602 BUREAU OP AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 187 



wooden bridges," but Ranjel speaks of "a well-constructed bridge, 

 broad and very cleverly built" (Bourne, 1904, vol. 2, p. 139). This 

 was made especially for the Spaniards. 

 Elvas says : 



The bridge was constructed of wood, in the manner of beams extending 

 from tree to tree, and at one of the sides a line of wood higher than the 

 bridge in order to support those who should cross. (Robertson, 1933, p. 171.) 



Later references to bridges are scanty except in the Chesapeake re- 

 gion. Smith says that on the way to Powhatan's house "in the mid 

 way I was intercepted by a great creek over which they had made a 

 bridge of grained stakes and railes" (Smith, John, Tyler ed., 1907, 

 p. 53). In documents bearing upon this region, Wm. B. Marye has 

 collected notices of a very great number of structures of this kind. 



IMATS AND BASKETS 



Skins of animals, more particularly of the bear, bison, and deer, 

 often performed the functions of mats, but more elaborate mats 

 were made of various vegetable materials, principally rushes and 

 cane. "Their mats," says Catesby (1731-43, vol. 2, p. xi), "are neatly 

 made of rushes, and serve them to lie on and hang their cabins with," 

 but Lawson goes into the matter more extensively : 



The mats the Indian women make, are of rushes, and about five feet high, 

 and two fathoms long, and sewed double, that is, two together; whereby they 

 become very commodious to lay under our beds, or to sleep on in the summer 

 season in the day time, and for our slaves in the night. 



There are other mats made of flags, which the Tuskeruro Indians make, 

 and sell to the inhabitants . . . 



A great way up in the country, both baskets and mats are made of the 

 split reeds, which are only the outward shining part of the cane. Of these 

 I have seen mats, baskets, and dressing boxes, very artificially done. (Lawson, 

 1860, p. 308.) 



In fact, cane mats were very extensively used throughout the 

 Southeast as coverings for private houses and the temples. On the 

 lower Misssissippi the walls and roofs of the temples both out- 

 side and in were covered with them. Ranjel tells us that all of the 

 houses of Talimeco (on Savannah River), as well as the great temple, 

 were covered with mats (Bourne, 1904, vol. 2, pp. 101-102), and 

 Garcilaso represents the latter as presenting a most magnificent ap- 

 pearance. The roof, he says, 



is of canes, very thin, split in two, of which the Indians make mats which 

 resemble the rush carpets of the Moors, which are very beautiful to view. 

 Five or six of these mats, placed one upon the other, serve to prevent the 

 rain from penetrating and the sun from entering the temple ; which the private 

 people of the counti-y and their neighbors imitate in their houses. (Garcilaso, 

 1723, p. 131.) 



