The French commander was very eager to make friends with the Lower Creek Indians. The tribe of Indians was very warlike, and the French would rather have them as friends than as enemies. Fort Toulouse was in the heart of that part of the country in which the Lower Creek lived. The English, who lived in Georgia, and who were the enemies of the French, had gained the friendship of the Creeks. The French commander decided that he would do everything he could to get the Creeks to leave the English and join the French. So he invited the Chief of the Creeks, who called himself the Emperor of Coweta, to visit Fort Toulouse.

     The Emperor of Coweta was only a boy of eighteen but he felt as important as if he was the ruler of the world. When the invitation came from the French commander, the Emperor sent word that he would come. He called together the great elders of the tribe and ordered them to get ready for the journey.

     At Fort Toulouse, the French were very busy getting ready for their guests. The French soldiers polished their guns until they shone in the sunlight. The men of the settlement brought in all sorts of wild game for the feast. The wives of the settlers prepared the feast.

     Just before the Emperor reached Grey’s Ferry, which was just below the present town of Wetumpka, a French officer, Bossu, by name, went forth to meet the honored guest. Bossu took the Emperors hand and told him that he was welcome. That was the signal for the soldiers to fire the salute of honor. When the noise of the cannon roared out in the woods, the Emperor of Coweta felt very proud and happy. He thought even better of himself than before and rode into the fort looking and feeling very important.

     The Emperor was dressed in grand style. On his head he wore a crest of black plumes; his coat was scarlet and was trimmed with shinning lace. A white linen shirt seemed to be his greatest pride, for he wore it with the bottom on the outside of his trousers. The dressed up Emperor was riding a splendid horse and was followed by his braves.

     The commander made a speech of hearty welcome and did everything that he could to make the visit a happy one. The second day, at ten o’clock, all the French officers put on full uniform and paraded before the Emperor.

     At noon that day, the French and the Indian officers dined together. The Emperor took his seat with a calm and superior manner. He did not know what to do with the knives and forks at his plate. He seemed greatly embarrassed. A friend helped him out of his trouble, however, by seizing in his hands the breast and backbone of the turkey and breaking it in two with a swift jerk.

     “The Master of Life made fingers before knives and forks were made,” he said.

     Just behind the Emperors chair stood his body servant, who kept watching the yellow mustard the white eyes ate with on their roast. “What is it that they eat with their meat?” he asked. A soldier politely handed a spoonful of the hot mustard to the Indian who swallowed it eagerly. He regretted his act in a moment, for the mustard began to burn him. With a wild whoop and a wilder movement of his arms, the red man danced about, shouting that he was poisoned. The commander finally made the Indian see that he was not poisoned and quieted him with a drink. The Indian, however, never again seemed interested in the strange foods that the white eyes ate.

     Later on, the Emperor of Coweta and his braves, returned to their homes on the Chattahoochee River and for many a day they entertained their friends by telling of the strange ways of the white eyes.