20 TRIBES OF BRITISH NORTH AMERICA 



rubbed with glue from the sturgeon, or perhaps with 

 gum from the black pine tree. Some tribes provided 

 the end of the bow with a sharply pointed stone, so 

 that the implement could be used as a thrusting spear 

 when an animal came to close quarters, and the 

 hunter had not time to fit another arrow. Willow 

 and mountain maple are tough, elastic woods suitable 

 for the bow, which is always strengthened by a layer 

 of sinew, cherry-tree bark, or snake skin, which is 

 glued to the wood. Barbed and leaf-shaped arrow or 

 spear points are used for hunting and warfare. Rock 

 crystal, quartz, and a hard, dark, shiny stone named 

 obsidian are most serviceable for weapons ; poison 

 made from fangs of the rattlesnake is used as a varnish 

 for these stone arrow points, so the hunter must be 

 very careful that he does not scratch himself when 

 fitting an arrow to the bow. Metal plays an ever 

 increasing part in the Indian s outfit, but there are 

 still many knives, daggers, war clubs, spears, and 

 tomahawks, in the manufacture of which sharpened 

 stone is employed. Tomahawk &quot; means a skull 

 cracker, and no better name could have been em 

 ployed, for this implement pecks out a little circular 

 hole in the skull, and many graves have been opened 

 in which the skeleton shows plainly by what instru 

 ment the fatal blow was delivered. No stone im 

 plement is more prized than the hammer, which 

 takes a great deal of chipping and rubbing from hard 

 stone. During long evenings men will sit round 

 the fire talking and polishing their hammers, merely 

 rubbing with the palms of the hands ; the imple 

 ments take a very smooth gloss, and are handed 

 down from father to son for many generations. 



