SwANTON] INDIANS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES 697 



term had among our Indians, was declared at a council after which 

 those who were to form the party assembled, painted in black and 

 red and with swan wings tied to their arms, and danced the war 

 dance (hoyopa hithla) for 8 days, fasting and rubbing themselves 

 with herbs prescribed by the doctor, who also performed certain con- 

 juring rites to insure them success. They usually traveled at night 

 and resorted to all sorts of ruses to escape detection. Adair says 

 that the Choctaw were especially clever in imitating the movements 

 of animals. Like Indians generally, they launched their attacks most 

 often in the early morning, but as a people they were more inclined 

 to await attacks in their own territories than to invade the terri- 

 tories of their neighbors. In this way, they informed Romans, they 

 were assured of getting only the scalps of warriors, whereas, if they 

 went abroad to fight, they would have to be content mainly with the 

 scalps of women and children. This justification of their conduct 

 may be set over against that of the Creeks and Chiclcasaw given above. 

 Victory with the loss of many men was not esteemed, and lack of 

 success as the Choctaw understood it might bring demotion to the 

 war leader, who in fact ruled by prestige and never ventured to de- 

 liver orders. Romans says that he often saw armed women in the 

 parties which set out to pursue invaders, and we are told that some 

 wives were so fond of their husbands that they went with them on 

 the regular parties, though it does not appear that they underwent 

 the same ceremonies (Swanton, 1931 a, pp. 162-170) . 



Wliat Bossu calls a "manitou," adopting an Algonquian word, and 

 at any rate a war medicine of some kind equivalent to the Creek and 

 Chickasaw "ark," was carried by each war party (Bossu, 1768, vol. 2, 

 pp. 89-90; Swanton, 1931 a, p. 163). Romans gives the best descrip- 

 tion of this : 



Their addictedness to pretended witchcraft leads them into a very super- 

 stitious behaviour when on an expedition which is remarkable. They carry 

 with them a certain thing which they look on as the genius of the party; it 

 is most commonly the stuffed skin of an owl of a large kind; they are very 

 careful of him, keep a guard over him, and offer him a part of their meat; 

 should he fall, or any other ways be disordered in position, the expedition 

 is frustrated; they always set him with his head towards the place of desti- 

 nation, and if he should prove to be turned directly contrary, they consider 

 this as portending some very bad omen, and an absolute order to return ; 

 should therefore any one's heart fail him, he needs only watch his oppor- 

 tunity to do this to save his character of a brave or true man. (Romans, 1775, 

 pp. 76-77; Swanton, 1931 a, p. 165.) 



A bad dream while en route toward the enemy would usually occa- 

 sion the return home of the dreamer, and if the leader had such a 

 dream, the whole party might turn back. Romans says that the 

 chirp of a species of Motacilla near the camp would have the same 

 effect (Romans, 1775, pp. 76-77; Swanton, 1931 a, p. 165). 



