BUSHNBLL] NATIVE CEMETERIES AND FORMS OF BURIAL 133 



The preceding account treated of the Santee, with whom Law- 

 son came in contact soon after starting on his memorable journey 

 through the wilds of Carolina, but later in his history he presented 

 a more general description of the burial customs of the native tribes 

 of the region, and fortunately recorded many interesting details. 

 The greater the man in life, the more elaborate was his burial. " The 

 first thing which is done is to place the nearest Relations near the 

 Corps, who mourn and weep very much, having their hair hung 

 down their Shoulders, in a very forlorn manner. After the dead 

 Person has laid a Day and a Night in one of their Hurdles of Canes, 

 commonly in some out-House made for that purpose, those that 

 officiate about the Funeral go into Town, and the first young Men 

 they meet withal that have Blankets or Match Coats on, whom they 

 think fit for their Turn, they strip them from their Backs, who 

 suffer them to do so without any Resistance. In these they wrap 

 the dead Bodies, and convey them with two or three Mats which the 

 Indians make of Rushes or Cane ; and last of all they have a long Web 

 of woven Reeds, or hollow Canes, which is the Coffin of the Indians, 

 and is brought around several times and is tied fast at both ends, 

 which indeed looks very decent and well. Then the Corps is brought 

 out of the House into the Orchard of Peach-Trees, where another 

 Hurdle is made to receive it, about which comes all the Relations and 

 Nation that the dead person belonged to, besides several from other 

 Nations in Alliance with them; all which sit down on the Ground 

 upon Mats spread there for that purpose." 



Then various persons gathered about the body and would tell of his 

 very many acts of bravery, speak of his greatness while living, and 

 extol his virtues, and " At last the Corps is brought away from that 

 Hurdle to the Grave, by four young Men, attended by the Relations, 

 tlie King, Old Men and all the Nation. When they come to the 

 Sepulchre, which is about six foot deep, and eight foot long, hav- 

 ing at each end, (that is, at the Head and Foot) a Light- Wood or 

 Pitch-Pine Fork driven close down the sides of the Grave, firmly 

 into the Ground; (these two forks are to contain a Ridge-Pole, as 

 you shall understand presently) before they lay the Corps into the 

 Grave they cover the bottom two or three times over with Bark 

 of Trees, then they let down the Corps with two Belts, that the 

 Indians carry their Burdens withal very leisurely upon the said 

 Barks; then they lay over a Pole of the Same Wood, in the two 

 Forks, and having a great many Pieces of Pitch-Pine logs, about 

 two foot and a half long, they stick them in the sides of the Grave 

 down each end, and near the top thereof, where the other Ends 

 lie on the Ridge-Pole, so that they are declining like the roof of 

 a House. These being very thick plac'd they cover them (many 



