THE RAY COLLECTION FROM IIUPA RESERVATION. 231 



nsiiig- these canoes tliey tuiu tlieiu bottom side up on the sandy beach 

 and bream them, or haul them into dauip and sliady coves, or cover them 

 thickly- witli leaves and brushwood to prevent the thin ends from sun- 

 cracking. When they do become thus cracked, they bore holes through 

 with bucks-horn and bind the ends togetlier with withes, twisting the 

 same tight with sticks — a kind of rude tourniquet, which closes up the 

 cracks better than calking would do. {Cf. Powers, Coutr, N. A. Ethnol. 



III.) 



MONEY AND ITS USES. 



The money-box is made from a section of antler (Fig. 109), probably 

 elk. The rough outer portion has been removed and the white sub- 

 stance cut to resemble a flat column with banded ends. There are in 

 this case rings at either end. Between these bands, on the concave 

 portion, a slit 2 J inches long and about \ of an inch wide is cut 

 down to the core ; the latter is carefully scraped out to form a box or 

 pocket. Into this dentalium shells or Indian currency are put (Fig. 

 110), a little plate of antler laid over the mouth, and a long strip of buck- 

 skin wrapped many times around the whole and tucked in. (Fig. 109a.) 

 In this particular specimen the tail of some fur-bearing animal did serv- 

 ice, in addition to the mouth cover, in keeping the money from rattling 

 around in the box. 



A more elaborate money-bos is made of a large section of elk horn; 

 0| inches long and 2;^ inches thick. The central column is 4 inches ; 

 the remaining si>ace foims two bands at the ends, each ornamented with 

 three deeply cut lines and the etched triangles which constitute the 

 chief clement of a carver's ornament among the Hupas. The mouth of 

 the box is 3A by -^ inches. On either side of the mouth a rectangular 

 space is etched in triangles, leaving plain rhombs, no two of which are 

 of the same proportions. The covering of the mouth in this case was 

 the ivory scale of a centigrade thermometer — ominous comment upon 

 the fate of some former prospector. Around the cover was wrapped 

 more than a yard and a half of buckskin, about three-fourths of an inch 

 in width. The contents of this box were most interesting. Six denta- 

 lium shells, which we shall number from 1 to 6, were thus characterized : 



1. 2^ inches, wrapped with red fish skin. 



2. Same length, wrapped with red fish skin. 



3. 2 inches, wrapped around the top with woody fibers. 



4. 2 inches, wrapped only in upper portion with snake skiru 



5. li| inches, wrapped with maiden's-hair-feru stalk. 



6. 1^ inches, wrapped with woody fiber, dyed red. 



Other shells are wrapped with skin and fern and tipped with wood- 

 l)ecker feathers. 



The Karok, says Mr. Powers, use the red scalp of the woodpecker for 

 money, which rates at $2.50 to $5 apiece, and the dentalium shell, of 

 which they grind off the tip and string it on strings. The shortest pieces 

 are worth 2o cents j the largest about $2 ; the value increasing rapidly 



