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!Naezhosh ; or, The Apache Pole Game. 

 Albert B. Reagan. 



[Abstract. Original in possession of Bureau of American Ethnology. Illustrations used 

 by permission of Bureau.] 



Nai'zliosli is the Apache tribal game. It is played most eveiy day 

 from early morniDg till late iu the afternoon by the men; in fact they do 

 but little else, except hunt horses iu the hills and drink Indian whiskey. 

 This game is sometimes played to pass time; but most always for gain. 

 The Indians often bet all they have on its outcome, and then having 

 suffered reverses, they brood over their losses in sullen silence. Below 

 is a description of the game; and tlie requisites— the pole-stick, the pole- 

 hoop, and the polo-ground: 



i;;^: 



ulUmJ^^ 



Fig. 1. 



DiACiRAM OF Pole Sticks and Pole Hoop. 

 Fig. 1. Pole Stick. The grooves b, c. d,g, h; the 



spaces e, f, i, and the point a are points used in 



the game. 

 Fig. 2. The Pole Hoop, etc. The spaces 1-4 and 



6-11 and the gr ove5are the points on the hoop 



used in the game. 



Fig. 2. 



The Pole-Stick.— The pole-stick is a willow pole one and one-half 

 inches in diameter at the larger end. It tapers to a point at its smaller 

 end. Its length is about fifteen feet. It is made in three sections, the 

 sections being spliced together Avith sinew. The larger end of this pole 

 is called the counting end. On it are several transverse grooves. These 

 grooves together with some of the intervening si^aces are the points on 

 the pole used in the game. 



The Pole-hoop. — The pole-hoop is about a foot in diameter. It is made 

 of a willow withe, the ends of which are tied together with sinew. A 

 btu'kskin cord forms a diameter to it. On this cord are strung one hun- 

 di'ed and one beads, one large center bead and fifty smaller ones on each 

 side of it. These beads are counts used in the game. In addition to the 

 bead counts, the hoop rim has several counts on it. They are its trans- 

 verse grooves, together with certain intervening spaces. 



