BOURKE, ] MEDICINE CORDS. Hol! 
cipal medicine-men of the Chiricahua Apache, made me the same 
promise concerning the cord which he wore and which figures in these 
plates. It was, unfortunately, sent me by mail, and, although the best 
in the series and really one of the best I have ever been fortunate 
enough to see on either living or dead, if was not accompanied by a 
description of the symbolism of the different articles attached. Ramon 
also gave me the head-dress which he wore in the spirit or ghost 
dance, and explained everything thereon, and I am satisfied that he 
would also, while in the same frame of mind, have given me all the in- 
formation in his power in regard to the sacred or medicine cord as well, 
had I been near him. 
There are some things belonging to these cords which I understand 
from having had them explained at other times, but there are others 
about which I amin extreme doubt and ignorance. There are four 
specimens of medicine cords represented and it is worth while to 
observe that they were used as one, two, three, and four strand cords, 
but whether this fact means that they belonged to medicine-men or to 
warriors of different degrees I did 
not learn nor do I venture to con- 
jecture. 
The single-strand medicine 
cord with the thirteen olivella 
shells belonged to a Zuni chief, 
one of the priests of the sacred 
order of the bow, upon whose 
wrist it was worn as a sign of his 
exalted rank in the tribe. I ob- 
tained it as a proof of his sincer- 
est friendship and with injunc- 
tions to say nothing about it to 
his own people, but no explana- 
tion was made at the moment of 
the signification of the wristlet or 
cord itself or of the reason for 
using the olivella shells of that 
particular number or for placing 
them as they were placed. 
One of the four-strand cords 
was obtained from Ramon and is 
the most beautiful and the most 
valuable of the lot. Ramon 
called my attention to the im- 
portant fact that it was com- 
posed of four strands and that originally each had been stained a dif- 
ferent color. These colors were probably yellow, blue, white, and black, 
although the only ones still discernible at this time are the yellow and 
the blue. 
SSS wy 
— 
a 
Fig. 436.—Four-strand medicine cord (Apache). 
