899 



CHAPTEE XXXVII. 



SCALPING. 



WHEN Indians wear scalp locks the process of scalping 

 consists in removing from the head a round piece of skin 

 of which the crown is the centre. None of the plains 

 Indians wear scalp locks, the hair being parted in the 

 middle from front to rear, all the hair on either side being 

 plaited into a long tail behind each ear. The process of 

 scalping is, therefore, different. A handful of hair is 

 grasped, the skin to which it is attached lifted, and the 

 knife passed underneath. As the long side tails are most 

 convenient to take hold of, the scalp is generally taken 

 from one side of the head, and not unfrequently two or 

 more scalps are taken from the same head. When there 

 is plenty of time the whole portion of the skin of the head 

 covered with hair is carefully removed in one piece, in 

 many cases the ears remaining attached. 



Some special virtue or value seems to be attached to 

 hair-covered skin. The Indian has no hair on his face or 

 person, and consequently scalps only the heads of other 

 Indians. The full-bearded white man offers peculiar at- 

 tractions to the scalper. Every portion of skin to which 

 hair is attached, even to the small bit under the arms, is 

 scalped off. I once saw in an Indian camp a ' scalp ' con- 

 sisting of almost the entire skin of head, face, breast, and 

 belly to the crotch in one piece. It had been carefully 

 cured, and peculiar value was set upon it as 'big 

 medicine.' 



Scalping is not fatal. I have known several persons 



