72 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 78 
In most of our American colonics, there yet remain a few of the natives, who for- 
merly inhabited those extensive countries; and as thej were friendly to us, and serv- 
iceable to our interests, the wisdom and virtue of our legislature secured them from 
being injured by the neighboring nations. The French strictly pursued the same 
method, deeming such to be more useful than any others on alarming occasions. We 
called them "Parched-corn-Indians," because they chiefly use it for bread, are civ- 
ilized, and live mostly by planting. As they had no connection with the Indian 
nations [i. e., the Catawba, Cherokee, Muskogee, Chickasaw, and Choctaw], and 
were desirous of living peaceable under the British protection, none could have any 
just, plea to kill or inslave them." 1 
Ethnological Information Regarding the Cusabo 
Ethnological information regarding the Cusabo is scanty and 
unsatisfactory, the interest of the colonists having been quickly 
attracted to those great tribes lying inland which they called "na- 
tions." Such material as is to be had must be interpreted in the 
light of the fuller information to be gathered from larger southern 
tribes like the Creeks, Cherokee, Choctaw, and Chickasaw. Never- 
theless it is of interest to know that certain features of the lives of 
these peoples were or were not shared by the ones better known. 
The material gathered by the Spaniards as a result of the Ayllon 
expedition has been given in connection with the account of that 
venture, and will not be considered again. The region to which it 
applies is too uncertain to consider it definitely under this head. 
From the time of the French settlement in 1562, however, we 
have a sufficiently clear localization, from the French, Spanish, and 
English narratives successively. The greater part of our informa- 
tion comes, however, from the French and English, the Spaniards 
not having been interested in the people among whom they came or 
not having published those papers which contained accounts of them. 
The following general description of the appearance of the natives, 
and their mental and moral characteristics, is from Alexander Hewat. 
It does not apply to the Cusabo alone, but Hewat was probably better 
acquainted with them than with any other Indians. 
In stature they are of a middle size, neither so tall nor yet so low as some Europeans. 
To appearance they are strong and well made; yet they are totally unqualified for 
that heavy burden or tedious labour which the vigorous and firm nerves of Europeans 
enable them to undergo. None of them are deformed, deformities of nature being 
confined to the ages of art and refinement. Their colour is brown, and their skin 
shines, being varnished with bears fat and paint. To appearance the men have no 
beards, nor hair on their head, except a round tuft on its crown; but this defect is 
not natural, as many people are given to believe, but the effect of art, it being custom- 
ary among them to tear out such hair by the root. They go naked, except those 
parts which natural decency teaches the most barbarous nations to cover. The huts 
in which they live are foul, mean and offensive; and their manner of life is poor, 
> Adair, Hist. Am. Inds., p. 343. 
