THEORY OF TATTOOING—BOUNDARY STUDIES. 109 
tight, for the glue neither cracks nor scales up until the wood itself is broken. 
The secret of its composition is not known te the whites. 
' In another regard, also, the Mattoal differ from other tribes, and that 
is that the men tattoo. ‘Their distinctive mark is a round blue spot in the 
center of the forehead. The squaws tattoo pretty much all over their faces. 
In respect to this matter of tattooing there is a theory entertained 
by some old pioneers which may be worth the mention. They hold that 
the reason why the women alone tattoo in all other tribes is that in case 
they are taken captives, their own people may be able to recognize them 
when there comes an opportunity of ransom. There are two facts which 
give some color of probability to this reasoning. One is that the California 
Indians are rent into such infinitesimal divisions, any one of which may 
be arrayed in deadly feud against another at any moment, that the slight 
differences in their dialects would not suffice to distinguish the captive 
squaws. A second is that the squaws almost never attempt any ornamental 
tattooing, but adhere closely to the plain regulation-mark of the tribe. 
Besides the coyote stories with which gifted squaws amuse their children, 
and which are common throughout all this region, there prevails among the 
Mattoal a custom which might almost be dignified with the name of geo- 
graphical study. In the first place, it is necessary to premise that the bound- 
aries of all the tribes on Humboldt Bay, Eel River, Van Dusen’s Fork, 
and in fact everywhere, are marked with the greatest precision, being 
defined by certain creeks, cantons, bowlders, conspicuous trees, springs, ete., 
each one of which objects has its own individual name. It is perilous for 
an Indian to be found outside of his tribal boundaries, wherefore it stands 
him well in hand to make himself acquainted with the same early in life. 
Accordingly the squaws teach these things to their children in a kind of 
sing-song not greatly unlike that which was the national furore some time 
ago in rural singing-schools, wherein they melodiously chanted such pleas- 
ing items of information as this: ‘California, Sacramento, on the Sacra- 
mento River.” Over and over, time and again, they rehearse all these 
bowlders, ete., describing each minutely and by name, with its surround- 
ings. Then when the children are old enough, they take them around to 
beat the bounds like Bumble the Beadle; and so wonderful is the Indian 
