138 



APPENDIX. 



by the priests. Within it the new fire is kindled on the occasion of the Feast of 

 the First Fruits. No woman is allowed to step within the Rotunda, and it is death 

 for any to enter None but a priest can bring the sacred fire forth. The spiral 

 fire in the centre of the building is very curious : it seems to light up into a flame, 

 of itself, at the appointed time ; but how this is done I know not. 



THE PUBLIC SQUARE. 



" The Public Square of the Creeks consists of four buildings of equal size, 

 plated one upon: each side of a quadrangular court. The principal or Council 

 House, is divided transversely into three equal apartments, separated from each 

 other by a low clay wall. This building is also divided longitudinally into two 

 nearly equal parts ; the foremost or front is an open piazza, where are seats for 

 the council. The middle apartment is for the king (mico), the great war chief, 

 second head man, and other venerable and worthy chiefs and warriors. The two 

 others are for the warriors and citizens generally. The back apartment of this 

 house is quite close and dark, and without entrances, except three very low arched 

 holes or doors for admitting the priests. Here are deposited all the most valuable 

 public things, as the eagle's tail or national standard, the sacred calumet, the drums, 

 and all the apparatus of the priests. None but the priests having the care of these 

 articles are admitted ; and it is said to be certain death for any other person to 

 enter.* 



" Fronting this is another building, called the ' Banqueting House ;' and the edi- 

 fices upon either hand are halls to accommodate the people on public occasions, as 

 feasts, festivals, etc. The three buildings last mentioned are very much alike, and 

 differ from the Council House only in not having the close back apartment. 



" The clay-plastered walls of the Creek houses, particularly of the houses com- 

 prising the Public Square, are often covered with paintings. These are, I think, 

 hieroglyphics or mystical writings, of the same use and purpose with those men- 

 tioned by liistorians to be found upon the obehsks, pyramids, and other monuments 

 of the ancient Egyptians. They are much after the same style and taste ; and 

 though I never saw an instance of perspective or chiaro-o.scuro, yet the outlines 

 were bold, natural, and turned to convey some meaning, passion, or admonition, 

 and they may be said to speak to those who can read them. The walls are plas- 



* This is probably the apartment designated by Adair as the sanctum sanctorum. Du Pratz (p. 351) 

 states that the temples of the Natchez were di\'ided into two apartments, in the larger of which the eternal 

 fire was kept. " The inner apartment," he observes, " was very dark, receiving no light except what 

 came in at the door. I could meet nothing here but two boards, on which were placed some things like 

 small toys, which I had not light to peruse." These sacred inner rooms cannot faQ to remind us of the 

 dark chambers of Palenque and Copan, within which Mr. Stephens discovered the mystical tablets described 

 in his volumes on Central America. Nor is it difficult to trace a correspondence between the pictured walls 

 of these buildings, as described in the text, and the sculptured fronts and elaborately painted walls of the 

 Central American temples. 



