SwANTONj INDIAJSiS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES 411 



paved nor swept, so that they have always a loose earth on them. (Lawson, 

 1860, p. 289.) 



The bark they make their cabins withal, is generally cypress, or red or white 

 cedar; and sometimes, when they are a great way from any of these woods, 

 they make use of pine bark, which is the worser sort. In building these fabrics, 

 they get very long poles of pine, cedar, hickory, or any other wood that will 

 bend; these are the thickness of the small of a man's leg, at the thickest end, 

 which they generally strip of the bark, and warm them well in the fire, which 

 makes them tough and fit to bend. Afterwards, they stick the thickest ends of 

 them in the ground, about two yards asunder, in a circular form, the distance 

 they design the cabin to be (which is not always round, but sometimes oval) 

 then they bend the tops and bring them together, and bind their ends with bark 

 of trees, that is proper for that use, as elm is, or sometimes the moss that grows 

 on the trees, and is a yard or two long, and never rots; then they brace them 

 with other poles to make them strong ; afterwards cover them all over with bark, 

 so that they are very warm and tight, and will keep firm against all the weathers 

 that blow. (Lawson, 1860, pp. 289-290.) 



He has little to say regarding the houses of specific tribes except 

 those of the Waxhaw, merely remarking of the Little Wateree dwell- 

 ings and of those of a town considerably farther north that they were 

 "dark smoky holes" (Lawson, 1860, pp. 59, 99). Of the Waxhaw 

 cabin in which he and his party were entertained, he says, it was "a 

 very large and lightsome cabin, the like I have not met withal" (Law- 

 son, 1860, p. 61) . The superiority of their domestic and public houses, 

 of which a description has been given above, was very likely owing to 

 their more intimate contact with the great nations to the west. 

 Lederer noted in 1670 that the Eno houses differed somewhat from the 

 dwellings of their neighbor for he says : 



These and the mountain-Indians build not their houses of bark, but of watling 

 and plaster. (Alvord, 1912, p. 157.) 



These mountain Indians were probably the Cheraw, and the differ- 

 ences noted attributable to the fact that they had immigrated from 

 sections farther south and west. 



Catesby's notes evidently refer to the Siouan, or other northeastern, 

 tribes. He has the following regarding their winter edifices : 



The Wigwams, or cabbins of the Indians are generally either circular or oval, 

 having but one floor, but of various dimensions, some containing a single family, 

 others four or five families, but of the same kindred. In building their fabricks 

 they stick into the ground at about four or five feet asunder, very long pliant 

 poles, bending their tops, and tying them together with bark; then they brace 

 them together with other poles to strengthen them, afterwards covering them all 

 over, both roof and sides with bark, particularly that of sweet gum, cypress, and 

 cedar, so that they are warm and tight, and will keep firm as against all weathers. 

 In the top of the roof is left a hole to let out the smoak, under which, in the 

 middle of the cabbin, is their fire ; round the cabbin are fixed to the walls broad 

 benches of split cane, laying thereon mats or skins, on which they sleep. Their 

 state-cabbins, for the reception of ambassadors, and other publick transactions, 

 are built with greater magnificence, being loftier, and of far larger dimensions, 



