230 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 73 
Kasihta, Tukabahehee, and Yuchi planned to come together in one 
big town, but the war put an end to the project. In late times the 
Coweta and Chiaha were such close friends that it is said "a man of 
one town would not whip a dog belonging to the other." This friend- 
ship also extended to the Osochi. 
The Coosa and Their Descendants 
In De Soto's time the most powerful Upper Creek town was Coosa. 
The first news of this seems to have been obtained in Patofa (or 
Tatofa), a province in southern Georgia, where the natives said 
"that toward the northwest there was a province called Coca, a 
plentiful country having very large towns." 1 
The expedition reached Coca after leaving Tali and Tasqui, and 
after passing through several villages which according to Elvas 
were "subject to the cacique of Coca." 2 On Friday, July 16, 1540, 
they entered the town. The chief of Coosa came out to meet them 
in a litter borne on the shoulders of his principal men, and with 
many attendants playing on flutes and singing. 3 " In the barbacoas," 
says Elvas, "was a great quantity of maize and beans; the country, 
thickly settled in numerous and large towns, with fields between, 
extending from one to another, was pleasant, and had a rich soil 
with fair river margins. In the woods were many ameixas [plums 
and persimmons], as well those of Spam as of the country; and wild 
grapes on vines growing up into the trees, near the streams; like- 
wise a kind that grew on low vines elsewhere, the berry being large 
and sweet, but, for want of hoeing and dressing, had large stones." 4 
After a slight difference with the natives, who naturally objected 
to having their chief virtually held captive by De Soto, the Spaniards 
secured the bearers and women they desired and started on again 
toward the south or southwest on Friday, August 20. 5 It would 
appear that the influence of the Coosa chief extended over a large 
number of the towns later called Upper Creeks, although this was 
probably due rather to ties of alliance and respect than to any 
actual overlordship on his part. At a town called Tallise, perhaps 
identical with the later Tulsa, this authority seems to have come 
to an end, and farther on were the Mobile quite beyond the sphere of 
his influence. 
In 1 559 a gigantic effort was made on the part of the Spaniards to 
colonize the region of our Gulf States. An expedition, led by Tristan 
de Luna, started from Mexico with that object in view. We have 
already mentioned the landing of this colony in Pensacola Harbor, or 
Mobile Bay, and their subsequent removal northward to a town called 
i Bourne, Narr. of De Soto, i, p. 60. * Ibid., i, p. 82. 
s Ibid., p. 81. * Ibid., n, p. 113. 
»Ibid., p. 81; II, pp. lti, 112. 
