swANToN) INDIAN TIUHKS OF TIIK L(>\VKI{ I\I I'ssiSSI IM'I VAI.LKV 109 



tliciii any iiioii'." Tlicrc liavc liccii suinc Frciicli caiitaiiis wlio, (MiiiiMiandinj? 

 in very distant iiosts wliero tlioj* Lad only very fooblo ^tirrisons, have prolited 

 skillfully l)y the narrow hounds of tliis ealculation to impose on tiie savaj^es 

 when they came into our forts " without design," said they, hut in faet to 

 examine the plaee and the forces whieh were there. They arranged tiiat th«)so 

 of tlieir soldiers who entered their liouses in shirts should j?() out only in vests 

 and those wiio went out in vests entered again only in jerkins. Ky means of this 

 disguise and of some otliers of the same nature one man counted by the 

 savages liad tiie value often of five or six. and a little garrison of twenty or 

 thirty men passed in their minds for an army." 



This plausible ruse coiikl hardly have succeeded after a period of 

 contact of some length. It is true that the Indians do not count up 

 to hiohor numbers Avith facility, but if there Avere any good reason 

 for doing so it is probable that they could have carried them up with 

 the help of sticks to a much higher figure. 



Du Pratz states that the Natchez divided tiie day into four (^qual 

 parts, "the first of which comprises half of the morning, the second 

 is till noon, the third comprises half of the afternoon, and the fourth 

 is from the half of the afternoon until evening." '' He considers 

 these as equivalent, respectively, to the periods from daybreak until 9, 

 from 9 until 12, from 12 until 3, and from 3 until dark.'' Of the 

 divisions of the year he says : 



This nation l)egins its year in tlie month of Marcli, as was the practice 

 for a long time in Europe, and divides it into lo moons. This thirteentii moon 

 is added to complete the year and to make the course of tlie planet [i. e., tlie 

 moon] agree in the matter of time with that of the sun. At every new moon 

 they celebrate a feast, which takes its name from tlie principal fruits reajted in 

 the preceding moon, or from the animals that are usually hunted then * *. 



The first moon is that of the Deer. The renewal of the year spreads uni- 

 versal .ioy. In order to render this feast more distinguished they then represent 

 an event of interest to them of which they guard the memory preciously. * * * <i 



The second moon, which corresponds to our month of April, is that of the 

 Strawberries. The women and children collect them in great quantities, and 

 as strawl)erries abound in this country it may be judged whether the great 

 Sun lacks them. The French also avail themselves of this harvest. The 

 warriors then make their presents of wood ducks, which they have provided 

 by a hunt made expressly for the purpose. 



The third moon is that of the Little Corn. This mouth is often awaited 

 with impatience, their harvest of the great corn never sufficing to nourish them 

 from one harvest to another. 



The fourth is that of the Watermelons, and answers to the month of June. 

 This month and the jireceding are those in wliicli the sanliiies [V] run nj) 

 against the current of the river. 



The flfth moon is that of the Peaches. It answers to our month of .July. 

 In this time grapes are also brought in if the birds have left any of them to 

 ripen. 



" Dumont, Mem. lUst. siir La Louisiano, i, 1S7-189, 



'' Dti Pratz,' Hist, do La Louisiane, i, 223, 



"^ Ibid., 2-2'2. 



•'See pp. 111-112. 



