SWANTON] INDIAN TRIBES OF THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY 251

they now acted rather as a band of Chickasaw with whom the French
were next to deal. Of their condition in 1733, when he resumed the
governorship of Louisiana, now under the Crown, Bienville says:
" Since my arrival the Natchez have attempted nothing against the
French nor against their allies, but they are not destroyed, although
we are ignorant of their numbers. The Tunicas have assured me
that these indefatigable enemies of the French are divided into three
bands-one, the least numerous, has retired into an impracticable
country, a little above their ancient villages; the second, which is
more considerable, dwells on the banks of the Mississippi, near the
Ouatchitas, and opposite the Yazoo river; the third, which is the
most numerous, has been received among the Chickasaw, who have
granted to these refugees lands on which to build a village."" He
adds that he intends to have them harassed continually by his Indian
allies," and on the 10th of August of the same year lie informed his
government that this had been so effectually done that the smaller
bands were retreating to join the largest. division among the Chicka-
saw.' Their war parties were busy, however, from this time on. and
about 1735 they and the Chickasaw fell upon a detachment of 10
men under an officer named Du Coder, which was convoying a supply
of ammunition to D'Artaguette, then commandant of the Illinois,
killed 8 and made the others prisoners. One was liberated by the
Chickasaw, who were desirous of making peace, and the others sub-
sequently effected their escape. The former told Bienville that the
Natchez occupied a town by themselves and still numbered 180 war-
riors, although it is certain that some Natchez had already moved
to other tribes.,
 In a letter to the French minister from Quebec, dated October 9,
1735, Beauharnois states that he had received a letter from D'Arta-
guette to the effect that the Natchez had separated themselves from
the Chickasaw for fear that they might surrender them to the
French to secure peace; that one-half had gone to Carolina and the
other to Louischitas." d Presumably Louischitas means Washita,
but if such a migration took place this year to the latter place it
must have been temporary, for the Natchez village was close to those
of the Chickasaw the year following. That part of them moved
toward Carolina, however, seems very probable.
 When Bienville launched his first expedition against the Chick-
asaw, in 1736, it was his desire to attack the Natchez town first, but.
the Choctaw dissuaded him on the ground that there were more pro-
visions in the Chickasaw villages, and, perhaps in consequence of this
advice, he suffered a bloody repulse.1' This village had been the
objective of the attack of D'Artaguette a short time before. whose
 a Gayarr(. Hist. Louisiana, i, 459. d Wisconsin Ilist. ('oll.. xvIl. l22, 190l6.
 b Ibid., 460. Gayarr6, Hist. Louisiana, I, 472-478.
 c Ibid., 463-465.