Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/297

 An Account of the Choktah Nation. 285

likenefs. Their features and mind, indeed, exactly correfpond together \ for, except the intenfe love they bear to their native country, and their utter contempt of any kind of danger, in defence of it, I know no other virtue they are pofieffed of : the general obfervation of the traders among them is juft, who affirm them to be diveded of every property of a human being, except fhape and language. Though the French at Mobille, and fome at New Orleans, could fpeak the Choktah language extremely well, and confequently guide them much better than the Englifh (notwith- ftanding we gave them a far greater fupply of every kind of goods than they could purchafe) yet, the French allowed none of them arms and am munition, except fuch who went to war againft our Chikkafah friends. One of thofe outftanding companies was compofed allb of feveral towns; for, ufually one town had not more tha,n from five, to feven guns. When the owners therefore had hunted one moon, they lent them for hire to others, for the like fpace of time, which was the reafon, that their deer- Ikins, by being chiefly killed out of feafon, were then much lighter than now. The French commandant of Tumbikpe garrifon fupervifed the trade, as none was ever chofen to prefide in fo critical a place, unlefs well and early acquainted in the dialeft, manners, and cuftoms of the favages. The French Indian garrifons confided of chofen pro vincial families, who had not the lead fpark of that haughty pride and contempt, which is too often predominant, at lead among the ignorant part of the foldiery, againd all, except their own fraternity. The Choktah were known to be of fo fickle, treacherous, and bloody a difpo- fition, that only three or four pedlars were allowed to go among them at a time: when they returned to the fort, the fame number went out again,, with as many trifles as a fmall barrel would conveniently contain. Thus they continued to amufe the favages of low rank, but they always kept the head-men in pay. Thefe, at every public meeting, and convenient occafion, gave dated energetic orations in praife of the French ; and, by this means, the red were influenced. The pedlars thus got almod what they were pleafed to afk, in return for their worthlefs trifles. All the way up the numerous dreams of the Miffifippi, and down thofe of Canada river, their wifdom directed them to keep up the price of their goods, and, by that means, they retained the favages in the firmed amity with them ; no trader was allowed among them, except thofe of fufficient {kill, in that dangerous fphere of life, and of faithful principles to government. The French very juftly fay, the Englilh fpoil the favages, wherever their trade extends among

them,.

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