358 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [boll. 73 
great reeds, so well and cunningly set together after the fashion of a 
labyrinth, with many turns and crooks, which it was impossible to 
construct without much skill and industry." * Among the fish given 
to the French were "trout, great mullets, plaice, turbo ts, and mar- 
velous store of other sorts of fishes, altogether different from ours." 2 
Ribault mentions crabs, lobsters [?], and crawfish among the articles 
of diet. 3 Laudonniere received presents offish, deer, turkey cocks, 
leopards [panthers], and little brown bears." 4 An early Spanish 
writer says that the natives of San Pedro (Cumberland Island) "sus- 
tained themselves the greater part of the year on shellfish (marisco), 
acorns, and roots." 5 
Alligators formed quite an item in the Floridian bill of fare, and 
Le Moyne thus describes how they were hunted: 
They put up, near a river, a little hut full of cracks and holes, and in this they 
station a watchman, so that they can see the crocodiles [or alligators] and hear them 
a good way off; for, when driven by hunger, they come out of the rivers and crawl 
about on the islands after prey, and, if they find none, they make such a frightful 
noise that it can be heard for half a mile. Then the watchman calls the rest of the 
watch, who are in readiness; and taking a portion, ten or twelve feet long, of the 
stem of a tree, they go out to find the monster, who is crawling along with his mouth 
wide open, all ready to catch one of them if he can; and with the greatest quickness 
they push the pole, small end first, as deep as possible down his throat, so that the 
roughness and irregularity of the bark may hold it from being got out again. Then 
they turn the crocodile over on his back, and with clubs and arrows pound and pierce 
his belly, which is softer; for his back, especially if he is an old one, is impenetrable, 
being protected by hard scales. 6 
We must, of course, discount the man-eating proclivities attributed 
to this animal, but the description of the hunt may nevertheless be 
perfectly correct. We are also indebted to this author for the only 
extant account of the methods pursued in preserving game and fish: 
In order to keep these animals longer they are in the habit of preparing them as 
follows: They set up in the earth four stout forked stakes; and on these they lay 
others, so as to form a sort of grating. On this they lay their game, and then build a 
fire underneath, so as to harden them in the smoke. In this process they use a great 
deal of care to have the drying perfectly performed, to prevent the meat from spoil- 
ing, as the picture shows. I suppose this stock to be laid in for their winter's supply 
in the woods, as at that time we could never obtain the least provision from them. 7 
The picture to which reference is made shows such a frame sur- 
mounted by several fish, a deer, an alligator, a snake, and some quad- 
ruped about the size of a fox. This, and a statement by Le Challeux, 
are the only references to snake eating which the various narratives 
» French, Hist. Colls. La., 1875, p. 172. 
a Laudonniere, La Floride, p. 18; French, Hist. Colls. La., 1869, p. 180. 
8 French, Hist. Colls. La., 1875, p. 178. Perhaps the "lobster" was the "langosta" mentioned by 
Fontaneda, p. 387. 
4 Laudonniere, La Floride, p. 130; French, Hist. Colls. La., 1869, p. 279. 
s Lowery, MSS. 
« Le Moyne, Narrative, p. 10 (ill.) and pi. 26. 
' Ibid., pp. 9-10 (ill.)- 
