Sonic of them have a religious purport (p1. 36, fig. 7; pl. 38, 8), for the magician-priests preserve in this manner the songs and rules of their secret societies (pl. 37, fig. 9). They are of course difficult to inter pret. Plate 38 (fig. T 1 ) shows the beginning of a petition of the Chip chiefs to Washington. The animals a to g are the coats of arms (totems) of the several petitioning tribes; a, that of the conductor of the petitioners, whose path to Washington is marked by the line the lines from eve to eye signify unity of opinion; those from heart to heart, the " one-heartedness" or unity of purpose of all the petitioners; Ii, the Great Lakes whence the embassy came; and the line passing beside h signifies the road to the inland lakes.
Figure 5 (p1. 36) refers to tribes, not to individuals: an Iroquois chief, wound about with rattlesnakes as a. sign of his superhuman strength, receives the homage of 'Mohawk warriors. The rock-paintings of the South American Indians (p1. 45, fig. 7) are unimportant.
Porhy and poetry of the American peoples deserves some attention. Though often their imagination runs riot and becomes absurd, yet their tales contain much that is really beautiful and thoughtful. The Indians are justly famous as orators.
Their musical accomplishments amonnt to nothing, their only instru ments being drums, clappers (p1. 34, to the left; /54 49,fig. 2, second figure to the left; pl. 49, fig. 3, a calabash filled with stones on a staff), and divers flutes (pl. 32, figs. 9, In Brazil they have a speaking trumpet which they use for invitations to festivities and for summons to war (pm. 47, fig. 9).
Social North America the men are occupied with the political assemblies, at which strict ceremony prevails. Fixed forms of politeness prevail, especially amongst strangers. Although the North American appears outwardly sedate, lie is not free from violent passions nor devoid of a sense of humor.
There are various games (p1. 32, 5; pr. 38, fig. 4), nor is there lack of feasts,. which always have religious meanings, such as the feast of puberty, which was often connected with cruel ceremonies (tearing of the flesh, letting of blood, etc.), the harvest festival, etc., at all of which dances and grotesque processions were prominent features. The dancers wear masks representing the animal from which the dance derives its name, or very grotesque costumes (p1. 33, fig. 2; pl 34; pr. 40, fig. 7), and indulge in much noise.
In South America the feasts are similar, but less spirited. The princi pal ones are the strange nocturnal dance of the Puris (pl. 49, Jig. ; the
three days' feast and procession of the Tecunas, celebrated in honor of a two months' old child (p1. 45,11g. 8); and the drinking-feast of the Cama ennas, at which a half-fermented liquor is drunk from a hollow tree-trunk, accompanied by singing, or rather howling (p1. 49, fig. 2). The longer these dances last, the more passionate and dissolute they become; and they often conclude with the war-dance (p1. 47, jig. 4).
ircapons.—In the north the weapons besides the bow and arrow (V1. 33, fig. 2; p1. fig. 1; p1. 40, figs. 4, 5) consisted of spears (51. 33, Jigs. i, 6; pl. 34), battle-axe, tomahawk (p1. pr. 33, fig. 5), clubs (p1. 32, figs. 4, 8; p1. 34), wooden shields (p1. 33, fig. i), and blowing-pipes. Firearms are now used almost everywhere. Of the arms of the South Americans, which are shown by our plates 44, figs. 4, pl. fig. 5; pr. 48, fig. 4; p1. 50, fig. 2, etc.), we call attention to the very long spears of the Patagonians (p1. 50, fig. 2) and to the bodogzte of the Gua ranis, their neighbors (p1. 4S, fig. 8), the latter weapon being a sling shaped like a Low, in the double cord of which the stones to be slung are placed.
IVars.—War was always formally proclaimed, and was waged (except among the Eskimos, who are wholly ignorant of it) with great ferocity; but sanguinary open battles seldom occurred. Foraging-expeditions in search of scalps or booty were common. Peace was concluded by burying the battle-axe or solemnly smoking the pipe of peace, which was pre ciously decorated (pr. 32, fig. 15; pl. 36, fig. 5). Scalps were retained by the victor as a decoration for his spear-shaft, etc. (p1. 33, fig. I), or they were stretched on a frame (p1. 36, Av. 2), around which the women danced at times. In ancient times many tribes tortured their captives, believing that this revenge was helpful to the souls of their own slain.
Cannibalism, which prevailed in earlier periods more than in later, was by no means universal in North America. The heart was eaten. The Caribs, or Cannibals—from whom the word cannibalism is derived—lived in South America (Guiana, Brazil), but they were not greater man-eaters than other tribes, by some of which, it is said, dead relatives were devoured. The Munduructis (on the Madeira) cut off the heads of their enemies, and after drying and stuffing them carried them about with them (p1. 47, 5.) In South America utensils were sometimes made of the bones of the enemy, drinking-cups of their skulls.