12 S.MITHSOXIAX .MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIOXS VOL. 87 



in the vicinity of the post. The two pictures are entirely cHfterent. 

 Figure i, a water-color sketch, dated 1850 and consequently made 

 in Washington, is copied from a small pencil drawing ; Figiu^e 2 is a 

 photograph of a large oil painting, now hanging in a room of the 

 House Committee on Indian Affairs in the Capitol Building, \A'ash- 

 ington. D. C. The latter was painted in 1868 or 1869 and will again 

 be mentioned. The two pictures serve to illustrate a passage in one 

 of the publications of the artist's wife:' 



" Wlien the animal is killed .... the women take off' the hair of 

 the skin with a knife, after which they moisten the skin, and stretch 

 it to upright poles .... or on the ground, by means of pegs driven 

 in the earth. When there are white people near to whom thev can 

 apply, they try to obtain a little soap to cleanse the skin; but if 

 dependent on themselves, they use, in the place of soap, the brains 

 of the animal. These they spread over the skin, scraping it with an 

 iron or bone scraper. Thus they remove all the fat and greasy par- 

 ticles. They then rub the skin against a cord that is stretched to a 

 couple of stakes, until it has become soft. The work is completed 

 when the skin is smoked. To accomplish this, a hole is dug, and a 

 small fire built at the bottom. Over the hole a few sticks are laid. 

 Across these they place the skin. The hole is covered \vith leaves or 

 turf, to confine the smoke as much as possible, and to smother the 

 t^ame. After the skin is smoked from ten to twenty hours, it becomes 

 of a dingy, yellowish color, and is ready for use." 



Although the foregoing reference is to buffalo skin, it is believed 

 that all skins were tanned in the same manner and that the descrip- 

 tion would apply equally well to deer skin. 



Skins of the buffalo thus prepared served many purposes, and were 

 most important in the life of the Indian, especially of the plains 

 tribes. They were used in making moccasins and coarse garments 

 such as shirts and leggings, and a number of them sewed together 

 and properly shaped formed the covering for the tipi. The hide is 

 very harsh, rough, and quite porous and could never be dressed so 

 fine and soft as were the skins of deer and other animals. 



CAPTAIN EASTMAN AND THE AMERICAN ART UNION 



The American Art L'nion. known during the first five years of its 

 existence as The Apollo Association, was organized in 1838 and con- 

 tinued until 1852. It was created for " the promotion of the Fine 



' Eastman, Mrs. Marv H.. The American aboriginal port folio. Philadelphia. 

 :i853]. 



