WANTON] INDIAN TRIBES OF THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY 259

 The first appearance of this tribe in authentic history was, like
that of the Natchez, in La Salle's expedition of 1682. The various
accounts of this journey show unfortunate discrepancies, and it will
be well to give all of the versions so far as they concern the tribe
under consideration, especially as the Tainsa play a more important
part in this voyage than ever afterward, interest being soon trans-
ferred to the more powerful Natchez.
 Says Tonti:
 The 22d [of March] we reached the Taensa, after having voyaged for SO
leagues [from the Arkansas villages], and, as this nation was situated on a
little lake, we camped 3 leagues from the village. I went to them, accompanied
by Pierre IPrud'homine, Chief Classe,a and the two other savages, our inter-
preters. We arrived at night, and the Arkansas having begun to sing, the
Taensas recognized them as friends, and we entered their village in safety. I
was never so surprised as on entering the cabin of the chief, because the other
savages do not build in this manner. One recognized in this nation some of the
qualities which civilized people possess. They first made us enter a cabin hav-
ing a front of 40 feet; the walls of mud, 2 feet thick and 12 high. The roof is
made dome shaped, of cin e mats, so well worked that the rain does not pierce
through them at all. On entering we saw the chief seated on a couch. There
were more than 60 old men opposite him, covered with great white cloths resem-
bling the hammocks which the savages of the islands of America make. There
was a torch of dry canes in the middle of the cabin, which latter was orna-
mented with many brass bucklers hung on the four walls, with a quantity of
paintings, with an alcove where the chief reposes, and with many camp beds, on
which repose the chiefs of the eight villages which are situated on the lake and
depend on him. All these old men who were near him in the aforesaid cabin
had their hands on their heads and howled, all with one voice, like wolves, crying
" Ho! ho! l! ho! Io And, after the chief had spoken to them, all seated them-
selves, and they had us sit on a delicately worked cane mat which was spread
on the earth. Our interpreter rose to his feet, and after having made a speech
he gave the chief a buffalo robe he wore, who reclothed him in his own; and,
having let them know that we were come to make an alliance with them and
that the one who commanded us had need of provisions, he commanded at once
that they should tell all the women to make corn meal and pastry of a certain
fruit which they call paquimina," which is very good. I gave the chief a
knife, which lie received as a very considerable present. lie regaled us in the
best manner he was able, and I noticed that one of his little children, wishing
to pass between the chief and the fire in order to go out, was withdrawn quickly
by his mother and made to pass around; such is the mark of respect they show
toward him. He was served by slaves. No one else eats out of his dishes.
They are earthen, very well glazed, and made like cups. Their knives are of
flint as well as their axes. I noticed that he had 1(i fine pearls hung at his ears,
and, having told our interpreter to ask where they had found them, he replied
that it was at the sea, in shells, and that he had many of them.
 I parted to give an account to M. de la Salle of all that I had seen, who got
 me to return, to endeavor to obtain the aforesaid pearls. There arrived this
 day a quantity of canoes loaded with provisions; one could obtain a hen for an
 awl or a needle. M. de la Salle, who had always believed that this river falls
 into the bay of the Holy Spirit, having taken the height [of the sun] with his
 a Given on p. 594 as Clance.