IQ PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIOKALi MUSEUM vol.79 



The closest parallels are found in Bartram's descriptions of the cir- 

 cular council houses of the Cherokee and Creeks. The Cherokee 

 town house or council house at the village of Cowe, visited by Bar- 

 tram in 1776, is described as follows: 



The council or town-house is a large rotunda, capable of accommodating sev- 

 eral hundred people. . . . The rotunda is constructed after the following man- 

 ner: they first fix in the ground a circular range of posts or trunks of trees, 

 about six feet high, at equal distances, which are notched at top, to receive into 

 them from one to another, a range of beams or wall plates; within this is 

 another circular order of very large and strong pillars, above twelve feet high, 

 notched in like manner at top, to receive another range of wall plates; and 

 within this is yet another or third range of stronger and higher pillars, but 

 fewer in number, and standing at a greater distance from each other; and 

 lastly, in the centre stands a very strong pillar, which forms the pinnacle of 

 the building, and to which the rafters are strengthened and bound together by 

 cross beams and laths, which sustain the roof or covering, which is a layer 

 of bark neatly placed, and tight enough to exclude the rain, and sometimes 

 they cast a thin superficies of earth over all. There is but one large door, 

 which serves at the same time to admit light from without and the smoak to 

 escape when a fire is kindled ; but as there is but a small fire kept, sufficient to 

 give light at night, and that fed with dry small sound wood divested of its 

 bark, there is but little smoak. All around the inside of the building, betwixt 

 the second range of pillars and the wall, is a range of cabins or sophas, con- 

 sisting of two or three steps, one above or behind the other, in theatrical order, 

 where the assembly sit or lean down; these sophas are covered with mats or 

 carpets, very curiously made of thin splints of Ash or Oak, woven or platted 

 together ; near the great pillar in the centre the fire is kindled for light, near 

 which the musicians seat themselves, and round about this the performers ex- 

 hibit their dances and other shoves at public festivals, which happen almost 

 every night throughout the year.^ 



This Cherokee house is similar to House Eing No. 1 in that its 

 posts for walls and roof supports were arranged in circular order 

 (although in only two circles), and that it had a large central roof 

 support. An important difference is that in the Cherokee house the 

 posts of the Oiuter circle, forming the wall, were small, while those 

 of the inner circle, supporting the main weight of the roof, were 

 larger and farther apart. In House King No. 1, however, the largest 

 posts were those in the outer circle C ; those in B were slightly smaller, 

 while those of A and the inner square were still smaller and more 

 closely placed. Assuming a single structure to be represented, this 

 might be taken as an indication that its roof was comparatively flat, 

 for a conical roof rising toward the center would call for heavier sup- 

 ports there than along the periphery, just as in the Plains earth 

 lodges and other American houses of similar type. The Cherokee 

 example of an elevated range of seats " one above or behind 

 the other, in theatrical order " might possibly explain the inner circles 



1 Bartram, William, Travels Througli North and Soutli Carolina, Georgia, East and 

 West Florida, pp. 366-367. London, 1792. 



