Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/381

 An Account of the Chikkafah Nation. 369

diflidents informed the Mufkohge of their then fituation, and future inten tions. Tah-Tah-'fufianage^ " the Great Mortar," a bitter enemy of the Englifh, foon lent up a company of his war-relations, to perfuade them to guard in time, againft our dangerous encroachments, by killing all the Englifh, that planted their lands without the general confent of the owner*;,, and to take their black people as a good prize j becaufe they were building and planting for the reception of an Englifh garrifon, which was to come from the Miffifippi, and be the firft means of enflaving them. While their tranfport of madnefs laded, it was fruitlefs to reafon with them \ but at every convenient opportunity, I ufed fuch plain, friendly, and perfuafive arguments to footh them, as I imagined might regain their loft affec tions, and procraltinate the dangerous impending blow* They confented at laft to forbear every kind of refentment againft our late fufpicious con duct, on condition of my writing to thofe who could redrefs them, and our people fpeedily withdrawing from their land the intruding planters. This- I did ; and at Mobille I delivered my remonftrance to the fuperintendanu Upon my urging the abfolute neceffity of pacifying our old fteady friends, by removing the ungenerous caufe of their jealoufy, he aflured me, that he would gladly comply with fojuft a requeft, efpecially, as it exactly coin cided with his majefty's proclamation, then fixed on the fort-gate.

In the fpace of about ten days after, by order of Governor Johnftone, all the Chikkafah and Choktah traders were cited to appear before him and the fuperintendant, in order to know the merit of, and anfwer to, my nu merous complaints. When they appeared, and every thing was properly: adjufted, his fecretary read paragraph by paragraph, and his excellency, very minutely examined all the reputable traders, who confirmed to his fulL fatisfaction, the truth of every thing in my complaint. But tho* the memo rial fet forth, among other inftances, that " but a few minutes after I had" once a troublefome difpute with the abovementioned Chikkafah leader, on account of the traders prohibited and poifoning liquors, he went home dif- tradted, and finding none but his aged mother, he would have killed her with his tomohawk, only for her earneft entreaties, and then fudden. efcape," yet none of thofe diforderly people were either fufpended from, trading with the Indians, or forfeited the penalty of their bonds- neither wrs. the Indians requeft complied with. Though, I believe, the termination v, r as to the no fmall mortification of his excellency.

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