SCALPING IN AMERICA. 437 



be giA^en up by the conquered Indians with other parts of their 

 former culture. Curiously enough the trophy formerly so common 

 has become a rare article, even in American ethnological museums. 



ADDITIONAL NOTES. 



The scalp itself deserves a few special remarks. 



To the eastern Indian the scalp lock was the visible proof of per- 

 sonal bravery, the palpable sign of accomplished revenge ; it was like 

 his war medal gained honorably from his enemies. However, the 

 trophy did not always remain the pro]3erty of the individual warrior, 

 for among some of the tribes it was delivered, after the completion 

 of the proper ceremonies and dances, to the chief or the community ; 

 yet the one who took the scalp retained always the honor of the deed 

 and the memory of this w^as manifested on his person by special 

 forms of painting or other decoration. In still other cases the scalp 

 obtained in individual combat with an enemy was the property of 

 the warrior, while those secured after a battle were delivered to the 

 chief or the tribe and were the subject of special disposition. 



Among the western Indians the reputation of a man was propor- 

 tionate to the number of " coups " or strikes which he had accom- 

 plished, and the scalp counted simply as a great " coup." 



To be worthy of the full honor the warrior was obliged to per- 

 sonally remove the scalp. This accounts for the often reckless efforts 

 made to secure the trophy. This tendency was disadvantageous to 

 the Indians in their fights with whites, for the time required to 

 sever the scalp might have been sufficient to slay several more of the 

 enemy ; it was particularly inconvenient during pursuit. 



The reasons which occasionally induced a warrior to go on a scalp 

 hunt were especially ambition, a desire to mend a damaged reputa- 

 tion, revenge, conceit or bravado, or eagerness of gain. Even political 

 reasons may have been occasionally the incentive, for the quantity 

 of scalps in a tribe's possession represented a power and would" facili- 

 tate the gaining of confederates. With these must be ranged the 

 belief in certain mystic powers identified with the scalp and supposed 

 to be acquired with it, and the necessity of the presence of the trophy 

 at certain ceremonies and burials. 



To secure scalps the Indian shunned no distances, obstacles, hunger, 

 or thirst, nor did he shrink even at the prospect of an almost certain 

 death. Journeys up to 1,000 kilometers long were undertaken for 

 the purpose; neither women nor children nor the sick or w^ounded 

 were spared, and in extreme cases even the dead were disinterred and 

 scalped. On one occasion the Indians allied with the French sur- 

 prised an English field hospital and scalped all the patients. General 



