Annual report of theBureau of American

ethnology to theSecretary of the

Smithsonian institution

Source gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothque nationale de France

Bureau of American ethnology (Washington, D.C.). Annual report of the Bureau of American ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian institution. 1895-1964.

1/ Les contenus accessibles sur le site Gallica sont pour la plupart des reproductions numriques d'oeuvres tombes dans le domaine public provenant des collections de laBnF.Leur rutilisation s'inscrit dans le cadre de la loi n78-753 du 17 juillet 1978 : *La rutilisation non commerciale de ces contenus est libre et gratuite dans le respect de la lgislation en vigueur et notamment du maintien de la mention de source. *La rutilisation commerciale de ces contenus est payante et fait l'objet d'une licence. Est entendue par rutilisation commerciale la revente de contenus sous forme de produitslabors ou de fourniture de service. Cliquer ici pour accder aux tarifs et la licence 2/ Les contenus de Gallica sont la proprit de la BnF au sens de l'article L.2112-1 du code gnral de la proprit des personnes publiques. 3/ Quelques contenus sont soumis un rgime de rutilisation particulier. Il s'agit : *des reproductions de documents protgs par un droit d'auteur appartenant un tiers. Ces documents ne peuvent tre rutiliss, sauf dans le cadre de la copie prive, sansl'autorisation pralable du titulaire des droits. *des reproductions de documents conservs dans les bibliothques ou autres institutions partenaires. Ceux-ci sont signals par la mention Source gallica.BnF.fr / Bibliothquemunicipale de ... (ou autre partenaire). L'utilisateur est invit s'informer auprs de ces bibliothques de leurs conditions de rutilisation. 4/ Gallica constitue une base de donnes, dont la BnF est le producteur, protge au sens des articles L341-1 et suivants du code de la proprit intellectuelle. 5/ Les prsentes conditions d'utilisation des contenus de Gallica sont rgies par la loi franaise. En cas de rutilisation prvue dans un autre pays, il appartient chaque utilisateurde vrifier la conformit de son projet avec le droit de ce pays. 6/ L'utilisateur s'engage respecter les prsentes conditions d'utilisation ainsi que la lgislation en vigueur, notamment en matire de proprit intellectuelle. En cas de nonrespect de ces dispositions, il est notamment passible d'une amende prvue par la loi du 17 juillet 1978. 7/ Pour obtenir un document de Gallica en haute dfinition, contacter reutilisation@bnf.fr.

FIRST ANNUAL REPORT

BUREAU 0F ETHNOLOGY

SECRETARY OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION

GOTEENUIEWO.1 PEINTING OFFICE

J. W. POWELLDIEECTOE

1879-'8O

01?THE

TO THE

BY

1881

dow.

WASHINGTON

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY,

Washington, D. 6Y., July, 1880.Prof. SPENCER F, Baird,

Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution,

Washington, D. C.:

SIR I have the honor to transmit herewith the first annual

report of the operations of the Bureau of Ethnology.

By act of Congress, an appropriation was made to continue

researches in North American anthropology, the general direc-tion of which was confided to yourself. As chief executiveofiicer of the Smithsonian Institution, you entrusted to me the

immediate control of the affairs of the Bureau.. This report,with its appended papers, is designed to exhibit the methodsand results of my' administration of this trust.If any measure of success has been attained, it is largely due

to general instructions received from yourself and the advice

you have ever patiently given me. on all matters of importance.I am indfeted to my assistants, whose labors are delineated

in the_ report, for their industry;' iiearty co-operation, and en-thusiastic love, of the science. Orily through their zeal have

your .plans been executed.

Much assistance has been rendered the Bureau by a largebody of scientific men engaged in the study of anthropology,some of whose names hv been mentioned in the report and

acconip#nying papers, and others will be put on record whenth subject-matter of their writings is fully pblished.

I am, with respect, your obedient servant,J. W:P0WELL.

III-IV

-0000 4752

V

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR.Page.

Introductory -.0000 .-n.. '00- '00_" --00 '00. -00- --0.- --00" .Uh, -n. xiBibliography of North American philology, by J. C. Pilling- xvLingnistic and other anthropologie researches, by J. 0. Dorsey. XVII

Linguistieresearches, byS. R.Riggs. xviii

Linguistic andgenerairesearchea a,mong th Kla.ma.th Indians, by A. S. Ga,taohet- xixStndiea a.inongtheiroqnois, byMrs. E. A. Smith. XXIIWork by Prof. Otis T. Mason nu.. '00_00 Ou -00 '00 XXIITh study of gesture speech, by Brevet Lieut. Col. Gan-ic'kMa.nery. XXIIIStudies on Central American pictnre writing, by Prof. E. S. Holden xxvThe study of mortuary customs, by Dr. R. O. Yarrow nu 00 00" n.. xxvrInvestigations relating to cessions of lands by Indian tribes to the United States,by 0. 0. Royce n u-- u. '00 .u. u. ""00 XXVII

Explorations by Mr. James Stevenson. n.. 00" .00- .00. 'OU" gxxResearches among the Wintans, by Prof. J. W. PoweJl. XXXII

The preparation of manuals for use in .A.merican research "n. n_- .00- xxxrrLinguistic classification of the North American tribes. on. --u -_uu 'O'-n.XXXIII

ACCOMPANYING PAPERS.

ON THE EVOLUTION OF LANGUAGE, BY J. W. POWELL.rage.

Process by combination n.u- '00 U_ -nn- U-h. n.n- '_n 3Process by vocalic mutation Ou u. u. .u. "u" .u. 0--00' --o. 5Process by intonation _00- "0 Ou- "00 -00--0 nu-- ..uu -"00' _n. 6Process by placement--n '_un '00 n_. nu n-- "00-- Onu- n-u 6Differentiation of the parts of speech. 8

SKETCH OF THE MYTHOLOGY OF THE NORTH MERICA.w1 INDIANS, BY J. W. POWELL.

'rhe gene8is of philosophy 19Two grand stages of philosophy . 21

Mythologie philosophy ha.s four stages. u. u..00. 0 _.0 0 29

Ontgrowthfrom mythologie philosophYn.n.u "O..n "uu 0000 OUU_" 33The course of volution in mythologie philosophy. 38Mythiotales. 43

The Cn-a-av Brothers disouss matters of importance to the Utes _On .uo 44Origin of the echo 0-0. nu -00 .0 '00' '00_ 0. nu 45The So'-kfls Wai'-i1n-ats_ --u u-- -00 00.. n. nu_ un 47Ta.vwots has a fight with the sun -0 ""u. no. .n. -00 52

VI TABLE OF CONTENTS.

WYANDOT GOVERNMENT, BY J. W. POWELL.Page.Page.

Thefamily 59

The gens 59

Thephratry 60

Government 61

Civil government 61

Methods of choosing oounoillors. 61

Functionsof civil government 63

Marriage legulations - 63

Name rgulations 64

Kegnlations of personal adornment . 64

Eegulationa of order in encampment .- 64

Property rights 65

Rightsof persons 65

Community rights.- 65

EigWs of religion. 65

Crimes 66

Theft- - 66

Maiming 66

Mnrder. 66

Treason 67

Withcraft 67

Outla-wry 67

Military government 68

Fellowiood . 68

ON LIMITATIONS TO THE USE OF SOMB ANTHROPOLOGIC DATA, BY J. W. POWELL.

ArchiBology 73

Picture writing 75

History, customs, and ethnie oharaoteristics.. 76

Originof man 77

Language 78

Mythology ._u-- .u' uu 81

Sociology .n_n .00. 83

Psychology 83

A FURTHER CONTRIBUTION TO THE STUDY Or THE MORTUARY CUSTOMS OE THE NORTH

AMERICAN INDIANS, BY H. C. YAItEO'W.

List of illustrations - 89

Introductory 91

Classification of burial --u-- -u 00-- .uu..u..0.. '00'00" U 92

Inhumation 93

Pifburial 93

Grave burial u.. u.. 'uu'" u.. 0000 uu uu uU .u..00' ,'u 101Stone graves or cists 113

Burial in motmds 115

Bnrial beneath or in cabins, wigwams, or houses . 122Cave burial 126

Embalmment or mummineation m. .u.u. 130

Urn. burial 137Surface burial 138

Cairn burial 142Cremation u 143

Partial crmation. 150

TABLE OF CONTENTS. VII

Page.Aerial spulture. 152

Lodge burial 152

Box burial -s. -155

Tree and scaffold burial 158

Partial scaffold burial and ossuaries 168

Superterrene and aerial burial in anoes .u.n..u. 171

Aquatic burial -180

Living sepulchers 182

Mourning, sacrifice, feasts, etc. 183

Mourning 183

Saorinoe- 187

Feasts 190

Superstition regaiding burial feasts 191

Food 192

Dances 192

Songs 194

Games 195

Posts.. - 197

Fires. "00 .u. 00.0 000. -00 00.0 nO'U .U.n. 00 u.. U 198

Superstitions 199

STUDIES IN CENTRAL AMERICAN PICTURE WRITING, BY E. S. HOLDEN.

List of illustrations 206

Introductory 207

Materials for the present investigation 210

System of nomenclature 211

In Tvhat order are the hieroglyphs read? 221

The card catalogue ofhieroglyphs 223

Comparison of plates 1 and IV (Copan) 224

Are the hieroglyphs of Copan and Palenque identical? 227

Htritzilopochtli, Mexicangodof war, etc ..n.u-- -00' ..u_. o. uu 229

Tlaloc, or lis Maya reprsentative 237

Cakulcan or Quetzalcoatl 239

Comparison of the signs of th Maya months 00" -00. nu '00' '00' 243

CESSIONS OF LAND B-Y INDIAN TRIBES TO THE UNITED STATES, BY C. C. ROYCE.

