SWANTON] rNlDIANS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES 431 



But the last remark represents rather Elvas' inference than his abso- 

 lute knowledge. Garcilaso's informants also took this to be a stand- 

 ard. Garcilaso says that near the chair on which Tascalusa sat "there 

 was an Indan with an ensign of chamois skin traversed by three 

 azure bars of the shape of a cavalry ensign." "Our people," he con- 

 tinues, "were surprised at it, for they had not yet seen flags among 

 the Indians" (Garcilaso, 1723, p. 145). 



However, a little later, after the Indians of Mabila had launched an 

 assault upon their guests and the latter had escaped from the town, 

 the Indians closed the gates, and "beating their drums, they raised 

 flags, with great shouting" (Bourne, 1904, vol. 2, p. 19). Reaching 

 the "River of Chicaga" somewhere in northern Mississippi or the 

 adjacent parts of Alabama, they found it overflowing its banks "and 

 the Indians on the other side in arms with many white flags" 

 (Bourne, 1904, vol. 2, p. 131). Later, when the Mississippi River 

 Indians approached the Spaniards in their canoes to dispute the 

 passage of that great stream, they are said to have carried "banners" 

 (Robertson, 1933, p. 161). And, finally, when the survivors of the 

 expedition were descending the river with the intention of abandon- 

 ing the country, they made a last stop at one of the villages on its 

 banks where they found 



one piece of marten's [muskrat's] skin about eight ells long by three wide. 

 This piece was double, alike on both sides and decorated in places with 

 clusters of seed pearls. They believed that it was used as a standard by the 

 Indians in their festivals; for according to appearances it could not be 

 destined to any other use. (Garcilaso, 1723, p. 242.) 



On approaching the Cherokee town of Settico, Timberlake "ob- 

 served two stands of colors flying, one at the top, and the other at 

 the door of the town-house; they were as large as a sheet, and 

 white." He continues : 



Lest therefore I should take them for French, they took great care to inform 

 me, that their custom was to hoist red colors as an emblem of war ; but 

 white, as a token of peace. (Timberlake, Williams ed., 1927, pp. 62-63.) 



On a sketch of one of the cabins forming an Alabama Square 

 Ground, made by some French draughtsman in the eighteenth cen- 

 tury, we find a flag over the central post, and in very recent times 

 red and white flags have been used by the Creeks to designate the 

 war and peace cabins (S wanton, 1930, p. 187). We may add that 

 an American flag was presented to the Creeks of Tukabahchee town 

 in the early days of the American Union, and since then an American 

 flag has always been run up in the Tukabahchee square during the 

 annual busk. 



These seem to be our only references to what we should call flags, 

 though Bartram (1792, p. 453) gave the name of "standard" to the 



