300 GAMES OF THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS  [eru. ann. 24 
In his Dictionary of the Nisqualli he gives lahal or slahal as the 
name of both the game of hand and that played with disks. Again, 
olahal, or olahalub, means to play. 
Oxiynacan. Washington. 
Capt. Charles Wilkes ¢ says: 
The chief amusement of the Okonagan tribes of Indians in the winter and 
during the heat of the day in summer, when they are prevented from taking 
salmon, is a game called by the voyageurs “ jeu de main,’ equivalent to our 
odd-and-even. 
Alexander Ross? says: 
The principal game is called tsill-all-a-come, differing but little from the chall- 
chall played by the Chinooks or Indians along the seasoast. This game is played 
with two small oblong polished bones, each 2 inches long, and half an inch in 
diameter, with twenty small sticks of the same diameter as the bones, but about 
9 inches long. 
The game does not set any limits to the number of players at a time, provided 
both sides be equal. Two, four, or six, as may be agreed upon, play this game; 
but, in all large bets, the last number is generally adopted. When all is ready 
and the property at stake laid down on the spot, the players place themselves 
in the following manner: the parties kneel down, three on one side and three 
on the other, face to face and about 3 feet apart; and in this position they 
remain during the game. A piece of wood is then placed on the ground between 
them; this done, each player is furnished with.a small drum-stick, about the 
size of a rule, in his right hand, which stick is used for beating time on the 
wood, in order to rivet attention on the game. The drumming is always accom- 
panied with a song. The players, one and all, muffle their wrists, fists, and 
fingers with bits of fur or trapping, in order the better to elude and deceive their 
opponents. Each party then takes one of the two small polished bones, and ten 
of the small sticks, the use of which will hereafter be more fully explained. In 
all cases the arms and body are perfectly naked, the face painted, the hair 
clubbed up, and the head girt round with a strap of leather. The party is now 
ready to begin the game, all anxious and on the alert: three of the players on 
one side strike up a song, to which all keep chorus, and this announces the com- 
mencement. The moment the singing and drumming begin on one side the 
greatest adept on the other side instantly takes the little polished bone, con- 
ceals it in one of his fists, then throws it into the other, and back again, and so 
on from one fist to the other, nimbly crossing and recrossing his arms, and 
every instant changing the position of his fists. The quickness of the motions 
and the muffling of the fists make it almost impossible for his opponents to 
guess which hand holds the bone, and this is the main point. While the player 
is maneuyering in this manner, his three opponents eagerly watch his motions 
with an eagle’s eye, to try and discover the fist that contains the bone; and the 
moment one of them thinks he has discovered where the bone is, he points to it 
with the quickness of lightning: the player at the same time, with equal rapid- 
ity, extends his arm and opens his fist in the presence of all; if it be empty, the 
player draws back his arm and continues, while the guesser throws the player 
one of the little sticks, which counts 1. But if the guesser hits upon the fist 
that contains the bone the player throws a stick to him and ceases playing, his 
«Narrative of the United States Dxploring Expedition, yv. 4, p. 462, Philadelphia, 1845. 
> Adventures of the First Settlers on the Oregon or Columbia River, p. 308, London, 
1849. 
