ANTHKOPOLOdlCAL STUDIES IN (lALlb'OKNlA. 187 



The dressing- of deci' .skins rcciuired very .simple devices. A .smoothly 

 shaved, Utittish stick about 6 feet long was placed in a slantin<^ position 

 against a convenient tree. The skin was hung- over the stick and held 

 at the top by a peg, and the hair and flesh Avere removed by pressing 

 the skin against the Hat stick and scraping with an old iron drawing 

 knife. The skin wiis first soaked in water until the hair and flesh were 

 easily scraped off. In earlier times stone implements were used, the 

 skin being spread on the ground or over a smooth rock. In finishing 

 the Indians apply grease or ])rains and scrape and rub until soft. 



The maguey or American aloe or mescal grows wild among th 

 mountains of the California desert. To prepare it for food the Indians 

 dig or cut out the ba.ses of the stalks which bear the leaf stems. 

 These vary from 6 to 2i) inches in diameter. To cook them the}^ dig 

 a saucer-shaped pit from 10 to 20 feet in diameter, then set a large 

 stone up in the center and pave the entire surface with smaller stones. 

 Upon this they build a fire, mixing the mescal stuun)s and wood 

 together and thus l)urn the woody fiber from the mescal. The smaller 

 stumps are kept near the outside, and as they become sufficiently 

 burned are thrown out, then the larger ones in turn. When they 

 are done the mescal is })iled about the central stone and covered with 

 hot stones. Next they cover all with earth, allowing it to remain 

 fort^'-eight hours. When the piU; cools down the mescal is ready for 

 use. Cooked specimens often measure 6 inches in diameter. The 

 taste resembles that of sirup baked out of sweet apples. It is very 

 agreeable food and will keep perfectly good for months. 



Sometimes it is neces,sary to go a long way for wood to burn, and 

 several families make their pits near together for the .sake of company. 

 AVhen they have no metal they ])urn an iron wood of the desert and 

 sharpen the end for a digging tool. The mescal is ready for cutting 

 when it begins to send up its flower stalk. If the Indian can not cut 

 and bake all he wants at the proper time he cuts out the growing 

 flower stem, which checks the growth, and the plant keeps in this 

 condition for months. 



Acorns form an important article of food. The Indians crack them 

 with the teeth or a stone, partly dr}', then shell and dry again. When 

 drv then' are groiuid in stone mortars, then the fine flour is soaked in 

 olhis to remove the tannin, and the mixture is poured into basins 

 formed in the .sand. For some days they pour water into the basins 

 until the taimin is all filtered out; the flour settles in the sand basin as 

 a thick paste. This is scooped up b3^ hand and placed in an olla. 

 Having thus secured the most of it without sand, the}^ gather u}) the 

 balance regardless of sand, put it in another olla, add water, .stir it 

 well, and pour ofl' the paste, leaving the sand. Ir this way the 

 ''B3'ota'' or acorn meal is prepared, sweet and wholesome, anci nuich 

 preferred by the Indian to our wheat flour. 



