Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/322

 2io An Account of the Choktah Nation.

means often are led to them from a confiderable diftance, and then moot them down. But they are forced to cut a hole near the root of the tree, wherein the (he bear and her cubs are lodged, and drive them out by the force of fire and fuffocating fmoke i and as the tree is partly rotten, and the infide dry, it foon takes fire. In this cafe, they become very fierce, and would fight any kind of enemy, but, commonly, at the firft mot, they are either killed or mortally wounded. However, if the hunter chance to mifs his aim, he fpeedily makes off to a fappling, which the bear by over-clafping cannot climb: the crafty hunting dogs then aft their part, by biting be hind, and gnawing its hams, till it takes up a tree. I have been often af- fured both by Indians and others, who get their bread by hunrmg in the woods, that the fhe-bear always endeavours to keep apart from tin: mile during the helplefs ftate of her young ones ^ otherwife he would endeavour to kill them , and that they had frequently feen the fhe bear kill the male -on the fpot, after a defperate engagement for the defence of her young ones. Of the great numbers I have feen with their young cubs, I never law a he bear at fuch times, to aflbciate with them : fo that it feems one part of the Roman Satyrift's fine moral lefTon, inculcating peace and friendfhip, is not juft, $c<vi s inter fe ccnvenit Urfis.

At the time Mobille (that grave-yard for Britons) was ceded to Great-Bri tain, the lower towns of the Choktah brought down all the Chikkafah fcalps they had taken, in their thievilh Way of warring, and had them new painted, and carrried them in proceflion on green boughs of pine, by way of bravado, to fhew their contempt of the Englifh. They would not fpeak a word to the Chikkafah traders, and they follicited the French for their confent to re-commence war againft us, and eftablilh them again by force of arms, in their weftern poflefHons ; but they told them, their king had .firmly concluded upon the ceflion, through his own benevolence of heart, to prevent the further effufion of innocent blood. By this artful addrefs, they fupported their credit with the favages, in the very point which ought to have ruined it.

When the Choktah found themfelves dipped in war with the Muf- kohge i they follicited the Englifh for a fupply of ammunition, urging with much truth, that common fenle ought to direct us to aflift them, and deem the others our enemies as much as theirs. But Tumbikpe-garrifon was -evacuated through the unmanly fear of giving umbrage to the Muf-

kohge,

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