and the chief of the White Clay, Oyelape, among their neighbors of other tribes, the Chicasaws and Choctaws, preaching a crusade against the French; urging them to unite with the Natchez, the Homochittas, and the Alabamas, and to attack and destroy the last man of the French settlements at Mobile, Boloxy, Ship Island, and New Orleans, as they were mischievous intruders from across the Salt Lake, whence they were yearly bringing their people to rob them of their homes and appropriate them.

There had come to them red men from the Wabash and Muskingum, who bore to them the sad news of the encroachments of the pale-faces upon their people and their hunting-grounds.  “Soon,” said the bearded chief, who was the leading spirit of the mission, “these white faces will meet along the Great River.  They will forget the arrow of truth and the tomahawk of justice.  They will only know power and oppression.  Then they will be mighty as the hurricane when the Great Sun hides his face in wrath and the tempest tears the forest.  Who can resist him then?  The holy fire has been sent again from heaven, from the Great Spirit, our God, the Great Sun.  It tells us to save our people from this fearful destruction which comes with the white man.  These pale-faces are cunning; they must not know of our union.  We must not counsel long, or they will learn our intentions.  We must strike at once.  The Choctaws must strike at Mobile.  At the same moment, Homochittas, Boloxies, and Homas, you must strike at Boloxi.  The Chickasaws and the Natchez will fall upon New Orleans and Rosalie.” (The latter is the Indian name for what is now Natchez.) His advice was startling, but unheeded.  In order to precipitate a war, on his return with the chiefs who accompanied him and two warriors, they murdered a trading-party of French, at the hills where is now Warrenton, in Warren County, Mississippi.

This murder was communicated to the French who, under Bienville, were sent by Cordelac, then Governor of Louisiana, to take revenge, by waging war upon the Natchez.  Bienville was hated by Cordelac, because he had refused the hand of his daughter, formally tendered him by her father.  He only gave the young and sagacious commander a small force with which to wage this war—­such an one as would have been overwhelmed at once had he attempted open field movements.  Knowing this, he proceeded to an island opposite the village of the Tunicas, where he entrenched himself and invited a conference.  Three spies were sent by the Natchez to reconnoitre; but they were baffled by Bienville with superior cunning.  They were sent back as not the equals of Bienville, and with a message to the Great Sun that he must come with his chiefs, that he desired to establish trading-posts among them, and would only treat with the first in authority.  They came with a consciousness that the French were ignorant of these murders, and were immediately arrested and ironed.  Bienville told them at once of the murder, and of his determination