72 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [boll. 43 



if there are any in tlie neigbborbootl. If there are nojie, she hiicans it — that 

 is, she dries it in the smolje in order to preserve it." 



Although many other kinds of animals were of course hunted and 

 trapped, the method of doing so has not been preserved. Du Pratz 

 was informed by his Natchez companions that turkeys must be taken 

 by means of a dog, Avhich forced them to fly up into a tree, Avhere 

 they would sit and allow themselves to be shot without attempting to 

 leave. But if a man chased them on foot they Avould quickly distance 

 him.'' The Indians never shot birds on the wing." The nations 

 which he mentions as eating alligators'' were probably those of 

 southwestern Louisiana, not the Natchez. 



Large fish, such as the carp sucker and catfish, were caught by 

 means of lines or shot with arrows, as described above." Smaller fish, 

 especially the sardine [?], were taken, as they ascended the Missis- 

 sippi, in nets made solely for this purpose of the bark of the bass 

 tree. When a large number of these fishes had been taken, too great 

 to be carried off in the net itself, or when large fish had been caught, 

 a special device w^as resorted to. 



For this purpose they take a green and supple tree branch an inch and a half 

 thiciv and join the two ends firmly, which gives it the shape of a large-sized 

 racket. Across this l)rancb they extend many i)ieces of bark and spread a great 

 quantity of leaves upon them, place the fish on these leaves, and cover them 

 with the same. When the fish and leaves have been bound firmly to the tree, 

 which is the basis of everything, they attach it to their [carrying] collars f and 

 transport the burden as they would a carrying basket.*' 



Regarding their treatment of meats generally, Du Pratz says : 



The meats which they eat ordinarily are bison, deer, bear, and dog. Among 

 birds they eat all the aquatic kinds and all kinds of fishes. Whether it be meat 

 or fish, they eat it only boiled or roasted. They smoke the meat to preserve 

 it. First let us see how they have theJr meat cooked when they are out hunting. 

 We will afterward discuss how they smoke it. 



When the natives wish to roast meat in order to eat it at once, which seldom 

 happens except during the hunting season, they cut off the portion of bison 

 which they wish to eat, which is ordinarily the fillet. They put it on the end of 

 a wooden spit planted in the earth and inclined toward the fire. They take 

 care to turn this spit from time to time, which cooks the meat as well as a spit 

 turned before the fire with uuich regularity. 



That the meat may keep during the time they are hunting and that it may 

 serve as nourishment for their families for a certain time, the men during tlie 

 chase have all the flesh of thighs, shoulders, and most fleshy parts smoked, 

 except the hump and the tongue, which they eat on the spot. All the meat that 

 is smoked is cut into flat pieces in order that it cook well. It is not cut too 

 thin, however, for fear lest it dry up too much. The grill is on four fairly 

 strong forked sticks and poles above a foot apart and al)ove these canes 4 



" Dumont, Mem. Hist, sur La Louisiane, i, 1.52-153. 



'' Du Pratz, Hist, de La Louisiane, i, 220-221. 



<^ Ibid., 2.S6. 



" Ibid., II, 104. 



« See pp. 58-59. 



' M.-ide of barlf of the bass tree. 



« Du Pratz, Hist, de La Louisiane, ii, ISO. 



