410 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Boll. 137 



Over 150 years later the statement contained in the first sentence 

 was repeated almost verbatim by John Lawson. By grasses we are 

 probably to understand palmetto, where palmetto could be obtained. 

 The reference to a stone house must also, as in cases noted already, 

 be interpreted to mean a clay or earth house, from which it would 

 appear that the Floridian and northern styles of building overlapped 

 in South Carolina even at this early date. In its main outlines 

 Datha's "stone house" was probably similar to the town house of 

 the Waxhaw Indians described by Lawson, except that the latter was 

 not certainly clayed over. Lawson says this was 



done round with white benches of fine canes, joining along the wall; and a 

 place for the door being left, which is so low that a man must stoop very much 

 to enter therein. This edifice resembles a large hay rick, its top being pyra- 

 midal, and much bigger tiian their other dwellings, and at the building whereof, 

 every one assists till it is finished. AH their dwelling houses are covered with 

 bark, but this differs very much ; for it is very artificially thatched with 

 sedge and rushes. As soon as finished, they place some one of their chiefest 

 men to dwell therein, charging him with the diligent preservation thereof, as a 

 prince commits the charge and government of a fort or castle, to some subject 

 he thinks worthy of that trust. In these state houses is transacted all public 

 and private business. (Lawson, 1860, p. 66.) 



Lawson appends the following important note regarding the geo- 

 graphical distribution of these "state houses" : 



On our way [north from the Waxhaw town] we met with several towns of 

 Indians, each town having its theatre, or state house ; such houses being found 

 all along the road till you come to Sapona, and then no more of those build- 

 ings, it being about one hundred and seventy miles. (Lawson, 1860, p. 72.) 



Assuming Sapona to have been without one, this would suggest 

 that the Virginia Siouans, who belonged to a distinct dialectic group, 

 lacked such houses. It is true that Lawson does not appear to have 

 found them in the Keyauwee, Eno, and Shakori towns, but these had 

 probably suffered considerable displacement in the years immedi- 

 ately preceding Law^son's visit. The Siouan tribes using the round 

 council house seem to have owed it to contact with the great nations 

 to the westward, among whom it reached its highest development. 

 Unfortunately, Lawson does not give enough of the details of the 

 structure to enable us to tell how closely the Siouan building was 

 connected with the others. It may also have been used by the 

 Tuscarora. 



Our only good description of the Siouan hot house used by indi- 

 vidual families is again from Lawson : 



These savages live in wigwams, or cabins, built of bark, which are made 

 round, like an oven, to prevent any damage by hard gales of wind. They make 

 the fire in the middle of the house, and have a hole at the top of the roof right 

 above the fire, to let out the smoke. These dwellings are as hot as stoves, 

 where the Indians sleep and sweat all night. The floors thereof are never 



