S WANTON] INDIANS OP THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES 807 



the patterns of wigwams. The Chesapeake houses were further dis- 

 tinguished by the presence of two doors. Usually there was but one 

 door and that facing east or south. Such refinements of civilization 

 as wash basins presented to guests after eating and towels seem to 

 have been confined to Virginia. The ceremonial washing of guests 

 existed in the Sound country of North Carolina and among the 

 Caddo. A wooden head rest in lieu of a pillow is reported from 

 Florida, but in only one instance. 



As material for textiles, palmetto displaced mulberry bark in 

 southern Florida, and "silk grass" seems to have been utilized in 

 Virginia more than any other material, but these variations may have 

 been due to the environment. The feather mantles to which refer- 

 ence has already been made ordinarily consisted of turkey feathers, 

 but Dumont speaks of swan feathers among the Natchez, and Bar- 

 tram says that the Creeks employed feathers of the flamingo. Mate- 

 rial for the costume was usually of deerskin, but in southern Flor- 

 ida breechclouts were made of palmetto leaves. Judging by the De 

 Soto narratives, the Creek Indians must have worn leggings in ad- 

 vance of the other tribes. Bartram says that the Indian women did 

 not wear these but Beverley, copying Michel, represents a Virginia 

 Siouan woman accoutered in this manner. Garments woven of na- 

 tive textiles were ordinarily worn by women, but there is one reference 

 in the De Soto narratives to usage of such a garment by men, and 

 the ancients seen by La Salle's followers in the house of the Taensa 

 chief wore long garments made of mulberry bark. In Florida and 

 southeastern Georgia women made their garments out of tree moss. 

 Lawson notes that Carolina women used such garments when they 

 were in mourning. The Choctaw prepared a fabric from bison hair 

 and "fibre from a very strong herb" but it does not appear that this 

 was exclusively their product. Whatever the significance may be, 

 it is a fact that Hariot, Smith, and Strachey do not describe the 

 moccasins and White's drawings do not show them. The illustra- 

 tions in Beverley's work showing Indians with moccasins are all 

 from Michel and probably illustrate the costumes of Siouans. Law- 

 son speaks of them and they were certainly used by all of the 

 tribes. However, it is a fact that moccasins were generally discarded 

 except when Indians were on a journey. Lawson also tells us that, 

 besides fur and feathers, Siouan women used blankets woven of 

 opossum hair. 



If we had a detailed description of male methods of wearing the 

 hair throughout the Southeast it would probably give us an addi- 

 tional means of classification of considerable value, for the hints that 

 are dropped are interesting enough. We learn, for instance, that the 

 Creeks shaved their heads on the sides leaving a roach from front 