Character of the Indian title U 249Indian boundaries 253

Original and socondary cessions 256

SIGN LANGUAGE AMONG NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS, BY COL GARRICK MALLERY.

Introductory .u. 269Divisions of gesture speech.. 270

Theoriginof signlanguage nnn 00-- 'uUO 0000 .00'" 0000" "00 uun nu- 273

Gestures of the lower animais 875

Gestures of yonng children 276

Gestures in mental disorder - 276

Uninstraeted deaf-mutes 0000 ""00 "HU .UU. '00' .un' .u. 277

Gestures of theblind 278

Lossof speech by isolation 278

Low tribes of man 279

Gestures as an occasional resource u u. u. U U 00" u.00' 279

Gestures of fluent talkers .u. 0 279

VU! TABLE OF CONTENTS.TOI TABLE OF CONTENTS.

Page.The origin of sign language.

Involuntary response to gestures 280

Natural pantomime 280

Some theories upon primitive language . 282

Conclusions 284

History of gesture language nU _00_00 .00'00 .00- .'n-' 000000' 285

Modem use of gesture speech 293

Use by other peoples than North American Indians 294

Use by modern actors and orators 308

Our Indian conditions favorable to sign language . 311

Thories entertained respecting Indian signs 313

Not correlated mth meagerness of language 314

Its origin from one tribe orregion 316

Is the Indian system spcial and pecnliar ? ""00 unu --00 0000 n. 319

To what extent prevalent as a System 323

Are signs conventional or instinctive T n. n' u n. on. u. 340

Classes of diversities in signs 341

Besults sought in the study of sign language 346

Practical application 346

Relations to philology 349

Sign langnage with reference to grammar.. "0' ..u .000 00-- .0., uu 359

Gestures aiding archseologie research ..00 u.. 00- 00'00' 0'" ..00 368

Notable points for further researches 387

Invention of new signs 387

Danger of symbolie interprtation 388

Signs used by wornen and children 391

Positive signa rendered ngative 391

Details-of positions of fingers 392

Motionsrelativetopartsofthebody . 393

Suggestions for collecting signs 394

Mode in which researches hve been made 395

List of authorities and collaborators 401

AlgonMan 403

Dakotan 404

Iropoian 405

Kaiowan 406

Kutinean 406

Panian 406

Eiman -1 406

Sahaptian 406

Shoshonian . 406

Tinnean 407

"Wchitan 407

Zunian 00" ""00 uun nuU n.uh- .00 0000 .0 407

Foreign correspondence 407

Extracts from dictionary .nu."OU' '0000' nu .n. nn ",ou n-- .00. 409

Tribal signs 458

Propernames -T 476

Phrases 479

Dialogues 486

Narratives .n. n.u- 500

Discourses v 521

Signais 529

Signais executed by bodily action 529

Signais in which objects are used in connection with personal action 532

Signala made when the person of the signalist is not visible 536

TABLE OF CONTENTS. IX

Page.SoIiemeoi'lUnstratioB. 544

Otitlinea for arm positions in signiangoage - 545

Types of hand positions in sign langua.ge -0000 ..u.n..00' 00 00 547

Examples 0000 .00: 00" -u "00 .00..U' 00 -u'" ._00 uU U .00" 550

CATALOGUE OF LINGUISTIC MANUSCRIPTS IN THE LIBRARY OF THE BUREAU OF ETH-

NOLOGY, BY J. C. PIIZIT1G.

Introdnctory. 555

List of manuscripts 00 n_n..00' .u. _u, .00.08 ._00 n u-u. n n U u.. 562

ILLUSTRATION OF THE METHOD OF RECORDING INDIAN LANGUAGES. FROM THE

MANUSCRIPTS OF MESSRS. J. 0. DORSEY, A. S. GATSCHET, AND S. R. RIGGS.

How th rabbit cangbt th snn in a, trap, by J. 0. Dorsey . 581

Details of a conjnrer's practice, by A. S. Gataohet- . 583

Th relapse, byA.S.Gatsohet . 585

Adog'srevenge,byS.R.Rigga .. 587

'.1 U.lJ.VU~V.1UJ~XI

FIRST ANNUAL REPORT

0F THE

BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY.

By J. W. POWELL, Director.

ESTTEODUOTOET.

The exploration of the Colorado River of the West, begunin 1869 by authority of Congressional action, was by the same

authority subsequently continued as the second division of the

Geographical and Geological Survey of the Territories, and,

finally, as the Geographical and Geological Survey of the

Rocky Mountain Rgion.

By act of Congress of March 3,1879, the various geologicaland geographical surveys existing at that time were discontin'-ued and the United States Geological Survey was established.In all the earlier surveys anthropologie researches among the

North American Indians were carried on. In that branch ofthe work finally designated as the Geographical and Geologi-cal Survey of the Rocky Mountain Region, such research con-

stituted an important part of the work. In the act creatingthe Geological Survey, provision was made to continue work inthis field under the direction of the Smithsonian Institution, onthe basis of the methods developed and materials collected bythe Geographical and Geological Survey of the Rocky Mount-ain Region.Under the authority of the act of Congress providing for

the continuation of the work, the Secretary of the Smithsonian

Institution intrusted its management to the former director of

XII ANNUAL EEPOET OF THE DIRECTOR

the Survey of the Rocky Mountain Region, and a bureau of e

ethnology was thus practically organizedIn the Annual Report of the Geographical and Geological

Survey of the Rocky Mountain Region for 1877, the followingstatement of the condition of the work at that time appears

ETHTOGEAPHIO WOEK.

During the same office season 'the ethnographie work was more thor-

oughly organized, and the aid of a large number of volunteer assistants

living throughout the country was secured. Mr. W. H. Dall^ of theUnited States Coast Survey, prepared a paper on the tribes of Alaska,and edited other papers on certain tribes of Oregon and WashingtonTerritory. He also superintended the construction of an ethnographiemap to accompany his paper, including on it the latest geographic de-termination from ail available sources. His long residence and extendedscientific labors in that region peculiarly fitted him for the task, and hehas made a valuable contribution both to ethnology and geography.With the same volume was published a paper on the habits and cus-

toms of certain tribes of the State of Oregon and Washington Territory,prepared by the late Mr. George Gibbs while he was engaged in scien-tific work in that region for the government. The volume also containsa Niskwalli vocabulary with extended grammatic notes, the last greatwork of the lamented author.In addition to the map above mentioned and prepared by Mr. Dall,

a second has been made, embracing the western portion of WashingtonTerritory and the northern part of Oregon. The map includes the re-'sults of the latest geographic information and is colored to show thedistribution of Indian tribes, chiefly from notes and maps left by Mr.Gibbs.The Survey is indebted to the following gentlemen for valuable con-

tributions to this volume Gov. J. Furujelm, Lieut. E. De Meulen, Dr.Wm. F. Tolmie, and Rev. Father Mengarini.Mr. Stephen Powers, of Ohio, who has spent several years in the

study of the Indians of California, had the year before been engaged toprepare a paper on that subject. In the mean time at my request hewas employed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs to travel among thesetribes for the purpose of making collections of Indian arts for the Inter-national Exhibition. This afforded him opportunity of more thoroughlyaccomplishing his work in the preparation of the above-mentionedpaper. On his return the new material was incorporated with the old,and the whole has been printed.At our earliest knowledge of the Indians of California they were di-

vided into small tribes speaking diverse languages and belonging toradically different stocks, and the whole subject was one of great com-

plexity and interest. Mr. Powers has snccessfully unraveled the diffi-

OF THE BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY. XHI

cuit problems relating to the classification and affinities of a very largenumber of tribes, and his account of their habits and customs is of

much interest.

la the volume with his paper will be found a number of vocabulariescollected byhimself, Mr. George Gibbs, General George Crook, U.-S.

A., General W. B. Hazen, U. S. A., Lieut. Edward Ross, U. S. A., As-sistant Surgeon Thomas F. Azpell, U. S. A.; Mr. Ezra Williams, Mr. J.R. Bartlett, Gov. J. Furujelm, Prof. F. L. O. Roehrig, Dr. William A.

Gabb, Mr. H. B. Brown, Mr. Israel S. Diehl, Dr. Oscar Loew, Mr. Al-bert S. Gatschet, Mr. Livingston Stone, Mr. Adam Johnson, Mr. Buck-

ingham Smith, Padre Aroyoj Rev. Father Gregory Mengarini, Padre

Juan Comelias, Hon. Horatio Hale, Mr. Alexander S. Taylor, Eev. An-tonio Timmeno, and Father Bonaventure Sitjar.The volume is accompanied by a map of the State of California, com-

piled from the latest official sources and colored to show the distribution

of linguistic stocks.

The Rev. J. Owen Dorsey, of Maryland, has been engaged for more

than a year in the preparation of a grammar and dictionary of the Ponka

language. His residence among these.Indians as a missionary has fur-

nished him favorable opportunity for the necessary studies, and he has

pushed ferward the work with zeal and ability, his only hope of reward`

being a desire to make a contribution to science.

Prof. Otis T. Mason, of Columbian College, has for the past year ren-dered the office much assistance in the study of the history and statisticsof Indian tribes.

