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his interest in Indian life and Indian people, which went beyond mere observation to a personal concern. Du Pratz in fact met the Tunica before he met the Natchez. Traveling upriver to take up a small concession at Natchez, he stopped and celebrated the Christmas holiday of 1718 with Davion. The celebration of the holiday seems to have led to discussion of the religious success of the mission; Davion explained regretfully that he had still actually baptized only dying children. Du Pratz was able to observe, however, that the Tunica great chief attended morning and evening prayers, and that his example encouraged numerous women and children to do the same. He also observed the good relations that existed between Davion and the Tunica. Interestingly, since Tunica pottery is distinctive, Du Pratz iso observed that the people made it from a potting clay taken from one of several steep hills, called "white hill", and that the other Indians of the region also made use of this Tunica clay source.
The following winter there is another vingnette of Davion’s mission by Benard de La Harpe, an adventurer who had come to make his fortune on a concession on theRed River and who stopped at the Tunica mission on the way to the Natchitoches post. La Harpe credited Davion with having persuaded the Tunica to "abandon the greater part of their idolatry," and he also reports that the main chief of the Tunica-whose name, Cahura-Joligo, is given here for the first time-attends Davion’s daily prayer services with his family. Finally, he mentions, presumably on the strength of information from Davion, that the Tunica are made up of two united groups, speaking the same language and each having a chief, Cahura-Joligo being referred to as "the first."
It is not certain when Davion completely abandoned his mission to the Tunica, but since he was not there in 1721 when Charlevoix visited and his name is found as officiating at church activities in Mobile during 1720, it is generally assumed that he left at some time in 1719-1720. There are, however, several bits of evidence that indicate a continuing French presence among the Tunica. In 1720 one of Du Pratz’ black slaves ran away with his wife into the woods and was found by the Tunica, who turned them over to a Frenchman. It is not clear whether this Frenchman was residing with the Tunica or was just there to cany on trade, but it is evident from this that the Tunica were not deprived of French contact by the departure of Davion. Later, in 1727, Father du Poisson passed through the Tunica settlement from his mission
among the Quapaw and noted that there were "a few Frenchmen" there. Doubtless the French were able during this period to take advantage of the accommodation of the fort.
The entrepreneurial talents of Cahura-
Joligo were apparently bringing the Tunica by this time into ever closer economic contacts with the French. It has been suggested that the Tunicas were great traders in horses, which they obtained from the tribes of the Great Plains and sold to colonists and Indians of Louisiana. Interesting and romantic as this picture may be, I am afraid that it is inaccurate-an impression made by the very clear evidence, reported by both Charlevoix and La Harpe, for the activities of Cahura-Joligo in the 1720s. Neither of these observers, however, was a long-time resident of Louisiana, and Du Pratz contradicts them by attributing the trade in horses and cattle to the Avoyelles living on the Red River. It may be that the Tunica, allies of the Avoyelles, took part in the trade. It has been claimed that because the Tunica were only middlemen, evidence of the trade would not necessarily be found in the elaborate burials of the Tunica Treasure. This claim seems specious to me, since all Native American tribes which incorporated the horse into their culture showed that adoption to some extent. Chickasaws of north Mississippi were known for their ponies, and horse furniture is found in Chickasaw burials. Not only that, but the French documents show the Chickasaws with horses; using them for traveling to hunting grounds, having them killed or run off in tens and twenties during raids carried out by the Choctaw. In the case of the Tunica, however, there is no mention of horses at all-neither use nor ownership.
Except by Chaura-Joligo, chief during the Angola sojourn, who was apparently vastly enamored of French trade goods, fashionable French clothes, and money, according to the report of Charlevoix, who visited the Tunica in 1721. Charlevoix recognized his remarkable loyalty to the French and noted his trade in "horses and fowls" and trunks full of clothes and money in his cabin, which was adorned on the exterior with bas-relief carvings in what Charlevoix observed as rather fine work. Yet the Tunica way of domestic life had not been significantly changed, if Charlevoix’ description is reliable. He observed a
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