BUSHNELL] NATIVE VILLAGES AND VILLAGE SITES 93 
witnessed a native ceremony ‘‘held in commemoration of the Plenti- 
ful Harvest of Corn they had reaped the Summer before. . . . These 
revels were carried on in a House made for that purpose, it being 
done round, with white benches of fine Canes joining along the wall; 
and a place for the door being left, which is so low, that a man must 
stoop very much to enter therein. This Edifice resembles a large 
. Hay Rick; its top being pyramidal, and much bigger than their 
other Dwellings, and at the buildmg whereof every one assists until 
it is finished. All their Dwelling houses are covered with Bark, but 
this differs very much; for it is very artificially thatched with Sedge 
and Rushes. As soon as it is finished they place some one of their 
Chiefest men to dwell therein, charging him with the diligent preser- 
vation thereof. . . . In these state Houses is transacted all public 
and Private Business . . . the most aged and wisest meet, deter- — 
mining what to Act, and what may be most convenient to omit .. . 
The House is as Dark as a Dungeon and as hot as one of the Dutch 
Stoves in Holland. They had made a circular Fire of split canes in 
the middle of the House; it was one Man’s employment to add more 
split Reeds to this at one end as it consumed at the other, there 
bemg a small Vacancy left to supply it with Fuel.’”’ (Lawson, 
(1), pp. 18-19.) 
The house must have been very large, as the account continues 
with a description of a dance in which ‘‘a parcel of women and girls, 
to the number of Thirty odd” participated. The drum used on this 
occasion ‘‘being made of dress’d deer’s Skin, tied hot upon an earthern 
Porridge Pot.’’ The entire narrative is of the greatest interest. 
The day after the ceremony the party left the Waxsaw village, and 
later during their journey (p. 20) ‘‘met with several Towns of Indians, 
each Town having its capitol, theatre or State House, such Houses 
being found all along the road, until you come to Sapona, and then 
no more of those buildings, it being about 170 Miles.’”’ A few days 
later, when arriving at one of the Catawba villages, Lawson and his 
attendants occupied ‘‘one of the Chief Men’s Houses, which was one 
of the Theaters I spoke of before.”’ 
Every village was undoubtedly provided with sweat houses, some 
of which were arranged temporarily while others were of a more 
permanent nature. Lawson wrote (p. 21): 
“‘The Indians of these parts use sweating very much. If any 
Pain seize their Limbs or Body, immediately they take Reeds or 
small Wands, and bend them umbrella fashion, covering them with 
skins and match coats. They have a large Fire not far off wherein 
they heat stones or (where they are wanting) Bark; putting it into 
this Stove, which casts an extraordinary heat. There is a pot of 
water in the Bagnio, in which they put a bunch of an herb bearing a 
silver Tassel, not much unlike Aurea Virga. With this vegetable 
