USA > Alabama > History of Alabama, and incidentally of Georgia and Mississippi, from the earliest period, v. 1 > Part 5
USA > Georgia > History of Alabama, and incidentally of Georgia and Mississippi, from the earliest period, v. 1 > Part 5
USA > Mississippi > History of Alabama, and incidentally of Georgia and Mississippi, from the earliest period, v. 1 > Part 5
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* Portuguese Narrative, p. 711.
t Portuguese Narrative, p. 701.
# Portuguese Narrative. p. 714
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ABORIGINES OF ALABAMA.
CHAPTER ders, inflated after they had been inserted, were greatly pre- II. ferred .* The Chiefs and their wives, the Prophets and prin- Part 1. cipal men, painted their breasts and the front part of their bodies with a variety of stripes and characters. Others, like sea-faring people, had their skins punctured with bone needles and indelible ink rubbed in, which gave them the appear- 1539 ance of being tattoed.t Jean Ortiz, so long a prisoner among the Floridians, when discovered by De Soto, was taken for an Indian, on account of his body being "razed" in this manner.t It will be remembered that the Alabamas, upon the Yazoo, painted in stripes of white, yellow, black and red, and
* Le Moyne's Florida plate, 38. Renaud de Landouniere, an admiral of France, made a second voyage to Florida, and landed upon its shore in 1564. Attached to this expedition was a Frenchman, named Jacob Le Moyne, who was an admirable painter. Landouniere left some sol- diers at a Fort which he built upon the St. John's, and with them this accomplished artist. Le Moyne was frequently despatched with small detachments along the coast, and to some distance in the interior, to make surveys of the rivers and to cultivate the friendship of the natives. During these excursions he made admirable drawings of the Indians, their houses, farnis, games, amusements, manners, customs and religious cere- monics. Returning to France, he related his adventures to Charles IX., and exhibited to him his pictures. These, with his explanatory notes, were published by Theodore de Bry, in 1591, in the Latin lan- guage, at Frankfort. The copy in nty possession, a most interesting book upon the ancient Indians of Florida and the adjoining States, con- tains forty-two plates, a few specimens of which are introduced in this volume.
t La Moyne, plate 38. # Portuguese Narrative, p. 702.
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١٠٠٠٢
CHIEFS, WITH THEIR ORNAMENTS AND WAR IMPLEMENTS, UPON THEIR MARCH AGAINST THE ENEMY. Drawn from life, by Jacob le Moyne, in JaGt
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ABORIGINES OF ALABAMA.
"seemed as though they were dressed in hose and doublets."* Lofty plumes of the feathers of the eagle, and other noted birds, adorned the heads of the warriors. At the battle of Vita- chuco, in Middle Florida, ten thousand warriors appeared in this magnificent native head-dress. They also punished and de- formed themselves in the display of their more peculiar orna- ments. Upon an island in West Florida, they wore reeds thrust through their nipples and under lips.t Indian grandees were often seen promenading, of an evening, enveloped in beau- tiful mantles of deer skins, and of the martin, trailing behind them, and often held up by attendants. Among the prettiest ornaments were flat shells, of varied colors, which they sus- pended from girdles around their waists, and which hung down around their hips.
The bow, the most formidable weapon of the ancient In- dians, was long, elastic and exceedingly strong. The string was made of the sinews of the deer. The arrows, of strong young cane, hardened before the fire, were often tipped with buck-horn, and invariably pointed either with palm or other hard wood, flints, long and sharp like a dagger, fish-bones shaped like a chisel, or diamond flints.} The Spaniards soo. ascertained that they pierced as deep as those which they themselves shot from the cross-bow, and were discharged
CHAPTER II. Part 1.
1528
1540
* Portuguese Narrative, p. 727.
+ Expedition of Narvaez, contained in Herrera's History of Ameri- ca-vol. 4, 2. 33.
# Garcellasso de la Vega, p. 266.
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CHAPTER more rapidly." The quiver which held them was made of
Part 1.