On June 13, Brevet Lieut. Col. Garrick Mallery, U. S. A., at the re-

quest of the Secretary of the Interior, joined my corps under orders from

the honorable Secretary of War, and since that time has been engagedin the study of the statistics and history of the Indians of the western

portion of the United States.

In April last, Mr. A. S. Gatschet was employed as a philologist to as-sist in the ethnographie work of this Survey. He had previously been

engaged in the study of the languages of various North American tribes.In June last at the request of this office he was employed by the Bureau

of Indian Affairs to collect certain statistics relating to the Indians of

Oregon and Washington Territory, and is now in the field. His scien-tifie reports have since that time been forwarded through the honorable

Commissioner of Indian Affairs to this office. His work will be ineluded

in a volume now in course of preparation.Dr. H. O. Yarrow, U. S. A., now on duty at the Army Medical Museum,

in Washington, has been engaged during the past year in the collectionof material for a monograph on the customs and rites of sepulture. Toaid him in this work circulars of inquiry have been widely circulated

among ethnologists and other scholars throughout North America, andmuch material has been obtained which will greatly supplement his ownextended observations and researches..

XIV ANNUAL REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR.U.J-T XU.1J.1 J.1/JJJ- VJLUJ-V/JJ-I.JLJ.JJi J^JU.UJJV/AVJ.11

Many other gentlemen throughout the United States have rendered

me valuable assistance in this department of investigation. Their labors

will receive due acknowledgment at the proper time, but I must not fail

to render my sincere thanks to these gentlemen, who have so cordiallyand efficiently co-operated with me in this work.

A small volume, entitled "Introduction to the Study of Indian Lan-

guages," has been prepared and published. This book is intended for

distribution among collectors. In its prparation I have been greatlyassisted by Prof. W. D. Whitney, the distinguished philologist of Taie

Collge. To him I am indebted for that part relating to the reprsenta-tion of the sounds of Indian languages; a work which could not be

properly performed by any other than a profound scholar in this branch.

1 complete the statement of the office-work of the past season by men-

tioning that a tentative classification of the linguistic families of the

Indians of the United States has been prepared. This has been a workof great labor, to which I have devoted much of my own time, and in

which I have received the assistance of several of the gentlemen above

mentioned.

In pursning these ethnographie investigations it has been the endeavor

as far as possible to produce results that would be,of practical value in

the administration of Indian affairs, and for this purpose especial atten-tion has been paid to vital statistics, to the discovery of linguistic affin-

ities, the progress made by the Indians toward civilization, and the

causes and remedies for the inevitable conflict that arises from the spreadof civilization over a rgion previously inhabited by savages. I maybe allowed to express the hope that our labors in this direction will notbe void of such useful results.

In 1878 no report of the Survey of the Rocky Mountain

Region was published, as before its completion the question of

reorganizing all of the surveys had been raised, but the work

was continued by the same methods as in previous years.The operations of the Bureau of Ethnology duing the past

fiscal year will be briefly described.

In the plan of organization two methods of operation are

embraced

First. The prosecution of research by the direct employ-ment of scholars and specialists and

Second. By inciting and guiding research immediately con-

ducted by collaborators at work throughout the country.It has been the effort of the Bureau to prosecute work in

the various branches of North American anthropology on a

systematic plan, so that every important field should be cnlti-

vated, limited only by the amount appropriated by Congress.

OF THE BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY. XV

1 Tittlfi exr.entinn ail snirrirl n.nthrnnnlno-ip. in-o-ostirrn+irvnWith little exception ail sound anthropologie investigationin the lower states of culture exhibited by tribes of men, as

distinguished from nations, must have a firm foundation in

language Customs, laws, governments, institutions, mytholo-gies, religions, and even arts can not be properly understoodwithout a fundamental knowledge of the languages which ex-

press the ideas and thoughts embodied therein. Actuated bythese considerations prime attention has been given to language.It-is not probable that there are many languages in North

America entirely unknown, and in fact it is possible there are

none; but of many of the known languages only short vocabu-laries have appeared. Except for languages entirely unknown,the time for the publication of short vocabularies has passed;they are no longer of value. The Bureau proposes hereafterto publish short vocabularies only in the exceptional casesmentioned above.The distribution of the Introduction to the Study of Indian

Languages is resulting in the collection of a large series of

chrestomathies, which it is believed will be worthy of publica-tion. It is also proposed to publish grammars and dictionarieswhen those have been thoroughly and carefully prepared.In each case it is deemed desirable to connect with the gram-mar and dictionary a body of literature designed as -texts forreference in explaining the facts and principles of the lan-

guage. These texts will be accompanied by interlinear transla-tions so arranged as greatly to facilitate the study of the chief

grammatic characteristics

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF NORTH AMERICAN PHILOLOGY, BY MR. J. C.

PILLING.

There is being prepared in the office a bibliography of NorthAmerican languages. It was originally intended as a card

catalogue for office use, but has gradually assumed propor-tions which seem to justify its publication. It is designed asan author's catalogue, arranged alphabetically, and is to include

XVI ^AOTITAIi REPORT OF THE DIRECTORAVI '1 ! n M JJtiiUJL \JJJiJ- K/dl JL J.J..LJ JL/JULliJUV^X\^Xb

titles of grammars, dictionaries, vocabularies, translations of the

scriptures, hymnals, doctrinse christianse, tracts, school-books,

etc., general discussions, and reviews when of sufficient import-

ance in short, a catalogue of authors who have wntten in or

upon any of the languages of North America, with a list of

their works.

It has. been the aim in preparing this material to make not

only full titles of all the works containing linguistics, but also

to exhaust editions. Whether full titles of editions subsequentto th first will be printed will depend somewhat on the size of

the volume it will make, there being at present about four

thousand five hundred cards, probably about three thousand

titles

The bibliography is based on the library of the Director, but

much time has been spent in various libraries, public and

private, the more important being the Congressional, Boston

Public, Boston Athenseum, Harvard College, Congregationalof Boston, Massachusetts Historical Society, American Anti-

quarian Society of Worcester, the John Carter Brown at Provi-

dence, the Watkinson at Hartford, and the American Bible

Society at New York. It is hoped that Mr. Pilling may find

opportunity to visit the principal libraries of New York and

Philadelphia, especially those of the historical societies, before

the work is printed.In addition to personal research, much correspondence has

been carried on with the various missionaries and Indian

agents throughout the United States and Canada, and with

gentlemen who have written upon the subject, among whom

are Dr. H. Rink, of Copenhagen, .Dr. J. C. E. Buschman, of

Berlin, and the well-known bibliographers, Mr. J. Sabin, of

New York, Hon. J. R. Bartlett, of Providence, and Senor Don

J. G. Iczbalceta, of the City of Mexico.

Mr. Pilling has not attempted ta classify the material lin-

guistically. That work has been left for a future publication,intended to embody the results of an attempt to classify the

tribes of North America on the basis of language, and now in

course of preparation by the Director.

a

9OF THE BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY. XVIl

. 68. t'i'nm- +n tT,B T.ni-oc. isot ons

162 MORTUARY CUSTOMS OF NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.

The poles are about ten feet high. They plant near these posts the wild hop or some

other kind of running vine, which spreads over and covers the coffin. I saw oneof

thse on the island, and as I have described it. It was the coffin of a child about four

yearsold. It was near the lodge of the sick girl. I hve a sketch ofit. Iaskedthe

chiefwhy his people disposed of their dead in that way. He answered they did not

like to put them ont of their sight so soon by putting them under ground. Upon a

platform they could see the box that contained their remains, and that was a comfort

to them.

Figure 19 is copied from MeKenney's picture of this formof burial.

Keating* thus describes burial scaffolds

On these scaffolds, which are from eight to ten feet high, corpses were deposited in`

a box made from part of a broken canoe. Some hair was suspended, which we at first

mistook for a scalp, but our guide informed us that thse were lochs of hair torn from

their heads by the relatives to testify their grief. In the center, between the four

posts whieh supported the scaffolu, a stake was planted in the ground; it was about

six feet high, and bore an imitation of human figures, five of whieh had a design of a

petticoat, indicating them to be females; the rest, amounting to seven, were naked

and wero intended for maie figures; of the latter four were headless, showing that

they had been slain; the three other male figures were unmutilated, but held a staff

in their hand, which, as our guide informed us, designated that they were slaves.

The post, which is an usual accompaniment to the scaffold that supports a warrior's

remains, does not represent the achievements of the deceased; but those of tho war-

riors that assemblcd near his remains danced the dance of the post, and related their

martial exploits. A number of small bones of animais were observed in the vicinity,which were probably left there after a feast celebrated in honor of the dead.

The boxes inwhichthe corpses were placed are so short that a man could not lie in

them extended at full length, but in a country where boxes and boards are scarce this

is overlooked. After the corpses have remained a certain time exposed, they are taken

down and buried. Our guide, Renville, related to us that he had been a witness to

an interesting, thougli painful, circumstance that occurred here. An Indian who re-

sided on the Mississippi, hearing that his son had died atthis spot, came up in a cano

to take charge of the remains and convey them down the river to his place of abode,but on his arrivai ho found that the corpse had already made such progress toward

decomposition as rendered it impossible for it to be removed. He then undertook,with a few friends, to clean off the bones. All the flesh was seraped off and thrown

into the stream, the bones were carefully collected into his canoe, and subsequentlycarried down to his residence.

Interesting and valuable from the extrme attention paicl to dtails

is the following account of a burial case discovered by Dr. George M.

