i S. Car. Hist. Soc. Colls., v, p. 334. The editor of the Shaftesbury Papers gives two other lists of these 
Cusabo tribes. The first is dated in 1695-6 and mentions "the natives of Sainte Helena, Causa, Wimbehe, 
Combehe, Edistoe, Stonoe, Kiaway,Itwan,Seewee,Santee,Cussoes." Causa does not appear again; Causa 
and Cussoe may refer to two sections of the Coosa. The second list is dated in 1707 and refers to "those 
called Cusabes, viz: Santees, Ittavans, Seawees, Stoanoes, Kiawaws, Kussoes, St. Helena &c. and Bohi- 
cotts." 
2 S. Car. Hist. Soc. Colls., v, pp. 341-242. 
3 Ibid., p. 338. 
* Ibid., v, pp. 344-345. Sec also Rivers, Hist. S. Car., pp. 105-106. 
