YARROW.] SCAFFOLD BURIAL—SIOUX. 163 
three feet broad, and three feet high, with a flooring of buffalo thongs arranged as a 
net-work. This cradle was securely fastened by strips of buffalo-hide to four poles of 
ironwood and cottonwood, about twelve feet inlength. These poles doubtless rested 
upon the forked extremities of the vertical poles described by Dr. Sternberg. The 
cradle was wrapped in two buffalo robes of large size and well preserved. On remoy- 
ing these an aperture eighteen inches square was found at the middle of the right side 
of the cradle or basket. Within appeared other buffalo robes folded about the re- 
mains, and secured by gaudy-colored sashes. Five robes were successively removed, 
making seven in all. Then we came to a series of new blankets folded about the 
remains. There were five in all—two scarlet, two blue, and one white. These being 
remoyed, the next wrappings consisted of a striped white and gray sack, and of a 
United States Infantry overcoat, like the other coverings nearly new. We had now 
come apparently upon the immediate envelopes of the remains, which it was now 
evident must be those of a child. These consisted of three robes, with hoods very 
richly ornamented with bead-work. These robes or cloaks were of buffalo-calf skin 
about four feet in length, elaborately decorated with bead-work in stripes. The outer 
was covered with rows of blue and white bead-work, the second was green and yel- 
low, and the third blue and red. All were further adorned by spherical brass bells 
attached all about the borders by strings of beads. 
The remains with their wrappings lay upon a matting similar to that used by the 
Navajo and other Indians of the southern plains, and upon a pillow of dirty rags, in 
which were folded a bag of red paint, bits of antelope skin, bunches of straps, buckles, 
&c. The three bead-work hooded cloaks were now removed, and then we success- 
ively unwrapped a gray woolen double shawl, five yards of blue cassimere, six yards 
of red calico, and six yards of brown calico, and finally disclosed the remains of a 
child, probably about a year old, in an advanced stage of decomposition. The cada- 
ver had a beaver-cap ornamented with disks of copper containing the bones of the 
cranium, which had fallen apart. About the neck were long wampum necklaces, 
with Dentalium, Unionide, and Auricule, interspersed with beads. There were also 
strings of the pieces of Haliotis from the Gulf of California, so valued by the Indians 
on this side of the Rocky Mountains. The body had been elaborately dressed for 
burial, the costume consisting of a red-flannel cloak, a red tunic, and frock-leggins 
adorned with bead-work, yarn stockings of red and black worsted, and deer-skin bead- 
work moccasins. With the remains were numerous trinkets, a porcelain image, a 
China vase, strings of beads, several toys, a pair of mittens, a fur collar, a pouch of 
the skin of Putorius vison, &c. 
Another extremely interesting account of scaffold-burial, furnished by 
Dr. L. 8S. Turner, United States Army, Fort Peck, Mont., and relating 
to the Sioux, is here given entire, as it refers to certain curious mourn- 
ing observances which have prevailed to a great extent over the entire 
globe: 
The Dakotas bury their dead in the tops of trees when limbs can be found suffi- 
ciently horizontal to support scaffolding on which to lay the body, but as such growth 
is not common in Dakota, the more general practice is to lay them upon scaffolds from 
seven to ten feet high and out of the reach of carniverous animals, as the wolf. These 
scaffolds are constructed upon four posts set into the ground something after the manner 
of the rude drawing which I inclose. Like all labors of a domestic kind, the prepara- 
tion for burial is left to the women, usually the old women. The work begins assoon 
as life ig extinct. The face, neck, and hands are thickly painted with vermilion, or 
aspecies of red carth found in various portions of the Territory when the vermilion 
of the traders cannot be had. The clothes and personal trinkets of the deceased orna- 
meut the body. When blankets are available, it is then wrapped in one, all parts of 
the body being completely enveloped. Around this a dressed skin of buffalo is then 
secnrely wrapped, with the flesh side out, and the whole securely bound with thongs 
