1887.] PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 65 



By the exercise of considerable ingenuity and careful bending he now 

 forced the skin into a large camp-kettle containing clear water, from 

 which the chill had been taken off by the addition of a very little warm 

 water, and in this it was allowed to soak well for the next three hours, 

 standing daring all this time out in the morning sun. 



Some of the Indians insist that this soaking should be done in abso- 

 lutely cold water (spring water), and a New Mexican guide who has 

 been among the Navajoes for many years, being an excellent tanner 

 himself, claims that it is almost the universal practice, i. e., to soak it 

 in cold wateron the morning of the third day instead of in tepid water. 

 However, there was but little difference, for on the present occasion the 

 water was almost cold from the start, and quite so after the skin had 

 been in it twenty minutes. This washing the Indians tell me is to re- 

 move all traces of the brains which were rubbed into the skin the day 

 before. 



He next gives it three or four thorough rinsings in clear, cold water, 

 and takes it over to the tree to wring it. This is done precisely in the 

 manner already described above and shown in fig, 4. Likewise it is 

 curled once more, made into a coil, twisted and retwisted upon itself, and 

 allowed to drip in this condition for nearly half an hour. It is then 

 once more undone and drawn out into shape, as on a previous occasiou, 

 after wringing. 



He is very careful now in exposing the entire surface; pulling out 

 the edges, stretching the skin of the ears, flattening out the skin that 

 covered the legs, and paying similar attention even to the little tail. 



In the mean time he had brought a large, square piece of canvas and 

 spread it out upon the ground near where he was at work. It is upon 

 this that the last stages of the operation will be performed. Bringing 

 oext a sharp knife, it takes him but a moment to whittle out from a 

 piece of soft pine an instrument that resembled a large wooden awl. 

 rhis with the knife he threw upon the canvas sheet, where they may 

 distinctly be seen in fig. C. To return to our hide; how different it looks 

 after this second wringing than it did after the first one it received. 

 Now it looks as though he might make something out of it, but he still 

 persists in pulling away at the edges all round, over and over again, 

 intil the whole is manipulated into a shape to suit him. Even this 

 primary handling now has its effect, and in some places the skin begins 

 :o grow like buckskin. At last he sits down on the middle of the can- 

 vas sheet, having first thrown aside his hat and removed his mocca- 

 sins. He wears nothing but his thin Navajo shirt and trousers, while 

 jeside him is his wooden awl and sharp knife. 



The picture is by no means an unpleasing one, for throughout the 

 mtire piece of work this Indian has been tidy to a degree most scru- 

 pulous, and as he sat in the broiling sun upon the broad sheet of 

 janvas he formed an excellent subject for the artist. All I could do 

 >vas with the camera just then, and in a twinkling it was transferred to 

 i plate. (See tig. G.) 



Proc. N M. S3 5, J^-XjmZ- 