Sternberg, United States Army, and furnished by Dr. George A. Otis,

United States Army, Army Mdical Musum, Washington, D. C. It re-

lates to the Ulieyennes of gansas

The case was found, Brevet-Major Sternberg states, on the banks of Walnut Creek,

Kansas, elevated about eight feet from the ground by four notched poles, which were

iirmly planted in the ground. The unusual care manifestedin the preparation of the

case induced Dr. Sternberg to infer that some important chief was inclosed in it. Be-

lioving that articles of interest were inclosed witli the body, and that their value

would be enhanced if they were received at the Museum as left by the Indians, Dr.

Sternberg determined to send the case nnopened.I had the case opened this morning and an inventory made of the contents. The

case consisted of a cradle of interlaced branches of white willow, about six feet long,

Long's Exped. to the St. Petert River, 1824, p.,332.

yaekow.] SCAFFOLD BUKIAL SIOIJX. 163

three feet broad, and three feet high, with a flooring of buffalo thongs arranged as anet-work. This cradle was securely fastened by strips of buffalo-hide to four poles ofironwood and cottonwood, about twelve feet inlength. These ples doubtless restedupon the forked extremities of the vertical poles described by Dr. Stomberg. Thcradle was wrapped in two buffalo robes of large size and well preserved. On remov-ing thse an aperture eighteen inches square was found at the middle of the right sidoof the cradle or basket. Within appeared other buffalo robes folded about the re-mains, and secured by gaudy-colored sashes. Five robes were successively removed,making seven in ail. Then we came to a series of new blankets folded about theremains. There were five in all-two scarlet, two blue, and one white. These beingremoved, the next wrappings consisted of a striped white and gray sack, and of aUnited States Infantry overcoat, like the other coverings nearly new. We had nowcorne apparently upon the immediate envelopes of the remains, which it was nowevident mustbethoseof a child. Thse consisted of three robes, with hoods veryrichly ornamented with bead-work. These robes or cloaks were of buffalo-calf skinabont four feet in length, elaborately decorated with bead-work in stripes. The outorwas covered with rows of blue and white bead-work, the second was green and yel-low, and the third blue and red. All were fnrther adorned by spherical brass bellsattached ail about the borders by strings of beads.The remains with their wrappings lay upon a matting similar to that used by tho

Navajo and other Indians of the southern plains, and upon a pillow of dirty rags, inwhich were folded a bag of red paint, bits of antelope skin, bunches of straps, buckles,&c. The three bead-work hooded cloaks were now removed, and then wo success-ively nnwrapped a gray woolen double shawl, five yards of blue cassimere, six yardsof red calico, and six yards of brown calico, and finally disclosed the remains of achild, probably about a year old, in an advanced stage of decomposition. The cada-ver had a beaver-cap ornamented with disks of copper containing tho bones of thecranium, which had fallen apart. About the neck were long wampum necklaees,with Dentalium, Unionid, and Auricul, interspersed with beads. There were also'strings of the pieces of aliotis from the Gulf of California, so valued by th Indianson this side of the Eocky Mountains. The body had been elaborately dressed forburial, the costume consisting of a red-flannel cloak, a red tunic, and irock-legginsadorned with bead-work, yarn stockings of red and black worsted, and deer-skin bead-work moccasins. With the remains were numerous trinkets, a porcelain image, aChina vase, strings of beads, several toys, a pair of mittens, a fur collar, a pouch ofthe skin of l'utorins vison, &c.

Another extremely interesting account of scaffold-burial, furnished byDr. L. S. Turner, United States Army, Fort Peck, Mont., and relatingto the Sioux, is here given entire, as it refers to certain cnrious monrn-

ing observances which have prevailed to a great extent over the entire

globe:

The Dakotas bury their dead in the tops of .trees when limbs can be found sufii-ciently horizontal to support scaffolding on which to lay the body, butas such growthis not common in Dakota, the more general practice is to lay them upon scaffolds fromseven to ten feet high and out of the reach of carniverous animals, as the wolf. Thsescaifolds are constructed upon four posts set into the ground sometHng after themannerof tho rude drawing which I inclose. Like ail labors of a domestic kind, the prepara-tion for burial is left to the women, usually the old women. The work begins as soonas life is extinct. The face, neck, and hands are thickly painted with vermilion, ora species of red earth found in various portions of the Territory when the vermilionof tho traders cannot be had. The clothes and personal trinkets of the deceased orna-meut th body. When blankets are available, it is then wrapped in one, ail parts ofthe body being completoly enveloped. Around this a dressed skin of buffalo is thensecnrely wrapped, with th flesh side ont, and the whole securely bound with thongs

164 MORTUARY CUSTOMS OF NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.164 MORTUARY CUSTOMS OF NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.

of skins, eitherrawordressed; andforomament, when available, a bright-red blanket

envelopes ail other coverings, and renders the general scene more picturesquenntil

dimmed by time and the lments. As soon as the scaffold is ready, the body is borne

by the women, followed by tho female relatives, to the place of final deposit, andleft

prone in its secure wrappings upon this airy bed of death.This ceremony is accom-

panied with lamentations so wild and weird that one mustsee and hear in order to

appreciate. If the deceased be a brave, it is customary to place uponor beneath the

scaffold a few buffalo-heads winch time has rendered dry and inoffensive; and if he

has been brave in war some of his implements of battle are placed on the seaffold

or securely tied to its timbers. If the deceased has been a chief, or a soldierrelated

to his chief, it is not uncommon to slay his favorite pony and place the bodybeneath

the scaffold, under the superstition, 1 suppose, that the horse goes with the man.As

illustrating the propensity to provide the dead with the things used while living, 1

may mention that some years ago I loaned to an old man a delft urinal for the use of

his son, a young man who was slowly dying of a wasting disease. I made him prom-

ise faithfully that he would return it as soon as his son was done using it. Not long

afterwards the urinal graced.the scaffold which held the rmains of the dead warrior,

and as it has not to this day been retnrned I presume the young man is not done

using it.

The mourning customs of the Dakotas, though few of them appear to be ofuniversal

observance, cover considrable ground. Thehair, never eut under other circnmstance3,

is cropped off even with the neck, and the top of the head and forehead, and some-

times nearly the whole body, are smeared with a species of white earth resembling

chalk, moistened with water. The lodge, teepee, and ail the familypossessions except

the few shabby articles of apparel worn by the mourners, are given away and the

family left. destitate. Thus far the custom is universal or nearly so. The wives,

mother, and sisters of a deceased man, on the first, second, or third day after the

fnneral, frequently throw off their moccasins and leggins and gash their legs with

their bnteher-knives, and march through the camp and to the place of burial with

bare and bleeding extremities, while they chant or wail their dismal songs of mourn-

ing. The men likewise often gash themselves in many places, and usually seek the

solitude of the higher point on the distant prairie, where they remain fasting, smok-

ing, and wailing out their lamentations for two or three days. A chief who had lost

a brother once came to me after three or four days of mourning in solitude almost ex-

haustedfromhunger and bodily anguish. Hehadgashedthe outersideofhothlower

extremities at intervals of a few inches all tho way irom the ankles to the top of the

hips. His wounds had inflamed from exposure, and were suppurating freely. He as-

sured me that he had not slept for several days or nights. I dressed his wounds with

a soothing ointment, and gave him a full dose of an effective anodyne, after which

he slept long and refreshingly, and awoke to express his gratitude and shake my hand

in a very cordial and sincre manner. When these harsher inflictions are not resorted

to, the mourners usually repair daily for a few days to the place ofburial, toward the

hour of sunset, and chant their grief until it is apparently assuaged by its own expres-sion. This is rarely kept up for more than four or five days, but is occasionallyresorted

to, at intervals, for weeks, or even months, according to the mood of the bereft. I have

seen few things in life so touching as the spectacle of an old father going daily to the

grave of his child, while the shadows are lengthening, and ponring outhis grief in

wails that would move a dmon, until his fignre melts with the gray twilight, when,

silent and solemn, he returns to his desolate family. The weird effect of this observ-

ance is sometimes heightened, when the deceased was a grown-up son, by the old man

kindling a little fire near the head of the scaffold, and varying his lamentations with

smoking in silence. Theforegoingis drawn from my memory ofpersonal observances

during a period of more than six years' constant intercourse with several subdivisions

of the Dakota Indians. There may be much which memory has failed to recall upona brief considration.

taerow.] SCAFFOLD BTJEIAL SIOTJX. 165

Figure 20 represents scarification as a form of grief-expression for thedead.

Perhaps a brief review of Dr. Turner's narrative may not be deemed

inappropriate here.

Supplying food to the dead is a custom which is known to be of great

antiquity in some instances, as among the ancient Romans, it appearsto have been a sacrificial offering, for it usually accompanied cremation,and was not confined to food alone, for spices, perfumes, oil, &c., were

thrown upon the burning pile. In addition to this, articles supposed orknown to have ben agreeable to the deceased were also consumed. TheJews did the same, and in our own time the Chinese, Caribs, and manyof the tribes of North American Indians followed these customs. The

cutting of hair as a mourning observance is of very great antiquity, and

Tegg relates that among the ancients whole cities and countries wereshaved (sic) when a great man died. The Persians not only shavedthemselves on snch occasions, but extended the same process to theirdomestic animals, and Alexander, at the death of Hephaestin, not onlyeut off the manes of his horses and mules, but took down the battle-ments from the city walls, that even towns might seem in mourning andlook bald. Scarifying and mutilating the bodyhas prevailed from a re-mote period of time, having possibly replaced, in the process of evolu-

tion, to a certain extent, the more barbarous practice of absolute per-sonal sacrifice. In later days, among our Indians, human sacrifices

hve taken place to only a limited extent, but formerly many victimswere immolated, for at the funerals of the chiefs of the Florida andCarolina Indians all the male relatives and wives were slain, for the

reason, according to Gallatin, that the hereditary dignity of Chief orGreat Sun descended, as usual, by the female line, and he, as well as all

other members of his clan, whether male or female, could marry only

persons of an inferior clan. To this day mutilation of the person amongsome tribes of Indians is usual. The sacrifice of the favorite horse orhorses is byno means peculiar to our Indians, for it was common amongthe Romans, and possibly even among the men of the Reindeer period,for at Solutr, in France, the writer saw horses' bones exhumed from the

graves examinecl in 1873. The writer has frequently conversed with

Indians upon this subject, and they have invariably informed him thatwhen horses were slain great care was taken to select thepoorest of theband.