1564
II. fawn or some other spotted skin, and was cased at the lower end with thick hide of the bear or the alligator. It was always suspended by a leather strap, passing round the neck, which permitted it to rest on the left hip, like a sword. It was ca- pable of holding a great many arrows. Shields were univer- sal appendages in war, and were made either of wood, split canes strongly interwoven, alligator hide, and sometimes that of buffalo. The latter was often the case west of the Mississippi. 'Of various sizes, but ordinarily large enough to cover the breast, these round shields were painted with rings and stripes, and suspended from the neck by a band. Sometimes a noted Chief protected his breast and a portion of his abdomen with three of them. These, with a piece of bark covering the left arm, to prevent the severe rebound of the bow-string, were all that shielded the natives in time of war. Wooden spears, of the usual length, pointed with excellent darts of fish-bone or flint, were, also, much used. And, strange to say, swords of palm wood, of the proper shape, were often seen. A Chief, in Georgia, seized one of this description, which was born by one of his servants, and began to cut and thrust with it to the ad- miration of De Soto and his officers. The war clubs were of two kinds-one, small at the handle, gradually enlarging at the top in oval form; and the other, with two sharp edges at the end, usually employed in executions. Decoration with plumes, appears to have been more common in general cos-
* Portuguese Narrative, p. 102.
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A Chief addressing his Warriors, who are armed, painted and plumed, and ready to march against the enemy. Drawn from life, by Jacob le Moyne, in 1564.
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1
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tume and pleasure excursions, than in war. In enterprises of CHAPTER the latter character, the natives sought to appear as ferocious II. Part 1. * as possible. The skins of the eagle, of the wolf and of the panther, with the heads of these animals attached, and well preserved, were worn by warriors, while the talons and claws 1564 were inserted as ear ornaments .*
When about to make war, a Chief despatched a party, who approached near the town of the enemy, and by night stuck arrows into the cross-paths and public places, with long locks of human hair waving from them. t After this declaration of war, he assembled his men, who, painted and decorated in the most fantastic and frightful manner, surrounded him on all sides. Excited with seeming anger, he rolled his eyes, spoke in guttural accents, and often sent forth tremendous war whoops. The warriors responded in chorus, and struck their weapons against their sides. With a wooden spear he turned himself reverentially towards the sun, and implored, of that huninary, victory over his enemies. Turning to his men, he took water from a vessel on his right and sprinkled it about, saying, "Thus may you do with the blood of your enemies." Then raising another vessel of water, he poured its entire contents on a fire which had been kindled on his left, and repeated, "Thus may you destroy your enemies and bring home their scalps."; Having marched his army within the vicinity of the enemy, he bid his Prophet to inform him of
1504
* Le Moyre, plates 11, 12, 13, 14. t Le Moyne, plate 33.
# Le Moyne, plate 11.
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ABORIGINES OF ALABAMA.
CHAPTER their number and position, and in what manner it was best to II. Part 1. bring on the attack. The old man, usually a hundred years of age, advanced, and a large circle was immediately formed around him. He placed a shield upon the ground, drew a ring around it five feet in diameter, in which he inscribed various characters. Then kneeling on the shield, and sitting on his feet, so as to touch the earth with no part of his body, he made the most horrible grimaces, uttered the most un- 1564 natural howls, and distorted his limbs until his very bones appeared to be flexible. In twenty minutes he ceased his infernal juggling, assumed his natural look, with apparently no fatigue, and gave the Chief the information which he de- sired .* Some of our ancient natives marched in regular order, with the Chief in the centre, but it was their common habit to scatter in small parties, and take the enemy by surprise. But in the arrangement of their eamp, which was always made at sunset, they were exceedingly particular. They then sta- tioned detachments around the Chief, forming a compact and well-arranged defence.i
The women who had lost their husbands in battle, at a convenient time surrounded the Chief, stooped at his feet, covered their faces with their hands, wept, and implored him to be revenged for the death of their companions. They en- treated Him to grant themi an allowance during their widow- hood, and to permit them to marry again when the time ap- pointed by law expired. They afterwards visited the graves of
* Le Moyne, plate 12.
t Le Moyne, plate 14.
ABORIGINES OF ALABAMA.
61
their husbands and deposited upon them the arms which they used in hunts and wars, and the shells out of which they were accustomed to drink. Having cut off their long hair, they sprinkled it also over their graves, and then returned home. They did not marry until it had attained its ordinary length .*
CHAPTER II. Part 1. 1564
1564
1564
1
1504
* Le Moyne, plate 19.
t Le Moyne's Florida, plate 29.
