6. Lower Towns.—Tomassee, Oustestee, Cheowie, Estatoie, Tosawa, Keowee, and Oustanalle.

About twenty years later, Bartram,[12] who traversed the country, gives the names of forty-three Cherokee towns and villages then existing and inhabited as follows:

No.Name.Where situated.
1EchoeOn the Tanase east of Jore Mountains.
2Nucasse
3Whatoga
4Cowe
5TicoloosaInland, on the branches of the Tanase.
6Jore
7 Conisca
8Nowe
9TomothleOn the Tanase over the Jore Mountains.
10Noewe
11Tellico
12Clennuse
13Occunolufte
14Chewe
15Quanuse
16Tellowe
17TellicoInland towns on the branches of the Tanase and other waters over the Jore Mountains.
18Chatuga
19Hiwasse
20Chewase
21Nuanba
22TallaseOverhill towns on the Tanase or Cherokee River.
23Chelowe
24Sette
25Chote, great
26Joco
27Tahasse
28Tamahle
29Tuskege
30— — Big Island
31Nilaque
32Niowe
33SinicaLower towns east of the mountains on the Savanna or Keowe River.
34Keowe
35Kulsage
36TugiloLower towns east of the mountains on Tugilo River.
37Estotowe
38QualatcheLower towns on Flint River.
39Chote
40Estotewe, greatTowns on waters of other rivers.
41Allagae
42Jore
43Naeoche

Mouzon's map of 1771 gives the names of several Lower Cherokee towns not already mentioned. Among these may be enumerated, on the Tugalco River and its branches, Turruraw, Nayowee, Tetohe, Chagee, Tussee, Chicherohe, Echay, and Takwashnaw; on the Keowee, New Keowee, and Quacoretche; and on the Seneca, Acounee.

In subsequent years, through frequent and long continued conflicts with the ever advancing white settlements and the successive treaties whereby the Cherokees gradually yielded portions of their domain, the location and names of their towns were continually changing until the final removal of the nation west of the Mississippi.[13]

EXPULSION OF SHAWNEES BY CHEROKEES AND CHICKASAWS.

In the latter portion of the seventeenth century the Shawnees, or a portion of them, had their villages on the Cumberland, and to some extent, perhaps, on the Tennessee also. They were still occupying that region as late as 1714, when they were visited by M. Charleville, a French trader, but having about this time incurred the hostility of the Cherokees and Chickasaws they were driven from the country. Many years later, in the adjustment of a territorial dispute between the Cherokees and Chickasaws, each nation claimed the sole honor of driving out the Shawnees, and hence, by right of conquest, the title to the territory formerly inhabited by the latter. The Chickasaws evidently had the best of the controversy, though some concessions were made to the Cherokees in the matter when the United States came to negotiate for the purchase of the controverted territory.

TREATY RELATIONS WITH THE COLONIES.

Treaty and purchase of 1721.—The treaty relations between the Cherokees and the whites began in 1721, when jealousy of French territorial encroachments persuaded Governor Nicholson of South Carolina to invite the Cherokees to a general congress, with a view to the conclusion of a treaty of peace and commerce.

The invitation was accepted, and delegates attended from thirty-seven towns, with whom, after smoking the pipe of peace and distributing presents, he agreed upon defined boundaries and appointed an agent to superintend their affairs.[14]