Tree-burial was not uncommon among the nations of antiquity, forthe Colchiens enveloped their dead in sacks of skin and hung them to

trees; the ancient Tartars and Scythians did the same. With regardto the use of scaffolds and trees as places of deposit for the dead, it

seems somewhat curious that the tribes who formerly occupied the

eastern portion of our continent were not in the habit of burying in this

way, which, from the abundance of timber, would have been a much

easier method than the ones in vogue, while the western tribes, living

166 MORTUARY CUSTOMS OF NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.

in sparsely-wooded localities, preferred the other. If we consider thatthe Indians were desirous of preserving their dead as long as possible,the fact of their dead being placed in trees and scaffolds would lead tothe supposition that those living on the plains were well aware of the

desiccating property of the dry air of that arid region. This desiccationwould pass for a kind of mummification.The particular part of the mourning ceremonies, whieh consisted in

loud cries and lamentations, may have had in early periods of time a

greater significance than that of a mere expression of grief or woe, andon this point BruMer* seems quite positive, his interprtation beingthat such cries were intended to prevent premature burial. He givessome interesting examples, which may be admitted here:The Caribs lament loudly, their wailings being interspersed with comical remaria

and questions to the dead as to why he preferred to leave this world, having every-thing to make life comfortable. They place the corpse on a little seat in a ditch orgrave fonr or five feet deep, and for ten days they bring food, requesting the corpse toeat. Finally, being convinced that the dead will neither eat nor return to life, theythrow the food on the head-of the corpse and fill up the grave.When one died among the Romans, the nearest relatives embraced the

body, closed the eyes and mouth, and when one was about to die re-ceived the last words and sighs, and then loudly called the name of the

dead, finally bidding an eternal adieu. This ceremony of calling thedeceased by name was known as the conclamation, and was a customanterior even to the foundation of Rome. One dying away from homewas immediately removed thither, in order that this might be performedwith greater propriety. In Picardy, as late as 1743, the relatives threwthemselves on the corpse and with loud cries called it by name, and up to1855 the Moravians of Pennsylvania, at the death of one of their num-

ber, performed mournful musical airs on brass instruments from the

village church steeple and again at the grave.! This custom, however,was probably a remnant of the ancient funeral observances, and not toprevent premature burial, or, perhaps, was intended to scare away badspirits.W. L. Hardistyf gives a curious example of log-burial in trees, relat-

ing to tne Loucheux of British America

They inclose the body in a neatly-hollowed piece of wood, and secure it to two ormore trees, about six feet from the ground. Alog about eight feet long is first split intwo, and each of the parts carefully hollowed out to the reqnired size. The body istlien inclosed and the two pieces well lashed together, preparatory to being finallysecured, as before stated, to the trees.

The American Indians are by no means th only savages employingscaffolds as places of deposit for the dead, for Wbod gives a number ofexamples of this mode of burial.

*L'incertitude des signes d la Mort, 1742, tome i, p. 475, et seq.tThe writer is infonnedbyMr. John Henry Boner that thiscustom still prevails not

only in Pennsylvania, but at the Moravian settlement of Salem, N. C.tEep. Smithsonian Inst., 1866, p. 319. Uhcivilized Races of the World, 1874, v. ii, p. 774, et aeg.

akeow.I SCAFFOLD BURIAL SIOUX. 167

In some parts of Anstralia the natives, instead of consuming the body by fire, or hid-In some parts of Anstralia the natives, instead of consuming the body by flre, or hid-

ing it in caves or in graves, make it a pecnliarly conspicuons object. Should a tree

grow favorably for their purpose, they will employ it as the final resting place for thedead body. Lying in its canoe coffin, and so covered over with leaves and grass thatits shape is qnite disgnised, the "body is lifted into a convenient fork of the tree andlashed to the boughs by native ropes. No further care is taken of it, and if in

process of time it shonld be blown ont of the tree, no one will take the tronble of re-

placing it.Shonld no tree be growing in the selected spot, an artificial platform is made for the

body, by flxing the ends of stont branches in the ground and connecting them at their

tops by smaller horizontal branches. Such are the lirions tombs which are repre-sented in the illustration. These strange tombs are mostly placed amongthe reedSj so that nothing can be more mournful than the sound of the wind as itshakes the reeds below the branch in winch the corpse is lying. Theobjectofthisaerial tomb is vident enough, namely, to protect the corpse from the dingo, or native

dog. That the ravens and other carrion-eating birds should make a banquet nponthe body of the dead man does not seem to trouble the survivors in the least, and it

often happens that the traveler is told by the croak of the disturbed ravens that the

body of a dead Anstralian is lying in the branches over his head.The aerial tombs are mostly erected for the bodies of old men who have died a natural

death; but when a yonng warrior has fallen in battle the body is treated in a verydifferent manner. A moderately high platform is erected, and upon this is seated th

body of the dead warrior with the face toward the rising sun. The legs are crossedand the arms kept extended by means of sticks. The fat is then removed, and after

being mised with red ochre is rnbbed over the body, which has previously been care-

fully denuded of hair, as is done in-the ceremony of initiation. The legs and armsare covered with zebra-like stripes of red, white, and yellow, and the weapons of thedeadman are laid across his lap.The body being thus arranged, fires are lighted under the platform, and kept np

for ten days or more, during the whole of which time the friends and monrners re-main by the body, and are not permitted to speak. Sentinels relieve each other at

appointed intervals, their dnty being to see that the :fires are not suffered to go ont,and to keep the flies away by waving leafy bonghs or bunches of emn feathers. Whena body has been treated in this manner it becomes hard and mummy-like, and the

strongest point is that the wild dogs will not touch it after it has been so long smoked.It remains sitting on the platform for two months or so, and is then taken down and

buried, with the exception of the skull, which is made into a drinking-cup for thenearest relative.

This mode of mummifying resembles somewhat that already described

as the process by which the Virginia kings were preserved from decom-

position.

Figs. 21 and 22 represent the Australian burials described, and are

after the original engravings in Wood's work. The one representing

scaflbld-burial resembles greatly the scaft'olds of our own Indians.

With regard to the use of scaffolds as places of deposit for the dead,the following theories by Dr. "W. Gardner, United States Army, are given

If we corne to inquire why the American aborigines placed the dead bodies of theirrelatives and friends in trees, or npon scaffolds resembling trees, instead of buryingthem in the ground, or burning them and preserving their ashes in urns, I think we

can answer the inqniry by recollecting that most if not ail the tribes of American In-

dians, as well as other nations of a higher civilization, believed that the human soul,

spirit, or immortal part was of the form and nature of a bird, and as thse are essen-

168 MORTUARY CUSTOMS OF NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.

tially arboreal in their habits, it is quite in keeping to suppose thatthe soul-Mr would

have readier access to its former home or dwelling-place if it was placed upon a tree

or scaffold than if it was buried in the earth moreover, from this lofty eyrie the sols

of the dead could rest secure from the attacks of wolves or other profane beasts, and

guard like sentinels the homes and hunting-grounds of their loved ones.

This statement is given because of a corroborative note in the writer's

possession, but he is not prepared to admit it as correct without further

investigation.

PARTIAL 8CAFF0LD BTJRIAL ANDOSSUAEIES.

Under this heading may be placed the burials which consisted in first

depositing the bodies on scaffolds, where they were allowed to remain

for a variable length of time, after which the bones were cleaned and

deposited either in the earth or in special structures, called by writers

"bone-houses." Eoman* relates the following concerning the Choc-

taws

The following treatment of the dead is very atrange. As soon as the de-

ceased is departed, a stage is erected (as in the annexed plate is represented) and the

corpse is laid on it and covered with a bear-skin; if he be a man of note, it is deco-

rated, and the poles painted red with vermillion and bear's oil; if a child, it is put

npon stakes set across at this stage the relations corne and weep, asMng many ques-tions of the corpse, such as, why he left them ? did not his wife serve him well was

he not contented with his eMldren. ? had he not corn enough ? did not his land producesufficient of everything? was he afraid of his enemies? &c, and this accompanied byloud howlings; the women will be there constantly, and sometimes, with the cor-

rupted air and heat of the sun, faint so as to oblige the bystanders to carry them homethe men will also corne and mourn in the same manner, but in the night or at other

unseasonable times when they are least likely to be discovered.

