The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1880-09-08
From Claiborne's History of Mississippi.
TCoNTINUED.7

among the Choctaws in 1918. They were
found in semi-civilized State, living in
huts or cabins, cultivating small patches OF
corn and beans in very primitive fashion,
and some of them owning herds OF a small
breed of horses and cattle The crops were
planted and worked exclusively by the
women, who were never idle, doing the
cooking aud sewing for the family, provid-
ing fuel, making baskets, ETC., ETC. They
were the burden bearers and providers of
the tribe, and if ever woman's mission with
all its trials and grievances, has been faith
fully and nncomplainingly performed, it
has been by the Indian women of the
South Untaught, bred in the wilderness
under all the leveling influences of poverty
and want, and debauchery, without the
divine light that points out the path of duty
to more fortunate races; with only the in
stnctive tenderness, delicacy and sense of
duty of their sex to guide them, they uni
fOrmlv manifested the highest attributes of
human nature. Chaste, modest resigned,
patient, Industrious honest, devoted to
husband and children, and always faithful
to their country. They brought up their
girls like themselves they taught their
boys to be honest truthful and brave. And
until corrupted by the whites, and tainted
with the lust of gold, and other vices of
civilization, there was no purer race than
the Indians of Mississippi. Until we intro
duced the accursed fire-water into their
country, they had no intoxicating liquors,
nor was there a profane epithet in their
lanfiuage. Marriages took plade in early
life, and it required very little capital to go
to housekeeping.
The land was free to all little cabin
was easily built by the side of some bubbing
spring A small iron kettle to boil their
venson and hominy, and wooden bowl to
put it in when cooked, were sufficient for the
young couple. They needed IA mahogany
tables, because, like the orientals, they sat
upon the ground. If they had company
the bowl was placed in the center, and the
guests sat round and helped themselves one
after the other. The same great wooden
or horn spoon passed round the circle.
Tom-ful-la was their standing and favor
tie dish it consisted ofoorn, soaked in I've
to take of the husks when thoroughly boil
ed, and seasoned with bears oil, deer tallow,
and sometimes with the kernels of walnuts
or hickory nuts.
They served their venison and turkey
stewed with bears oil they made delicious
tortillas or corn-cakes of pounded corn, and
a pleasant beverage of calculated honey
and water. The ribs of a fat bear and the
liver was a luxury. They would put a
slice of venison, slice of the breast of
turkey and slice of hears meat Oh a stick
and barbecue it before the fire, the greese
from the bears meat dripping on the tur-
key and Venisnn, and thus serve q dish that
no metropolitan cuisine could surpass,
They made very refreshing Jelly by pound
ing the roots of China briar, (iSnaiLdr pseudo
China, Saaitar Gsper0,) staining it through
boiling water, and then through baskets,
drying the farina. and then "''~;o. ,,n
honey. They likewise pounded walnuts
and hickory nuts, passed them through
boiling water, and then through STEAMERS
of fine basket work, and thus produced an
inspissated liquor, the color and consistency
of cream and richer and of finer flavor.
The Missionaries found that the Choc-
taws recognized Supreme Being or Great
Spirit, who made and ruled all things But
they had not even traditional knowledge
of any other religion. They believed that
the air was peopied with good and evil
spirits, the latter more numerous, and to
their influence they attributed individual
and national misfortunes.
The males, when not at war, were usual
ly hunting, not in parties, (unless they
went into a region where they would proba-
bly, encounter enemiesl but singly and
alone, his only companion a small dog
They were dexterous with the bow and
arrow, and became expert with the rife.
They universally believed in witches and
sorcerers, Old and ugly women were often
accused witches, found no defenders even
among their kindred, and were summarily
put to death.
They had among them, as privileged castles,
the Rain-maker and the Mediterranean, the
Prophet or Seer. The Mediterranean in
terpreted dreams, charmed away spells, and
healed the sick; the Rain-maker, in periods
of protraeted drought, was invoked to save
the crops, and the Prophet lifted the veil
from the dim and mystic future
When the Mediterranean was called to a
patient, he placed him on a blanket, then
bending over him, he used his mouth as q
cupping>glass, sucking the seat of pain, and
growing during the process, like a dog
worrying a cat. He often put his left hand
to his mouth, pretending to deposit what he
had extracted from the patient. And then,
after sucking. pounding, kneading, and
growing, for an hour, he would repair to q
tree and affect to wipe his hand upon it.
This process of rubbing and manipulating
usually put the patient to sleep, and he
often woke Cp relieved, and the fame of the
Medicine-man went abroad. If, however,
Immediately declared that the Intervention
OF some powerful and malicious witch had
defeated his efforts. The relatives would
formally demand of him to point out the
witch, and after some days of apparent deep
thought, he would Indicate some old,
decrepld, and isolated woman, who, without
formality, or interposition, even of her
kindred. was promptly put to death.
In 1918. the child of a warrior sickened
and died, in spite of all the manipulations
OF the Mediterranean. He attributed it to
Wltchcraft, and pointed ont a very old wo-
man in the neighborhood. Several young
braves Immediately volunteered to kill her.
They repaired TO her house, and she, with
true Indian hospitality, placed before them
all the food there was in the house. They
chatted pleasantly during the repast, and
then suddenly snrang up. gave the war
whoop, and literally cut her to pieces,
Ihe Hain-maker had one privilege over
other specialists. He always demanded q
respectable fee in advance, giving them to