ABORIGINAL SKIN-DRESSING. 570 



in this it was allowed to soak well for the next three hours, standing 

 all this time out in the morning sun. 



Some of the Indians insist that this soaking should be done in cold 

 water (spring water), and a new Mexican guide who has been among 

 the Navajoes for many years, being an excellent tanner himself, claims 

 that it is almost tbe universal practice to soak it in cold water on the 

 morning of the third day instead of in tepid water. However, there 

 was but little difference, for on the present occasion the water was 

 almost cold from the start, and quite so after the skin had been in 

 twenty minutes. This washing, the Indians tell me, was to remove all 

 traces of the brains which were rubbed into the skin on the day before. 

 He next gives it three or four thorough rinsings in clear cold water, and 

 takes it over to the tree to wring it. This is done precisely in the man- 

 ner already described above and shown in the plates. 



" Likewise it is curled once more, made into a coil, twisted and re- 

 twisted upon itself, and allowed to drip in this condition for nearly half 

 an hour. It is then once more undone and drawn out into shape, as 

 on a previous occasion after wringing. 



" He is very careful now in exposing the entire surface; pulling the 

 edges, stretching the skin of the ears, flattening out the skin that cov- 

 ered the legs, and paying similar attention to the little tail. 



" In the mean time he had brought a large square piece of canvas 

 and spread it out upon the ground near where he was at work. It is 

 upon this that the last stages of the operation will be performed. 

 Bringing next a sharp knife, it takes him but a moment to whittle out 

 from a soft piece of pine an instrument that resembled a large woodeu 

 awl. This, with the knife, he threw upon the canvas sheet, where 

 they may be distinctly seen in Plate LXVI. To return to our hide, how 

 different it looks after this second wringing; but he persists in pulling 

 away at the edges all around, over and over again, until the whole is 

 manipulated into a shape to suit him. Even this primary handling now 

 has its effect, and in some places the skin begins to grow like buck- 

 skin. At last he sits down on the middle of the canvas sheet, having 

 first thrown aside his hat and removed his moccasins. He wears nothing 

 but his thin Navajo shirt and trousers, while beside him is his wooden 

 awl and sharp knife. (Plate LXVI.) 



" He threw the now limp skin lengthwise over his naked feet and 

 pulled it with both hands in the direction of his body. Rapidly re- 

 peating this operation, he turned it and tugged at it the other way. 

 But it was most often thrown oxer his feet and vigorously pulled 

 towards him. Then he stretched it out with his hands, pulled it this 

 way and then pulled it that, worked at the edges to get them limp and 

 pliant, manipulated the ears and the skin of the legs. But during all 

 this an interesting change was coming o#er it, the heat of an August 

 sun was rapidly drying it, it was fast coming to a velvet like softness 

 throughout, and attaining its original size, it was changing to a uui- 