The stage is fenced ronnd with poles; it remains thus a certain time, but not a fixed

space this is sometimes extended to three or four months, but seldom more than half

that time. A certain set of venerable old Gentlemen, who wear very long nails as a

distinguishing badge on the thumb, fore, and middle finger of -each hand, constantlytravel through the nation (when i was there i was told there were but five of this

respectable order) that one of them may acquaint those concerned, of the expirationof this period, which is according to their own fancy; the day being come, the friends oand relations assemble near the stage, a fire is made, and the respectable operator,after the body is taken down, with his nails tears the remaining flesh off the bones,and throws it mth the entrails into the fire, where it is consumed; then he scrapesthe bones and bums the scrapings likewise the head being painted red with vermil-

lion is with the rest of the bones put into a neatly made chest (which for a Chief is also

made red) and deposited in the loft of a hnt built for that purpose, and called. bone

house; each town has one of thse after remaining hre one year or thereabouts, if

he be a man of any note, they take the chest down, and in an assembly of relations

and friends they weep once more over him, refresh the colour of the head, paint the

box, and then deposit him to lasting oblivion.

An enemy and one who commits suicide is buried under the earth as one to be di-

rectly forgotten and unworthy the above ceremonial obsequies and mourning.

Hist. of Florida, 1775, p. 88.

YARRow.l PARTIAL SCAFFOLD BURIAL AND OSSUARIES. 169

T.n n"~+~~ +1,la.+.n n,a:v.i.Jones* quotes one of the older writers, as follows, regarding the

Natchez tribe

Among the Natchez the dead were either inhumed or placed in tombs. Thse tombswere located within or very near their temples. They rested npon four forked sticksfixedfast intheground, and were raised some three feet above the earth. About eightfeet long and a foot and a half wide, they were prepared for the reception of a singlecorpse. After the body was placed upon it, a basket-work of twigs waswovenaroundand covered with mud, an opening being left at the head, through which food waspresented to the deceased. When the flesh had ail rotted away, the bones were taken

out, placed in a box made of canes, and then deposited in the temple. The commondead were mourned and lamented for a period of three days. Those who fell in battlewere honored with a more protracted and grievous lamentation.

Bartramt gives a somewhat different account from Roman of burial

among the Ohoctaws of Carolina

The Chactaws pay their last duties and respect to the deceased in a very differentmanner. As soon as a person is dead, they erect a scaffold 18 or 20 feet high in agrove adjacent to the town, where they lay the corps, lightly covered with a mantle;here it is suffered to remain, visited and protected by the friends and relations, untilthe flesh becomes putrid, so as easily to part from the bones; then undertakers, whomake it their business, carefnlly strip the flesh from the bones, wash and cleanse them,and when dry and pnrified by the air, having provided a curionsly-wrought chest orcoffin, fabricatedofbonesand splints, theyplace all the bones therein, whichis dopositedin the bone-honse, a building erected for that purpose in every town; and when thishonse is full a general solemn fnneral takes place when the nearest kindred or friendsof the deceased, on a day appointed, repair to the bone-house, take up the respectivecoffins, and, following one another in order of seniority, the nearest relations and con-nections attending their respective corps, and the multitude following after them, all

as one family, with united voice of alternate allelujah and lamentation, slowly pro-ceeding on to the place of general interment, when they place the coffins in order,forming pyramid;|: and, lastly, cover ail over with earth, which raises a conicalhill or mount when they retnrn to town in order of solemn procession, concludingthe day with a festival, which is called the feast of the dead.

Morgan also alludes to this mode of burial:

The body of the deceased was exposed upon a bark scaffolding erected upon poles orsecured upon the limbs of trees, where is was left to waste to a skeleton. After thishad been effected by the process of decomposition in the open air, the bones wereremoved either to the former house of the deceased, or to a small bark-house by itsside, prepared for their reception. In this manner the skeletons of the whole familywere preserved from generation to generation by the filial or parental affection of theliving. After the lapse of a number of years, or in a season of public insecurity, or ontho eve of abandoning a settlement, it was cnstomary to collect thse skeletons fromthe whole community around and consign them to a common resting-place.To this custom, which is not confined to the Iroquois, is donbtless to be ascribed

the burrows and bone-mounds which have been found in snch numbers in varions

*Anti nanties of the Southern Indians, 1873, p. 105.t Bartram's Travels, 1791, p. 516.t "Some ingenious men whom I have conversed with have given it as their opinion

that ail those pyramidal artificial hills, usually called Indian monnds, were raised onthis occasion, and are generally sepnlchers. However, I am of different opinion." League of the Iroquois, 1851, p. 173.

170 MORTUARY CUSTOMS OF NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.

1 r_a

J.tU lVlVx~I~UAtLx vuaW Vlrla ur lVVnW n. isum.mviu~jLHj~j-a-nM.

parts of the country. On opening these mounds the skeletons are usually found

arranged in horizontal layers, a conical pyramid, those in each layerradiatingfrom a

common center. In other cases they are found placed promisenously.

Dr. D. G. Brinton* likewise gives an account of the interment of col-

lected bones

East of the Mississippi nearly every nation was accustomed at stated periods-

usually once in eight or ten years-to colleot and clean the osseous remains of those

of its number who had died in the intervening time, and inter them in one common

sepulcher, lined with choice furs, and marked with a monnd ofwood, stone, oreartn.

Such is the origin of those immense tumuli filed with the mortal remains of nations

and gnrations, which the antiquary, withirreverent cnriosity, so frequently chances

upon in all portions of our territory. Thronghout Central America the same usage

obtained in varions localities, as early writers and existing monuments abundantly

testify. Instead of interring the bones, were they those of some distingnished chief-

tain, theywere deposited in the temples or the council-honses, nsnallyinsmall chests

of canes or splints. Such were the charnel-houses which the historians of. De Soto's

expdition so often mention, and these are th "arts" Adair and other authors who

have sought to trace the decent of the Indians from the Jews have likened to that

which the ancient Israelites bore with them in their migration.A widow among the Tahkalis was obliged to carry the bones of her_ deceased hus-

band wherever she went for four years, preserving them in such a casket, handsomelydecorated with feathers(Rich. Arc. Exp., p. 260). "The Caribs ofthe mainlandadoptedthe eustom for ail, without exception. About a year after death the bones were

cleaned, bleached, painted, wrapped. in odorous balsams, placed in a wicker basket,and. kept suspended from the door of their dwelling (Grumilla Hist. del Orinoco I.,

pn. 199, 202, 204). When the quantity of thse heirlooms became burdensome theywere removed to some inaccessible cavern and stowed away with reverential care.

George Oatlint describes what he calls tlie "Golgothas" of the Man-

dans

There are several of these golgothas, or circles of twenty or thirty feet in diameter,and in the center of each ring or circle is little mound of three feet high, on which

uniformly rest two buffalo skulls (a male and female), and in the center of the little

monnd is erected "a medicine pole," of abouttwenty feet high, snpporting many cnri-ons articles of mystery and superstition, which they suppose have the power of guard-

ing and protecting this sacred arrangement.Here, then, to this strange place do these people again resort to evince their fnrther

affections for the dead, not in groans and lamentations, however, for several yearshave curd the anguish, but fond affection and endearments are here renewed, and

conversations are hre held and cherished with the dead. Each one of these skulls

is placed upon a huncn of wild sage, which has been pulled and placed nnderit.

The wife knows, by some mark or resemblance, the sknll of her husband or her child

which lies in this group, and there seldom passes a day that she does not visit it with a

dish of the best-cooked food that her wigwam. affords, which she sets before the sknll

at night, and returns for the dish in the morning. As soon as it is discovered that th

sage on which the skullrests is beginning to decay, the woman cuts a fresh bunch and

places the skull carefully upon it, removing that which was under it.

Independent of the above-named duties, which draw the women to this spot, theyvisit it from inclination, and linger upon it to hold converse and company with the

dead. There is scarcely an hour in a pleasant day but more or less of these women

may be seen sitting or lying by the skull of their child or husband, talking to itin

the most pleasant and endearing language that they can use (as they were wont to

do in former days), and seemingly getting an answer back.

"Myths of the New World, 1868, p. 255.

tHist. N. A. Indians, 1844, i, p. 90,

Fis. 23. Cano Burial.

TAKHOW.J CANOE BURIAL TWANAS. 171" ~"M Vaj>l\Jjr.i nnn.iH ii x W.OJNAO. X ( JL

From thse accounts it may be seen that the peculiar customs whichhave been described by the authors cited were not confined to any specialtribe or area of country, although they do not appear to have prevailedamong the Indians of the northwest coast, so far as known.

STJPERTERRTSlE AMD AEBIAL BUBIAZ IN CA2T0ES.

Thenextmodeof burial to be remarked is that of deposit in canoes,either supporte(l on posts, on the ground, or swung from trees, and iscommon only to the tribes inhabiting the northwest coast.Thefirst example given relates to the Chinooks of Washington Terri-

tory, and may be found in Swan.*

In this instance old Cartumhays, and old STahar, a celebrated doctor, were the chiefmourners, probably from being the smartest scamps among the relatives. Their dnty Ywas to prepare the canoe for the reception of the body. One oftholargest and beat thdeceasedhad owned was thenhauledinto the woods, at some distance backofthelodge,after having been first thoroughly washed and scrubbed. Two large square holeswere then ont in the bottom, at the bow and stern, for the twofolcl purpose of render-ing the canoe unt for further use, and therefore less likely to excite th cupidity ofthe whites (who are but too apt to help themselves to these depositories for the dead),and also to allow any rain to pass off readily.Whenthe canoe was ready, the corpse, wrapped in blankets, was brought out, and

laid in it on mats previously spread. All the -wearing. apparel was next put in besidethe body, together with hertrinkets, beads, little baskets, and varioua trifles she hadprized. More blankets were then covered over the body, and mats smoothed over all.Next, a small cano, which fitted into the large one, was placed, bottom up, over thecorpse, and-the whole then covered with mats. The canoe was thenraised up and

placed on two parallel bars, elevated four or-five feet from the ground, and supportedby being inserted through holes moftiaed at the top of four stout posts previouslyfirmly planted in the earth. Around these holes were thenhung blankets, and all thecooking utensils of the deceased, pots, kettles, and pans, each with a hole punched'through it, and ail her crockery-ware, every piece of which was first cracked orbroken, to render it useless and then, when all was done, they left her to remain foroneyear, when the bones would be buried in a box in the earth directly under thecano; but that,'with all its appendages, would never be molested, but left to go tograduai decay.They regard these canoes precisely as we regard coffins, and would no more think

of using one than we would of using our own graveyard relies and it is, in their vie w,as much of a desecration for a white man to mecldle or interfere with these, to them;sacred mementoes, as it would be to us to have an Indian open the graves of our rela-tives. Many thoughtless white men have done this, and animosities have been thusoccasioned.

