MALLERY. ] A TRADING TRIP. 577 
vaux” and sometimes “travois.” The etymology of this word has been 
the subject of much discussion. It is probably one of the words which 
descended in corrupted form from the language of the Canadian voy- 
ageurs, and was origivally the French word “traineau,” with its mean- 
ing of sledge. The corrupt form “travail” was retained by English 
speakers from its connection with the sound of the word “travel.” 
Fig. $25 is taken from aroll of birch bark, known to be more than sey- 
eaty years old, obtained in 1882 from the Ojibwa Indians at Red Lake, 
Minnesota. The interpretation was given by an Indian from that 
reservation, although he did not know the author nor the history of 
the record. With one exception, all of the characters were understood 
and interpreted to Dr. Hoffman, in 1883, by Ottawa Indians at Harbor 
Springs, Michigan. 
IG. 825.—A dangerous trading trip. 
a represents the Indian who visited a country supposed to have been 
near one of the great lakes. He has a scalp in his hand which he ob- 
tained from the head of an enemy, after having killed him. The line 
from the head to the small circle denotes the name of the person, and 
the line from the mouth to the same circle signifies (in the Dakota 
method), “That is it,” having reference to proper names. 
b, the enemy killed. He was a man who held a position of some con- 
sequence in his tribe, as is indicated by the horns, marks used by the 
Ojibwas among themselves for shaman, wabeno, ete. It has been sug- 
gested that the object held in the hand of this figure is a rattle, though 
the Indians, to whom the record was submitted for examination, are in 
doubt, the character being indistinct. 
ce, three disks connected by short lines signify, in the present instance, 
10 ETH 37 
