378 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bolt.. 73 
drums in our armies to promulgate orders, so they have heralds, who by cries of 
certain sorts direct them to halt, or to advance, or to attack, or to perform any other 
military duty. After sunset they halt, and are never wont to give battle. For en- 
camping, they are arranged in squads of ten each, 1 the bravest men being put in squads 
by themselves. When the chief has chosen the place of encampment for the night, 
in open fields or woods, and after he has eaten, and is established by himself, the 
quartermasters place ten of these squads of the bravest men in a circle around him. 
About ten paces outside of this circle is placed another line of twenty squads; at 
twenty yards farther, another of forty squads; and so on, increasing the number and 
distance of these lines, according to the size of the army. 
At no time while the French were acting along with the great chief Holata Outina 
in his wars against his enemies, was there any combat which could be called a regular 
battle; but all their military operations consisted either in secret incursions, or in 
skirmishes as light troops, fresh men being constantly sent out in place of any who 
retired. Whichever side first slew an enemy, no matter how insigmficant the person, 
claimed the victory, even though losing a greater number of men. In their skirmishes, 
any who fall are instantly dragged off by persons detailed for the purpose; who, with 
slips of reeds sharper than any steel blade, cut the skin of the head to the bone, from 
front to back, all the way round, and pull it off with the hair, more than a foot and 
a half long, still adhering, done up in a knot on the crown, and with that lower down 
round the forehead and back cut short into a ring about two fingers wide, like the 
rim of a hat. Then, if they have time, they dig a hole in the ground, and make a 
fire, kindling it with some which they keep burning in moss, done up in skins, and 
carry round with them at their belts; and then dry these scalps to a state as hard as 
parchment. They also are accustomed, after a battle, to cut off with these reed knives 
the arms of the dead near the shoulders, and their legs near the hips, breaking the 
bones, when laid bare, with a club, and then to lay these fresh broken, and still 
running with blood, over the same fires to be dried. Then hanging them, and the 
scalps also, to the ends of their spears, they carry them off home in triumph. I used 
to be astonished at one habit of theirs — for I was one of the party which Laudonniere 
sent out under M. d'Ottigny — which was, that they never left the field of battle 
without shooting an arrow as deep as they could into the arms of each of the corpses 
of the enemy, after mutilating them as above — an operation which was sometimes 
sufficiently dangerous, unless those engaged in it had an escort of soldiers. * * * 
After returning from a military expedition they assembled in a place set apart for 
the purpose, to which they bring the legs, arms, and scalps which they have taken 
from the enemy, and with solemn formalities fix them up on tall poles set in the ground 
in a row. Then they all, men and women, sit down on the ground in a circle before 
these members; while the sorcerer, holding a small image in his hand, goes through a 
form of cursing the enemy, uttering in a low voice, according to their manner, a thou- 
sand imprecations. At the side of the circle opposite to him there are placed three 
men kneeling down, one of whom holds in both hands a club, with which he pounds on 
a flat stone, marking time to every word of the sorcerer. At each side of him the other 
two hold in each hand the fruit of a certain plant, something like a gourd or pumpkin, 
which has been dried, opened at each end, its marrow and seeds taken out, and then 
mounted on a stick, and charged with small stones or seeds of some kind. These they 
rattle after the fashion of a bell, accompanying the words of the sorcerer with a kind of 
song after their manner . They have such a celebration as this every time they take any 
of the enemy. 2 
In the particular case of the expedition by Saturiwa against 
Thimogoa Laudonnidre says that after having attacked one of the 
enemies' towns successfully and taken 24 prisoners, they 
1 Laudonniere says they were encamped six by six.— La Flo-ride, p. 141. 
» Le Moyne, Narrative, pp. 6-7 (111.). 
