BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY


 THE CHAWASHA

 The history of this tribe ran almost parallel with that of the one
just considered. According to Du Pratz, quoted by later writers,
they attempted, in conjunction with the Washa, to attack the vessel
of the English captain Bank or Barr when he entered the Mississippi
in 1699.a There is no other authority for this statement, and, though
there may be some truth in it, the original home of this tribe, like that
of the Washa, was probably farther inland on Bayou La Fourche.
 In March, 1707, forty Chawasha warriors took part in an attack
upon the Chitimacha to revenge the murder of St. Cosine, and con-
stituted more than half of the native contingent. To them was also
intrusted the guidance of the party, they being most familiar with
the country traversed." Among his entries for the year 1713, which
is believed to be two years too early, P6nicaut includes the following:
 I found among the Natchez [on returning from Natchitoches] some slaves who
were of the nation of the Chorouacha. They had been taken by a strong party
of Chicacha, Yasou, and Natchez, who had entered the village of the Chaouacha
under pretext of singing their peace calumet there; but these traitors, on the
contrary, had gone there to make war; and they killed the grand chief first of
all, with many persons of his family; they took 11 persons prisoner, among
whom was the wife of the grand chief, whom they carried away to the Natchez.c
 Their object is said to have been to sell the prisoners as slaves to
 some English traders.
 Shortly before the migration of the Washa above referred to this
 tribe settled 3 leagues below New Orleans, on the west side d just below
 English turn. Their former village is placed by P6nicaut 20 leagues
 from the bank of the Mississippi and therefore 5 leagues nearer than
 that of the Washa.e By 1722, when Charlevoix passed their village,
 they had moved to the other side of the Mississippi, half a league
 lower down, transporting everything with them, even to the bones
 of their dead." Speaking of the abandoned town he says:
 I found nothing entire but the cabin of the chief, which was pretty much like
 the house of one of our peasants in France, only with this difference, that it had
 no windows. It was built of branches of trees, the vacancies between which were
 filled with the leaves of the latania; the roof was of the same structure. The
 chief is very absolute, as are all those of Florida. He never hunts or shoots but
 for his diversion, for his subjects are obliged to give him part of their game.f
 The Chawasha continued to live at or near this place until the
 Natchez uprising. At that time it is commonly reported, indeed on
 the authority of Governor Perrier himself, that the latter in 1730
 a Du Pratz, Hist. de La Louislane, I, 277, 1758.
 SLa IIarpe, Jour. Hist., 102, 1831; Margry, Decouvertes, v, 434.
 c Pnicaut in Margry, D6couvertes, v, 506.
 SPenicaut says the east side, but he is thinking of their later position; ef. Charlevoix
 in French, Hist. Coll. La., 182, 1851.
 M 1argry, Decouvertes, v, 557.
 SCharlevoix in French, Hist. Coll. La., 182, 1851.


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