628 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1897. 



type that we first eucouuter basal perforations made for the purpose of 

 attach in j>' bowl to stem by thongs, thus makini;- their loss in the snow 

 less likely. Tliis is an occurrence commonly noticeable in pipes of coun- 

 tries where the winter snows remain long on the ground. Pipes of this 

 type ave commonly found throughout the territory adjoining Lakes 

 Ontario and Krie down through Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky, and into 

 Tennessee and North Carolina, and along the coast up to the British 

 possessions. The territory through which they are found and tlieir 

 often graceful shape would suggest possible French iiitluences. 



Among the more elaborate specimens are many carved in imitation 

 of animate figures, though the varied ornamentation encountered in 

 pipes of this ty])e leaves much to be desired in reference to their origin. 

 It is almost certain that some of these pipes have been made with tools 

 of metal, though if so it of course would not be evidence that other- 

 specimens were not made with the most primitive tools, which in a 

 majority of instances appears to have been the case. The stems of the 

 pijjes were more elaborate if iwssible than were the bowls, and the 

 significance of pipe-stem decoration was to a great extent decii^herable 

 by those familiar with their workmanship. Such decorations often 

 were distinctly ideographic, the color and ornament of the pipe stems 

 being at times significant of peace or war, though often it is known 

 that the ornamentation was simply an evidence of woman's skill in 

 beadwork, plaiting, or embroidery, or of the warrior's excellence in 

 wood carving or combinations of color. The minuteness of description 

 of stem ornamentation encountered in colonial writings, which usually 

 only refer to the color of the pipe as- being red, white, or black, is an 

 argument in favor of the plainness of the primitive pipe bowl. 



John Smith as early as 1G08 speaks of pipes of a size sufticient to 

 beat out the brains of a man, which subsequent authors increased to a 

 size sufticient to beat out the brains of a horse. There is but one pipe 

 of ponderous size which would answer the most extravagant of the 

 above requirements. It is usually carved in imitation of birds or beasts 

 and is the heaviest of all the American pipes. The skill exhibited in 

 making these pipes is astonishing -if they are to be attributed to abo- 

 riginal art, as many do who are most familiar with the type. Speci- 

 mens of this variety have been excavated from 15 to 18 feet under the 

 surface, though too much weight .should not be given to this fact, as it 

 is well known that the familiar English molded clay pipe of little over 

 two hundred years ago has been repeatedly excavated in London at a 

 depth of 12 or more feet below the surface, and from depths of from 6 

 to 10 feet in America. A close scrutiny of a number of these ])ipes 

 fails to develop indications on their surfaces of the employment of the 

 implements of the whites in their manufacture, though they are carved 

 perfectly in the round, and are at times (juite highly polished, both 

 accomplishments suggesting white intluences. The stone ])ipes of 

 Indian origin of whatever type rarely show wear of the smokers' teeth 



