SWANTON] INDIANS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES 259 



The Siouan tribes of the east and the Tuscarora seem to have kept 

 run of the seasons in an almost identical manner: 



They name the months, very agreeably, as one is the herrring month, another 

 the strawberry month, another the mulberry month. Others name them by 

 the trees that blossom, especially the dogwood tree ; or they say, we will return 

 when turkey cocks gobble, that is in March and April. (Lawson, 1860, p. 380.) 



Lawson also gives a very good idea of the activities of the same 

 tribes during the winter season. 



When these savages go a hunting, they commonly go out in great numbers, 

 and oftentimes a great many days' journey from home, beginning at the coming 

 in of the winter; that is, when the leaves are fallen from the trees and are 

 become dry. [They then fired the woods in order to kill deer and other animals.] 

 In these hunting quarters they have their wives and ladies of the camp, where 

 they eat all the fruits and dainties of that country, and live in all the mirth and 

 jollity which it is possible for such people to entertain themselves withal. 

 (Lawson, 1860, p. 336.) 



There they killed deer, turkeys, ducks and smaller game, but also 

 had corn and dried beans, peas and fruits, carried along with them 

 from their towns, and in some places pigeon fat. 



At their setting out, they have Indians to attend their hunting camp that 

 are not good and expert hunters, therefore are employed to carry burdens, to 

 get bark for the cabins, and other servile work; also to go backward and for- 

 ward to their towns, to carry news to the old people, whom they leave behind 

 them. The women are forced to carry their loads of grain and other provisions 

 and get fire wood; for a good hunter or warrior in these expeditions, is em- 

 ployed in no other business than the affairs of game and battle. (Lawson, 

 1860, p. 337.) 



It was during this time that the women made baskets and mats, 

 while the men less expert in hunting made wooden bowls, dishes, and 

 spoons and clay tobacco pipes, many of which were later traded for 

 skins and other articles. The skins then obtained were dressed dur- 

 ing the following summer by the slaves and poor hunters. Summer 

 was first and foremost the time for raising corn and other vegetables, 

 and second the great fishing season, both along the rivers, where 

 quantities of sturgeon and herring were taken, and on the seacoast. 

 Surplus fish and shellfish were dried over hurdles for later consump- 

 tion. At that time also the coast Indians, mainly Algonquians, 

 collected Marginella shells for traffic with inland peoples (Lawson, 

 1860, p. 339) . Crawfish were caught then, and the natural vegetable 

 foods gathered in quantities, besides plants to be used as medicines. 



In summer, [says Catesby,] they feed much on vegetables, particularly Maiz 

 before it is ripe, and while tender, they roast it in the fire, also pomkins, 

 gourds, squashes, melons, cucumbers, potatoes; besides peaches, raspberries, 

 and strawberries, which their woods abound in. Indians seldom plant enough 

 corn to last them the year round, yet in some measure they supply that want by 

 their autumn-collection of black walnuts, hiccory nuts, chinkapins and acorns, 



