312 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [BULL. 43

kill the missionary and all the Frenchmen in his town." Neverthe-
less, Davion warned Bienville a little later not to trust the Tunica
too much, as they had gone so far as to receive presents to kill him.
Therefore, although they offered him their services, they were
declined."
 A glimpse of Davion's mission and the Indians among whom it
was established is given us by La Harpe in 1719, when on his way to
the Caddoan tribes beyond Natchitoches. Having missed their way
his party proceeded 7 leagues above the Tunica landing place before
they discovered their error. He says:
 The 12th .tof January I we descended the Mississipy; at 10 o'clock we entered
the lake of the ouincas, to the right of the river going up; at 11 o'clock we
arrived at the village and proceeded to the cabin of M. Davion, of the foreign
missions, who was pastor there. lHe is a native of Saint-Omuer, a very godly
man. who has lived in the colony for twenty years, having passed a part of his
time among the Yazou nation.c Since he has been at the Tonicas he has made
these people abandon the greater part of their idolatry. They have
two grand chiefs of the united nations speaking the same language. The first
is unaied Cahura-Joligo; he repairs every day with his family to the prayers
and exhortations which M. Davion makes to them, who is very much revered
in this village, although he opposes their feasts and the plurality of wives.5
 The next visitor who has left any considerable account of the
Tunica is Father Charlevoix, the historian of New France. He says:
 The 2Sth lof December, 1721], after having gone 2 leagues, we arrived at
the river of the Tonicas, which appeared to me at first to be but a brook; but
;t a nmusket-shot distance from its mouth it forms a very pretty lake. If the
Mississippi continues to throw itself as it does on the other side, all this place
will become inaccessible. The river of the Tonicas has its source in the
country of tile Tchactas, and its course is very inuch obstructed by falls. The
village is beyond the lake on a pretty high ground, yet they say that the air
here is bad. whilich they attribute to the quality of the waters of the river;
but I should rather judge that it proceeds from' the stagnation of the waters
in the lake. The village is built in a circle, round a very large open space,
without any inclosure, and moderately peopled.
 The cabin of the chief is very much adorned on the outside for the cabin of
a savage. We see on it some figures in relieve, which are not so ill done as
one expects to find thenm' The inside is dark, and I observed nothing in it but
some boxes, which they assured nme were full of clothes and money. The chief
received us very politely; he was dressed in the French fashion, and seemed
to le not att all uneasy in that habit. Of all the savages of Canada there is
none so much depended on by our commandants as this chief. He loves our
nation, and has no cause to repent of the services he has rendered it. He
trades with the French, whom lie supplies with horses and fowls, and he under-
stands his trade very well. lie has learned of us to hoard lip monlley, and he is

 Marry, Decoutvertes, v. 519).
 French, tist. Coll. La., 243, 1851.
 'As in another place already noted, this is an error, due to the fact that the Tunica
had formerly lived on Yazoo river. lie was always with the Tunica, never with the Yazoo,
except accidentally, as tih two tribes were near neighbors.
 ,1 La IIarpe in Margry, Decouverles, vi, 240-248.
 r This, however, may have been the work of the lIouma referred to by Gravier.-
Shea. Early Voy. Miss., 144.