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entirely deftroyed, the few that remain being flaves 

 in the colony. 



This day we advanced fix leagues beyond the 

 Oumas, and pafied the night upon a very fine fpot, 

 where the Marquis d'Ancenis has a fettlement, 

 which the burning of the publick ware-houfe and 

 feveral other accidents happening one after another, 

 have reduced to ruin. The Cctapiffas had built a 

 fmall village here, which fubfifted no long time. 

 On the fourth before noon, we arrived at the great 

 village of the Colapiflas. This is the fineft in all 

 Louifiana, though there are not above two hun- 

 dred warriors in it, who, however, have the repu- 

 tation of being very brave. Their cabbins are in 

 the form of a pavilion, like thofe of the Sioux ; 

 and like them they light fires in them very fel- 

 dom. They hav^ a double Covering, that within 

 being a tiffue of the leaves of Lataniers trees, and 

 that without confifts gf matts. 



The chief's cabbin is thirty-fix feet in diameter : 

 I have not hitherto feen any of a larger fize, that 

 of the chief of the Natchez being no more than 

 thirty. As foon as we came in fight of the vil- 

 lage, they faluted us with beat of drum, and we 

 had no fooner landed than I was complimented on 

 the part of the chief. I was furprized, on advan- 

 cing towards the village, to lee the drummer dref- 

 fed in a long fantaftical parti- coloured robe. I en- 

 quired into the origin of this cuftom, and was in- 

 formed that it was not very ancient ; that a gover- 

 nor of Louisiana had made a prefent of this drum 

 to thefe Indians, who have always been our faith- 

 full allies ; and that this fort of beadle's coat, was 

 of their own invention. The women here are 



handfomer 



