wool of cattle of which they make garters
and ribands; and with the thread which they obtain from
lime-tree bark, they make a species of mantle, which they
cover with the finest swan's feathers fastened one by one to
the material. A long task indeed, but they do not count this
trouble and time when it concerns their satisfaction.[47]

EMBROIDERY.

The use of beads, quills, and other articles to beautify the surfaces
of fabrics and skins was as common, no doubt, with the ancient as with
the modern native inhabitants of the Mississippi valley. In discoursing
on the dress of native women of Louisiana Butel-Dumont says that
the young girls wear--

* * * a sort of network attached to the waist and terminating
in a point, * * * both sides of which are ornamented with
ribbons of thread made from lime-tree fiber, also made into
network. From the waist to the knees hang several cords of
the same thread, to the ends of which are attached claws of
birds of prey, such as eaglets, crows, etc., so that when the
girls walk these make a rattling noise which is highly
pleasing to them. This kind of ornament does not illy
resemble those nets which we use to cover our horses to
protect them from flies.[48]

From Du Pratz we have the following:

The women make also designs in embroidery with the skin of
the porcupine; they remove for this purpose the skin of this
animal, which is white and black; they split it very fine to
use as embroidery thread, dye a part of the white skin a red
color, another part yellow, and a third part is left white;
they usually work on black skin, and dye the black a reddish
brown; but if they work on bark, the black [threads] remain
the same. Their designs are very similar to some of those
found in Gothic architecture; they are composed of straight
lines which form right angles at their conjunction, which is
commonly called the corner of a square. They also work
similar designs on mantles and coverings which they make with
the bark of the mulberry tree.[49]

John Smith testifies to the same practices in Virginia as shown in the
following lines:

For their apparell, they are sometimes covered with the
skinnes of wilde beasts, which in Winter are dressed with the
hayre, but in Sommer without. The better sort use large
mantels of Deare skins, not much differing in fashion fro