DISCOVERY. & SETTLEMENT.—BOOK I. 
21 
parties before his arrival at their town. The Natchez were shut 
up in two forts, constructed after their own manner, and defend¬ 
ed themselves with great obstinacy, holding out for upwards of a 
month, notwithstanding that seven pieces of cannon were brought 
against them. The principal cause of this delay, however, was 
the number of prisoners in the possession of the besieged ; it was 
justly feared that should they be driven to extremity, these might 
be butchered. The forts at length surrendered, but on favor¬ 
able terms; delivering up their prisoners and giving hostages 
for their future good conduct. 
Several writers have taken it for granted that the Indians 
were never in the habit of fortifying ; but the detail of the fore¬ 
going siege, minutely given by Charlevoix and others, suffici¬ 
ently refute the idea. The approaches were made in the usual 
forms, and in the course of the siege there were frequent sor¬ 
ties. The remains of Indian fortifications seen throughout the 
western country, have given rise to strange conjectures, and 
have been supposed to appertain to a period extremely remote; 
but it is a fact well known, that in some of them the remains of 
palisadoes were found by the first settlers. 
The Natchez were neither reconciled nor induced to relin¬ 
quish their hostile designs. In 1731, it was found necessary to 
raise another army of whites and Indian auxiliaries, with the in¬ 
tention of putting an end for the future to all apprehensions from 
this troublesome nation. Under the command of M. Perier, this 
army ascended Red river, and afterwards Black river its tributary 
stream, to the place where the Natchez had fortified themselves 
in the greatest force. The siege was commenced on the 30th 
of January; the trench was opened and all the different works of 
the besiegers begun, and advanced apace during the rest of the 
day, and the whole of the night. The day following, the mortars 
and all things necessary for the attack, were brought on shore. 
Some bombs were thrown, which fell in the fort. The besieged 
made a sortie, killed a Frenchman and a negro but were repul¬ 
sed. On the 22d, bombs were thrown during the whole day but 
produced no great effect, and the besieged wourided two sol¬ 
diers. On the 24th, they hoisted a white flag; M. Perier at the 
Same time caused one to be hoisted at the head of a mast; a short 
