166 TRANSACTIONS OF THK CANADIAN INSTITUTE. [VOL. lY. 



upon her maturity witnessed the imposition, with befitting ceremonies 

 and the usual banquet, of a sort of diadem such as herewith figured. 



The ground part of this was a band of 

 ■■rJl tanned skin which was fringed from about 

 ^f one inch and a half above the bottom up 



af to the top. Each strand of that fringe was 



^^^^^^ passed through a dentalium shell and then 



^'g- '55- sewed up at the top to an encircling strip 



of skin. As this crown was lower on the back than in front, shells of 

 different lengths were chosen according to the place they were to occupy, 

 A lining of skin, with or without the fur on, was then added, and the 

 lower corners of the ends stitched together, as shown in the cut. Upon 

 crowning the maiden with this shell diadem, the paternal aunt became 

 heir to the discarded bonnet with fringe and mantlet. 



Both diadem and bonnet were articles of every day wear, and genuine 

 ceremonial head-dresses. 



Not only pubescent girls, but even such boys as were reaching the 

 same stage of life had their fingers, wrists and legs encircled with rings 

 or bracelets made of sinew entwined with down. Neglecting these pre- 

 cautions would have exposed the careless party to premature infirmities 

 and incapacitated the young man for the fatiguing exercise of the chase. 



The Western Den^s of the old stock, and especially the Carriers and 

 the Babines, were not wanting in articles of personal adornment. Among 

 head ornaments, they had the ear-pendants, the nose ring or crescent, 

 the ni-K9-din'a, the hair pendant and, among the Babines, the labret. 



Two very distinct varieties of ear-pendants* obtained among the 

 Carriers. The first consisted in a bunch of four buckskin strings passed 

 through pairs of dentalium shells and hanging from the ear, as shown 

 in fig. 156. As soon as glass beads became known, some were inserted 

 between each of the two shells suspended from each hole in the ear. A 

 small beaver claw furthermore prevented the pendent shells and bead 

 from slipping off. Several Indians still bear the marks of this now 

 antiquated pendant. 



A different kind, which was still in honour but a few years ago, but 

 is now likewise obsolete, is the haliotis pendant (fig. 157). The specimen 

 from which I have drawn fig. 157 was in actual use when obtained for 

 my collection. Pendants of this material probably affected various forms. 

 Yet 1 fear that no other specimen could now be found among our 



* Tzokw?l. 2nd. cat. 



