SwANTON] INDIAK'S OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES 765 



sioned a sound, and according to the time and motion given, would be various. 

 The drink when made cool to sup, was in a shell first carried to the cassekey, who 

 threw part of it on the ground and the rest he drank up, and then made a long 

 hem ; and afterwards the cup passed to the rest of the cassekey's associates as 

 aforesaid ; but no other person must touch or taste of this sort of drink ; of which 

 they sat sipping, chattering, and smoking tobacco, or some other herb instead 

 thereof, for the most part of the day. 



In the evening we being laid on the place aforesaid (on mats on the floor), 

 the Indians made a drum of a skin, covering therewith the deep bowl, in which 

 they brewed their drink, beating thereon with a stick; and having a couple of 

 rattles made of a small gourd, put on a stick with small stones in it, shaking 

 it, they began to set up a most hideous howling, very irksome to us ; and some 

 time after came many of their young women, some singing, some dancing. 

 This continued till midnight, after which they went to sleep. (Dickenson, 1803, 

 pp. 33-36 ; Swanton, 1922, pp. 394-395. ) 



Plate 98 is Le Moyne's representation of the black drink ceremony 

 among the Timucua. 



Dickenson was likewise witness of the reception of a visiting am- 

 bassador from the Ais by the chief of the Santa Lucia Indians. The 

 latter was dressed and painted for the occasion. The chief of the 

 visitors sat beside the local chief and the rest mixed. Later, presents 

 were exchanged and finally they smoked, talked, and drank casseena 

 during the remainder of the visit (Dickenson, 1803, pp. 36-37; Swan- 

 ton, 1922, p. 395). 



Pareja's catechism reveals a number of native omens, taboos, and 

 beliefs of various sorts, though some few of these may have been 

 unwarranted assumptions of Old World customs and ideas. When 

 an owl of a certain species hooted, it was thought to be talking and it 

 was appealed to for help. If this owl, or another known as the "red 

 owl" (mochiielo) , hooted, they said, "Do not interrupt it or it will do 

 you harm." Its cry was thought to be a portent, usually of something 

 harmful. If a person uttered a cry when woodpeckers were making 

 a noise it was thought he would have nosebleed. If one heard the cry 

 of a fawn he must put herbs into his nostrils to keep from sneezing, 

 and, if he did sneeze nonetheless, he must go home and bathe in an 

 infusion of herbs or he would die. When one jay chattered to another 

 it was a sign that some visitor was coming. In winter the small part- 

 ridge (la gallina pequenu) must not be eaten. When a snake was 

 encountered, either on a country trail or in the house, it was believed 

 to portend misfortune. When the fire crackled, war was about to break 

 out, and war was also forecast from lightning. Belching either por- 

 tended death or signified that there would be much food. 



As might have been anticipated, much credence was given to 

 dreams. Tremblings or twitchings of certain parts of the body in- 

 dicated that a visitor was coming. If one's eyes trembled, it por- 

 tended weeping. If his mouth twitched, it was a sign that some- 



