68 BUBEAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 43 



themselves so much tlie more they imitate the cry of the bear, which is that of 

 a little chilfl. The aiother bear, heariui; a cry at the foot of her tree and 

 thinking that it is one of her little ones that has suffered itself to fall down, 

 puts her head outside of the hole and thus discloses herself. Then the 

 savages, sure of their prey, prepare to dislodge her, but how is it to be accom- 

 plished? To uproot a large and tall tree or cut it down with axes would be too 

 long an operation. They have a more expeditious method. Here it is. 



They first choose the nearest tree they can find to that where the animal has 

 made its retreat, after which one of them climbs into this tree, and seats him- 

 self astride a branch of the height, if it is jiossible, of the opening of the bear's 

 hole. Then his comrades who are below place in his hands a large cane 25 to 30 

 feet long, at the end of which is attached a creeper or a string. At the 

 extremity of this creeper or string the savages tie some dry canes to which 

 they set fire, and the one who is on the tree swinging the cane throws the fire 

 into the hole which serves the animal as a retreat. If he is unable to succeed 

 in this manner he fastens a little string to the end of an arrow and to this 

 string a piece of tinder, a kind of touchwood (amadou), which he lights, after 

 which he shoots the arrow into the hole. The tinder, which is then sus- 

 pended perpendicularly in the middle of the hole, takes fire little by little, 

 burns the string to which it is tied, and falls on the animal, which in moving 

 about to shake it off sets fire to the straw, the dry grass, or the rotten wood 

 with which its dwelling is ordinarily provided. Then the female bear, not being 

 able to endure the ardor of this element, determines to move, which it does 

 backward, descending setlately and showing from time to time its teeth and 

 tongue, which is of a most beautiful scarlet, it is not given time to descend 

 far enough to place its feet on the ground. While it is on the way it is knocked 

 down or shot. Of its little ones some, wishing to imitate their mother, follow 

 her and descend after her, but scarcely have they reached a height from the 

 ground equal to that of a man than they are seized ana a cord is passed around 

 their necks. It is thus that they are tamerf. Uthers in trying to save them- 

 selves hold to the branches of the trees, where they are shot." 



Dii Pratz covers the same ground, but with certain variations : 



After a sojourn of some time in the country and, having found fruits in 

 abundance, the bears are fat, and it is then that the natives go to hunt them. 

 They know that in this state the bears place themselves under cover — that is to 

 say, settle themselves in trunks of old dead trees still standing of which the 

 heart is rotted. It is there that the boar lodges himself. The natives make a 

 tour through the woods and visit trunks of this kind. If they notice claw 

 marks on the bark they are assured that a bear is lodged in this place. 



However, not to be deceived in their conjectures, they strike a very heavy 

 blow on the foot of the trunk and then run r:ipidly away to conceal themselves 

 behind another tree opposite the lowest of the bear's openings. If there is a 

 bear in this tree he hears the blow which makes the trunk tremble. Then he 

 mounts as far as the opening to see what importunate persons come to trouble 

 his repose. He looks at the foot of his fortress, and not perceiving anything 

 there capable of interrupting him returns to the bottom of his dwelling, dis- 

 pleased no doubt at being disturbed by a false alarm. 



The natives having seen the prey which they are persuaded is not able to 

 escape them, collect dead canes which they crush with their feet so that they 

 may burn more easily. Then they make a bundle of them which one carries up 

 into the nearest tree together with fire. The others place themselves in ambush 



» Dumont, Mto. Hist, sur La Louisiane, i, 70-80. 



