Cushing.] OoO [Nov. 6. 



Most interesting of these and conclusively significant of the nature of the 

 find, was what I regarded as a set of " Black-Drink " appliances. It con- 

 sisted of a gourd, the long stem of which had been perforated at the end 

 and sides ; of a tall wooden cup or vase — brewing-churn and drinking- 

 drum, in one ; of a toasting tray of black earthenware punctured around 

 the rim to facilitate handling when hot, and of a fragmentary, but 

 nearly complete, sooty boiling-bowl or liemispherical fire-pot, also of 

 black earthenware. Near by were two beautifully finished conch-shell 

 ladles or drinking cups, both rather smaller and more highly finished 

 than others found in different parts of the court. The larger one was 

 still stained a deep reddish brown color inside, as though it had been 

 long used for some dark fluid like coflee, and uncleansed, or too deeply 

 stained for cleansing. 



Now by reference to Laudonnier's relation of Ribault's and his own 

 efforts to colonize Florida, some three hundred years ago, and especially 

 by reference to Jonathan Dickenson's narrative of his reception by the 

 self-same "Cassekey " — who, it will be remembered, later despoiled him 

 and his party — one can see that these things quite undoubtedly pertained, 

 as I have intimated, to the brewing and ceremonial serving of the 

 sacred Cassine or ' Black-Drink" so famous among all Southern 

 Indians ; for they correspond in a general way quite remarkably to those 

 described by this author, so much so, that I do not hesitate to quote his 

 account at length. He says : 



"The Indians were seated as aforesaid, the Cassekey at the upper end 

 of them, and the range of cabins was filled with men, women and 

 children, beholding us. At length we heard a woman or two cry, 

 according to their manner, and that very sorrowfully .... which 

 occasioned some of us to think that something extraordinary was to 

 be done to us ; we also heard a strange sort of a noise, which was not 

 unlike the noise made by a man, but we could not understand what, 

 nor where it was ; for sometimes it sounded to be in one part of the 

 liouse, sometimes in another, to which we had an ear. And indeed 

 our ears and eyes could perceive or hear nothing but what was strange 

 and dismal, and death seemed to surround us ; but time discovered 

 this noise to us — the occasion of it was thus : In one part of this house,, 

 where a fire was kept, was an Indian man, having a pot on the fire, 

 wherein he was making a drink of a shrub (which we understood 

 afterwards by the Spaniards, is called Casseena) boiling the said leaves, 

 after they had parched them in a pot ; then with a gourd, having a 

 long neck, and at the top of it a small hole, which the top of one's 

 finger could cover, and at the side of it a round hole of two inches diame- 

 ter. They take the liquor out of the pot, and \m\ it into a deep round 

 l)owl, which being almost filled, contains nigh three gallons : with this 

 gourd they l)re\v the liquor, and make it froth very mucli ; it looks of a 

 deep brown color. In the brewing of this liquor was this noise made, 

 which we tliought strange ; for the pressing of the gourd gently down 

 into tlie liquor, and the air wliich it contained, being forced out of the 

 little hole at the top, occasioned a sound, and according to the time and 

 motion given, would be various. Tins drink wlien made and cool to 

 sup, was in a siiell first carried to the Cassekey, who threw part of it on 

 the ground, and the rest he drank up, and then would make a loud hem ^ 

 and afterwards tlie cup passed to the rest of the Cassekey's associates. 



