SwANTONj INDIANS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNTITED STATES 23 



the exceptions indicated, and with the exception of a legend I obtained 

 from an old Alabama woman in 1910, which evidently has incorporated 

 European elements since it tells of a voyage across the Atlantic Ocean 

 with a stop at islands on the way (Swanton, 1922, pp. 172-173, 191-192 ; 

 1928, pp. 33-75). In a moment we shall see that migration legends 

 pointing to the west are supported by other data indicative of such a 

 general movement. Circumstantial evidence regarding a similar 

 origin exists also for the Timucua, though no legends whatever have 

 been preserved from them. The migration legends of the Natchez 

 have already been touched upon, but it is only fair to add that Du 

 Pratz heard they had reached "Mexico" after traveling for a long 

 time from an earlier home in the east. Kemembering that they were 

 pronounced sun worshipers, we may suspect that this is a mythologi- 

 cal amplification. There is evidence that they had formerly extended 

 higher up the Mississippi though hardly to the Wabash as they are 

 said to have claimed (Swanton, 1911, pp. 182-186). Tradition would 

 make the Avoyel a late offshoot of the Natchez (Swanton, 1911, p. 24). 



Not a fragment of tradition has been preserved bearing on the past 

 history of the Tunica or their allies except one which does not cover 

 any time back of the historic period. 



The Chitimacha held that their supreme being chose Natchez as 

 their first place of abode, and the flood story of the Atakaf a preserves 

 a belief that the survivors of that catastrophe, their ancestors, landed 

 upon the mountains of northwest Texas beyond San Antonio (Swanton, 

 1911, pp. 348, 363). However, this last may not have any special sig- 

 nificance inasmuch as the story called for mountains and those were 

 the nearest ones of which they had any knowledge. 



It is a curious and interesting fact that the Yuchi, who are known 

 to have moved about extensively during early historic times, retain 

 no traditions relative to such migrations, but on the contrary used to 

 believe that they were aborigines of the eastern part of the Gulf re- 

 gion (Swanton, 1922, p. 287). 



It is undoubtedly significant that all traditions preserved from the 

 eastern Siouan tribes point to the Northwest. While there are only 

 three of these besides one or two very general statements, we shall find 

 them backed up by more direct evidence. One Catawba legend ob- 

 tained by Gregg and Schoolcraft traces their origin to Canada and 

 dates it after the appearance of the French in that country, from which 

 it is evident that it contains later embellishments. It also states that 

 they lived for a while on Kentucky River, which was indeed once known 

 by their name, and in Botetourt County, Va., where there are places 

 named after them. These identifications are, however, rendered some- 

 what uncertain, one by the fact that "Catawba" was perhaps intended 

 for Kituhwa, an old name of the Cherokee, and the other because Bot- 



