NORTH AMEIRCAN BOWS, ARROWS, AND QUIVERS. 675 



The case for the bow and the quiver are of the skin of some auiuial, 

 often of otter, fastened to each other; and to the latter the tail of the 

 animal at full length is appended. The bow is i)artly covered with elk 

 horn, has a very strong' string of twisted sinews of animals, and is 

 wound round in different places with the same to strengthen it. The 

 bow is often adorned with colored cloth, porcupine (quills and white 

 strips of ermiue.* 



"The Pawnee bow case and quiver were made of skin, dressed to be 

 impervious to moisture. The usual material was elk skin. Indians 

 who could afford it sometimes made a (piiver and case of the skin of an 

 otter or panther. In removing a skin which was to be used for this 

 purpose from the carcass, care was exercised that every particle of the 

 skin, that of the head, tail, and even the claws, should be retained, 

 and appear in the case when linally nnule up. Cases of this make, 

 with their heavy coating of fur virtually waterproof, were very highly 

 prized.-'t 



"The bow-makers of both the Ilupa and Klamath tribes," says Ray, 

 "are specialists, and the trade is now confined to a. very few old men. 

 I have here seen no man under 40 years of age that could make a bow 

 or an arrow, and only one old man who could make a stone arrow-head. 



" To make a bow, the wood of a yew sa[)ling l*i to 3 inches in diam- 

 eter is selected and rough-hewn to shape, the heart side inward and the 

 back carefully smoothed to the form of the back of the bow. The sinew 

 is laid on while the wood is green and held in place until dry by means 

 of a twine wrapping. In this condition it is hung in the sweat house 

 until the wood is thoroughly seasoned, when it is flnislied and strung, 

 and in some cases the back is varnished and painted. The most deli- 

 cate part of the operation is to get the proper tension on the sinew 

 backing. If too tight the wood crimps or S])linters when the bow is 

 strung, and a lack of proper tension leaves the bow weak and w<n'th- 

 less. When the bow is seasoned it has a reverse curve of about 3 

 inches. 



"The sinew for the backing and bow-string is taken from the back 

 and the hind leg of the deer at the time of killing, and dried for future 

 use. When required it is soaked until jdiable, stripped into line shreds 

 and laid on by commencing at each end and terminating at the center 

 of the bow. The sinew is slightly twisted and dried before it is placed 

 on the bow. 



"The glue used to fix the backing is obtained by boiling the gland 

 of the lower jaw and the nose of the sturgeon. This is dried in balls 

 and preserved for use, and is prepared by simply dipping it in warm 

 water and rubbing it on the wood. 



"The arrow shafts are usually made from the wood of the wild cur- 

 rant, and are worked to shape with a knife and tried by the eye. After 

 roughing they are allowed to season and are tiien finished. Any curves 

 are taken out with a straightener, made of a piece of hard wood, spindle 

 shai^ed and perforated in the ndddle. The arrow-heads used in war 

 and for big game are usually made from Hint and obsidian, and more 

 recently of iron and steel. The flakes for the stone heads are knocked 

 off' by means of a pitching tool of a deer antler. The stone heads are 

 made with a chipper composed of a crooked handle, to which is lashed 



* Maximilian, Travels, London, 1843, p, 195, mentions that the Sioux hows aiQ 

 Bimihir. 

 tJ. B. Dunbar: The i'awnee Indiana, 



