374 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [boll. 73 
Olotocara, the nephew of Saturiwa, is said to have begged De Gour- 
gues " to give unto his wife, if he escaped not, that which he had meant 
to bestow on him, that she might bury the same with him, that 
thereby he might be better welcome unto the village of the souls or 
spirits departed." 1 Le Moyne says: 
When a chief in that province dies, he is buried with great solemnities; his drinking- 
cup is placed on the grave, and many arrows are planted in the earth about the mound 
itself. His subjects mourn for him three whole days and nights, without taking any 
food. All the other chiefs, his friends, mourn in like manner; and both men and 
women, in testimony of their love for him, cut off more than half their hair. Besides 
this, for six months afterwards certain chosen women three times every day, at dawn, 
noon, and twilight, mourn for the deceased king with a great howling. And all his 
household stuff is put into his house, which is set on fire, and the whole burned up 
together. 
In like manner, when their priests die, they are buried in their own houses; which 
are then set on fire, and burned up with all their furniture. 2 
A manuscript, copies of which are to be found in both the Lowery 
and Brooks collections, contains an interesting account of the burial 
customs of the Tocobaga Indians. It is entitled "Notes and Annota- 
tions of the Cosmographer, Lopez de Velasco," and the part which 
concerns the Tocobaga runs thus: 
When one of the principal caciques dies, they cut him to pieces and cook him in 
large pots during two days, when the flesh has entirely separated from the bones, 
and adjust one to another until they have formed the skeleton of the man, as he was 
in life. Then they carry it to a house which they call their temple. This operation 
lasts four days and during all this time they fast. At the end of the four days, when 
everything is ready, all the Indians of the town get together and come out with the 
skeleton in procession, and they bury it with the greatest show and reverence. Then 
they say that all those who have participated in the ceremonies gain indigencies. 3 
The skill displayed by these Indians in debate is testified to by 
Spark. 4 Laudonniere and Le Moyne describe at considerable length 
their method of holding councils. Laudonniere says: 
They take no enterprise in hand, but first they assemble oftentimes their council 
together, and they take very good advisement before they grow to a resolution. They 
meet together every morning in a great common house, whither their king repaireth, 
and setteth him down upon a seat, which is higher than the seats of the others; where 
all of them, one after another, come and salute him; and the most ancient begin their 
salutations, lifting up both their hands twice as high as their face, saying, Ha, he, ha! 
and the rest answer, Ah, ah! As soon as they have done their salutation, every man 
sitteth him down upon the seats which are round about in the house. If there be 
anything to entreat of, the king calleth the lawas, that is to say, their priests and the 
most ancient men, and asketh them their advice. Afterward, he commandeth 
cassine to be brewed, which is a drink made of the leaves of a certain tree. They drink 
this cassine 5 very hot ; he drinketh first, then he causeth to be given thereof to all of them, 
» Laudonniere, La Floride, p. 216; French, Hist. Colls. La., 1869, p. 356. 
1 Le Moyne, Narrative, p. 15 (111.). 
» Brooks MSS., Lib. Cong., translated by Miss Brooks. 
* Hakluyt, Voyages, m, p. 613. 
» Le Challeux spells the word cassinet.— Gaflarel, Hist. Floride francaise, p. 462. 
