Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/380

 368 An Account of the Chikkafah Nation.

fecretrary, for the juft obfervance of their inftructions. This proved how- ev.er, through a bare-faced partiality, only a ihamefnl farce on ceconomy and good order. His Excellency, and the honourable Col. W n, were fo ftrongly convinced of my former integrity, that in order to teftify pub licly their approbation of my good conduct, they did me the honour to pafs fecurity in the fecretary's office, for my dealing with the Indians in ftrict conformity to the laws of trade. As I loft in the fpace of a year, to the amount of two and twenty hundred dollars-worth of goods at prime coft, by the diforderly conduct of other licenfed traders, and had juft reafon to hope for redrefs on exhibiting a weli-fupported complaint ; I drew up on my own account, and at the importunate requeft of the Chik kafah head-men, a memorial, fetting forth their having notoriouily violated every effential part of their inftructions, enticing the Indians alfo to get drunk, and then taught them to blafpheme their maker. This I proved, and that fome of the lawlefs traders had furnimed the Indians, in the fpace of a few months, with fo great a quantity of prohibited liquors, as either did, or might enable fome of them to decoy the favages to fquan- der away thoufands of dreft deer-fkins, but they efcaped with impu nity.

A few months before this period, fome family difputes rofe very high between the Chikkafah, on the following account. The Indians being ambitious, free, and jealous of their liberties, as well as independent of each other, where mutual confent is not obtained, one half of the nation were exceedingly difpleafed with the other, becaufe, by the reiterated per- fuafions of a certain deputy, the latter had difpofed of a tract of land, twelve miles toward the fouth, on the upper trading Choktah, or Mo- bille path, to one of thofe diforderly traders. By the application of tfye deputy, the head-men of both parties met him according to appointment, and partook of a plentiful barbicued feaft, with plenty of fpirituous li quors. As fuch conduct was againft his majefty's proclamation, and ap peared to me to be calculated, either for a clandestine trade, or family-job, I rejected the invitation, left otherwile I might be charged as a party. When they became intoxicated with liquor, a war-leader of the difTenting party, (truck his tomohawk at the head of a noted chieftain, upbraid ing him for bringing a ftrange fire into their land ; but happily the blow miffed its aim. Their difputes confequently rofe higher every day j and the

diffidents

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