Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/326

 An Account of tbt Choktah Nation.

��too much of a warrior to confide in their falfc promifes. He got fafe home,. and related the whole affair.

Formerly, by virtue of the prefiing engagement of a prime magiftrate of South-Carolina, I undertook to open a trade with the Choktah, and re concile their old-ftanding enmity with the Chikkafah. I was promifed to be indemnified in all neceflary charges attending that attempt. As the Choktah, by the perluafions of the French, had killed my partner in the trade, I was defirous of any favourable opportunity of retaliating : efpecially, as we were expofed to perpetual dangers and lofies, by the French rewards offered either for our fcalps or horfes-tails; and as the French were ufually fhort of goods, while Great Britain was at war with them, we were liable to mod damages from them in time of peace. They ufed to keep an alphabetical lift of all the names of leading favages, in the va rious nations where they ingarrifoned themfelves; and they duly paid them, every year, a certain quantity of goods befides, for all the damages they did to the Chikkafah, and our traders -, which tempted them conftantly to exert their abilities, to the good liking of their political employers. It happened, however, that one of the French of Tumbikpe-fort, being guided by Venus inftead of Apollo, was detected in violating the law of marriage k with the favourite wife of the warlike chieftain of Quanfheto, Sbulajhummajhtabe, who by his fever-al tranfcendant qualities, had arrived to the higheft pitch of the red glory. He was well known in Georgia and South-Carolina, by the name of Red Shoes, as formerly noticed. As there lived in his town, a number of the Chokchoomah, the fenior tribe of the Chikkafah and Choktah, and who had a free intercourfe with each of their countries, we foon had an account of every material thing that patted there. I therefore refolved to improve fo favourable an opportu nity as feerned to prefent itfelf, and accordingly foon privately convened two of the leading men of the Chikkafah nation, to afiift me to execute the plan I had in view. One was the Archimagus, Paftabe, known in our colonies, by the name of " the Jockey," and the other, by that of Pake- mngc-Amalalota, who was the only Indian I ever knew to die of a confumption -, which he contracted by various engagements with the enemy when far off at war, contrary to their general rule of martial purinV cation. The violent exercife of running a great diftance under the violent rays of the fun, and over fandy, or hilly grounds, would not allow him to

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