54 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 195 



The actual process was probably somewhat as follows : The vessel 

 was built up by either molding or coiling, then finished with a paddle 

 in one hand, to slap the outside of the pot, wliile the other hand, inside, 

 served as an '"anvil." After the vessel was shaped it was decorated 

 and allowed to dry until it was in a "leather" state. It was next 

 covered with bison dung or wood, which was then fired to harden the 

 pot. 



The Ponca method of making fire by friction was described by PLC. 

 First a piece of soft stone was found, selected usually with a small 

 depression on one face. Some rotten ashwood was placed in this 

 depression and just outside it. Then the fire maker took the stem 

 of a yucca or soapweed plant and twirled it in the depression in the 

 stone until enough heat had been generated to make the rotten wood 

 smoulder. The fire maker then blew on this smouldering punk until 

 he had a coal or spark large enough to ignite his dry-grass tinder. 



A similar method, but one employing sand and dry bluestem grass, 

 is mentioned by PLC in his "History" (p. 20) . Gilmore (1919, p. 76), 

 mentions the use of weathered slippery or red elm bark for catching 

 the spark in fire making. 



Since making a fire by friction in this manner was quite difficult, 

 the fire was kept burning whenever possible. A method of keeping 

 a fire while the tribe was moving was described by PLC, and is 

 mentioned in his "History" (p. 20). A piece of rotten wood 

 with "worm tracks" under the bark was obtained. The powder in 

 these borings was ignited and the bark covering replaced. The 

 smouldering powder acted as a slow match, and the fire could be kept 

 for many hours. 



The Ponca possessed little that could be termed machinery. The 

 use of the lever was known, however, and levers were used to move 

 heavy logs and stones. To carry large stones, such as those upon 

 which petroglyphs were made, a large bison hide was used. The 

 stone was rolled on the bison hide, then several young men would 

 grab the edges of the hide and carry it (PLC) . 



The bow and arrow was the principal weapon of the Ponca in 

 aboriginal times. According to PLC, Ponca bows were customarily 

 made of seasoned ash and some of them measured 6 feet in length. 

 This seems rather long to me, however, as I have never seen an Amer- 

 ican Indian bow longer than 4 feet. In addition to ash, Osage-orange 

 or "bois d'arc" was also prized as a bow wood when it could be ob- 

 tained from the tribes to the south (Gilmore, 1919, p. 76). Ponca 

 bows were romided on the outer surface and flat on the inner one. The 

 top of the bow was pointed, perhaps so that it could be used as a crude 