Figure 23 represents this mode ofburial.

From a number of other examples, the following, relating to the

Twanas, and furnished by the Rev. M. Eells, missionary to the Skoko-mish Agency, Washington Territory, is selected

The deeeased was a woman about thirty or thirty-five years of age, dead of con-sumption. She died in the morning, and in the afternoon I went to th house to at-

Northwest Coast, 1857, p. 185.

172 MORTUARY CUSTOMS OF NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.172 MORTUARY CUSTOMS OF NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.

tend the fumerai. She had then been placed in a Hudson's Bay Company's box for a

coffin, which was about 3 feet long, If wide, and 1-J- high. She was very poor when

she died, owing to her disease, or she could not have been put in this box. A fire was

burning near by, where a large number of her things had been cdnsnmed, and the

rest were in three boxes near the coffin. Her mother sang the mourning song, some-times with others, and often saying: My daughter, my daughter, why didyon die?"

and similar words. The burial did not take place until the next day, and I was in-

vited to go. It was an aerial burlal, in a canoe. The canoe was about 25 feet longThe posts, of old Indian hewed boards, were about a foot wide. Holea were ont in

these, in which boards were placed, on which th canoe rested. One thing 1 noticed

while this vas done which was new to me, but the significance of which I did not

except her father, mother, and brother, who remained ten or fifteon minutes, pound-

ing on the canoe and mourning. They then came down and made a present to those

persons who were there-a gun to one, a blanket to each of two or three others, and

a dollar and a half to each of the rest, including myself, there being about fifteen

persons present. Three or four of them then made short speeches, and we came home.

The reason why she was buried thus is said to be because she is a prominent womanin the tribe. In about nine months it is expected that there wUl be a "jpot-latcJi," or

distribution of money near this place, and as each tribe shall come they will send a

~'i~\WJYJ~1'!iff,f&i~

learn. As fast as the h oies were eut in the

posts, green leaves were gathered and placedover the holes until the pdsts -were put in the

ground. The coffin-box and the three others

containing her thingswere placedin the canoeand a roof of boards made over the central

part, which was entirely covered with white

cloth. The head part and the foot part of

her bedsteadwere thennailed onto the posts,whieh front the water, and a dress Dailed on

each of these. After pronouncing the bene-

diction, all left th hill and went to the beach-t- |-j|runffaTiiii

Eco. 2t. Twana Canoe-Bnrial._L 1_ _C>1.1_ J.1 H-I

_u. ~y., y~ u.

tabeo-sv.J CANOE BURIAL-CLALLAM. 173tabeo-sv.J CANOE BURIAL-CLALLAM. 173

delegation of two or three men, who will carry a present and leave it at the gravesoonafterthat shall b done she will be* buried in the ground. Shortlyafterherdeathboth lier father and mother eut off their haie as a sign of their grief.

Figure 24 is from a sketch Mndly furnished by Mr. Eells, and repre-sents the burial mentioned in his narrative.

The Clallams and Twanas, an allied tribe, have not always followed

canoe-bnrial, as may ba seen from the following account, also written byMr. Eells, who gives the reasons why the original mode of disposing of

the dead was abandoned. It is extremely interesting, and characterized

by painstaking attention to dtail

I divide this subject into five periods, varying according to time, though they aresomewhat intermingled.(a) There areplaces where skulls and skeletons hava been plowedup or still remain

in tke ground and near together, in such a way as to give good ground for the beliefwhich is held by white residents in the region, that formerly persons were buried inthe ground and in irregular cometeries. I know of such places in Duce Waillopsamong the Twanas, and at Dungeness and Port Angeles, among the Clallams. Thse

graves were made so long ago that the Indians of the present day profess to hve no

knowledge as to who is buried in them, except that they believe, undoubtedly, that

they are the graves of their ancestors. I do not know that any care has ever beenexercised by any one in exhuming thse skeletons so as to learn any partieulars aboutthem. It is possible, however, that these persons were buried according to, the (5)or canoe method, and that time has buried them where they now are.

JBiG.25. Posts forBurial Csmoes.

(b) Formerly when. a person died the body was placed in the forks of two trees andleft there. There was no particular cemetery, but the person was generally left neartho place where tho death occurred. This Skokomisli Talley is said to have been full of

174 MORTUARY CUSTOMS OF NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.

canoes containing persons thus,buried. What their customs were while burying,or what they placed aronnd the dead, I am not informed, but am told that they did

not take as much care then of their dead as they do now. I am satisfied, however,that they then left some articles around the dead. An old resident informs me that

th Clallam Indians always bury their deadin a sitting posture.

(o) About twenty years ago gold mines were discovered in British Columbia, and

boats being scarce in this rgion, unprincipled white men took many of the cauoes in

svMcIl the idian dead had been left, emptying them of their contents. This incensedthe Indians audthey changed their mode of burial somewhat by burying the dead in one

place, placing them in boxes whenever they could obtarn-them, by building scaffoldsfor them instead of placing them in forks of trees, and by cutting their canoes so as

to render them useless, -vvhen they were used as coffins,or left by the side of the dead.

The ruins of one such graveyard now remain about two miles from this agency.Nearly all the remains -were removed a few years ago.With this I furnish you the dutlines of such graves which 1 have drawn. Fig- 25

shows that at present only one pair of posts remains. I have supplied the other pniras they evidently were.

E_

Ks. 2B. Tent on Scaffold.

Figure 26 is a recent grave at another place. That part which is covered with boardand cloth incloses the coffin, which is on a' scaffold.As the Indians have been more in -contact with the whites theyhave learned to

bury in the ground, and this is the most common method at th present time. Thereare cemeteries everywhere where Indians hve resided any length of time. After aperson has died a coffin is made affcr the cheaper Mnds of American ones, the body isplace! in it, and also with it a number of articles, chiefly cloth or clothes, though oc-

casionally money. 1 latoly heard of a child being buried with a twenty-dollar goldpiece in each hand and another in its mouth, but I am not able to vou ch for the truthof it. As general thing, money is too valuable with them for this purpose, and thereis too much temptation for some one to rob the grave when this is leffc in it.

yaeeow.J CAfOE BUEIAL flT.AT.T.AM.. 175

(dS) The grave is dug after the style of the whites, and the coffin then placed in it.Afterit lias been covered, it is customary, though not universal, to build some kind of

"Fia. 27. House-Burial.

an inclosure over it or aroun it.in tie shpe of a small house, shed, lodge, or fence.These are from 2 to 12 feet tign, froin 2 to 6 feei? wide, and fcom 5 to 12 feet long. Some

Ko. 28. Honae-Bnrial.

of these are so well iuclosed that it is impossible to see within, and some are quite open.

Occasionally a window is placed in the front side. Sometimes thse inclosures are

176 MORTUARY CUSTOMS OF NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.

c.overed with oloth, which. is generally white, sometimes partly covered, and some

have none. Around the grave, both outside andinside of the inclosure, varions articles

are placed, as gans, canos, dishes, pails, cloth, sheets, blankets, beads, tubs, lamps,

bows, mats, and occasionally a roughly-carved human image rudely painted. It is

said that around and in the grave of one Clallam chief, buried a few years ago,

|500 worth of such things were lef Most of thse articles are cut or broken so as to

render them valneless to man and to prevent their being stolen. Poles are also often

erected, from 10 to 30 feet long, on wlrich American flags, handterchiefs, clothes, and

cloths of varions colors are hung. A few graves hve nothing of this kind. On some

graves these things are renewed every year or two. This depends mainly on the

number of relatives living and the esteem in. whieb. they hold th deceased.

Th belief exists that as the body decays spirits carry it away particle by particleto the spirit of the deceased in the spirit land, and also as these articles decay theyare also carried away in a similar manner. I have never known of the placing food

near a grave. Figures 27 and 28 will give you some idea of this class of graves.

Figure 27 has a paling fence 12 feet square aronndit. Figure 28 is simply a frame

over a grave where there is no enclosure.

(c) Givilize mode. A few persons, of late, h'ave fallen almost entirely into the

American custom of burying, building a siinple paling fence around it, but placing no

articles aronnd it this is more especially true of the Clallams.

BOTTERAI, CEREMONIES.

