BUSHNELL | NATIVE VILLAGES AND VILLAGE SITES 73 
. . . In the center of the town, we passe. a large building, with a 
conical roof, supported by a circular wall about three feet high: close 
to it was a quadrangular space, enclosed by four open buildings, 
with rows of benches rising above one another: the whole appro- 
priated, we were informed, to the Great Council of the town, who 
meet, under shelter, or in the open air, according to the weather. 
Near the spot was a high pole, like our May-poles, with a bird at the 
top, round which the Indians celebrate their Green-Corn Dance. 
The town or township of Cosito is said to be able to muster 700 war- 
riors.”” (Hodgson, (1), p. 265.) 
At this time the village had lost much of its primitive aspect, but 
the rotunda, ‘‘a large building with a conical roof,’’ had evidently 
retained its ancient form. Here stood two rather large artificial 
mounds, one circular, the other rectangular, relics of earlier days 
when the former was probably surmounted by the great round struc- 
ture, the winter council house. The site of this once large settlement 
has been cultivated for many years; the two ancient mounds have been 
worn down by the plow and soon will have disappeared. No traces 
remain of the many houses, the public square, and the larger building 
which served to bound it. A few objects of stone and small frag- 
ments of pottery are found scattered over the surface—all that marks 
the position of the once important town of Cussetah, and what is 
true concerning this ancient site is equally true of many others 
throughout the country between the Mississippi and the Atlantic. 
In the preceding account of Cussetah as it was a century ago is a 
reference to ‘‘a quadrangular space, enclosed by four open buildings.” 
This was the Public Square, so characteristic of the Creek towns. As 
described by Bartram in 1789: 
‘The Public Square of the Creeks consists of four buildings of equal 
size, placed one upon each side of a quadrangular court. The prin- 
cipal or Council House is divided transversely into three equal apart- 
ments, separated from each other by a low clay wall. This building 
is also divided longitudinally into two nearly equal parts; the fore- 
most or front is an open piazza, where are seats for the council. The 
middle apartment is for the king (mico), the great war chief, second 
head man, and other venerable and worthy chiefs and warriors. The 
two others are for the warriors and citizens generally. The back 
apartment of this house is quite close and dark, and without en- 
trances, except three very low arched holes or doors for admitting the 
priests. Here are deposited all the most valuable public things, as 
the eagle’s tail or national standard, the sacred calumet, the drums, 
and all apparatus of the priests. Fronting this is another building 
called the ‘Banqueting House;’ and the edifices upon either hand are 
halls to accommodate the people on public occasions, as feasts, fes- 
tivals, etc. The three buildings last mentioned are very much alike 
