New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-08-07
Bali Play Among the Chocta,ys,

In the Paraclifta {Ark.) Democrat we find the
following account Of game Of ball the writer wit
messed recently among the Choctaw Indians. He
says the nation is unit in support of the Southern
Confederacy, and that they are burning with i'm.
patience to take the war path against the Lincoln
mercenares
On the 27th ult., four Of US having heard Of a.
:, bait'piay !" at the confluence of the Mountain
Fort and Little Rivers in the republic of the Choc-
taw Nation, started for it. Our route was throueh
beautiful unduating, piny country, with here and
there held OF waving corn, giving evidence in the
future OF an abundant harvest. At twilight we
found ourselves at Nat Graham's, fifteen miles from
the point Of our departure, yet two miles from
the play ground, by Indian computation
Having received the necessary directions we
again 81 set out but unfortunately for us we soon
found ourselves in darkness threading, as it were
Mentors labyrinth. Winding hither and thither
an Indians house was ultimately reached, and with
generosity peculiar to his race, when your friend
he guided us foot to the general bivouac. This
was sight worth seeing Cooper tells us of sig
nails made by tisem with fire at night and true to
old customs the forest now and then was rendered
lurid by the ascending flames when combustibie
material was thrown on the glowing Goals. The
moon had just peeped from her Eastern conch,
and rendered perceptble the forms of the players
as they passed to and tro, singing wild songs Pc
culiar to themselves. The evening before the play
the contendug parties meet, sometimes with all
their household, and exchange challenges by the
firing Of guns, pistols, etc. After this they select
conjurors whose duty it is to keep off the witches
or the geni of the opposite party. These two par
ties are generally from different Counties and in
this instance they were from Red river and Eagle
counties. These are the first preliminaries. Early
the next morning kind of wild song rends the air.
after which breakfast is taken, and then the gen.
eral preparation for the play is set foot Judges
are chosen. Two broad fat puncheons are set on
end, twenty feet in length, and about one hundred
and fifty yards on a line are two Others.
These are the poles of the two sides. The man
ayers make their selections from the players the
grounds and arrange them in line sitting pos
ture. The conjurors now begin their duty; they
make various signs, and mutter various things,
holding in their hands a tWig or bush, tanning
hither and thither. Two straight lines from sides
Of the puncheons indicate when the ball must re-
bound to count. The manager or chief then makes
speech, tells the players the rules of the game,
and what they must do. This is received with
wild yell. After this, with their ball sticks in hands
and elevated over their heads, they join in close
| contact around their respective poles and dance
I the war dance, or dance of defiance. The other
| party does the same. All is now ready. Twenty
five were selected side in this play. Each
| player is in an almost nude state. They now meet
| The ball is then cast up. m-
! Now, Mr.. Editor, talk to me of the Olympic
| Games. Here is contest equal to any of them
| for manhood. Sophocles' descriptive powers of
the Olympic pals before the contest actually
| going on. An Orestes or an A jaX could not out
| run any one of them engaged. Jupiter Olympus
| himself would pause in wonderful admiration at
| the consummate skill with which they use their
sticks and legs. The play lasted two and a half
hours, when Red River county, after hard con-
test, got the first twelve balls, which was the game