SWANTON] INDIAN TRIBES OF THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY 339 M. de Bienville received a letter from M. Dubuisson, who commanded, it will be remembered, the concession of M. Pfris, established in the old village of the Bayagoulas on the banks of the Mississippy. Through this letter he informed him he was not at all in security in his concession, so long as the French should be at war against the nation of savages called ChOtimachas, parties of whom were every day in the neighborhood of his concession. However short a dis- tance his people went away they were always exposed to being captured or killed, as had already happened to two of the sergeants; they were obliged to have arms in their hands night and day, which prevented them from being able to work their concession. On receiving this information, M1. de Bienville sent me alone among the Chetimachas to speak to their chief and induce him to make peace with the French. Although this commission appeared to me very perilous I did not hesitate to undertake it, because I spoke their language fairly well a and knew some of these savages. I formed the design of going, not directly to the village of the Ch6timachas, but to the village of the Oumas. where I hoped to meet some Chetimacha savages, who come there quite often because those are their nearest neighbors. I was not at all deceived in my expectation; I found three there to whom I spoke. I told them that I had orders from M. de Bienville to go to find their chief in order to have them make peace witl the French. These three savages were very much rejoiced at learn- ing this news, because so long as they had been at war with us they had had the savages who were the friends of the French as enemies, who were active against them every day by order of M. de Bienville and had killed many of their people. For this reason the three savages did not hesitate to follow me when I told them to come with me as far as the concession of M. Paris, which was only 7 leagues from there. When we were arrived there M. Dubuisson gave them some little presents to carry to their chiefs, with provisions for their journey. I invited them to return in ten days at the latest, giving them ten bits of wood, which are the nuarks by means of which the savages count by nights, just as we count by days. They did not fail to return at the end of ten days, but they remained on the bank of their river,b which is 5 leagues from the concession of Ai. Paris. The three savages whom I had sent came alone to the concession to inform me that the grand chief with his wife and 40 Chatimachns were awaiting me at this place in order to speak with me. I hesitated a little about going there. It was running a risk. However, I took my determination, not seeing anyone who would go with me. I started out with the three savages. As soon as I arrived at the bank of the river and they perceived me, they uttered a frightful cry. I thought then that I had been betrayed and that it was the last day of my life, but this strange cry was only a cry of .Toy, for the grand chief received me very well and told me that it would give him and all his nation great pleasure to make peace with the French. I told him that in order to do that they must come to New Orleans to sing the peace calumet to MI. de Bienville, our commander. They told me that they would follow me wherever I desired to lead them. I conducted them first to the concession of M. Pfiris, where i1. l)ubuisson gave them provisions, and after they had passed the night there, we parted on the morrow at daybreak to descend to New Orleans, where they remained eight days because it was necessary to await the reply of M. de Bienville, who commanded M. de Pailloux to have them sing their peace calumet and conclude it on the following conditions: Firstly, that the slaves which had been taken from them during the war should not be restored to them, and that they should return all the French whom they might have taken or who might be in their villages. a Meaning Mobilian, probably. b Bayou la Fourche.