MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 



495 



terminates in the tail of the ani- 

 mal, which is left entire, so as to 

 fold outwards, though sometimes 

 the edges are cut into a fringe, 

 and ornamented with quills of the 

 porcupine. The seams of the 

 sliirt are on the sides, and are 

 richly fringed and adorned witli 

 porcupine quills, till witliin five 

 or six inches of the sleeve, where 

 it is left open, as is also the under 

 side of the sleeve from the shoulder 

 t» the elbow, wliere it rtts closely 

 round tlie arm as low as tlie 

 wrist, and has no fiinge like the 

 sides, and the under part of the 

 sleeve above tlie elliow. It is 

 kept up by wide shoul.ler straps, 

 on which tiie manufacturer dis- 

 j)lays his taste by the variety of 

 figures wrought with porcupine 

 quills of dirterent colon: s, and 

 sometimes l)y beads \vhen they 

 can be obtained. 'I'he lower end 

 of the shirt retains tlie natural 

 shaptf of the fore legs and neck of 

 the skin, with the addition of a 

 sligiit fiinge ; the hair too i- 1; ft 

 ou tlie tail and near the hoofs, 

 part of which last is retaineil and 

 split into a fringe 



The leggins are generallv mid.' 

 of antelope skins, <li('sse(l without 

 the hair, and with tlie legs, tail, 

 and neck hinging to tiiem. Each 

 legging is forme . of a skin nearly 

 entire, audi caches from the ancle 

 , to the upper part of tiie thigh, 

 and tlie legs of the skin are tucked 

 before and behind under a girdle 

 round the waist. It fits closily 

 to the leg the Mil being worn 

 upwards, and the neck, highly 

 ornamented with fringe and por- 

 cupine (pulls, orags on the grounil 

 beliind the heels. As the legs of 

 the animal are tied round the 

 girdle, the wide put of the skin 



is drawn so high as to conceal the 

 parts usually kept fiom view, in 

 which respect their dress is much 

 more decent than that of any 

 nation of Indians on the jNIissouri. 

 The seams of the leggings down 

 the sides, are also fringed and or- 

 namented, and occasionally deco- 

 rated with tufts of hair taken 

 from enemies whom they have 

 slain. In making ali these dres.ses, 

 their only thread is the sinew 

 taken fiom tlie backs and loins 

 of deer, elk, Imffaloe, or any other 

 animal. 



The moccasin is of the deer, 

 elk, or buttaloe skin, dressed 

 without the hair, thongh in winter 

 they use the buffaloe skin with 

 the hairy side inward, as do most 

 of the Indians who inhabit the 

 buffaloe country Like the Man- 

 (1 01 moccasin, it is made with a 

 single seam on the outer edge, 

 and sewed up behind, a hole 

 being left at the instep to ad:mit 

 the foot. It is variously orna- 

 mented with figures wrought w ith 

 porcupine quills, and someticups 

 the \<)ung men mo^t fond of dre ss, 

 cover it with the skin of a po le- 

 c:it, and trail at their heels I he 

 tail of the animal. 



The dress of the women cc n- 

 sists of the same articles as tl lat 

 of their husbands. 'i'he ro be 

 though smaller is worn in t he 

 same way : the moccasins are pr e- 

 cisely similar. The shirt or ch e- 

 mise reaches half way down t lie 

 leg, is ni the same form, exce pt 

 that there is no shoulder-stra p, 

 the seam coming quite up to tl le 

 shoulder; thongh for women wl lo 

 give suck both sides are oj'ci i, 

 almost down to the waist. It is 

 also ornamented in the same wa y 

 with the addition of little jiatche s 



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