276 THE MENOMINI INDIANS [eth.ann.U 



and suspended from the rafters of the house, where they become thor- 

 oughly dry during the winter. The sticks are of light wood, as free as 

 possible from knots or irregularities in growth, and vary from a third 

 to a half of an inch in thickness. 



These being disposed of for the time being, iron arrowheads are 

 procured from the trader, as these points are now manufactured in the 

 East and packed in boxes of a thousand or more and offered for sale 

 at agency stores. In many instances the Indians made their own 

 points, securing for the purpose pieces of hoop-iron from various pack- 

 ing cases sent to the reservations. Such arrowpoints are usually 

 made somewhat shorter than those manufactured for the trade, owing 

 to a desire to economize in material. The arrowpoints made for the 

 trade measure from 3 to 4£ inches in length, scarcely ever more than 

 seven-eighths of an inch across at the widest part, and about one- 

 sixteenth of an inch thick. The edges are sharpened. The tang of 

 the arrow — the basal projection which fits into the shaft — is usually 

 from one-half to three-fourths of an inch long and about one-fourth of 

 an inch wide. In hunting-arrows the tang was formerly serrated, so 

 that sinew seizing would firmly secure it, aud the shaft, on withdrawal 

 from the animal, would bring with it the arrowhead. In war arrows, 

 however, the sides of the tang being smooth, the arrowhead would 

 readily become loosened after the sinew wrappings became moistened 

 in the wound, so that, on attempting to withdraw the arrow, the head 

 would remain and do its deadly work. 



The next step in arrow manufacture was to procure feathers for the 

 shaftment, and for this purpose the flight and tail feathers of accipi- 

 trine birds are prepared. The webs are split from the midrib, the soft 

 medullary cells scraped from the strips of horny substance bearing the 

 web and cut into lengths of from to 7 inches. About an inch of the 

 web is removed at each end to permit secure wrapping to the shaft- 

 ment. The width of the projecting web is only about a quarter of an 

 inch, aud three feathers are attached to each shaftment. The sinew 

 fibers are obtained from the deer, the ligaments extending along each 

 side of the spinal process, from the head backward, generally being 

 preferred to those of the legs. These sinews are dried, and when 

 required for use, may readily be shredded by wetting and sometimes 

 by gentle hammering. 



Glue is obtained by boiling the hoofs of the deer. Glue-sticks are 

 found in possession of almost all warriors; they are made by cutting a 

 stick inches in length and as thick as the little finger, then dipping 

 one end into the melted glue and allowing to harden, the process being 

 repeated until there is a considerable bulb at the end. When it is 

 desired for use, the stick is dipped in hot water and then rubbed on the 

 part which it is desired to fasten. 



When arrowshafts were to be made, only thoroughly seasoned sticks 

 were taken, and for immediate use the straight ones only were selected. 



