OF LOS ANGELES CO., CALIFORNIA. 31 



that the boring was begun by using a stone drill — of which 

 many and various forms occur — after which the bristle was 

 applied. The chauuLls are slightly conical toward the outer 

 end, and at about one-fourth the length of the shell there is a 

 constriction beyond which and near the middle of the bead, 

 the channel again becomes wider, assuming an elliptical 

 form. No doubt the rapid rotary motion of a flexible drill 

 would cause sufficient divergence to produce such an effect. 

 In addition to this, delicate transverse strise are also visible 

 without the aid of a lens. A body was recently discovered 

 on Santa Cruz Island, with which was obtained a bunch of 

 these bristles carefully wrapped from end to end. Further- 

 more, it is well known that Chinamen on the Pacific coast 

 purchase all the bristles of the sea lion that can be obtained, 

 paying twenty-five cents apiece therefor, to be prepared and 

 sold as tooth-picks. 



Most of the shells required for use were obtained at the 

 Santa Catalina Islands. These, as well as the islands oppo- 

 site Santa Barbara, are fine localities for Haliotis shells even 

 at this time. The Serpentine, used in making beads, ollas 

 and large rings, was also obtained at the islands first named. 



Between Los Angeles and the coast, near San Pedro, gravestones 

 were erected to the memory of the deceased, or, perhaps 

 simply to identify the location of the body, so that his friends 

 might come to ofler food, and to mourn. Fig. 8 represents 

 the etchings upon a pit-ce of sandstone slab obtained from the 

 above mentioned locality. On account of the fracture of the 

 specimen, and the loss of, perhaps, important parts, only a 

 few characters are visible, but these, resembling whales, were 

 evidently carve«l there to show that the deceased had been a 

 fisherman or whale hunter. Such a custom prevails very 

 extensively among the Kiat6/amut Innuit of southern 

 Alaska. There, the profession of a man, and even a woman, 

 is carefully recorded upon wooden slabs. 



The term Shaman is more appropriate in this connection. The 

 Seer was an individual whose profession was distinct from 

 that of the Shaman. With some tribes there are Kain- 

 makers, etc. During the performance of religious or profes- 

 sional ceremonies, the Shaman resorts to many and various 

 utterances and movements not understood by the unitiated. 

 liattles, small dried animals or skins, curiously shaped veg- 

 etable growths, rare sparkling minerals and wrought stones 

 of odd forms, are employed as fetishes. Among the last 

 named the writer found both oblong and pyriform polished 



