388 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 137 



sort, which they fasten above the frame; and they put their mattresses a-top 

 which are made of long cane splinters. Their bedding consists of the skins 

 of wild beasts, such as of buffalo, panthers, bears, elks, and deer, which they dress 

 with the hair on, as soft as velvet. (Adair, 1775, pp. 419-420.) 



Among the Chickasaw and many other Southeastern tribes the 

 town house or "temple" was constructed after the same pattern. To 

 quote Adair again : 



Every town has a large edifice, which with propriety may be called the 

 mountain house, in comparison of those already described. But the only dif- 

 ference between it, and the winter house or stove, is in its dimensions, and 

 application. (Adair, 1775, p. 421.) 



Apparently houses of this type were used more widely than any 

 others, but many Indians, including the Chickasaw, had a sununer 

 dwelling, as already mentioned in the quotation from Elvas. Re- 

 verting to Adair : 



For their summer houses, they generally fix strong posts of pitch-pine 

 deep in the ground, which will last for several ages. The trees of dried 

 locust," and sassafras, are likewise very durable. The posts are of an equal 

 height; and the wall-plates are placed on top of these, in notches. Then they 

 sink a large post in the center of each gable end, and another in the middle 

 of the house where the partition is to be, in order to support the roof-tree; to 

 these they tie the rafters with broad splinters of oak, or hiccory, unless they 

 make choice of such long sapplings, as will reach from side to side over 

 the ridge hole [pole?], which, with a proper notch in the middle of each 

 of them, and bound as the other sort, lie very secure. Above those, they fix 

 either split sapplings, or three large winter canes together, at proper dis- 

 tances, well tied. Again, they place above the wall-plates of both sides the 

 house, a sufficient number of strong crooks to bear up the eave-boards: and 

 they fasten each of them, both to one of the rafters and the wall-plate, with 

 the bandages before described. As the poplar tree is very soft, they make 

 their eave-boards of it, with their small hatchets: having placed one on each 

 side, upon the crooks, exceeding the length of the house, and jutting a foot 

 beyond the wall, they cover the fabric with pine, or cypress clap-boards, which 

 they can split readily; and crown the work with the bark of the same trees, 

 all of a proper length and breadth, which they had before provided. In order 

 to secure this covering from the force of the high winds, they put a sufficient 

 number of long split sapplings above the covering of each side, from end to 

 end, and tie them fast to the end of the laths. Then they place heavy logs 

 above, resting on the eave-boards, opposite to each crook, which overlap each 

 other on the opposite sides, about two feet a-top, whereon they fix a convenient 

 log, and tie them together, as well as the laths to the former, which bind it 

 together, and thus the fabric becomes a savage philosopher's castle, the side and 

 gables of which are bullet proof. The barrier towns cut port holes in those summer 

 houses, daubing them over with clay, so as an enemy cannot discover them on the 

 outside; they draw a circle round each of them in the inside of the house, and 

 when they are attacked, they open their port holes in a trice, and fall to 

 work. But those, that live more at ease, indulge themselves accordingly. (Adair, 

 1775, pp. 417-419.) 



2« In another place Adair says "the honeylocust." 



