BUSHNELL] NATIVE CEMETERIES AND FORMS OF BURIAL 101 



meeting the bad spirit, Nanapolo, whose wanderings are confined to 

 the dark and unfrequented paths of the forest. The spirits of men 

 like the country travei'sed and occupied by living men, and that is why 

 Shilup^ the ghost, is often seen moving among the trees or following 

 persons after sunset. The spirits of all persons not meeting violent 

 deaths, with the exception of those only who murder or attempt to 

 murder their fellow Choctaw, go to the home of Aba. There it 

 is always spring, with sunshine and flowers ; there are birds and fruit 

 and game in abundance. There the Choctaw ever sing and dance, 

 and trouble is not known. All who enter this paradise become 

 equally virtuous without regard to their state while on earth. The 

 unhappy spirits wlio fail to reach the home of Aba remain on earth 

 in the vicinity of the places where they have died. But Nanapolo, the 

 bad spirit, is never able to gain possession of the spirit of a Choctaw." 

 (Bushnell, (5), pp. 27-29.) 



THE NATCHEZ 



When referring to the burial customs of the Natchez, that most 

 interesting of the many tribes of the lower Mississippi Valley, the 

 early writers by whom the tribe was visited seldom alhided to the 

 rites which attended the final disposition of the remains of the less 

 important members of the nation, but devoted themselves to describ- 

 ing the varied and sanguinary ceremonies enacted at the time of 

 the death and burial of a Sun. Swanton has already brought 

 together the various accounts and descriptions of these most unusual 

 acts, and consequently they need not be repeated at the present time. 

 (Swanton, (1), pp. 138-157.) Nevertheless the first two will be 

 quoted to serve as means of comparing the remarkable ceremonies 

 followed by members of this tribe with the manners and customs of 

 their neighbors. Of the two accounts given below, Swanton said : 

 " The first was given to Gravier by the French 3'outh whom Iber- 

 ville left in 1700 to learn the Natchez language, and the second 

 details the obsequies of a grand chieftainess of which the author 

 Penicaut claims to have been a witness in 1704." 



" The Frenchman whom M. dTberville left there to learn the lan- 

 guage told me that on the death of the last chief they put to death 

 two women, three men, and three children. They strangled them 

 with a bowstring, and this cruel ceremony was performed with 

 great pomp, these wretched victims deeming themselves greatly 

 honored to accompany their chief by a violent death. There were 

 only seven for the great chief who died some months before. His 

 wife, better advised than the others, did not wish to follow him, 

 and began to weep when they wished to oblige her to accompany 

 her husband. Mr. de Montigni, who has left this country to go to 

 Siam, being informed of what they were accustomed to do, made 

 them promise not to i)ut anyone to death. As a pledge of their 



