igo TRANSACTIONS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. [VOL. V. 



which was ordinarily covered with a skin cloak or a woven rabbit, skin 

 robe falling to their feet." 



WAR AND WARLIKE IMPLEMENTS OF THE TUNGUS AND THE DEN^S. 



Mr. John Mcintosh, author of " The Origin of the North American 

 Indians," says : " When war is declared among the Tongusi, according to 

 Abernethy, Santini, and others, the first ceremony, which is the same 

 among the North American Indians, is to hang the kettle on tJie fire'/ 

 Abernethy, speaking of warlike expeditions, says : " Some tribes among 

 the Tungusi and Coriaks paint themselves black the day before they 

 depart ; this colour, however, is changed to red on setting off. * * * 

 The Tungusi, in order to ascertain the courage, patience, and persever- 

 ance of their warriors, inflict many injuries and insults on the young 

 people who never faced an enemy. They first reproach them with the 

 names of cowards ; the}/ beat them with their clubs and even throw 

 boiling water on them, and if they show on these occasions the least 

 impatience and sensibility, they are reckoned as dastards who are not 

 worthy of the name of warriors. They carry this practice of trying the 

 young men so far that it would be too tedious to relate them. * * * 

 When the day of departure is arrived, they are not at all void of those 

 tender feelings which are always found among zx\y civilized nation on 

 occasions of this sort. They give mutual pledges 'as assurances of a. 

 perpetual remembrance. At their departure, the whole village meets at 

 the cabin of the chief, which is now surrounded by warriors. On coming 

 out of his cabin, he addresses them for the last time. After his speech,, 

 he again sings the song of death, and they all take their leave of their 

 families, friends and relatives. * * * Their arms are bows and 

 arrows, a javelin and a head-breaker. Their defensive armour consists 

 of the hides of buffaloes, and sometimes a coat of pliable sticks, woven, 

 and pretty well wrought." Sauer has nothing to say of the Tungus in 

 war, but states that they hunt with bows and arrows ; but he has a 

 picture facing page 321, of a Tchuktchi man in armour, to which he 

 appends this note : " The armour is made either of lath-wood, with thin 

 bone, or, if they can obtain them, iron hoops in preference ; they are 

 fastened together with the sinews of seals, so that they will bend both 

 ways, and are covered over with leather which is bound on with thin 

 slips of whalebone, which gives it the appearance of so many hoops. 

 They are replete with loops and buttons, upon which they hang their 

 bows, arrows, etc.; the upper part occasionally lets down." To return 

 to Abernethy: "Innumerable ceremonies attend the entrance of the 

 warriors into their villages on their return from the field of battle. The 



