Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/345

 An Account of the Choktah Nation. 333

entirely devoted to the French j his behaviour was confident, and his ad- drefs artful.

The red ambaflador fpoke much of the kindly difpofition of the French to fuch of his countrymen as were poor, and of their generous protection to the whole \ contrafted with the ambitious views of the Englifh, who were not content with their deer-fkins and beaver, but coveted their lands. He faid, " the Mufkohge were forry and furprifed that their old friends the Chikkafah, in concert with a mad Englifhman, mould feduce their warriors to join with them to fpill the blood of their French beloved friends, when they were by national confent, only to revenge crying blood againft the Aquahpah, and that the former would be aihamed to allow the latter to carry thofe captives, who were their friends, through their nation to- Charles-town. But, faid he, as the Mufkohge are defirons always to make hands with the Chikkafah, the head-men have fent me in their name, to requeft you Pa-Tab -Mat ah ah and other beloved warriors, to deliver to me thofe unfortunate prifoners, as a full proof you are defirous of tying faft the old friend-knot, which you have loofed in fome meafure." In this manner,, the red ambaflador of the dangerous Alebahma French captain flourifhed away and waited for a favourable anfwer, according to the confident hopes his employer had taught him to entertain, by the ftrong motive of felf- intereft.

But though the daring Chikkafah leader, and each of us, according ta cuftom were filent, during the recital of the difagreeable harangue, only by ftern-fpeaking countenances, Pa-Tah-Matahah replied, " O you Mulkohge corrupted chieftain, who are degenerated fo low as to become a ftrong- mouthed friend of the French, whofe tongues are known of a long time, to be forked like thofe of the dangerous fnakes ; your fpeech has run- through my ears, like the noife of a threatening high wind, which attacks the traveller as foon as he climbs to the top of a rugged fleep mountain : though as he came along, the air was fcarcely favourable enough for him to breathe in. You fpeak highly in praife of the French ; and fo do the bafer fort of the Choktah, becaufe every year they receive prefents to make their lying mouths ftrong. That empty founding kettle, fattened at the top of your bundle along fide of you,, I know to be French, and a true picture both of their melTageSj and methods of fending them. The

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