708 GAMES OF THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS [mru. ANN. 24 
catching it, and thus keeping it in motion for a length of time without letting 
it fall to the ground. Prizes are given, and they often play high. The ball is 
often very neat and curiously covered with dyed porcupine quills. 
Wiynepsaco. Wisconsin. 
Mr Louis L. Meeker communicates the following description of a 
game played by the Winnebago girls and some others: 
They take a light soft ball, such as a stuffed stocking foot, place it on the toe, 
and standing on one foot, kick it up a few inches. Then as it falls they kick 
it back again, so as to send it up as often as possible without letting it fall to 
the ground, keeping count of the number of times. When it falls to the ground 
or when the foot is placed on the ground the ball is passed to another player. 
The first to count 100, or any number agreed upon, wins. 
Tossep Bau 
In general, the ball throughout the North American continent was 
propelled with a bat or racket and not touched with the hands. The 
following exceptional games have been recorded : 
ALGONQUIAN STOCK 
ABNAKI. Quebec. 
Lafitau ® says: 
Their ball is nothing but an inflated bladder, which must always be kept up 
in the air and which in reality is upheld a long time by the multitude of hands 
tossing it back and forth without ceasing; this forms a very pretty sight. 
Miami. St Joseph river, Michigan. 
Charlevoix ” says, after describing lacrosse: 
The second game is very like this one, but not so dangerous. Two boundaries 
are marked out, as in the first game, and the players take up all the ground 
which is between them. The one who begins throws a ball up into the air as 
perpendicularly as possible, so that he may easily catch it again and throw it 
towards the goal. All the others have their arms raised, and the one who seizes 
the ball either goes through the same maneuver or throws it to one of his party 
whom he considers more alert or more skillful than himself, for in order to win 
the ball must never fall into the hands of the adversaries. Women play this 
game also, but rarely. They have four or five on a side, and the one who lets 
the ball fall loses. 
Monraenats. Camp islands, Labrador. 
George Cartwright ° says: 
At sunset the Indians amused themselves with playing at ball. This amuse- 
ment consisted only in tossing the ball at pleasure from one to another, each 
striving who should get it; but I soon perceived they were very bad catchers. 
@Moeurs des Sauvages Ameriquains, y. 4, p. 76, Paris, 1724. 
> Journal d'un Voyage dans l’'Amérique Septentrionnale, vy. 3, p. 319, Paris, 1744. 
¢ A Journal of Transactions and Events during a Residence of nearly Sixteen Years on 
the Coast of Labrador, y. 1, p. 237, Newark, 1792. 
