﻿JULY 
  19, 
  1922 
  BUSHNELL: 
  ethnologic 
  data 
  from 
  LOUISIANA 
  305 
  

  

  Caches. 
  — 
  Caches 
  were 
  used 
  extensively 
  and 
  every 
  family 
  had 
  one 
  

   or 
  more. 
  Quantities 
  of 
  dried 
  fish 
  and 
  venison, 
  supplies 
  of 
  various 
  

   sorts, 
  dressed 
  skins, 
  etc., 
  were 
  deposited 
  in 
  caches, 
  and 
  when 
  so 
  hidden 
  

   would 
  seldom 
  be 
  found 
  except 
  by 
  their 
  owners. 
  Caches 
  were 
  prepared 
  

   by 
  making 
  an 
  excavation 
  in 
  dry 
  ground 
  and 
  lining 
  it 
  with 
  a 
  large 
  num- 
  

   ber 
  of 
  palmetto 
  leaves. 
  The 
  material 
  to 
  be 
  protected 
  was 
  placed 
  in 
  

   a 
  crude 
  box 
  or 
  wrapped 
  in 
  bark 
  and 
  placed 
  in 
  the 
  pit. 
  More 
  palmetto 
  

   leaves 
  were 
  then 
  placed 
  on 
  top 
  and 
  they 
  in 
  turn 
  were 
  usually 
  covered 
  

   with 
  an 
  old 
  blanket 
  or 
  one 
  or 
  more 
  skins. 
  All 
  was 
  then 
  covered 
  with 
  

   earth 
  or 
  sand 
  and 
  made 
  to 
  resemble 
  the 
  surrounding 
  surface. 
  When 
  

   the 
  house 
  was 
  occupied 
  similar 
  pits 
  were 
  used 
  to 
  hold 
  the 
  potatoes, 
  

   hides, 
  and 
  other 
  possessions 
  of 
  the 
  family, 
  but 
  they 
  were 
  not 
  so 
  care- 
  

   fully 
  closed 
  and 
  protected. 
  

  

  Dress 
  and 
  personal 
  decoration. 
  — 
  Tattooing 
  was 
  practiced 
  extensively 
  

   by 
  the 
  people 
  of 
  two 
  or 
  more 
  generations 
  ago. 
  The 
  skin 
  was 
  pricked 
  

   with 
  a 
  needle, 
  or 
  with 
  several 
  needles 
  tied 
  together, 
  and 
  the 
  surface 
  

   thus 
  punctured 
  rubbed 
  with 
  soot 
  which 
  had 
  been 
  mixed 
  with 
  oil 
  or 
  

   some 
  kind 
  of 
  grease. 
  The 
  women, 
  after 
  marriage, 
  often 
  had 
  a 
  dot 
  

   tattooed 
  near 
  the 
  corner 
  of 
  the 
  mouth. 
  The 
  hands, 
  arms, 
  and 
  neck 
  

   were 
  likewise 
  decorated. 
  

  

  Pins, 
  brooches, 
  earrings, 
  and 
  other 
  ornaments 
  were 
  made 
  of 
  silver 
  

   coins 
  hammered 
  thin, 
  then 
  cut 
  and 
  trimmed 
  to 
  the 
  desired 
  shape 
  and 
  

   size. 
  

  

  Skin 
  dressing. 
  — 
  Some 
  skins 
  were 
  prepared 
  for 
  various 
  uses 
  without 
  

   removing 
  the 
  hair 
  or 
  wool. 
  They 
  were 
  stretched 
  in 
  a 
  frame 
  or 
  over 
  

   some 
  firm 
  surface 
  as 
  soon 
  after 
  being 
  removed 
  from 
  the 
  animal 
  as 
  

   possible, 
  otherwise 
  they 
  would 
  become 
  hard 
  and 
  dry. 
  When 
  properly 
  

   stretched, 
  a 
  quantity 
  of 
  dry 
  corn 
  meal 
  was 
  rubbed 
  on 
  the 
  flesh 
  side 
  

   to 
  absorb 
  all 
  the 
  oil 
  and 
  grease, 
  the 
  surface 
  was 
  scraped 
  with 
  a 
  sharp 
  

   implement 
  to 
  remove 
  the 
  particles 
  of 
  flesh, 
  more 
  corn 
  meal 
  was 
  rubbed 
  

   in, 
  and 
  the 
  surface 
  again 
  scraped. 
  Soon 
  the 
  entire 
  skin 
  would 
  become 
  

   soft 
  and 
  pliable. 
  If 
  it 
  was 
  desired 
  to 
  tan 
  the 
  skin 
  with 
  the 
  hair 
  re- 
  

   moved, 
  the 
  latter 
  was 
  first 
  singed 
  with 
  a 
  hot 
  coal 
  or 
  moved 
  quickly 
  

   over 
  a 
  small 
  flame 
  until 
  it 
  could 
  be 
  rubbed 
  off, 
  then 
  both 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  

   skin 
  were 
  treated 
  with 
  corn 
  meal 
  and 
  scraped, 
  as 
  described 
  above. 
  

   The 
  implement 
  used 
  in 
  scraping 
  the 
  skins 
  resembled 
  a 
  long 
  chisel, 
  

   made 
  of 
  hard 
  wood 
  and 
  beveled 
  at 
  one 
  end. 
  

  

  Pottery. 
  — 
  Earthenware 
  vessels 
  were 
  made 
  and 
  used 
  for 
  many 
  pur- 
  

   poses. 
  Three 
  sorts 
  of 
  clay 
  were 
  known, 
  black 
  or 
  gray, 
  white, 
  and 
  red, 
  

  

  