Page:Archæologia Americana—volume 2, 1836.djvu/140

 101 A SYNOPSIS OF THE INDIAN TRIBES. [iNTROD. at thai time occupied by the Creeks. But from Cofacbiqui to the Mississippi, we have a continued series of names, which seems to leave no doubt respecting the several nations along De Soto's line of march, from the time he left Cofachiqui. In seven days' march due north from that place, he came to C/i a laq ue, which cannot be mistaken, since it is the proper name of the Cherokees or Chelokees. From Kuala, his course was westwardly, bending to the south. In five days, crossing some bad mountains he arrived at Quaxule ; in two days more at Canasaqua or Canasauga, and in five days more at Chiaha or lchiaha, situated on the bank of a river, and opposite the upper end of an island. This was an abundant country, where the Spaniards rested thirty days in order to re- cruit their horses. Connesctuga is, at this moment, the Chero- kee name of a creek that empties into the Coosa at New Echota ; and Echoy is that of a well-known Cherokee town, situated, not indeed on the same spot as lchiaha, but in the fork of Tugaloo and Savannah rivers ; whilst lchiaha must have been on the Coosa, probably some distance below the site of New Echota. But we have repeated instances, such as Echota, Coweta, Tallisee, Piqua, &c, of the Indians having favorite names for towns, which they transfer successively to their several villages. There cannot, therefore, I think, be any doubt that the Cherokees occupied at that time the same territory south of the mountains, in which they were found one hundred and ' forty years later. And it is remarkable that the line, which then separated them from the Coosa country, is almost in the same place as that which till lately divided the Cherokees from the Creeks. After leaving Acoste a short distance west of lchiaha, the Spaniards entered the territory of Coosa, through which they travelled from fifteen to twenty days,* passing through the populous village of Coosa, and arriving at Tallisee, another large, fortified, and apparently frontier town, subject to the Cacique of Coosa, and situated on a rapid river. The two names of Coosa and Tallisee afford a decisive proof that the country was then, as now, in the possession of the Muskhogees. It is equally clear, that, from the vicinity of the last-mentioned place, until he reached the Mississippi, De Soto was in the Spanish relations. 1 have taken the medium.
 * There is a disagreement here between the Portuguese and the