618 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 187 



(Thwaites, 1897-1901, vol. 65, pp. 145-149; Shea, 1861, pp. 143-144; 

 French, 1851, pp. 173-174; Swanton, 1911, pp. 288, 312.) 



Mention must, besides, be made of certain small objects carved 

 to represent animals. Penicaut states that there was a figure of a 

 rattlesnake in the Natchez temple and also "a quantity of little 

 stone figures inclosed in a cofFer" (Margry, 1875-86, vol. 5, p. 159). 

 Charlevoix mentions "some wooden heads, a little better wrought 

 than the two [properly three] eagles on the roof," seen by himself, 

 but he was told "that there are marmosets of wood, and a figure of 

 a rattlesnake likewise of wood, which they set upon the altar, and 

 to which they pay great honors" (French, 1851, pp. 160-161 ; Swanton, 

 1911, p. 160). In the smaller compartment of this temple, Du Pratz 

 observed "two hand-worked planks on which are many minute carv- 

 ings {pJusiexirs minuties) which one is unable to identify, owing 

 to the insufficient light" (Le Page du Pratz, 1758, vol. 3, pp. 17-18 ; 

 Swanton, 1911, p. 162). The missionary La Source says there were 

 in the Taensa temple "serpents and other like superstitions" (Shea, 

 1861, pp. 62-63; Swanton, 1911, p. 264). Reverence for the serpent 

 was also noted by De Montigny (Shea, 1861, pp. 76-78; Swanton, 

 1911, p. 265). In describing what he supposed was the Natchez 

 temple but was evidently that of the Taensa and on another's au- 

 thority, Le Petit says : "They have a temple filled with idols, which 

 are different figures of men and of animals, and for which they 

 have the most profound veneration." Whoever reported this would 

 seem to have had better evesiffht than the others who described it. 

 These "idols" were supposed to be inside of "many flat baskets very 

 gorgeously painted." "These," he goes on to say, "are figures of men 

 and women made of stone or baked clay, the heads and the tails of 

 extraordinary serpents, some stuffed owls, some pieces of crystal, and 

 some jawbones of large fish. In the year 1699 they had there a 

 bottle and the foot of a glass, which they guarded as very precious" 

 (Thwaites, 1897-1901, vol. 68, pp. 122-125; Swanton, 1911, p. 269). 

 La Source notes that in the Tunica temple were "earthen figures which 

 are their manitous," and La Harpe is possibly describing some of 

 these when he states that "their household gods are a frog and a fig- 

 ure of a woman which they worship, thinking that they represent 

 the sun," though we camiot be sure that these were temple images or 

 household gods. (Shea, 1861, p. 81; Margry, 1875-86, vol. 6, p. 247; 

 Swanton, 1911, p. 318.) 



On the Bayogoula temple "there were figures of animals, like cocks, 

 painted red. ... At the side of the temple door were many figures of 

 animals, such as bears, wolves, birds ; on this side, that of one which 

 they call choucouacha (opossum), which is an animal with a head 

 shaped like a sucking pig and as large, hair like a badger, gray and 