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The natives drank a tea, which, in modern times, was called black drink. It was made by boiling the leaves of the cacina plant, until a strong decoction was produced. The Chief took his seat, made of nine small poles, in the centre of a semi-circle of seats ; but his was the most elevated of all. IIis principal officers approached him by turns, one at a time, and placing their hands upon the top of their heads, sung ha, he, ya, ha, ha. The whole assembly responded, ha, ha. After which, they seated themselves upon his right and left. The women, in the meantime, had prepared the black drink, which was served up in conch shells and handed to certain men, who distributed it around. The warriors drank large potions of it, and presently vomited it with great case. It seemed to have been used at the early period of 1564, as it is at present, to purify the system, and also to fulfil a kind of religious rite. +
The punishments of that day were summary and cruel. For a crime deserving death, the criminal was conducted to the square and made to kneel with his body inclined forward. The executioner placed his left foot upon his back, and with a murderous blow with the sharp-sided club, dashed out his
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ABORIGINES OF ALABAMA. . .
CHAPTER II. Part 1. 1539
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brains .* Jean Ortiz and his companions were stripped naked, and forced to run from corner to corner through the town, while the exulting savages shot at them by turns with deadly arrows. Ortiz alone survived, and they next proceeded to roast him upon a wooden gridiron, when he was saved by the entreaties of a noble girl.t Whenever they made prisoners of each other, those who were captured were often put to me- nial services. To prevent them from running away, it was customary to cut the nerves of their legs just above the instep.t
When a battle was fought, the victors seized upon the enemy and mutilated their bodies in the most brutal manner. With cane knives the arms and legs were cut around, and then severed from the body by blows upon the bones, from wooden cleavers. They thus amputated with great skill and rapidity. The head was also cut around, with these knives, just above the ears, and the whole scalp jerked off. These were then rapidly smoked over a fire, kindled in a small round hole, and borne off in triumph towards home, together with the arms and legs, suspended upon spears.§ The joyous and excited inhabitants now assembled upon the square and formed a large area, in which these trophies were hung upon high poles. An old Prophet took a position on one side of the circle, held in his hand a small image of a child, and danced and muttered over it a thousand imprecations
* Le Moyne's Florida, plate 32. # Garcellasso de la Vega. t Gareellasso de la Vega. § Le Moyne, plate 15.
1540 . 1564
Indians engaged in scalping and cutting up the slain enemy. Jacob le Moyne, in 1564 Drawn from life, by
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"Fieh
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ABORIGINES OF ALABAMA.
upon the enemy. On the other side, and opposite to him, CHAPTER three warriors fell upon their knees. One of them, who was II. Part 1. in the middle, constantly brought down a club, with great force, on a smooth stone, placed before him, while the others, on either side of him, rattled gourds filled with shells and pebbles, all keeping exact time with the Prophet."
The houses of the Chiefs, with but few exceptions, stood upon large and elevated artificial mounds. When the Indians of 1540 resolved to build a town, the site of which was usually selected upon low, rich land, by the side of a beautiful stream, they were accustomed, first, to turn their attention to the erection of a mound from twenty to fifty feet high, round on the sides, but flat on top. The top was capable of sustaining the houses of the Chief, and those of his family and atten- dants; making a little village by itself of from ten to twenty cabins, elevated high in the air. The earth to make this mound was brought to the spot. At the foot of this emi- nence a square was marked out, around which the principal men placed their houses. The inferior classes joined these with their wigwams. Some of these mounds had several stair- ways to ascend them, made by cutting out incline-planes fifteen or twenty feet wide, flanking the sides with posts, and laying poles horizontally across the earthen steps-thus forming a kind of wooden stairway. But, generally, the lofty residence of the Chief was approached by only one flight of steps. These mounds were perpendicular, and inaccessible, except by the
* Le Moyne, plate 16.
1540
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CHAPTER avenues already mentioned, which rendered the houses upon II. them secure from the attacks of an Indian enemy. Besides . Part 1. the motive for security, a disposition to place the Chief and his family in a commanding position, and to raise him above his subjects, caused the formation of these singular elevations .*
. 1540
Upon the coasts of Florida, the houses were built of timber, covered with palm leaves, and thatched with straw. Those of Toalli, between Apalache and the Savannah, and for some distance beyond, were covered with reeds in the manner of tiles, while the walls were extremely neat. In the colder regions of the territories of Georgia, Alabama and Missis- sippi, every family possessed a house daubed inside and out with clay, for a winter house, and another, open all round, for summer; while a crib and kitchen, also, stood near by. The houses of the Chiefs, much larger than the others, had piazzas in front, in the rear of which were cane benches of comfortable dimensions. They contained, also, lofts, in which were stored skins, mantles and corn, the tribute of the subjects.t Upon the head waters of the Coosa, it will be recollected, that De Soto found the house of the Chief standing upon a mound, with a piazza in front, "large enough for six men to promenade abreast."# The town of Ochille, in Middle Flo- rida, contained fifty very substantial houses. The Chief's house was built in the form of a large pavilion, upwards of one hundred and twenty feet in length by forty in width, with
1540
* Garcellasso de la Vega, p. 136. + Portuguese Narrative, p. 701. # Garcellasso de la Vega, p. 294.
