INDIAN GAMES. 105 



looked upon it rather in the light of a manly contest than 

 as an amusement. Nevertheless the young people and 

 the women often took part in it. Perrot tells us so, and 

 bothEomans and Bossu say that after the men were through, 

 the women usually played a game, the bets on which were 

 generally high. Powers^represents the squaws among the 

 California!! Indians as joining the game. 



Dexterity in the game lay in the skilful use of the rack- 

 et ; in rapid running ; in waylaying an adversary when he 

 was in possession of the ball ; in avoiding members of the 

 opposing side when the player himself was running with 

 the ball for the goal, and in adroitly passing the ball to 

 one of the same side when surrounded by opponents. To 

 give full scope to skill in the use of the racket, great 

 stress was laid upon the rule that the ball was not to be 

 touched by the hand. Perrot says, " if it falls to the earth 

 he tries to draw it to him with his cross." Charlevoix says, 

 "Their business is to strike the ball to the post of the adverse 

 party without letting it fall to the ground and without 

 touching it with the hand." Adair says, " They are not 

 allowed to catch it with their hands." 



The early writers were struck with the fact that the char- 

 acter of the exercise in this game was fitted to develop 

 the young warriors for the war path, and they commented 

 on the practice that they thus acquired in rapid running 

 and in avoiding blows from an instrument in the hands of 

 an adversary. 



When we review the various features of the game which 



VJ 



its chroniclers have thought worthy of record, we can but 

 conclude that it was rather a contest of grave importance 

 to the players than a mere pastime, nor can we fail to ac- 

 cept the concurrent testimony as to the widespread terri- 



16 Contributions to North American Ethnology, Vol. in, p. 151. 

 ESSEX INST. BULLETIN, VOL. XVII. 14 



