SWA\T..Nl INDIAN' TKinKS OK THK I.OWKI! :\1 ISSISSI IM'I VALLKV 131 



AiiioMu' ;ill thai llirsc warriors iclalc mic afli'i' llic dllicr licrni-c iliis pusl. there 

 arc many wlm. liralcd liy Hit' war drink, say nmrc than liic\' liaxc done, Imt 

 tlicN' ninliiallx iiardnn this Imaslin;; cniniilaccnl ly. 



As soon as all tiii' warriors have striKk the post tiiey (hinci' (he war daiiee, 

 their arms in (lieir hands. They stop aiul refiiru to it without uiterriiptinK it. 

 The warriors tjo throu.:;h all tiiese eereiiionies alone. The rest of the nation 

 does not eonie near. It awaits, on the contrary, in sathiess. This repast and 

 tins (hmce contiiiuc I'nr three successive days, after which they set out for the 

 war. Tile wnnien (luriuL: this time, and even a little hefore, prepare provisions 

 for tiieir linsliands. The old men busy themselves painting the war cluhs red 

 and in incisini: the bark on which is the hieroj,dyphic si.sj;n of the attacking 

 nation, which also records the number of the warrims. There is on it, besides, 

 the sign of the great war chief and of the one who conunands them. 



Their manner of making war is to attack by surjirise. Thus, when they 

 a])proach the villa.ues where they go to declare war they march only at night, 

 anil raise afti'r them the grasses which they have trodden down in order not 

 to be disco\('i'cd. I'ai'l of the I loop walches while the others sleei» in the thick 

 part of the wood, the least freipienled. Some vi,gorous warriors choose a liue 

 ni.uht to go scouting and to lind some separate cabin in oi'der to strike their 

 blow with less ('cliil and more .safety. If they lind one, they inform their band 

 aftt'r having assured themselves that tliere is some one there, eitliei- by having 

 seen some one .go out or come in or from having heard them when sleeping. 



Then the entire troop advances with little noise and places itself in front of 

 the cabin. They enter it at daybreak and with the assistance of the lire wdiich 

 burns there all night. The warriors who attack knock down the men as fast as 

 they awake and endeavor to <arry one away living. They pull off the scali)s of 

 the dead, take the women and the children, who do not dare to cry for fear of 

 being killed, tie them all, and retire with as much rapidity as secrecy. Near this 

 cabin they leave the hieroglyphic tablet leaning against a tree, and in front 

 of this tablet they plant two red arrows in the form of a St. Andrew's cross. 

 They then pass back through the wood with great rapidity and make many 

 turns to conceal their route. 



If they are able to carry away any of the enemies of their nation they are 

 received honorably. If these are women or children they are enslaved. They 

 serve in this capacity after their hair has been cut extremely short. But if it 

 is a man that they have made prisoner the .ioy is general and their glory is at 

 its lieight. On arriving near their nation they make the war cry three times 

 repeated, and in tliis ca.se, however wearied the warriors may be, tliey go at 

 once to lumt for the three poles wdiich are necessary for the construction of the 

 fatal instrument on which they are going to make the enemy they have taken 

 die. I mean the frame icailrc) on which they cruelly immolate the unfortunate 

 victim of their vengeance (i)l. 3, b). 



Of these three poles which are about 10 feet long two are set in the earth. 

 They are straight and a good pace aiiart from each other. They assure them- 

 selves that tliey are firndy iilaced. The third is cut in halves in order to cross 

 the two that are already planted. The first is 2 feet above the earth and the 

 other T) feet above the first. These poles thus ad.iusted and bound together as 

 strongly as possible and as is necessary form, indeed, a frame (cailrc). and it is 

 from that fact that the French have taken the name of this .gallows machine. 

 The natives tie the victim to the foot of tliis frame, and when he is there he 

 sings the death song until his scalp is taken. After tlie warriors have thus 

 tied him they are permitted to go to eat. The victim, if he so desires, may then 

 take his last meal. The old warriors guard him. Each one can look at him, but 

 he is not allowed to sj)eak to him, still less to insult him. 



