l8 HUNTING AND FISHING IN ILORIDA. 



with white leather moccasins and leggings and a white deerskin 

 on his shoulders, went at daybreak to the center of the village and 

 started a fire, which he did onl}- after considerable difficulty, by 

 rubbing two dr^' sticks together. Four young men then approached 

 from the four corners of the square, each carrying an oak log. 

 They advanced towards the fire with great ceremou}-, and deposited 

 their logs end to end, pointed to the four points of the compass. 

 After these logs had become well ignited four other j'oung men 

 came forward, each carrving an ear of new corn, which the medi- 

 cine man took from them and placed upon the fire, wliere they were 

 consumed. Then four other 3'oung men approached carrying a 

 quantity t)t' the " cassina "' plant, from which the black drink is 

 manufactured. Some of the leaves were placed on the fire and 

 consumed, after which the remainder was immediatelv dried and 

 cooked for use. 



The warriors and other males of tlie tribe having assembled, they 

 proceeded to drink the black drink in the usual manner. During 

 the first day's ceremony no women were allowed to approach the 

 fire, and it is a question whether they were allowed admittance on 

 the second or third days.* The third day was spent by the young 

 men in hunting and fishing. On the fourth day the whole town 

 assembled, including men, women, and children, and the game 

 killed on the previous day was cooked and served for a great feast, 

 and the day was spent in eating, drinking, and dancing. Large 

 pots of sofkee were placed about and a wooden spoon was constantly 

 at its side so that any one wishing to partake of it could do so. 

 The method of making sofkee in the old days was to boil a quantity of 

 pounded corn until it formed a soup of the consistency of rather tliin 

 gruel ; to this was added a small quantitv of lees made from ashes of 

 hickory wood. The soup thus made kept for several days in cov- 

 ered pots. At the present time sofkee is made of boiled corn 

 and hominy, without the addition of the lees made from hickorv 

 wood. The Indians squat about the kettle, each one drinking 

 a spoonfvd of the mixture in tvn-n, using the same large wooden 

 spoon. 



*This is incorrect. See Preface to Seiond Edition. 



