THE REMAINS OF CITIES OP THE STONE AGE. 87 



have been the case with other tribes, this art was 

 probably practised by the women, and the vessels, 

 formed by hand, without the aid of a wheel, were im- 

 perfectly baked in a rude oven or fireplace constructed 

 for the purpose. Their process for preparing the clay 

 was that which seems to have been practised anciently 

 all over the world, and is still vindicated by experience 

 as the best to form vessels intended to stand the fire. 



Fig. 21. EARTHEN POT FOUND ON THE UPPER OTTAWA, AND NOW IN THE 

 MUSEUM OF THE NATURAL HISTOHY SOCIETY OF MONTREAL (REDUCED). 



The clay was first mixed intimately with sand, usually 

 a coarse granitic sand, different from that near Mon- 

 treal, as the clay is also different from the ordinary 

 brick-clay of Montreal, which being calcareous is not 

 well fitted for the purpose of the potter. The mass 

 was then kneaded out and doubled in pastrycook style, 

 so as to give it a tough, laminated texture, and then 

 was fashioned into the vessel desired. Specimens 



