swANTON) IN|)I.\\ TKII'.l'.S OK IIIK I.OWI'.i; M ISSISSl IMM NAI.M'.N' (iJi 



Tlic iii:iiillt's rcrfrrcil to in dcMTihin^- (In- ilrc.-.- of woiiifii are 

 iisii;illy spoken of as lu'in;!' niailc of nmllxTi'V l)ai'k. I)nt I'rnifaiit iiicii- 

 (ioiis "tlio l)ai'l< of the iicltK'" also. 



\\'lit'ii llicy liavo sttH'iK'd llicsc li.-irUs in w.ilfi- fur ciL'lit days (lie s;i.vs» llicy 

 dry tliciii ill the sun for a very loiii; tiiiH\ .nid wlit'ii tlicy nic dry lioat tlieni until 

 Ilicy li.ivo clianfietl into l),isl. Tiion tlioy pul llieni in lye and \v;isli tlicni llirco 

 or li>Mr tiuu'S until tlioy ai-(> wiiilo. TIkmi they si)in theui and make (if llicni liu? 

 cloth (Mit itf which they niannfiicturc their clotliins." 



Tlio followiuii- is Du Prat//s (lesci'ij)tion : 



'I'd ni:ike inull)crry-li;irk mantles tiiey .t,'o into tlie woods in searcii i<( shoots 

 or sprouts of unill)erry wiiich come from these trees after they have been cut 

 down. The shoots are from 4 to 5 feet hiiili. They cut them before the saii is 

 p>!ie. lake olT tlie l)ark, and dry it in the sun. When this bark is dry they 

 pound it to make the jrross jiart fall away. The interior, wliich is like bast, re- 

 mains entire. 'I'liis they poinid anew, to make it tiner. Tliey then expose it to 

 the dew, in onh-r to l)h>ach it. 



When the ba-rk is in this state they spin it rougldy. like shoemaker's thread 

 or thread for sewing shoes. They cease to spin as soon as they have enough 

 of it. Then they set up their frame, which consists of two stakes extend- 

 ing 4 feet out of the jrroinid. between tlie tops of which runs a large thread 

 on which other threads are double knotted. Finally they make [weave] a 

 crossed texture, which has a border worked in patterns extending all the way 

 around. This stufi' is at least an ell stpiare and a line in thickness. The man- 

 tles of niiillierry-ltaik thread are very white and very neat. They are fastened 

 on by iiu'ans of colds of the same thread, having tassels hanging at each end.'' 



We find the followine: reaardinij feather work : 



With the thread which they obtain from the bark of the bass tree ^ they make 

 for themselves a kind of mantle which they cover with the finest swan feathers 

 fastened on this cloth one by one, a long piece of work in truth, but they 

 account their pains and time as nothing when they want to satisfy themselves.'* 



The feather mantles are worked on a frame similar to that on which wig 

 makers work hair. They lay out the feathers in the same manner and fasten 

 them to old fish nets or old mulberry-bark mantles. They place them in the 

 manner already outlined one over another and on both sides. For this purpose 

 they make use of little turkey feathers. The women who can obtain feathers 

 of the swan or Indian duck make mantles of them for the women of the Honored 

 class.'' 



The hist writer also states that the feather crowns of the sovereigns 

 were composed of swan feathers, and that " the young people of both 

 sexes make tippets of the skin ornamented with its down." f 



Dumont adds that ''with the tail feathers of turkeys which they 

 know how to arrange they make fans, which not only serve them, 

 but which our French women themselves do not disdain to use."" a 

 statement also made by Du Pratz.* 



" Margry, D^couvertes, v, 446. 



* Du I'ratz. Hist, de La Louisiane, ii. 192-193. 



<■ Ropes and cords for all sorts of purposes were made out of the bark of this ti-ee. 



<* Dumont. Mem. Hist, sur La Louisiane, i. 15.">. 



-^ pu Pratz. Hist, de La Louisiane. ii, 101-192. 



' Ihicl.. li:;. 



» Dumont. Mem. IHst. «qc La Louisiane. I, 154. 



'' fvii I'l-atz, Hist, de La Louifiane, ii, 125. 



