22 PICTURE-WRITING OF THE AMERICAN INDIANS. 
shamans to fill the vacancy caused by 
the death. The number of red crosses 
denote the number of speeches made 
at the grave upon that occasion, 
while the band at the top refers to 
the person acting as master of cere 
monies, who had been requested to 
make all the arrangements for the 
medicine ceremonies and initiation. 
So said some Menomoni in the neigh- 
borhood, but later the Indian who 
actually painted the red crosses came 
to Washington and explained that 
they signified the number of war 
parties in which the deceased had 
taken part. 
Fig. 729 shows the incised lines on 
the front of the post before color was 
applied. The manner of placing the 
grave posts at the head of the grave 
box is shown in Fig. 730, the left- 
hand grave being that of Oshkosh, 
the late head chief of the Menomoni 
in Wisconsin, after whom the city of 
Oshkosh was named. 
Before the grave is a small board, 
upon which tobacco is placed to 
gratify the taste of the dead, and 
during the season of sugar making 
pieces of that delicacy are pushed 
through the small openings in the 
head board, that the spirit of the de- 
ceased may be gratified and give suc- 
cess to the donors at future seasons. 
The right-hand grave box is that 
of another member of the family of 
Oshkosh, at which the board, with 
tobacco, is also placed, as well as 
the grave post. This, however, does 
not bear any indications of charac- 
ters, which probably had been washed 
off by the rain. 
Pieces of bark, stones, and sticks 
are also placed upon the grave boxes, 
but the signification of this practice 
‘1a. 729.—Incis ines i 2 
Ha. 728. —tncised tines on Menomoni could not belascertained. 
