208 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 118 



In other words, as late as 1768, although, it had been ceded to the 

 King of England by the Iroquois, the area of the Clinch and Powell 

 River valleys was still regarded by the Superintendent of Indian 

 Affairs for the Colonies as the territory of the Cherokee, since, by 

 treaty, he recognized their claims. 



By 1714 French traders from New Orleans had come among the 

 Shawnee then living on the Cumberland River and the French 

 began the establishment of trading posts along the Mississippi and 

 in the rivers of southern Alabama. This naturally aroused the 

 jealousy of the English settlers. Of this Ramsey says : 



Colonial rivalry prompted each [British and French Colonial governments] 

 to ingratiate itself with and secure the trade and friendship of the native 

 tribes. 



In pursuance of this policy, Governor Nicholson, in 1721, sent a message 

 to the Cherokees, inviting them to a general congress, in order to treat of 

 friendship and commerce. The chieftains of thirty-seven different towns met 

 him. He made them presents, smoked with them the pipe of peace, laid off 

 their boundaries, and appointed an agent to superintend their affairs. With 

 the Creeks he also made a treaty of commerce and peace, and appointed an 

 agent to reside among them. In 1730, the projects of the French, for uniting 

 Canada and Louisiana, began to be developed. Already they had extended 

 themselves northwardly from the Gulf of Mexico and had made many friends 

 among the Indians west of Carolina. To counteract their intentions it was 

 the wish of Great Britain to convert the Indians into allies or subjects and to 

 make with them treaties of union and alliance. For this purpose Sir Alexander 

 Cumming . . . having summoned the Lower, Middle, Valley, and Over-hill settle- 

 ments, met in April the chiefs of all the Cherokee towns at Nequassee, informed 

 them by whose authority he was sent, and demanded of them to acknowledge 

 themselves the subjects of his sovereign, King George, and to promise obedience 

 to his authority. Upon which the chiefs, falling on their knees, solemnly promised 

 obedience and fidelity, calling upon all that was terrible to fall upon them if 

 they violated their promise. Sir Alexander then, by their unanimous consent, 

 nominated Moytoy commander and chief of the Cherokee nation. The crown 

 was brought from Tenassee, their chief town, which, with five eagle tails and 

 four scalps of their enemies, Moytoy presented to Sir Alexander, requesting 

 him on his arrival at Britain, to lay them at his majesty's feet. But Sir 

 Alexander proposed to Moytoy that he should depute some of his chiefs to 

 accompany him to England and do homage in person to the great king. Six 

 of them, accordingly, did accompany him, and, being admitted to the royal 

 presence, promised, in the name of their nation, to continue forever his majesty's 

 faithful and obedient subjects." 



Ramsey points out that this is the first historic record of the use 

 of the name Tenassee. This town was on the west bank of the Little 

 Tennessee River, not far from the mouth of Tellico Creek. It was 

 an important town of the Over Hill Cherokee, first visited by Lieut. 

 Henry Timberlake in 1762. Ramsey infers that from the name of 



Ibid., pp. 46-47, 



