SWANToNl INDIAN TRIBES OF THE LOWKH M ISSISSI I'lM VALLEY 125 



niari'li. Wo sec parties wli". after liaviiit; Lcoiie tlinni^Mi witli ail tin- ccrc- 

 monios I liavo iiiciithMU'd, iiiiiiKMliately break off from their e.\i)e(lilioii lieeaiist,' 

 they have heard a do;; bark hi an extraordinary manner; in an Instant tlieir 

 ardor for ;xlory is eiianired into a perfect panic 



Wiien on the warpatli, tliey manli in sin^rle lile; four or live men who are the 

 best walkers lead the way and k(>ep in advance of the army a quarter of a 

 lea,uut>. to observe every! liinu and «ive immetliate notice. They encamp every 

 eveniuir an hour before sunset and lie dov/n about a lar.w (ire. each one with 

 his arms near him. Before they encamp, tliey take the precauticm to send out 

 2(» warriors to the distance of half a lea.uue around the camp, for the purjmse 

 of avoidini^ ail surprise. They never post sentinels during; the night, but as 

 soon as tliey have supped they extinguish all the tires. At nijdit the war chief 

 exhorts them not to give themselves up to a profound sleep and to keep their 

 arms always in a state of readiness. lie aiipoints a place where they shall 

 r.illy in case they are attacked during the night and put to flight. 



As the war chiefs always carry with them their idols, or what they call their 

 s|»irits. well secured in some skins, at night they suspend them from a small 

 pole ])ainted red, which they erect in a slanting position, so that it may be bent 

 oil the side of the enemy. The warriors, before they go to sleep, with war club 

 in hand, pass one after the other in a dance before these pretended spirits, at 

 the same time uttering the hercest threats toward the side on which are their 

 enemies. 



When the war party is considerable as it enters the enemy's country, they 

 march in live or six columns. They have many spies who go out on scout- 

 ing expeditions. If they perceive that tlieir march is known, they ordinarily 

 adopt the resolution of retracing their steps, leaving a small ti'ooi) of from 10 

 to 20 men who detach themselves and endeavor to surprise some hunters at a 

 distance from the villages; on their return they chant their songs with refer- 

 ence to the scalps they have taken. If J^hey have taken any prisoners, they force 

 them to sing and dance for some days before the temple, after wliich they pre- 

 sent them to the relatives of those who have been killed. These relatives are 

 dissolved in tears during this ceremony and. drying their eyes with the scalps 

 which have been taken, they contribute among themselves to recompense the 

 warriors who have taken these captives, who.se lot is to be burned. 



The Natchez, like all the other nations of Louisiana, distinguish liy particular 

 names those who have killed a greater or less number of the enemy. The old 

 war chiefs distribute these names according to the merit of the warrors. To 

 deserve the title of a great man slayer it is necessary to have taken 10 slaves 

 or to have carried off 20 scalps. When a person understands their language, 

 the name itself of a warrior enables him to learn all his exploits. Those who, 

 for the first time, have taken a scalp or made a captive, do not sleep on their 

 return with their wives and do not eat any meat; they ought not to i)artake of 

 ;inytliing but fish and thickened milk. This abstinence lasts for six months. 

 If they fail to ol)serve it they imagine that the soul of him whom they have 

 killed will cause them to die thrctugh sorcery, that they will never again obtain 

 tuiy advantage over their enemies, and that the slightest wounds they may 

 receive will prove fatal. 



They take extreme care that the great chief shall not in any way expose his 

 life when he goes to war. If carried away by his valor he should happen to be 

 killed, the chiefs of the party and the other jirincipal warriors would be put to 

 death on their return, but executions of this kind are almost without example, on 

 account of the precautions they take to preserve him from this evil." 



»Le rctit in Jos. Rel., Lxvm, 142-151. 



