SWANTON] INT>IANS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES 529 



of the criteria on which the traders based their estimate of a man's 

 wealth, thus suggesting that it had some social significance. 



If we may judge by references in the literature, black was the color 

 most in evidence after red. This was, perhaps, because of its exten- 

 sive use in mourning. Elvas noted it among the colors used by 

 Alabama warriors. Spark observed it in Florida, Hariot in Carolina, 

 Percy and Beverley in Virginia, and the author of the Luxembourg 

 Memoir on the lower Mississippi. (Robertson, 1933, p. 153; Hak- 

 luyt, 1847-89, vol. 3, p. 615 ; Hariot, 1893, pi. 21 ; Narr. Early Va., Tyler 

 ed., 1907, p. 12; Beverley, 1705, bk. 2, p. 23; Swanton, 1911, p. 54.) 



Yellow was noted among paints employed by the Alabama Indians, 

 among the Florida Indians, and among those of Virginia. Spark 

 observed a color in Florida which he calls "russet." (Robertson, 1933, 

 p. 153; Hakluyt, 1947-89, vol. 3, p. 615; Swanton, 1922, p. 352; 

 Beverley, 1705, bk. 3, p. 52.) 



Blue is mentioned by the author of the Luxembourg Memoir 

 among paints in use on the Mississippi, and Percy tells us that the 

 Rappahannock chief appeared in state with his face painted blue 

 and sprinkled with something that looked like silver ore (Swanton, 

 1911, p. 54 ; Narr. Early Va., Tyler ed., 1907, pp. 12-13) . Wliile there 

 seems to be no reason why the Indians should not have obtained blue 

 pigments as well as red, black, and white, the paucity of the references 

 leads us to wonder whether there may not have been confusion here 

 between paint and tattooing, since the soot used in tattooing always 

 gives a dark blue color. 



One of our earliest Virginia references is by Percy, who says of 

 the Powhatan Indians which he met : 



Some paint their bodies blacke, some red, with artificial! knots of sundry 

 lively colours, very beautiful and pleasing to the eye, in a braver fashion than 

 they in the West Indies. (Narr. Early Va., Tyler ed., 1907, p. 12.) 



And Strachey remarks : 



Of the men, there be some whoe will paint their bodyes black, and some 

 yellowe, and being oyled over, they will sticke therein the soft downe of sun- 

 dry couloured birdes of blew birds, white heme shewes, and the feathers of 

 the carnation birde, which they call Ashshawcutteis [perhaps the red-start], as 

 of so many variety of laces were stitched to their skinns, which makes a won- 

 drous shew; then, being angry and prepared to fight, paint and crosse their 

 foreheads, cheekes, and the right side of their heades diversly, either with 

 terra sigillata or with their roote pochone. (Strachey, 1849, p. 66.) 



Hariot observes of the North Carolina coast Indians that "They 

 ether pownes, or paynt their forehead, cheeks, chynne, bodye, armes, 

 and leggs, yet in another sorte then the inhabitants of Florida." 

 But he states that the chief men of Roanoke neither painted nor 

 tattooed (Hariot, 1893, pis. 3, 7). 



464735—46 35 



