436 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 137 



Le Moyne's description of a Timucua fort, already alluded to, 

 follows : 



A position is selected near the channel of some swift stream. They level 

 It as even as possible, and then dig a ditch in a circle around the site, in which 

 they set thick round pales, close together, to twice the height of a man ; and they 

 carry this paling some ways past the beginning of it, spiralwise, to make a nar- 

 row entrance admitting not more than two i)ersons abreast. The course of the 

 stream is also diverted to this entrance ; and at each end of it they are accus- 

 tomed to erect a small round building, each full of cracks and holes, and built, 

 considering their means, with much elegance. In these they station as sentinels 

 men who can scent the traces of an enemy at a great distance, and who, as soon 

 as they perceive such traces, set ofiC to discover them. As soon as they find them, 

 they set up a cry which summons those within the town to the defense, armed 

 with bows and arrows and clubs. The chief's dwelling stands in the middle of 

 the town, and is partly underground, in consequence of the sun's heat. (Le- 

 Moyne, 1875, p. 12 (illus.) ; Swanton, 1922, p. 379.) 



Nothing is said of towers here, and, indeed, the forts constructed 

 farther west appear to have been more elaborate, reaching their 

 highest level, like so many other native productions, along the lower 

 Mississippi. Here we have the advantage of Du Pratz's description. 



When a nation Is too weak to sustain a war, it endeavors to build a fort in 

 order to protect itself. I cannot describe these forts better than by comparing 

 them to a barrel hoop from which the withes have been cut. This circle is 

 relaxed and the outside end is at some distance from the inside end, so that 

 to enter the circle without passing over it it is necessary to make a turn. It 

 is by this opening that one enters the fort, the inner side of which is protected by 

 a half tower and the outer side in the same way. Besides, if they are in great 

 fear, this opening or passage is filled with brambles and thorns. [See pi. 83.] 



This circle is of a size proportioned to the number of warriors and the re- 

 mainder of the nation which retires there when the enemy is advancing. There 

 are, however, some cabins outside where, in moments of tranquility, are done 

 the things most needful to life, such as cooking meat and com. These cabins 

 also relieve the fort, which is always very much congested when the entire 

 nation is obliged to retire there. 



The walls of these forts are composed of great posts, which are made of the 

 trunks of trees a span in circumference, buried 5 to 6 feet in the earth and extend- 

 ing 10 feet above it, and pointed above. The lines of contact of these posts, how- 

 ever round, are covered inside with other posts a foot in diameter. This wall is 

 provided outside with half towers 40 paces apart. They make them doubtless to 

 prevent scaling. The lower ends of the posts are supported inside by a banquette 

 3 feet wide by as much in height, which is itself supported by stakes bound to- 

 gether with green branches in order to retain the earth which is in this banquette. 



The best instructed of these people, as were the Natchez by our soldiers, make 

 about 5 feet above this banquette a kind of penthouse (auvent) with fragments 

 of trees in order to protect themselves from grenades. They also have loopholes 

 which have only one opening outside and two within which correspond to the 

 one. These loopholes are immediately above the banquette. 



In the middle of the fort is placed a tree, the branches of which are cut to 

 within 8 or 9 inches of the trunk to serve as a ladder. This tree serves them as 

 a watchtower, where a young man on guard can discover the enemy at a dis- 



