626 BUREAU OF AME1?ICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 137 



The "Virginia" drum just mentioned was described and figured 

 by Bushnell (1906, pp. 676-678). As Bushnell himself concludes, 

 it was evidently from the west coast of Africa, or at least in imitation 

 of a drum from that region. Although the Bayou Lacomb specimen 

 was certainly of American manufacture, one is led to suspect that 

 the inspiration was originally from the same part of the Old World. 



A Choctaw living near Philadelphia, Miss., gave me a description 

 of the drum he was familiar with among his people, which I have 

 printed elsewhere. The construction suggests that from Bayou 

 Lacomb and is under the same suspicion. 



It was made of a section of black gum or tupelo gum, hollowed out and 12 

 or 16 inches across, and of about the same length. Over the ends of this deer- 

 skins were fitted, each skin being first brought over the outside of a hoop or 

 "cuff" and fastened tight, the cuff being just large enough to fit over the end 

 of the body. After these had been put in place, a larger cuff was made and 

 fitted tight over each and the two outside cuffs were fastened together by means 

 of diagonal cords. Midway of the drum were two other cuffs or hoops fastened 

 to the diagonal cords in such a way that when they were pushed in opposite 

 directions they tightened the heads of the drum. The cuffs were made of 

 white switch hickory, the cords anciently of deer hide, but later of store leather. 

 Two deer-hide strings were allowed to lie across the end of the drum opposite 

 that which was struck. One of these was looser than the other, so that two 

 distinct notes resulted. 



Drum sticks were made principally of maple, poplar, or ash. Each had a 

 knob at the end, one made smaller to "beat the seconds," while most of the 

 noise was made with the other. They beat on the end of the drum opposite that 

 across which the strings lay but most of the noise is supposed to have been 

 made by the other end, the compressed air transferring the vibrations across. 

 If they wish to protect the drumhead they wrapped the knobs of the drumsticks 

 with cloth. (Swanton, 1931 a, p. 224.) 



There are references to Caddo drums in Bureau of American 

 Ethnology Bulletin 132 (Swanton, 1942, p. 156). 



RATTLES 



Rattles accompanied songs and dances throughout the Southeast. 

 Hariot says of the Carolina Indians that 



when they haue escaped any great danger by sea or lande, or be returned from 

 the warr in token of loye they make a great fyer abowt which the men, and 

 woemen sitt together, holdinge a certaine fruite in their hands like vnto a 

 rownde pompion or a gourde, which after they haue taken out the fruits, and the 

 seedes, then fill with small stons or certayne bigg kernells to make the more 

 noise, and fasten that vppon a sticke, and singinge after their manner, they 

 make merrie : as my self e obserued and noted downe at my beinge amonge them 

 (Hariot, 1893, pi. 17.) 



Smith gives some details regarding the varieties of rattles : 



But the chiefe instruments are Battels made of small gourds or Pumpion 

 shels. Of these they have Base, Tenor, Countertenor, Meane and Trible. These 

 mingled with their voices sometimes 20 or 30 togither, make such a terrible 



