1388.] PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 63 



cisiou were likewise folded in; aud in turn the skin of the hind legs, 

 but this latter had, of course, to be thrown in, in the direction of the 

 tree, so as to include them. The borders of the hinder parts were 

 thrown over a stick in such a way as to form a loop, like the one around 

 the limb of the tree. During all this operation the hide was being 

 twisted from left to right, and at its completion looked like a wet hide 

 rope, fast, as we have described, to the tree at one end, and looped over a 

 stick about 2 feet long at its middle, at the other. This latter was used 

 as a twister by the tanner, for now he proceeded to wring the hide 

 thoroughly by twisting it over in one direction, causing the water to 

 be rapidly squeezed out of it. ^Yhile he was in this position I obtained 

 an excellent picture of him, which is shown in fig. 4 (see plate). 



By the continuance of this twisting the skin was finally brought up 

 close to the limb of the tree in a hard coil, where, by hooking the turning 

 stick under the limb, it was held in that position, and allowed to drip for 

 nearly an hour. If any of my readers should ever chance to see a deer 

 hide thus coiled up in a tree, glistening and wet, I am quite sure they 

 will agree with me in saying, that for all the world it looks like a few 

 knuckles of small intestines of a man immediately after removal. 



At the end of the above-mentioned time the Indian unhooked the 

 stick, untwisted the hide, and took it down. It had apparently shrunk 

 two-thirds of its size, and looked like a damp, semi-tanned dog-skin 

 more than anything else I can compare it to; aud the tanner imme- 

 diately set to work to pull it into shape, as he walked in the direction 

 of his camp-fire. 



Spreading out a small buffalo-robe he sat down upon it, aud proceeded 

 to pull the hide vigorously with his hands in every direction. Catch- 

 ing hold with his fingers of the extreme edges, he tugged away at it 

 until it was nearly its original size. I noticed, however, that he only 

 employed his hands in this part of the operation, and never once re- 

 sorted to his feet for assistance in the stretching. After he was satis- 

 fied that the entire surface of the hide was opened and exposed again, 

 he carefully spread it out perfectly flat, with hair side up, upon the 

 buffalo-robe on which he had been sitting. 



Then taking his basinful of dissolved deer brains, he commenced ap- 

 plying it with his hand to the surface from whicli the hair had been 

 removed. It is never put on the opposite side of the skin. In doing 

 this he frequently rubbed the solution well in, using his open hand for 

 the purpose, and as he came to the head, ears, aud legs he worked the 

 stuff in with his fingers, and occasionally kneaded it with his knuckles, 

 going over the entire skin on the side referred to, until his basin of 

 brains was expended, and the whole had been worked in as described. 



Upon asking him why he only put it on the hair side, he gave me 

 to understand that the pores were on that side and consequently the 

 brains could get into the skin more effectually ; and upon inquiring why 



