SWANTONl INDIAN TKIBKS OF IIIK LOWKH MISSISSIPPI VAIJ.EY 71 



fartiu'i- ;in(l iii;ik<' only m lirdc wlicn Ihc.v pci-ccivc llint the iiniiiinl is very 

 much fatifiiu'd. At that tinii' they froncli almost to tiic oarlii wiicii tiic dfer 

 couios to their side, and as suoii as it i^cets near tlieiu rise with shouts and drive 

 it from one side to the other so long as the deer is ahle to sustain itself. But 

 finally, not beinj: able to do anything more from fatigue, its limbs fail it. It falls, 

 and allows itself to be taken like a lamb. They take care, however, to attack it 

 only from the rvnup, in order to escaiie any blow of its antlers or fore feet, 

 which, however. hai»i»eiis to them sometimes in spite of all the precautions which 

 they take. 



Having seized the deer they present it to the great Sun, if he is present, or 

 to that one he has sent to give him this pleasure. When he has seen it at his 

 feet and has said, " It is good," the hunters cut open the deer and bring it 

 back in quarters to the cabin of the great Sun, who distributes it to the leaders 

 of the band who have gone on' this hunt.*^ 



As noted in the account given bj^ Dumont, the bison was sometimes 

 hunted like the deer. Ancientl}^ it appears to have ranged well down 

 toward the mouth of the Mississippi, but in Du Pratzs time it had 

 alread}^ retired some distance from the Natchez country. Still it 

 woidd appear that at certain seasons of the year hunting parties from 

 that tribe pursued it into its nearer grazing grounds. Regarding 

 this animal, after having given a description of it, Du Pratz says: 



This bisou is the principal meat of the natives, and has also been for a long 

 time that of the French. The best piece, and one which is extremely delicate, 

 is the hump, of which I have just spoken. This animal is hunted in winter, 

 and at a distance from lower Louisiana and the river St. Louis [the Mississippi], 

 because it is unable to penetrate there on account of the thickness of the woods, 

 and besides it is fond of the tall grass which is found only in the plains of 

 the highlands. In order to ai)proach and shoot it a person goes against the 

 wind and aims at the shoulder, so as to knock it down at the first shot, for if 

 it is merely wounded it runs upon the man. In this chase the natives usually 

 kill the cows, having found that the tlesh of the males smells badly {1e bouquin), 

 an inconvenience from which it w'ould be easy for them to preserve themselves 

 if they knew as soon as the beast is dead to cut off the back sides (suites), 

 as is done to stags and boars. That would not be the only advantage they 

 would derive from it. The species would not diminish, much tallow would be 

 obtained, and the skins would be better and larger.'' 



Unless the hunt was far from home game was always brought into 

 camp by the women : 



When the husband goes hunting near the village, if he kills a deer or bison 

 he never brings it back to the house, but only the tongue of- the last animal or 

 the head of the first, which on arriving he throws at the feet of his wife, as 

 much to pay her the homage of his hunt as to tell her to go and search for 

 what he has killed. He indicates to her about where he has left the beast, 

 and in order that she may be able to find it with more certainty he takes 

 care on his return to break the branches of the shrubs along his route at in- 

 terval.s, a thing which marks the fact that he has passed there. The woman 

 sets out with her slaves, if she has any, following the tracks of her husband, 

 and when she has found the beast she brings it back to the cabin. There she 

 cooks as much of it as she considers necessary, and sells the rest to the French, 



« Du Pratz, Hist, de La Louisiane, ii, 69-73. » Ibid., 67-68. 



