418 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 137 



the men went to take the air" (Thwaites, 1897-1901, vol. 67, pp. 

 316-322). This, however, may have been one of the structures of 

 the crop guardians. 



Houses belonging to the head chiefs of both the Natchez and the 

 Taensa about the year 1700 were square (French, 1851, pp. 159-160; 

 Le Page du Pratz, 1758, vol. 2, pp. 172-175 ; Swanton, 1911, pp. 59- 

 60), and it would seem from what has been said above that the 

 houses of the Houma just below the Natchez were also square, so 

 that there was a house with square foundation in use along the lower 

 Mississippi from a point below the mouth of the Yazoo to the 

 mouth of the Red. This is interesting and may be of some eth- 

 nological significance, though in fact this house was little more 

 than a variation of the round winter dwelling. Du Pratz gives 

 us an excellent description of its construction. 



The cabins of the natives are all perfectly square. There is not one which 

 measures less than 15 feet each way, but there are some more than 30. This 

 is their method of constructing them: 



The natives go into the young woods in search of poles of young walnut 

 [hickory] trees 4 inches in diameter by 18 to 20 feet long. They plant the 

 largest at the four corners to fix the dimensions and the size of the dome. 

 But before planting the others they prepare the scaffold. This is composed 

 of four poles fastened together above, the ends below resting at the four 

 corners. On these four i)oles they fasten others crosswise 1 foot apart, all mak- 

 ing a four-sided ladder or four ladders joined together. 



That done they plant the other poles in the earth in straight lines between those 

 at the corners. When they are thus planted they are bound firmly to a cross 

 pole on the inside of each face (or side). For this purpose they use great cane 

 splints to bind them, at the height of 5 or 6 feet, according to the size of the cabin. 

 This forms the walls. These erect poles are not more than 15 inches apart. A 

 young man then mounts to the top of a corner post with a cord between his teeth. 

 He fastens the cord to the pole, and as he mounts inward the pole bends because 

 those who are below draw the cord to make the pole curve as much as is needed. 

 At the same time another young man does the same to the pole forming the angle 

 opposite. Then the two poles, bent to a suitable height, are firmly and smoothly 

 bound together. The same is done to the poles of the two remaining corners 

 which are made to cross the first. Finally all the other poles are joined at the 

 top, giving the whole the appearance of a bower in a greenhouse such as we 

 have in France. After this work canes are fastened to the lower sides or walls 

 crosswise about 8 inches apart, as high up as the pole which I have spoken of 

 as determining the height of the walls. 



These canes being fastened in this manner, they make mud walls of adobe 

 (mortier de terre) in which they put a certain amount of Spanish beard. These 

 walls are not more than 4 inches thick. No opening is left except the door, which 

 Is but 2 feet wide at most by 4 in height, and some are very much smaller. Finally 

 they cover the framework I have just described with cane mats, placing the 

 smoothest on the inside of the cabin, and they fasten them to each other carefully 

 so that they will Join well. 



After this they make many bundles of grass, of the tallest they can find in 

 the low grounds, which are 4 or 5 feet long. They are laid down in the same 

 manner as the straw with which cottages are covered. They fasten this grass 



