338 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Roll. 137 



the rivers to spawn" (Lawson, 1860, pp. 260, 339). Presumably he is 

 referring to the use of spears, though it might be bows and arrows or 

 clubs. In 1699 Dickenson witnessed an Indian belonging to one of the 

 tribes on the east coast of Florida spearing fish very dexterously from 

 the shore as they lay in shallow water. (Dickenson, 1803, p. 19; 

 Swanton, 1922, p. 392.) Near St. Augustine, San Miguel noted that 

 all the skates which the Indians had killed "were wounded in [near?] 

 the small fin in the middle of the back, and they wound them there 

 with a little wooden point like a small harpoon a yard [vara] in length, 

 and they are so skillful that they do not hit the little fin at [near] 

 which they aim, because it can be seized better there than anywhere 

 else." (Garcia, 1902, p. 208.) But strangely enough, Gushing (1896, 

 p. 367) found no evidence of this method of fishing at Key Marco. 

 We have from Adair the following excellent description of fish spear- 

 ing in Savannah River: 



Those Indians who are unacquainted with the use of barbed irons, are very 

 expert in striliing large fish out of their canoes, with long sharp pointed green 

 canes, which are well bearded, and hardened in the fire. In Savannah River. 

 I have often accompanied them in killing sturgeons with those green swamp 

 harpoons, and which they did with much pleasure and ease; for, when we 

 discovered the fish, we soon thrust into their bodies one of the harpoons. As 

 the fish would immediately strike deep, and rush away to the bottom very 

 rapidly, their strength was soon expended, by their violent struggles against 

 the buoyant force of the green darts : as soon as the top end of them appeared 

 again on the surface of the water, we made up to them, renewed the attack, 

 and in like manner continued it, till we secured our game. (Adair, 1775, pp. 

 404-405.) 



Bartram thus describes how "a very large salmon trout, weighing 

 about fifteen pounds" was speared by an Indian on a branch of Broad 

 Kiver in Georgia: 



The Indian struck this fish with a reed harpoon, pointed very sharp, barbed, 

 and hardened by the fire. The fish lay close under the steep bank, which the 

 Indian discovered and struck with his reed; instantly the fish darted off with 

 it, whilst the Indian pursued, without extracting the harpoon, and with repeated 

 thrusts drowned it, and then dragged it ashore. (Bartram, 1792, p. 44.) 



Speck says of the Yuchi : 



Simple harpoons of cane whittled to a sharp point are used in the killing of 

 larger fish which swim near the surface, or wooden spears with fire-hardened 

 points are thrown at them when found lurking near the banks. (Speck, 

 1909, pp. 24-25.) 



There is a reference to some Natchez Indians spearing fish from 

 a platform built for that purpose on the bank of the Mississippi. 

 Smith and Strachey speak as if in Virginia the use of true fish spears, 

 "staves, like unto javelins, headed with bone," were confined to the 

 Accomac Indians of the eastern shore, and we may have a cultural 



