of North American Indians. 15 



for a portion of their land, mainly from the opposition of this man. 

 Some years ago, he proposed to his king Pucksinubee to take as 

 many warriors as would follow him, for the purpose of gaining pos- 

 session of the province of Texos. But the king refused his con- 

 sent, fearing that they might come in contact \vith the government 

 of the United States. This chief was of great service to General 

 Jackson when he subdued the Creeks and Seminoles. 



Their habitations are constructed of poles, joined at the top, and 

 covered with the bark of the elm tree. The fire is placed in 

 the centre, and an opening is left at the top to permit the smoke 

 to escape. They always erect their dwellings on the bank of 

 gome river or bayou. The ground in the inner side of these 

 tents is covered with bear skins and buffalo hides. They al- 

 ways sleep with their feet to the fire ; and these habitations are 

 changed according to the plenty or scarcity of game. Their food 

 consists of bear meat, venison, buffalo meat, and Indian corn 

 pounded into coarse hominy. They have a dish which they caU 

 Tom-foola, resembling the Scotch haggis, from its being boiled 

 in the paunch of the deer. It is eaten Avith horn spoons. 



Marriages. — They marry at an early period : the man usually 

 demands the woman from the uncle. The ceremony is merely an 

 exchange of presents between the parties. The man presents a 

 piece of bear meat or venison : the woman, if she excepts the pre- 

 sent, in return presents an ear of Indian corn. By this is meant 

 that he engages to supply her with meat, and the woman to keep 

 him in bread. Their courtship is frequently carried on by dancing. 

 They form themselves into two lines, and dance up to each other. 

 This dancing is accompanied with gestures, and singing alternate- 

 ly in concert. Concubinage is allowed among them. I knew a 

 Chactaw who had ten wives, one of whom did not seem to be more 

 than seven years of age. 



Funerals. — I once witnessed the funeral of a warrior, which was 

 conducted in the following manner. The body was doubled up in 

 a blanket, and the mourners formed themselves in a sitting posture 

 around it in a circle ; their heads ^vere all covered with blankets. 

 The wife of the deceased began the lament, by repeating the words 

 knokena kene a ta ha, signifying " the man is gone away." This 

 was followed by the most melancholy, and, I may add, wild and 

 terrific yelling or howling that ever 1 heard. They fixed upon an 

 elevated spot of ground for the grave, which was dug about 3i feet 

 in depth, with an ofF-set near the bottom, to allow of covering the 

 body vnth. pieces of elm bark. They deposited with it a bottle of 

 water, a pan of meal, all his instruments of hunting, and aU his 

 bear skins and deer skins. I inquired of one of the old men the 

 meaning of this. He replied, they believed that after death they 

 existed in a human form, and that they either went to a good or a bad 

 hunting-ground, according to their state in this life, and these de- 

 posits were made in case of necessity. They mourn during six 



