SwANTON] INDIANS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES 319 



and other animals are drove by the raging fire and smoak, and being hemm'd in 

 are destroyed in great numbers by their guns. (Catesby, 1731-43, vol. 2, p. xii.) 



In 1728 William Byrd's party replenished their supply of meat in 

 this manner : 



They fired the Dry Leaves in a Ring of five Miles' circumference, vrhich, burn- 

 ing inwards, drove all the Game to the Centre, where they were easily killed. 

 It is really a pitiful Sight to see the extreme Distress the poor deer are in, 

 when they find themselves Surrounded with this Circle of Fire ; they weep and 

 Groan like a Human Creature, yet can't move the compassion of those hard- 

 hearted People, who are about to murder them. This unmerciful Sport is called 

 Fire Hunting, and is much practic'd by the Indians and Frontier Inhabitants, 

 who sometimes, in the Eagerness of their Diversion, are Punish't for their cruelty, 

 and are hurt by one another when they Shoot across at the Deer which are in 

 the Middle. (Bassett, 1901, pp. 222-223.) 



According to Calderon, the Timucua distinguished two kinds of 

 hunting : 



During January they burn the grass and weeds from the fields preparatory to 

 cultivation, surrounding them all at one time with fire so that the deer, wild 

 ducks and rabbits, fieeing from it fall into their hands. This sort of hunting they 

 call hurimelas. Then they enter the forests in pursuit of bears, bison and lions 

 which they kill with bows and arrows, and this they call ojeo. Whatever they 

 secure in either way they bring to the principal cacique, in order that he shall 

 divide it, he keeping the skins which fall to his share. (Calder6n, 1936, p. 13.) 



The Natchez "sport" or social diversion to which reference has been 

 made was conducted as follows : 



When the natives wish to hold the deer dance, or to exercise themselves 

 pleasantly, or even when the Great Sun takes a notion, a hundred go to hunt 

 this animal [the deer] and bring it back alive. For this reason many young 

 men go, who scatter about in their prairies where there are thickets to find a 

 deer. As soon as they have discovered one they approach it in the form of a 

 widely opened crescent. The bottom of the crescent advances until the deer 

 springs up and takes to flight. Seeing a company of men in front, it very often 

 flees toward one of the ends of the crescent or half circle. This point stops it, 

 frightens it, and drives it back toward the other point which is a quarter of a 

 league or thereabout distant from the first. This second does the same as the 

 first and drives it back. 



The play is continued for a fairly long time, expressly to exercise the young 

 men or to give pleasure to the great Sun, or to some little Sun whom he has named 

 in his place. Sometimes the deer tries to escape through the opening between the 

 points, but those who are at the tip ends show themselves so as to make him 

 reenter and the crescent advances so as always to keep him inclosed between the 

 youths. So it often happens that the men have not gone a league while the deer 

 has made more than twenty with the different turns and capers which it has made 

 from side to side, until at last all of the men come together a little farther and 

 make a complete circle when they perceive that the animal is very much fatigued. 

 Then they crouch almost to the earth when the deer comes to their side, and as 

 soon as it gets near them rise with shouts and drive it from one side to the other 

 so long as the deer is able to stand. But finally, not being able to do anything 

 more from fatigue, its limbs fail it, it falls down and allows itself to be taken like 

 a lamb. However, they take care to approach it only from behind, in order to 



