Swanton] INDIAN THIl^KS OF THK LOWHR MISSISSU'lM VALLFA' ()0 



on otlior troos. Tlie oiu' wlio li;is tlic lirr li.ulils oiio of Uicsc piocos of ciiiie iiiid 

 wbon it is bnniiii^ \v«'ll throws it liko a dart into the liolc of tlio hear. If be 

 does not siu'coed tbo lirst time bo liciiins a^ain until the bear is forci'd to come 

 out of bis refuRO. A\iirn Www is cikui;:!! lire in the trunlj to lif;bt the rotten 

 wood witliiii it the itcar. wiio is iiol a lover of sucli a lively li(>at, comes out back- 

 ward and almndoiis ins Jionie to the ardor of tlie tianies. Tlien the buuters, who 

 are all ready, slioot arrows at Inni as fast as i)ossil)k>, and with so much 

 proniittness tliat be is often Ivilled before be has been able to reacli tbe foot of 

 the trunk. 



This chase is very useful, for besides tbe tlesh, which is very good and very 

 healthful, the skin and the fat, from which oil is extracted, are of great use, 

 much value being placed on them, for both are of daily use. 



As soon as the bear is in tbe power of tbe buntei* some persons detach tlK-m- 

 selves to hunt deer, and never fail to bring back one or two. 



When they have a deer they begin by cutting off its bead, then skin the neck, 

 rolling tbe skin as one would a stocking, and cut up the tlesh and bones as fast 

 as they advance. This operation can not fail to be laborious because it is neces- 

 sary to take out all tbe tlesh and the bones through the skin of tbe neck in order 

 to make a sack of this skin. They cut it as far as tbe bams and other places 

 where there are outlets. When the skin is entirely empty they scrape it and 

 clean it. Then they make a kind of cement with the fat of the same deer and 

 a few fine ashes. They put it around the orifices which they close very tightly 

 with the bark of the bass tree and leave only tbe neck through which to cask the 

 bear's oil. It Is this which the French call a faon of oil. The natives put tbe 

 flesh and the fat to cook together so that they may detach themselves from each 

 other. They do this cooking in earthen pots of their own manufacture, or in 

 kettles if they have them. When this grease or oil is lukewarm they put it into 

 tbe fnon. 



They come to trade this kind of oil to the French for a gun or ell of cloth or 

 similar things. That was the price of a faon of oil at the time I lived there. 

 But the Frencb use it only after having purified it.*^ 



This is the manner of hunting deer, as described by Dumont : 



When a savage has succeeded in killing a deer he first cuts off its head as 

 far down as tbe shoulders. Then he skins the neck without cutting tbe skin, 

 and, having removed the bones and tbe flesh from it, be draws out all the 

 brains from the head. After this operation be replaces the bones of tbe neck 

 very neatly and fixes them In place with the aid of a circle of wood and some 

 little sticks. Then be re-covers them with their skin, and, baving dried this 

 bead partly in the shade and pai'tly in the smoke, be thus has an entire deer's 

 bead, which is very light, and which with its skin preserves also its hair, its 

 horns, and its ears. He carries it with him hung to his belt when he goes hunt- 

 ing, and as soon as he i)erceives a bison or a deer be passes his right hand into 

 the neck of this deer, with which he conceals bis face, and begins to make the 

 same kind of movements as tbe living animal would make. He looks ahead, 

 then turns the head rapidly from one side to the other. He lowers it to browse 

 on the grass and raises it immediately afterward. In fact, always concealing 

 his face with this bead, he deceives tbe animal whicb be wishes to approach by 

 means of his gestures, and if during this time it happens that the animal stops 

 to observe him the savage, though be has bis leg in the air to move forward, 

 stays it there, and has enough patience to remain in this posture until the living 

 animal, taking him for another animal of his species, begins to approach him. 



" Du Pratz. Hist, de La Loulsiano, ii, 86-89. 