In regard to th funeral ceremonies and mourning observances of sections (a) and

(6) of the preceding subject I know nothing. n regard to (c) and (d), they begin to

mourn, more especially the women, as soon as a person dies. Their mourning songconsists principlly of the sounds represented by the three English notes mi mi, do do,la la; those who attend the fnneral are expected to bring some articles to place in the

coffin or about the grave as a token of respect for the dead. The articles which I

have seen for this purpose have been cloth of some kind; a small piece of cloth s re-

turned by the mourners to the attendants as a token of remembrance. They burymuch sooner after death than white persons do, generally as soon as they can obtain

a coffin. 1 know of no other native fanerai crmonies. Occasionally before beingtaken to the grave, I have,hold Christian funeral ceremonies over them, and thse

services increase from year to year. One reason nrhieh has rendered them somewhat

baekward about having these fnneral services is, that they are quite superstitionsabout going near the dead, fearing that the evil spirit which Irilled the deceased will

enter the living and kill them also. Especially are they afraid of having children go

near, being much more fearful of the effect of the evil spirit on them than on older

persons.MOTJENXN& OBSERVANCES.

They have no regular period, so far as I know, for monrning, but often continue it

after the burial, thongh I do not know that they often visit the grave. If they feel

the'loss very mnch, sometimes they will monrn nearly every day for several weeks

especially is this true when they meet an old friend who has not been seen since the

funeral, or when they see an article owned by the deceased which they have not sean

for a long time. The only other thing of which I think, which bears on this subject,is an idea they have, that before a person dies-it may be but a short time or it maybe several months-a spirit from the spirit land comes and carries off the spirit of the

individual to that place. There are those who profess to discover when this is done,and if by any of their incantations they can compel that spirit to return, the personwill not die, but if they are not able, then the person will become dead at heart and

in time die, though it may not be for six months or even twelve. Tou will also find

a little on this subject in a pamphlet which 1 wrote on the Twana Indians and which

has recently'been pnblishod by th Department of the Interior, under Prof. F. V.

Hayden, United States Geologist.

i-Aimow.] BURIAL CANOES AND EOUSES. 177.

13A.E

George Gibbs~ gives a most interesting account of the burial cere-monies of the Indians of Oregon and Washington Territory, which ishere reproduced in its entirety, although it contains examples of othermodes of borialbesides that in canoes; but to separate the narrativewould destroy the thread of the story:

The common mode of disposing of the dead among the fishing tribes was in canos.These were generally drawn into the woods at some prominent point a short distancefrom the village, and sometimes placed between the forks of trees or raised from thgroundonposts. Uponthe CoInmbiaBiver th Tsinnk had in particiilar twoverynotedcemeteries, a high isolated bluff about three miles below the month of the Cowlitz,called Mount Comn, and one some distance above, called Coffin Rock. The formerwould appear not to have been very ancient. Mr. Broughton, one of Vancouver'slieutenants, who explored the river, mates mention only of smet'a! canoes a.t thisplace; and Lewis and Clarke, who noticed the monnt, do not speak of them at all,bnt at the time of Captain Wilkes's expdition it is conjectured that there were atleast 3,000. A fire caused by the carelessness of one of his party destroyed thewhole, to th great indignation of the Indians.Captain Belcher, of th British ship Sulphur, who visited th river in 1839, re-

marks "Intheyea,rl836 [1826] the small-pox made grt ravages, and itwas fol-lowed a few years since by the ague. Consequently Corpse Island and Coffin Mount,as well as th adjacent shores, were studded not oniy with canos, bnt at th periodof our visit the skulls and sbeletons were strewed about in all directions." Thismethod generally prevailed on the neighboring coasts, as at ShoaJ. Water Bay, &c.Farther np the Columbia, as at the Cascades, a different form was adopted, whioh isthns described by Captain Clarke"About half a mile below this honse, in a very thick part of th woods, is an ancient

Indian bnrial-piace it consists of eight vaults, made of pine cedar boards, closelyconnected, abont 8 feet square and 6 in height, the top seonrely covered with wideboards, sloping a little, so as to convey off the rain. The direction of all these is eastand west, th door being on the eastern side, and partially stopped with wide boards,decorated with rude pictures of men and other animais. On entering we fonnd insome of them fonr dead bodies, carefully wrapped in skins, tied with cords of grassand bark, lying on a mat in a direction east and west; th other vaults containedonly bones, whioh in some of them were piled to a height of 4 feet; on the tops of thevaults and on poles attached to them hung brass kettles and frying-pans with holesin their bottoms, baskets, bowls, sea-sheUs, skins, pieces of cloth, hair bags of trinkets,and small bones, the offerings of friendship or affection, which have been saved by apions veneration from the ferocity of war or the more dangerons temptation of indi-vidnal gain. The whole of th walls as well as the door were decorated with strangengnrescntandpainted on them, and besides these were several wooden images ofmen, some ofthem so old and decayed as to have almost lost their shape, whieh wereail placed against the sides ofthe vault. These images, as well as those in the honseswe have lately seen, do not appear to be at ail th objects of adoration in this place;they were most probably intended as resemblances of those whose decease they indi-cate, and when we observe them in houses they occupy the most conspicuous part,bnt are treated more like ornaments than objects of worship. Near the vaults whiohare still standing are the remains of others on the gronnd, completely rotted and cov-ered with moss; and as they are formed of the most durable pine and cedar timber,there is every appearance that for a very long series ofyears this retired spot bas beenth depository for the Indians near this place."

Cont. N. A. Ethnol., 1877. i., p. 200.tt t ~i

178 MORTUARY CUSTOMS OF NORTH AMERICAN IKDIANS.

A~nt~Rr denositorv of this kind upon a,n island in th river a few miles above gaveAnother depository of this kind upon an island in the river a few milesabove gave

it th name of Sepulcher Island. The ~tbnrial place is here clescribed, are now nearly extinct but a number of the sepulchers

still remain in different states of preservation. The position of the body, as noticed

by Clarke, is, 1 believe, of universal observance, thhead being always placed to the

west. The reason assigned to me is that the road to th m~-me!-Bs-t:!

YAEEow.] BURIAL SACRIFICETSINK. 179

accompaniments of tho rite. The canoes were of great size and valuetho war or

state canoes of the deceased. Frequently one was invertpd over that holding the

body, and in one instance, near Shoalwater Bay, the corpse was deposited in a small

canoe, which again was placed in a larger one and covered with a third. Among th3MmM& and 2~t/M?!s th ~ma/tKO-tfs board of the owner was placed near him. The

Puget Sound Indians do not make these tarna/MM-MS boards, but they sometimes con-structed eBigies of their chiefs, resembling the person as nearly as possible, dreasedinhis usual costume, and wearing the articles of which he was fond. One of these, rep-resenting the Skagit chief Sneestum, stood very conspicuously upon a high bank onthe eastem side ofWhidbey Island. The figures observed by Captain Clarke at theCascades were either ofthis description or else tho carved posts whioh had ornamentedth interior of the honses of the deceased, and were connected with the superstitionof the ~maTmo-MS. The most valuable articles of property were put into or hung uparound the grave, beingnrstoarefullyrenderednnserviceable, and thelivingfamilyweroliterallystrippedto dohonortothedead. Noittleself-denialmusthavebeenpraoticedin parting with articles so precious, but those interested frequently had the least to

say on the subject. The graves of women were distingnished by a cup, a, Eamas stiot:,or other implement of their occupation, and by articles of dress.Slaves wei3 killed in proportion to the rank and wealth of the deceased. In some

instances they were starved to death, or even tied to th dead body and left to perishthushorribly. Atpresentthiapraoticehas beenahnostentirelygivennp, but tillwithina very few years it was not unoommon. A case whioh ooourred in 1850 has been alreadymentioned. StiIllater,inl853,Toke,aTsinkchieflivingatShoalwaterBa,y,undertookto kill a slave girl belonging to his daughter, who, in dying, had requested thatthis might be done. The woman fled, aud was found by some citizens in the woodshalf starved. Her master attempted .to reclaim her, but was soundiy thrashed andwarned against another attempt.It was usual in the case of chiefs to renew or repair for a considerable length of

time the materials and ornaments of the burial-place. With th common class of per-sons family pride or domestic anection was satisfied with the gathering together ofthe bones after the flesh had decayed and wrapping them in a new mat. The viola-tion of the grave was always regarded as an offense of the first magnitude and pro-voked severe revenge. Captain Belcher remarks: "Great secrecy is observed in alltheir burial ceremonies partly from fear of Europeans, and as among themselves

they will instantly punish by death any violation of th tomb or wage war if perpe-trated by another tribe, so they are inveterate and tenaceously bent on revengeshould they discover that any act of th kind has been perpetrated by a white man.It is on record that part of the crew of a vessel on her return to this port (the Colum-

bia) suffered because a person who belonged to her (but not then in her) was known

to have taken a sinill, which, from the process of Battening, had become an object of

ouriosity.11 He adds, however, that at the period of his visit to th river the akullaand skeletons were scattered about in ail directions; and as 1 was on most of their po-sitions nnnoticed by the natives, I suspect the feeling does not extend much beyondtheir relatives, and then only till decay has destroyed body, goods, and chattels. The

chiefs, no doubt, are watched, as their canoes are repainted, decorated, and greateroare taken by placing them in sequestered spots."The motive for sacrificing or destroying property on occasion of death will be re-

ferred to in treating of their religious ideas.- Wailing for th dead is continued for a.

long time, and it seems to be rather a ceremonial performance than an act of sponta-neous grief. The duty, of course, belongs to the woman, and the early morning is

usually chosen for the purpose. They go out alone to some place a little distant fromthe lodge or camp and in a loud, sobbing voice repeat a sort of stereotyped formula;as, for instance, a. mother, on the loss of her child, seaM s7Ma!-do. Bx~-Mt ah ta6M< t

180 MORTUARY CUSTOMS OF NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.

With most of the Northwest Indians it was quite commo