ANCIENT ABORIGINAL TRADE IN NORTH AMERICA. 3G3 



rior ; in this instance, however, tlie tube used by tlie medicineman was 

 a smooth hollow bone, probably of the brant-goose.* 



A far more numerous class of articles often made of the greenish 

 striped slate is represented by small, variously-shaped tablets of great 

 regularity and finish, which are pierced in the middle with one, two, or 

 more round holes. The most frequent shape of these tablets is illus- 

 trated by the upper figure on Plate 28 in Vol. I of Schoolcraft's work on 

 the Indian tribes. It is that of a rectangle with sides exhibiting a slight 

 outward curve. The full-size drawing of this rather large specimen is 

 done in colors, and thus affords the advantage of showing the greenish 

 tint and the markings of the stone. Other tablets are lozenge-shaped, 

 quadratic with inwardly-curved sides, oval, cruciform, &c.t Most of 

 them have two perforations, though specimens with only one are not 

 scarce, while those that have more than two holes are of less frequent 

 occurrence. The holes are drilled either from one side or from both, 

 and, accordingly, of conical or bi-conical shape. They seldom have 

 more than one-eighth of an inch in diameter at the narrowest part. 

 Concerning the destination of the tablets nothing is definitely known. 

 At first sight one might be inclined to consider them as objects of orna- 

 ment or as badges of distinction ; but this view is not corroborated by 

 the appearance of the perforations, which exhibit no traces of the wear 

 produced by continued suspension, being, on the contrary, in most cases 

 as perfect as if they had but lately been drilled. The classification of 

 the tablets as " gorgets," therefoi'e, may be regarded as eiToneous. 

 Schoolcraft calls them implements for twine-making. It has been sug- 

 gested that they were used in condensing and rounding bow-strings by 

 drawing the wet strips of hide, or the sinews employed for that pur- 

 pose, through the round perforations. The diameter of the latter, it is 

 true, corresponds to the thickness of an ordinary Indian bow-string; 

 but also in this case the usually unworn state of the holes rather speaks 

 against this supposition. 



Being desirous to learn whether Mr. George Catlin had seen, during 

 his first sojourn among the western tribes, anything like those tablets 

 used by tbem in making bow-strings, I availed myself of that gentle- 

 man's return to the United States, and asked him by letter, among other 

 matters, for information concerning this subject. He replied (Decem- 

 ber 24, 1871) as follows : 



"Of the tablets you speak of, I have seen several, but the holes were 

 much larger than those you describe. Those that I have seen were 



* Kohl, Kitschi-Gami, oder Erziihlungeu vom Obern See, Bremen, 1856, Vol. I, p. 

 148. Compare: Venegas, History of California, Loudon. 1759, Vol. I, p. 97, and Baegert's 

 Account of the Aboriginal Inhabitants of the Californian Peninsula, Smithsonian Re- 

 port for 1864, p. 386. Drawings of the stone tubes are given on pp. 224-27 of the 

 "Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley." 



t The various shapes of these tablets, and of other perforated objects, not exactly 

 tablets, but probably intended for the same x^urpose, are represented on x^ages 236 and 

 237 of the "Ancient Monuments." 



