Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/302

 290 An Account of tie Choktah Nation.

fomc manner receive a favourite bribe, under the name of prefents, as they ufually had from the French. By reafon of our mifconduct, and the foolilh diftribution of prefents, fince Florida was ceded to us, they have been twice on the point of breaking with us, though the managers of our Indian affairs were at the fame time echoing in the public papers of Georgia and South-Carolina, the peaceable and friendly difpofition of all the favage nations around the colonies. The Choktah were de- figned to ftrike the firft blow on their traders, and immediately to follow it on the inhabitants of Mobille ; which, they imagined, they could eafily effect by furprife in the night, and To enrich themfelves with an immenfe booty. The firft of thofe bloody plans was concerted againft us, October the i8th 1765. The caufe of which 1 fhall relate.

In the eaftern part of the Chikkafah nation, there is a young, and very enterprifing war-leader, called " the Torrepine Chieftain," or " The leader of the land-tortoife family :" his ambitious temper, which one of the traders at firft imprudently fupported againft our old friendly war chieftain,, fa-Tab-Mat abab^ has unhappily divided the nation into two parties, which frequently act in oppofition to any falutary meafure, which is either pro* pofed, or purfued by the other. The Torrepine chief received an embafTy from the Mufkohge Great Mortar to engage him againft us, through a falfe pretence that we intended to take their lands, and captivate their women and children ; as the vaft ftrides we lately made through that exten- five tract, from Georgia to New Orleans, and up the MifTifippi, all the way to the Illinois, he faid, would clearly convince fo wife a people. He exhorted the Choktah war-leaders and old beloved men to roufe their mar tial tempers to defend their liberty and property, and preferve their holy places, and holy things, from the ambitious views of the impure and co vetous Englifh people, to liften to the loud call of liberty, and join heart and hand in its generous defence, which they now could eafily effect, by crufhing the fnake in its infant ftate ; whereas delay would allow it time to collect ftrength, to the utter danger of every thing they held as valu able that now was the time to avert thofe dangerous evils,, and that their mutual fafety was at ftake. He affured them from repeated expe rience, that the very word that could befall them would be only a trifling fcolding in their ears, and prefents in their hands to make up the breach. The afpiring Chikkafah leader was, in a great meafure, induced to fall

in.

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