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ABORIGINES OF ALABAMA.
a number of small buildings, connected like offices .* Narvaez CHAPTER found a house large enough to contain three hundred men, II. Part 1. 1528 in which were fishing nets and a tabor with gold bells.t The Indian grandeur and spacious dimensions of the houses of Maubila, in Alabama, have already been described. In the province of Palisema, west of the Mississippi, the house of the Chief was covered with deer skins, which were painted with stripes of various colors, and with animals, while the walls were hung, and the floor carpeted, with the same ma- terials.į In the first town which De Soto discovered, at Tampa Bay, was found a large temple, on the top of which was a wooden bird with gilded eyes.§ The Chief, Uceta, 1520 made Jean Ortiz keeper of the temple, situated in a lonely forest in the outskirts of the town. In this temple were de- posited dead Indians, contained in wooden boxes, the lids of which, having no hinges, were kept down with weights. The bodies and bones were sometimes carried off by panthers and wolves. In this horrible place was poor Ortiz stationed to watch, day and night, and threatened with instant death if he allowed a single body to be taken away. At length, constant anxiety and fatigue overcame him, and one night he fell asleep. The heavy falling of a coffin-lid awoke him. In his terror he seized a bow, and running out, heard the crack- ing of bones amid a dark clump of bushes ! He winged a powerful arrow in that direction. A scuffle ensued, and then 120
* Garcellasso de la Vega, p. 101.
1 Portuguese Narrative.
+ Herrera, vol. 4.
§ Portuguese Narrative, p. 701.
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CHAPTER all was still ! He moved towards the spot, and found an II. Part 1. 1528 enormous panther, dead, by the side of the body of the child - of a principal Indian. HIe replaced the latter in its box, ex- ultingly dragged the animal into the town, and was from that time respected by the Indians." Narvaez, upon first landing in Florida, found a temple in which were chests, each contain- ing a dead body, covered with painted deer skins. The Commissary, John Xuarez, considering it to be idolatrous, ordered them to be burned.t A remarkable temple was situ- ated in the town of Talomeco, upon the Savannah river, three miles distant from Cutifachiqui, now Silver Bluff. It was more than one hundred feet in length, and forty in width. The walls were high in proportion, and the roof steep and covered with mats of split cane, interwoven so compactly that they resembled the rush carpeting of the Moors. (The inhab- itants of this part of the country all covered their houses with this matting.) Shells of different sizes, arranged in an inge- nious manner, were placed on the outside of the roof. On the inside, beautiful plumes, shells and pearls were suspended in 1540 the form of festoons, from one to the other, down to the floor. The temple was entered by three gates, at each of which were stationed gigantic wooden statues, presenting fierce and me- nacing attitudes. Some of them were armed with clubs, maces, canoe-paddles, and copper hatchets, and others with drawn bows and long pikes. All these implements were ornamented with
* Garcellasso de la Vega, pp. 274-282.
+ Herrera, vol. 4, p. 30.
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rings of pearls and bands of copper. Below the ceiling, on CHAPTER four sides of the temple, arranged in niches, were two rows of H. Part 1. 1540 wooden statues of the natural size-one of men, with pearls suspended from their hands, and the other of women. On the side of the walls were large benches on which sat boxes contain- ing the deceased Chiefs and their families. Two feet below these were statues of the persons entombed, the space between them being filled with shields of various sizes, made of strong woven reeds, adorned with pearls and colored tassels. Three rows of chests, full of valuable pearls, occupied the middle of the temple. Deer skins, of a variety of colors, were packed away in chests, together with a large amount of clothing made of the skins of wild cat, martin and other animals. The temple abound- ed in the most splendid mantles of feathers. Adjoining was a store-house, divided into eight apartments, which contained long pikes of copper, around which rings of pearl were coiled, while clubs, maces, wooden swords, paddles, arrows, quivers, bows, round wooden shields, and those of reed and buffalo hide, were decorated in like manner .* Everywhere upon the route. through Alabama and the neighboring States, De Soto found the temples full of human bones. They were held sacred, but sometimes were wantonly violated by tribes at war with each other. On the west bank of the Mississippi, De Soto, joined by the Indian forces of the Chief Casquin, sacked the town of Pacaha. The invading Indians entered the temple, threw down the wooden boxes containing the dead, trampled
* Garcellasso de la Vega, pp. 274-282.
