376 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. ?3 
his right hand limped his soothsayer, and on the left was his chief counsellor, without 
which two personages he never proceeded on any matter whatever. He entered 
the place prepared for him alone [an arbor made of boughs] and sat down in it after 
the Indian manner — that is, by squatting on the ground like an ape or any other 
animal. Then, having looked all around and having observed our little force drawn 
up in line of battle, he ordered MM. de Laudonniere and d'Ottigny to be invited 
into his tabernacle, where he delivered to them a long oration, which they under- 
stood only in part. 1 
All of the French chroniclers relate that these chiefs were preceded 
by men who built arbors for them to sit in when holding council, 
and Ribault speaks of arbors constructed both for the Indian chief 
and for the French, distant two fathoms. 2 Other boughs were 
spread upon the ground, on which they squatted cross-legged. 
Le Moyne thus describes the preparations for an ordinary social 
feast : 
At the time of year when they are in the habit of feasting each other, they employ 
cooks, who are chosen on purpose for the business. These, first of all, take a great 
round earthen vessel (which they know how to make and to burn so that water can 
be boiled in it as well as in our kettles) , and place it over a large wood fire, which one 
of them drives with a fan very effectively, holding it in the hand. The head cook 
now puts the things to be cooked into the great pot; others put water for washing 
into a hole in the ground ; another brings water in a utensil that serves for a bucket; 
another pounds on a stone the aromatics that are to be used for seasoning; while the 
women are picking over or preparing the viands. 3 
The native institution with which the authorities which we depend 
upon had most to deal was, not unnaturally, war, and 10 of Le 
Moyne's 42 sketches deal with it in one way or another. Some of 
these do not bring in native customs and need not be referred to, 
but the remainder give us our best information on the subject. 
Timucua weapons consisted of bows and arrows, darts, and clubs, 
the last of a type different from the Creek atasa, if we may trust 
the illustrations. "A chief who declares war against his enemy," 
says Le Moyne, "does not send a herald to do it, but orders some 
arrows, having locks of hairs fastened at the notches, to be stuck 
up along the public ways." i He gives the following account of 
the manner in which Saturiwa set out to war against his enemy, 
Utina : 
He assembled his men, decorated, after the Indian manner, with feathers and 
other things, in a level place, the soldiers of Laudonniere being present, and the 
force sat down in a circle, the chief being in the middle. A fire was then lighted 
on his left and two great vessels full of water were set on his right. Then, the chief, 
after rolling his eyes as if excited by anger, uttering some sounds deep down in his 
throat, and making various gestures, all at once raised a horrid yell; and all his sol- 
diers repeated this yell, striking their hips and rattling their weapons. Then the 
1 Le Moyne, Narrative, p. 3. 3 Le Moyne, Narrative, p. 11 (ill.). 
* French, Hist. Colls. La., 1875, p. 171. « Ibid., p. 13 (ill.). 
