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deferte rs being retaken, confeffed the confp'racy of 

 which I had given information. 



On the 1 2th, one of the chiefs of the Tchac- 

 tas came to inform M. de Bienville, that the 

 Eoglifh had made them great promifes, to bring 

 them over to their intercit, and to engage them 

 to have no more commerce with the French. 

 On this occafion rhe commandant gave a proof 

 of his great dexterity in managing the Indians. 

 He fo well cajoled this chief, that, by means of 

 a few inconfderable prefents, he fent him back 

 extremely well difpofed to remain firm in our 

 alliance. This nation would have occasioned us 

 great trouble, had they declared againft us ; the 

 Chicachas, Natchez, and Yafous would have im- 

 mediately joined them, and there would- have 

 been no longer any fafety in our navigating on 

 the MifTifiippi ; even though thefe four nations 

 had not carried all the reft along with them ; 

 which, however, in all probability, would have been 

 the cafe. 



About the end of the month, an inhabitant of 

 the country of the Illinois, who had been trading 

 at the Miftouri, arrived at Biloxi, and gave an ac- 

 count, that he and one or two Frenchmen more, 

 having penetrated as far as the O&otatas, who 

 in 1 719 defeated the Spaniards, in the manner 

 already mentioned, had been very well received by 

 them and that the goods they had carried along 

 with them, had produced feven or eight hundred 

 franks of filver, partly wrought, and partly in in- 

 gots ; that fome of thefe Indians had accompanied 

 them as far as the Illinois, and had aflured M. de 

 Boifbriant, that the Spaniards, from whom they 

 had taken that money, got it from a mine at no 



great 



