The Seminole Indians of Florida | Page 8

her chin, and covering her neck up to her ears. It was an effort for her
to move her head. She, however, was only a little, if any, better off in
her possessions than most of the others. Others were about equally
burdened. Even girl babies are favored by their proud mammas with a
varying quantity of the coveted neck wear. The cumbersome beads are
said to be worn by night as well as by day.
Silver Disks.
Conspicuous among the other ornaments worn by women are silver
disks, suspended in a curve across the shirt fronts, under and below the
beads. As many as ten or more are worn by one woman. These disks
are made by men, who may be called "jewelers to the tribe," from silver
quarters and half dollars. The pieces of money are pounded quite thin,
made concave, pierced with holes, and ornamented by a groove lying
just inside the circumference. Large disks made from half dollars may
be called "breast shields." They are suspended, one over each breast.
Among the disks other ornaments are often suspended. One young
woman I noticed gratifying her vanity with not only eight disks made
of silver quarters, but also with three polished copper rifle shells, one
bright brass thimble, and a buckle hanging among them. Of course the
possession of these and like treasures depends upon the ability and
desire of one and another to secure them.
[Illustration: Fig. 65. Manner of piercing the ear.]
Ear Rings.
Ear rings are not generally worn by the Seminole. Those worn are
usually made of silver and are of home manufacture. The ears of most
of the Indians, however, appear to be pierced, and, as a rule, the ears of
the women are pierced many times; for what purpose I did not discover.
Along and in the upper edges of the ears of the women from one to ten

or more small holes have been made. In most of these holes I noticed
bits of palmetto wood, about a fifth of an inch in length and in diameter
the size of a large pin. Seemingly they were not placed there to remain
only while the puncture was healing. (Fig. 65.)
Piercing the ears excepted, the Florida Indians do not now mutilate
their bodies for beauty's sake. They no longer pierce the lips or the nose;
nor do they use paint upon their persons, I am told, except at their great
annual festival, the Green Corn Dance, and upon the faces of their
dead.
Finger Rings.
Nor is the wearing of finger rings more common than that of rings for
the ears. The finger rings I saw were all made of silver and showed
good workmanship. Most of them were made with large elliptical
tablets on them, extending from knuckle to knuckle. These also were
home-made.
Silver vs. Gold.
I saw no gold ornaments. Gold, even gold money, does not seem to be
considered of much value by the Seminole. He is a monometalist, and
his precious metal is silver. I was told by a cattle dealer of an Indian
who once gave him a twenty dollar gold piece for $17 in silver,
although assured that the gold piece was worth more than the silver,
and in my own intercourse with the Seminole I found them to manifest,
with few exceptions, a decided preference for silver. I was told that the
Seminole are peculiar in wishing to possess nothing that is not genuine
of its apparent kind. Traders told me that, so far as the Indians know,
they will buy of them only what is the best either of food or of material
for wear or ornament.
Crescents, Wristlets, and Belts.
The ornaments worn by the men which are most worthy of attention are
crescents, varying in size and value. These are generally about five
inches long, an inch in width at the widest part, and of the thickness of

ordinary tin. These articles are also made from silver coins and are of
home manufacture. They are worn suspended from the neck by cords,
in the cusps of the crescents, one below another, at distances apart of
perhaps two and a half inches. Silver wristlets are used by the men for
their adornment. They are fastened about the wrists by cords or thongs
passing through holes in the ends of the metal. Belts, and turbans too,
are often ornamented with fanciful devices wrought out of silver. It is
not customary for the Indian men to wear these ornaments in everyday
camp life. They appear with them on a festival occasion or when they
visit some trading post.
Me-Le.
A sketch made by Lieutenant Brown, of Saint Francis Barracks, Saint
Augustine, Florida, who accompanied me on my trip to the Cat Fish
Lake settlement, enables