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:
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CHAPTER upon the bodies and bones, and wreaked upon them every II. insult and indignity. A few days after, the Chief of Pacaha and his people come back to the ruined town, and gathering up the scattered bones in mournful silence, kissed and returned them reverentially to their coffins."
Part 1. 1540
1528 1504
The productions of the country were abundant. Peas, beans, squashes, pumpkins and corn grew as if by magic. Persimons, formed into large cakes, were eaten in winter, together with walnut and bear's oil. A small pumpkin, when roasted in the embers, was delightful, and resembled, in taste, boiled chesnuts. Corn was pounded in mortars, but Narvaez saw stones for grinding it, upon the Florida coast.t The Indians prepared their fields by digging up the ground with hoes made of fish-bone. When the earth was levelled in this manner, others followed with canes, with which they made holes, certain distances apart. The women next came with corn, in baskets, which they dropped in the holes. The vir- ginity and richness of the soil produced the crop without fur- ther labor. [See Frontispiece.] The granaries were some- times erected in the woods, near navigable streams, and were constructed with stone and dirt, and covered with cane mats. Here were deposited corn, fruits and all kinds of cured meat, for subsistence during the winter hunts in that part of the country. The universal honesty of the people was a guaran- tee that the contents of these granaries would remain undis- turbed, until consumed by the owners.
1564
* Portuguese Narrative, p. 701.
+ Herrera, vol. 4, p. 30.
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Indians preparing Meats to be deposited in their Winter Hunt Houses.
Drawn from life by Jacob le Moyne, in 1664.
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Hunting and fishing occupied much of the time of the CHAPTER natives. The hunter threw over his body the skin of a deer, II. Part 1. with the head, horns and legs admirably preserved. Round wooden hoops gave the body of the skin its proper shape, inside of which the Indian placed his body. Then, in a stoop- 1564 ing position, so as to allow the feet to touch the ground, he moved along and peeped through the eye-holes of the deer's head, all the time having a drawn bow. When near enough to the deer, he let fly a fatal arrow. The deer, in that day, unaccustomed to the noise of fire-arms, were gentle and nu- merous, and easily killed by a stratagem like this .*
At certain periods, the Indians were a social people, and indulged in large feasts. At other times, they resorted to bow-shooting, ball-plays and dancing.t
The population was much greater when De Soto was in the country, than it has been since. Large armies were fre- quently arrayed against him. In Patofa, Florida, he was even furnished with seven hundred burden bearers. In Ocute, Georgia, he was supplied with two hundred of these indispensable men. At Cafeque, in the same State, four thousand warriors escorted him, while four thousand more transported the effects of his army. It has been seen what a numerous population was found in the province of Coosa, and what forces opposed him at Maubila, Chickasa and Alibamo.
" Le Moyne's Florida, plate 25. Bossu's Travels in Louisiana, vol. 1, p. 259.
t Le Moyne, plate 28.
1540
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The ingenuity of the natives, displayed in the construction of mounds, armas, houses and ornaments, was by no means inconsiderable. At Chaquate, west of the Mississippi, earth- enware was manufactured equal to that of Estremos or Mon- tremor .* At Tulla, in Arkansas, salt was made from the deposite formed upon the shores of a lake ; and again, at several saline springs. The salt was made into small cakes, and vended among other tribes for skins and mantles.t The walls which surrounded the towns, with their towers and terraces, have already been mentioned in the preceding chap- ter. Entrenchments and ditches were also found over the country. The most remarkable of the latter was at Pacha, west of the Mississippi. Here a large ditch, " wide enough for two canoes to pass abreast without the paddles touch- ing," surrounded a walled town. It was cut nine miles long, communicated with the Mississippi, supplied the na- tives with fish and afforded them the privileges of naviga- tion.
1541
"The construction of canoes and barges, connected with the things which have already been enumerated, affords abundant proof that our aborigines were superior, in some respects, to the tribes who afterwards occupied Alabama, but who were also ingenious in the manufacture of articles. The Queen of Savannah, borne out of her house in a sedan chair, supported upon the shoulders of four of her principal men, entered a
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