TH03IAS.1 THE HISTORICAL EVIDENCE. 653 



rivei at the commencement of the eighteenth century, says: "The 

 cabins of the Yasous, Oourois, Offagoiila, and Ouspie are dispersed 

 over the country upon mounds of earth made with their own hands, 

 from wliich it is inferred tliat these nations are very ancient aiid were 

 formerly very numerous, although at the present time they hardly num- 

 ber two hundred and fifty ])ersons.' 



This language would seem to imply that at this time there were 

 numerous mounds unoccupied, otherwise there could be no grounds for 

 the inference drawn by this author. 



Dumont'^ notes the fact that in one of the Natchez villages the house 

 of the chief was placed on a mound. 



La Petit remarks that " tlie temple of tlie Xatchez in shape resembles 

 an earthen oven 100 feet in circumference," and " to enable them better 

 to converse together they raise a mount of artificial soil on which they 

 build his [the chief's] cabin, which is of the same construction as the 

 temple, * * * and when the great chief dies they demolish his 

 cabin and then raise a new mound, on which they build the (;abin of 

 him who is to replace him in this dignity, for lie never lodges in that 

 of his predecessor." ' This will account in part for the seemingly large 

 number of mounds compared with the supposed Indian population. 



Le Page Du Pratz, who visited the Natchez nation in 1720, has given 

 the following notice of the mound on which their temple was placed: 



As I was an intimate friend of the sovereign of the Natchez he showed me their 

 temple, which is abont thirty feet square, and stands on an artiticial mount about 

 eight feet high, by the side of a small river. The mound slopes insensibly from th&, 

 main front, which is northwards, but on the other sides it is somewhat steeper.' 



He also states that the house of the Great Sun, " not less than thirty 

 feet on each face and about twenty feet high, is like that of the temple, 

 upon a mound of earth about eight feet high and sixty feet across." ^ The 

 size given here and elsewhere of the mounds should not be overlooked, 

 as they correspond closely with those now found in the same sections. 



He also mentions the following mode of defense, which may serve to 

 explain the origin of some of tlie isolated circular walls occasionally 

 met with : 



When a nation is too weak to defend itself in the field they endeavor to i)rotect 

 themselves by a fort. This fort is built circularly of two rows of large logs of wood, 

 the logs of the inner row being opi)osite the joining of the outer row. These logs 

 are about tifteen feet long, five feet of which are sunk in the ground. The outer 

 logs are about two feet thick and the inner about half as much. At every forty 

 paces along the wall a circular tower juts out, and at the entrance of the fort, which 

 is always next the river, the two ends of the wall pass each other and leave ■■> side 

 opening." " 



1 Historical Journ. in Hist. <'oll. La., in, p. 106. 

 2Menioin*a Historique de la Loui,siana, Tome n. ]k 109. 



5 Hist. Coll. La., ni. 141-2 (note) ; also i.etti-es Ediliantes et Curieuses, Touie I, p. 260-1. 

 * Hist, of La.,EuK. Tr.aus., new ed., 1774, p. 35:1; ed. of 1763, vol. n, p. 211. Original ed.. I7.i8, vol. 

 ni. p. 16. 



50|>. cit.. ed IT.'iK, v(d. II, p. 301. 

 'Ed. 1774. p. 375. 



