made considerable improvements on the
tracts reserved. This reservation, still known as the Big-bear farm,
was on the western bank of Oconaluftee, a few miles above its mouth,
and appears to have been the same afterward occupied by Yonaguska. 2
Another of the old notables among the East Cherokee was Tsunu'la-
hufi'ski, corrupted by the whites to Junaluska, a great w T arrior, from
whom the ridge west of YVayncsville takes its name. In early life he
was known as (Ifir'kala'skiV 1 On the outbreak of the Creek war
in 1813 he raised a party of warriors to go down, as he boasted, "to
exterminate the Creeks.'" Not meeting with complete success, he
announced the result, according to the Cherokee custom, at the next
dance after his return in a single word, (htxiiiu'lilhilngiji', "I tried, but
could not," given outas a cue to the song leader, who at once took it
as the burden of his song. Thenceforth the disappointed warrior was
known as Tsunu'lahufi'ski, "'One who tries, but fails." He distinguished
himself at the Horseshoe bend, where the action of the Cherokee
decided the battle in favor of Jackson's army, and was often heard to
say after the removal: "If I had known that Jackson would drive us
from our homes, I would have killed him that day at the Horseshoe."
He accompanied the exiles of 1838, but afterward returned to his old
home; he was allowed to remain, and in recognition of his serv-
ices the state legislature, by special act, in 1847 conferred upon
him the right of citizenship and granted to him a tract of land in fee
simple, but without power of alienation.