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Show 72 men. 30 or 40 years ago the Spaniards had a tnissio1't here but broke it up, or moved it to Nacogdoches. They talk of resettling it, and speak in the highest terms of the country. MAYES, live on a large creek called St. Gabriel, Dn the bay of St. Bernard, ncar the 1nouth of Guadaloupe river: arc estimated at 200 tnen; never at p_eacc with the Spaniards, towards whom they are smd to I)Osse~s a fixt'd hatred, but profess great friencbhip for the French, to whom they have been strongly attached since Mons. de Salle landed in their neighborhood. The place where there is a talk of the Spaniards opening a new port, and making a settlement, is near them; where the party, with the governor of St. Antoine, who were there last fall to exatnine it, say they found the remains of a French block house; some of the cannon now at Labahie are said to have been brought from that place, and known by the engravings now to be seen on them. The French speak highly of these Indians for their extreme kindness and hospitality to all Frenchmen who have been amongst them: have a language of their own, but speak Attakapa, which is the language of their neighbors the Carankouas; they have likewise a way of conversing by signs. C .. .t\.RANKOU AS, live on an-island, or peninsula, in the bay of St. Bernard, in length about ten miles, and five in breadth; the soil is extremely rich and pleasant; on one side of which there is a high bluff, or mountain of coal, which has been on fire for many years, affording always a light at night, and a strong, thick smoke by day, by which vessels are sometimes deceived and lost on the shoaly coast, which shoals are said to extend nearly out of sight of land. From this burning coal there is emitted a gummy substance the Spaniards call cheta, which is thrown on the shore by the surf, and collected by them in considerable 73 quantities, which they are fond of chewing; it has the appearance and consistence of pitch, of a strong, aromatic, and not disagreeable smrll. These Indians are irreconcileable enemies to the Spaniards, always at war with them, and kill then1 ·whenever they can. The Spaniards call them cannibals, but the French give them a different character, vvho have alw·ays been treated kindly by them since Mons. d~ S:tlle and his party were in their neighborhood. They are said to be 500 men strong, but I have not been able to estimate their numbers from any very accnrate information; in a short time expect to be well informed. ~hey speak the Attakapa language; are friendly and kmd to all other Indians, and, I presume, are much like all others, notwith~tanding what the Spaniards say of them, for nature is every where the same. Last surnmer an old Spaniard came to me from Labahie, a journey of about 500 miles, to have a barbed arrow taken out of his shoulder, that one of these Indians had shot in it. I found it under his shoulder-blade, near nine inches, and had to cut a new place to get at the point of it, in order to get it ?ut the contrary way from that in which it had entered: ~~ was made of a piece of an iron hoop, with wings hke a fluke and an inche. CANCES, are a very numerous nation, consisting of a great many different tribes, occupying different parts of the country, from the bay of S .• Bernard, cross nver Grand, towards La Vera Cruz. They are not friendly to the Spaniards, and generally kill them when they have an opportunity. They are at. ta~hed to the French; are good hunters, principally usmg the bow. ·rhey are verv particular in their dress, which is made of neatly dressed leather; the wome~ wear a long loose robe, resembling that of a Franciscan friar; nothing bnt their heads and feet are to b~ seen. The dress of the men is straight leather leggmgs, resembling pantaloons, and a leather hunt .. 10 |