28 



MYTHS OF THE CHEROKEE 



[ETH. ANN. 19 



distaiipc in tlip Jiiouiitiiiiis iiuii'mst another h<)stil(> chief, whom he found 

 in a .strongly pali.-sadeil town, wiiich, after a hard tight, he and hi.s men 

 .stormed and burned, ivilling tifteen hundred Indian.^ without losing a 

 single man themselves. Under instructions from his superior officer, 

 tlie sergi'ant with his small party then proceeded to explore what la\' 

 beyond, and. taking a road which they were told led to the territory 

 of a great chief, after four days of hard marching they came to his 

 town, called Chiaha (Chicha. b_y mistake in the maiuiscript transla- 

 tion), the same where De Soto had rested. It is de,scribed at this time 

 as pali.saded and strongly fortified, with a deep river on each side, and 

 defended by over three thousand tighting men. there being no women 

 or cliildi-en among them. It is possible that in view of their former 

 expeiience with the Spaniards, the Indians had sent their families 

 away from the town, while at the .same time they may have sununoned 

 warriors from the neighboring Creek towns in order to be prepared 

 for any emergency. However, as before, they received the white 

 men with the greatest kindne.ss, and the Spaniards contiruied for 

 twelve (lays through the territories of the ,sametril)e until they arrived 

 at the principal town (Kusa^), where, ])y the invitation of the chief, 

 they l>uilt a small fort and awaited the coming of Pardo. who was 

 expected to follow with a larger force from Santa Elena, as he did in 

 the summer of l;")*!?. being met on his arrival with every show of 

 hos]iitality from the C'reek chiefs. This second fort was said to be one 

 hundred and forty leagues di.stantfrom that in the Saracomitry. which 

 latter was called one hundred and twenty leagues from Santa F^lena.' 



In the summer of 15fi7, according to previt)us agreement. Captain 

 Pardo left the fort at Santa Elena with a small detachment of troops, 

 and after a week's travel, sleeping each night at a different Indian 

 town, arrived at "Canos. which the Indians call Canosi, and by another 

 name. C'of eta^-que " (the Cotitachiqui of the De Soto chronicle), 

 which is described as situated in a favorable location for a large city, 

 fifty leagues from Santa Elena, to which the easiest road was ))y a 

 river (the Savannah) which flowed by the town, or by another which 

 they had pass(>(l ten leagues farthei' liack. Proceeding, they passed 

 Jagaya. Gueza. and Arauchi, and arrived at Otariyatiqui. or Otari, 

 in wliich we have perhaps the Cherokee (x'tdrl or d'fdli^ "mountain". 

 It may have lieen a frontier Chei'okee settlement, and. according to 

 the old chronicler, its chief and language ruled nuu'h good country. 

 From here a trail went northward to Guatari, Sauxpa, and Usi, i. e., 

 the Wateree, Waxhaw (or Sissipahaw i). and Fshery or Catawba. 



Lea\'ing Otariyati(jui, they went on to Quinaiuuiui. and then, turn- 

 ing to the left, to Issa, where they found mines of crystal (micaO- 

 They came next to Aguaquiri (the Guaquiii of the De Soto chronicle), 

 and then to Joara, "'near to the mountain, where Juan Pardo arrived 



1 Narrative of Pardo's expedition b.v Martinez, about 1568, Brooks manuscripts. 



