380 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY Tbull. 73 
prepare in a particular manner, and fasten to the heads of their arrows. They then 
fire these into the town, so as to ignite the roofs of the houses, which are made of palm 
branches thoroughly dried with the summer heats. As soon as they see that the roofs 
are burning, they make off as fast as possible, before they are discovered, and they 
move so swiftly that it is a hard matter to overtake them ; and meanwhile also the fire 
is giving the people in the town enough to do to save themselves from it and get it 
under. Such are the stratagems used in war by the Indians for firing the enemy's 
towns; but the damage done is trifling, as it amounts only to the labor required for 
putting up new houses. 
But when the burning of a town has happened in consequence of the negligence of 
the watch, the penalty is as follows: The chief takes his place alone on his bench, 
those next to him in authority being seated on another long bench curved in a half 
circle; and the executioner orders the culprit to kneel down before the chief. He 
then sets his left foot on the delinquent's back; and, taking in both hands a club of 
ebony [?] or some other hard wood, worked to an edge at the sides, he strikes him on 
the head with it, so severely as almost to split the skull open. The same penalty is 
inflicted for some other crime reckoned capital among them; for we saw two persons 
punished in this same way. 1 
When fishing in a certain lake in their country the people of 
Potano set a watch to protect the fishermen. 2 News of the approach 
of an enemy was conveyed by means of smoke signals. 3 
The following notes regarding war are from Laudonniere: 
The kings of the country make war, one against another, which is not executed 
except by surprise, and they kill all the men they can take; afterwards they cut off 
their heads, to have their hair, which, returning home, they carry away, to make 
thereof their triumph when they come to their houses. They save the women and 
children, and nourish them, and keep them always with them. Being returned 
home from the war, they assemble all their subjects, and, for joy, three days and three 
nights, they make good cheer, they dance and sing; likewise, they make the most 
ancient women of the country to dance, holding the hairs of their enemies in their 
hands, and, in dancing, they sing praises to the sun, ascribing unto him the honor 
of the victory. . . . When they go to war, their king marcheth first, with a club 
in one hand, and his bow in the other, with his quiver full of arrows. While they 
fight, they make great cries and exclamations. 4 
The valor and skill of Timucua warriors is also well attested by 
the chroniclers of the expedition of De Soto. What is said about 
their method of treating captives shows at once that slavery was 
not institutional among them. In the fight which Laudonniere's 
men had with Utina the Indians displayed great skill, discharging 
their arrows by squads and throwing themselves on the ground 
when the Frenchmen aimed at them. 5 
That fighting with bows and arrows was an art in itself is shown 
by this description of the Fidalgo of Elvas: 
The Indians are exceedingly ready with their weapons, and so warlike and nimble 
that they have no fear of footmen; for if these charge them they flee, and when 
« Le Moyne. Narrative, p. 12 (ill.). 
a Laudonniere, La Florlde, p. 142; French, Hist. Colls. La., 1869, p. 291. 
» Bourne, Narr. of De Soto, i, p. 22; Le Challeux in Gaffarel, Hist. Floride francaise, p. 460. 
* Laudonniere, op. cit., pp. 7-8; French, op. cit., p. 171. 
6 Laudonniere, op. cit., p. 166; French, op. cit., pp. 313-314. 
