SwANTON] INDIANS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNIITEI) STATES 49 



Mountain. It is believed that the three rivers were Wills Creek, Canoe 

 Creek, and the Coosa River, and that Tasqui was a town occupied by 

 Tuskegee Indians, although the Tuskegee in later times were at the 

 junction of the Coosa and Tallapoosa. Passing south along the east 

 bank of Coosa River, they entered Co^a on July 16, the chief of that 

 town coming out to meet them in great state, borne in a litter upon 

 the shoulders of his principal warriors. 



The Spaniards remained encamped here for more than a month, 

 and, as was usually the case, they succeeded in that time in securing the 

 ill-will of its inhabitants. They left August 20 and encamped for the 

 night at a place called Talimuchasy, the Creek word for "New Town," 

 and the next day at Itaba, conjecturally located at an ancient Indian 

 site on Hatchet Creek. On the 31st they reached Ulibahali, in which 

 name it is not difficult to recognize the Creek war town of Hothliwa- 

 hali. This was evidently at or near the place later occupied by it on 

 Tallapoosa River at the junction of Chubbehatchee Creek. On Sep- 

 tember 2 they left Ulibahali and, marching west along the south side 

 of the Tallapoosa and Alabama Rivers, camped on the 6th at Tuasi, 

 believed to have been in the northwestern suburbs of the present Mont- 

 gomery. On the 18th they reached a settlement called Talisi, where 

 they remained until October 5. It was large and almost encircled by 

 the Alabama River, and this fact has enabled the historians of Ala- 

 bama to identify it with one of the sites on Durand's Bend. Here De 

 Soto received a messenger from Tascalusa, a powerful chief living on 

 the lower course of Alabama River, and he was presently followed by 

 one of Tascalusa'S own sons with whom, on his return, De Soto sent 

 two of his companions in the capacity of spies. 



On October 5 the explorers set out from Talisi, and spent the 

 night at a town called Casiste, on the bank of Alabama River and 

 occupied by a part of the Kasihta Indians. The following day they 

 passed into the territory of the Mobile Indians under Tascalusa's sway, 

 and after camping for the night at several towns along the Alabama, 

 on October 10 they reached a new village named Athahachi, where 

 Tascalusa had taken up his residence. This chieftain met the Span- 

 iards in state and impressed them profoundly on account of his gigan- 

 tic stature and imperial bearing. Nevertheless, they did not hesitate 

 to make him a virtual prisoner, as was their wont, and use him as a 

 guide in penetrating the country under his control. On the 12th 

 they took their departure from this place and on the 13th entered 

 Piachi, Tascalusa's capital town, which was on a high bluff over- 

 hanging the river, probably where Claiborne now stands. Here they 

 learned that the two men sent ashore by Narvaez after water had 

 been slain, and the inhabitants immediately showed their continued 

 hostility by killing two of the men who had been placed as guards 



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