Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/272

 260 An Account of the Muikohge Nation.

Before the late ceflion of Eaft and Weft Florida to Great Britain, the country of the Mufkohge lay between the territories of the Englifh, Spaniards, French, Choktah, Chikkafah, and Cheerake. And as they had a water car riage, from the two Floridas ; to fecure their liberties, and a great trade by land from Georgia and South-Carolina, this nation regulated the Indian balance of power in our fouthern parts of North-America ; for the French could have thrown the mercenary Choktah, and the Miflifippi favages, into the fcale, whenever their intereft feemed to require it. The Mufkohge hav ing three rival chriftian powers their near neighbours, and a French garrifon on the fouthern extremity of the central part of their country ever fince the war of the year 1715; the old men, being long informed by the oppofite parties, of the different views, and intrigues of thofe European powers, who paid them annual tribute under the vague appellation of pre- fents, were become furprifmgly crafty in every turn of low politics. They held it as an invariable maxim, that their fecurity and welfare required a perpetual friendly intercourfe with us and the French ; as our political ftate of war with each other, would always fecure their liberties : whereas, if they joined either party, and enabled it to prevail over the other, their fbate, they faid, would then become as unhappy as that of a poor fellow, who had only one perverfe wife, and yet muft bear with her froward temper ; but a variety of choice would have kept off fuch an afflicting evil, either by his giving her a ftlent caution againft behaving ill, or by enabling him to go to another, who was in a better temper. But as the French Alebahma Garrifon had been long directed by fkilful officers, and fupplied pretty well with corrupting brandy, taffy, and decoying trifles at the expence of government, they induflrioufly applied their mifchievous talents in imprefiing many of the former fi-mple and peaceable natives with falfe notions of the ill intentions of our colonies. In each of their towns, the French gave a considerable penfion to an eloquent head-man, to cor rupt the Indians by plaufible pretexts, and inflame them againft us ; who informed them alfo of every material occurrence, in each of their refpective circles. The force of liquors made them ib faithful to their truft, that they poifoned the innocence of their own growing families, by tempting them,, from their infancy, to receive the wofft impreffions of the Britilh colonifts :. and as they very feldom got the better of thole prejudices, they alienated. the affections of their offspring, and riveted thejr bicter enmity againft us. That conduct of the Chciltian French has fixed many of the Mufkohge

in.

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