SwANTON] INDIANS OP THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED SfTATES 507 



women ornamented their hair by tying on it stones picked up here and 

 there. 



Shortly after contact with the whites, some of the northern Choc- 

 taw began to imitate the Chickasaw custom of wearing the hair, and 

 finally most of those belonging to the two northern bands adopted it. 



Let us now turn to the Mississippi Valley. First may be given Du 

 Pratz's long description of Natchez customs in this particular. 



The natives cut their hair around, leaving a crown like the Capuchins, and 

 leave only enough long hair to make a twisted tress no larger than the little 

 finger, which hangs over the left ear. This crown is in the same place and 

 almost as large as that of a monk. In the middle of this crown they leave 

 about two dozen long hairs for the attachment of feathers. 



Although the natives all wear this crown, yet the hair is not removed or 

 pulled from this place, but it is cut or burned with burning coals. (Le Page du 

 Pratz, 1758, vol. 2, p. 198; Swanton, 1911, p. 51.) 



Dumont's remarks are much more general and may be supposed to 

 apply to all the Indians from the Quapaw to the Gulf and a con- 

 siderable distance east and west. 



With regard to the hair of the head the men wear it differently, according to 

 difference in nationality. Some cut it entirely, leaving only a tuft on the top 

 of the head in the Turkish fashion. Others cut it on one side only, on the right 

 or the left, and keep the other side very long. Many also have the head com- 

 pletely shaved and have only a braided tress which hangs on each side, and 

 others are clipped like our monks, having only a crown of short hairs. (Dumont, 

 1753, vol. 1, pp. 136-137; Swanton, 1911, p. 51.) 



The Bayogoula had their hair cut, or rather pulled out, around the 

 forehead as well as the beard; "they leave only a little handful of 

 hair at the top of the head, where they fasten many bird feathers of 

 different colors" (Margry, 1875-86, vol. 4, pp. 259-260; Swanton, 1911, 

 p. 276). 



Most Tunica men are said to have worn their hair long and the 

 same is affirmed of the Houma. (Thwaites, 1897-1901, vol. 65, pp. 

 150-153; Shea, 1861, pp. 134, 146-147; Swanton, 1911, pp. 289, 316.) 



Gatschet was told that the Chitimacha men wore their hair long, 

 and besides using feathers, they "fastened a piece of lead to the end 

 of the tress behind for the purpose of keeping the head erect," a 

 rather questionable purpose (Gatschet, 1883, p. 5; Swanton, 1911, p. 

 345.) 



Most of the Caddo seen by Joutel had their hair cut off except for 

 some tresses which they tied to or rolled around a small piece of wood, 

 which they wore at one side, but all had a little tuft on top of the 

 head behind, like the Turks. Some, however, did not cut their hair 

 at all (Joutel in Margry, 1875-86, vol. 3, p. 356). Elsewhere men 

 were said to cut their hair like the Capuchins. It appears from other 

 narratives that roaching was common (Joutel in Margry, 1875-86, 

 vol. 3, p. 413 ; Swanton, 1942, pp. 141-142) . 



