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6/ The above is substancially as I received it from Colo. Hawkins whose impression was, from their story, that they were driven from their seats by a people expelled from Mexico by Cortez. If the story I have given you will furnish any light on Indian history, to yourself or other lovers of antiquity, I shall be gratified, I am Dear Sir respectfully your Obt. servant F0. Iove?

Dr. W. Byrd Powell, New Orleans. I have now given you the outline of my Indian knowledge - were it requisite I could give many minutia about the southern tribes; also much historical matter.

I promised you some traditions of the Natchez Indians - you shall now have them. The Choctaw tradition of the French massacre at Natchez ez Miss. Communicated to John Fletcher Esq. of Natchez by Colo. Nail a Choctaw Chief. The former imparted the same to me, in Natchez, March 1835.

The word Natchez signifies a knobby or hilly country, such as that inhabited by the Natchez tribe of Indians and which extended from the Slenville? to Chittalawsa on the Miss. and back from 10 to 30 miles.

The French made a location and built a fort at the place where Natchez City now stands or in its immediate vicinity, most probably at Ellis Cliffs, about 10 miles south of Natchez.

The French were received kindly by the Natchez Indians and were much feared and respected by them in consequence of their fire arms and apparent wealth. After a time the French taxed or required a tribute of these Indians of such things as the country produced, particularly of corn, peltry so. st these, to them, unlawful and unjust requisitions they remonstrated time after time or till they became convinced that it was useless. Being determined not to submit to such taxation, they solicited assistance from their neighbours; the Choctaws. Agents were appointed by both nations to treat upon the subject which resulted in an agreement on the part of the Choctaws to render the desired aid, to exterminate the French, for the consideration of one half of the booty, for the French were regarded by both nations as being wealthy.

Considerable time was to elapse between the time of the treaty and the execution of it, and to prevent the possibility of a failure of a joint and simultaneous cooperation of both nations, a bundle of sticks was provided, for the Chief or each expressine of the number days that should elapse, from which one was to be drawn every day, and on the day after the drawing of the last the attack was to be made. It may be proper to remark that this was the usual method of keeping the time of the arrival of future events.

After the completion of the treaty, the Natchez nation began to think themselves sufficiently numerous and able to effect the contemplated destruction of the French without the