SWANTONl INDIAN THIBES OF TTTF. LOWKIJ MISSISSIPPI V.\I,I>I-.V 183 



it (Iocs not cniiiil Cor niiitli. 'IMiis line licL'iiis willi llir li^rnrr of ;i inoiilli wliiili 

 is soon to coiMc. Tilt' (l;iys wliicli follow ;iic the 1 iiiMrks, :iiiil tlic moon is iiidi- 

 cnti'd l».v :i I'iUH' witlioiil rays. A iiuin is lo Ix' s(>('ii, hcfitrc wlioni ;in> many 

 arrows, wliicii appear to bo K<»iiiK to striko a woman wiio is llooinu. All tliis 

 aiiuonnocs that wlu'U such a moon shall l»o so many days old they will come 

 hi fircat nnmJK'i's to attack such a nation. 



Tlu> allied nations do the same thinj: on thcii' side, hut it is unusual for the 

 nation which has presented the insults or he.mm the hostilities to lind allies 

 even anions peo|»le that it treats as brothers. 



I shall say nothing of their siejies of places or of their iiitched battles. They 

 are unacquainted with such thlniLis. All tlie damage which they do to eacli 

 other is confmed to sur|irise and to skirmishing. It is in this that their skill 

 and courage consists. Flight is not at all disgraceful lo them; valor is in their 

 legs, and to kill a man asleep or lying down is as glorious to them as to liglit 

 well and win a signal victory. 



When a nation is too weak to sustain the war, it endeavors to build a fort 

 in order to jtrotect itself (pi. 3, h). I can not describe these forts better than 

 by comjtaring them to n barrel hoo]) from which the withes have been cut. 

 This circle is rela.xed and the outside end is at some distance from the inside 

 end, so that to enter tlie circle without passing over it it is necessary to make a 

 turn. It is by this opening that one enters the fort, the inner side of which 

 is protected by a half tower and the outer side in the s:ime way. P.esides, if 

 they are in great fear, tins opening or passage is filled witli brambles and thorns. 



This circle is of a size proportioned to the number of warrioi's and the 

 remainder of the nation which retires there when the enemy are advancing. 

 There are, however, some cabins outside where. In moments of tranquillity, are 

 done the things most needful to life, such as cooking meat and corn. These 

 cabins al.so relieve the fort, which is always very contracted when the entire 

 nation is obliged to retire there. 



The wall of tliese forts is comi)osed of great posts, which are made of the 

 trunlvs of trees a span in circumfenMice, buried to feet in the eartli and 

 extending 10 above it, and pointed above. The lines of contact of these posts, 

 however round, are covered inside with other posts a foot in diameter. This 

 wall is provided outside with half towers 40 paces apart. They make them 

 doubtless to prevent scaling. The lower ends of the posts are supi)orted insido 

 by a banquette o feet wide by as much in height, which is itself supported by 

 stakes bound together with green branches in order to retain the earth which 

 is in this banquett(\ 



The best instructed of the.se i)eo|ile, as were the Natchez by our soldiers, make 

 about 5 feet above this banquette a kind of penthouse {(invent) with fragments 

 of trees in order to cover themselves from grenades. They also have loopholes 

 which have only one opening outside and two within which correspond to the 

 one. These loojjholes are immediately above the banquette. 



In the middle of the fort is placed a tree, the branches of which are cut to 

 within 8 or 9 inches of the trunk to serve as a ladder. This tree serves them 

 as a watchtower, where a young man on guard can discover the enemy at a 

 distance, .\i-ound this ladder are some cabins to protect the women and children 

 from falling arrows. The gate of these forts is always on the side towai-d the 

 water. If they can be prevented from going to get it, one may be assured that 

 they will be reduced in a few days. * * * 



It must be observed here that it sometimes happens that in going to attack 

 others they lose some of their warriors. Then they take off the scalps from 

 those of their own pet)ple who have been killed, as pronqitly as jiossible, in order 

 not to leave this occasion for glorying and at the same time mark of their defeat 



