swanti.n] EARLY HISTORY OF THE CREEK INDIANS 387 
It appears that when a man fell sick a new house was built for him, 
probably only a temporary affair, and a new fire was also made at 
which his food was cooked. Perhaps part of the motive for this was 
to protect the principal dwelling; in case of the sick man's death, for 
it was usual to burn the houses of chiefs and shamans at such times. 
Formula* wore also repeated over the sick. Some sickness was 
at t ributed to witchcraft and herbs were used to counteract the effects. 
When foot races were held herbs were sometimes used to cause a rival 
to faint. The Timucua wizard, who desired to cause the death of a 
person, used in his incantations the skin of a "viper" and that of a 
black snake, along with part of the " black guano " ( a kind of palm tree) 
and other herbs. While he was going through his incantations he 
would not eat fish, cut his hair, or sleep with his wife. When the per- 
son he was trying to kill died the wizard bathed and broke his fast. 
If the victim did not die it seems to have been thought that the incan- 
tation would react upon the wizard himself and kill him. Instead of 
killing a person the wizard sometimes injured him in some particular 
part, such as the feet. Witchcraft was also resorted to to attract the 
regard of a person of the opposite sex. Sometimes this was effected 
by getting an herb into the person's mouth and by the use of certain 
songs. To bring back the affections of her husband a woman 
bathed in an infusion of certain herbs. For the same purpose she 
tinged her palm-leaf hat with the juice of an herb, or she did this to 
induce another person to fall in love with her. Fasting was resorted 
to with the same intention. 1 
Notes conveying specific information regarding the ethnology of 
the Calusa, Tekesta, and Ais Indians of southern Florida are few. 
An early Spanish writer, Gov. Mendez de Canco, writing in 1598 
or 1599, says that the Indians of southern Florida did not live in set- 
tled villages because they had no corn, but wandered about in search 
of fish and roots. Fontaneda, whose information dates from a very 
early period, has the following to say about the Indians of Calos: 
These Indians possess neither gold nor silver, and still less clothing, for they go 
almost naked, wearing only a sort of apron. The dress of the men consists of braided 
palm leaves, and that of the Women of moss, which grows on trees and somewhat 
resembles wool. Their common food consists of fish, turtles, snails, tunny fish, and 
whales, which they catch in their season. Some of them also eat the wolf fish, but 
this is not a common thing, owing to certain distinctions which they make between 
food proper for the chiefs and that of their subjects. On these islands is found a shell- 
fish known as the langosta, a sort of lobster, and another known in Spain as the chapin 
(trunk fish), of which they consume not less than the former. There are also on the 
islands a great number of animals, especially deer; and on some of them large bears 
are found. 2 
1 Pareja, op. cit; Proc. Am. Philos. Soc., xvn, pp. 500-501. 
» Doc. Ined., v, pp. 532-533. 
