CREEK INDIAN EEPOSITORY. 901 



disposal, though not his private property, but coiiyitkned as the tribute 

 or free contribution of the citizens of the State at the disposal of the 

 King." He further states that the common or public granary served 

 the valuable purposes of assisting the needy when in sore want, of fur- 

 nishing entertainment for strangers and noted guests, and of supplying 

 warriors with 'provisions when they were setting out on hostile expe- 

 ditions. 



That the American Indians often concealed in the ground and in se- 

 cure receptacles not only the products of their agricultural labor and 

 trophies of the chase, but also objects manufactured of clay, shell, and 

 stone, is a fact capable of easy demonstration. Without enumerating 

 the proofs, or pausing to cite authorities in sui)port of the frequent use 

 by the Southern Indians in the sixteenth century of storehouses, both 

 public and pri\-ate, we desire to call attention to the existence of one 

 of these primitive structures upon the plantation of Colonel Seaborn 

 Jones, at Mill Haven, in Screven County, Georgia. For quite a century 

 it has remained unchanged. It is located upon the declivity of the 

 right bank of Briar Creek, in proximity to that stream, and in the midst 

 of a beautiful forest of oak, holly, and i)ine. Cylindrical in shape, this 

 receptacle has a diameter of 8 feet, and is about G feet dee]). The ex- 

 cavation in the ground was at first carefully and regularly made and, 

 when completed, the sides and bottom were covered with a, uniform 

 layer of well-kneaded red chiy 4 inches in thickness. These clay walls, 

 the interior surface of which was pressed hard and smooth, are still 

 quite perfect. As'one looks upon the structure, it presents the appear- 

 ance of a huge cylindrical terra-cotta vessel let into the earth. There 

 is some indication of the action of fire in hardening the walls. To 

 Briar Creek, and especially to this neighborhood, did the Creek Indians 

 resort to fish and hunt. The adjacent bluffs and fields give token to 

 the present day of former and long-continued occupancy. Village sites 

 may still be seen littered with fragments of earthen vessels, flint chips, 

 spear and arrow points, grooved axes, s(;rai)ers, and other objects of 

 primitive manufacture. Even now this stream abounds in fishes, tur- 

 tles, and alligators, and the swamp, at an early i)eriod, was filled with 

 deer, wild turkeys, and other game held in rej)ute by the natives. 



Doubtless, during the use of this receptacle, it was furnished with a 

 roof or covering which long since perished. It is probable that in it 

 were stored, from time to time, the fishes caught by visiting Indians. 

 Tliese, having been previously dried, there accumulated until the sea- 

 son arrived for the homeward journey, where they were removed and 

 transported to the permanent lodges of their captors. It is hoped that 

 care will be exercised in the preservation of this interesting object. 



