SwANTON] INDIANS OF THE S-OUTHE ASTERN UNITED STATES 155 



15 leagues to the northeast. It appears often in the journals of later 

 French and Spanish writers. De Leon visited the tribe in 1690, and 

 Massanet and Capt. Domingo Ramon founded in the Nabedache village 

 the first Texas mission, San Francisco de los Texas. A few months 

 later the second, Santisima Nombre de Maria, was established nearby. 

 In 1693 the mission was abandoned and, when it was restored in 1716, 

 it was placed near the Neche village on the other side of the river. In 

 1751 the Nabedache took part in a gathering held for the purpose of 

 killing all Spaniards in eastern Texas, but the French commandant at 

 Natchitoches, St. Denis, prevented the execution of the design. In 

 1778 or 1779 they suffered from a serious epidemic and not long after- 

 ward moved higher up Neches River. In the nineteenth century, they 

 shared the fate of the other Caddo tribes and ultimately all moved to 

 Oklahoma, where their descendants now live. 



Nabedache population. — ^De Mezieres reported 30 men of the Nabe- 

 dache in 1777-79, Morfi, about 1783, stated that there were less than 

 40; but Sibley's estimate in 1805 doubles this figure. An estimate 

 made between 1818 and 1820 gave 30 warriors and a total population 

 of 130. 



NACACHAU 



One of the constituent tribes of the Hasinai Confederation, whose 

 village stood at the end of the seventeenth century just north of that 

 of the Neche and on the east side of Neches River. According to 

 Domingo Ramon, it was in their village that the Mission of San Fran- 

 cisco de los Texas was placed when it was restored in the year 1716. 

 It soon came to be called San Francisco de los Neches, and the Nacachau 

 were probably absorbed in the Neche tribe. 



Nacachau population, — No figures are available. 



NACANISH 



This tribe appears in the De Soto narratives as Lacane (Elvas), 

 Lacame (Biedma), and Guancane (Garcilaso). The Spaniards under 

 Moscoso encountered them in 1542 in northwestern Louisiana or 

 northeastern Texas, southwest of the present Shreveport. The French 

 and Spaniards heard of them about 1690 when they were located on 

 the stream now called Naconicho Bayou. The name is also given as 

 Nacao. The Mission of Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe was established 

 for this tribe jointly with the Nacogdoche, July 9, 1716. Soon after 

 this time they may have moved farther west, since La Harpe, in 

 1719, reported that their villages lay north of those of the Hainai. 

 By 1760 they had concentrated on Trinity River, but remained near 

 the other Hasinai and partook of their fortunes. The Nacono, who 

 were on Neches River in 1691 opposite the Nechaui, may have been 

 a branch of the same tribe. 



Nacanish population. — No separate figures are available. 



