388 THE GEORGE CATLIN INDIAN GALLERY. 



625. A Nay-as "Woman, weariug a wooden mask; and a splendid robe, made of 

 the wool of the mountain sheep and wild dog's hair ; a manufacture by 

 savage hands, eighteen hundred miles from the nearest civilization, and 

 well worthy the closest examination by the civilized manufacturing world. 

 Curiously carved pipes in pot-stone, by this tribe, are also worthy of the 

 attention of visitors, *n another part of the room ; the mask worn by this 

 woman illustrates the strange custom amongst the women of this tribe, of 

 wearing a block of wood of two or three inches in length through the under 

 lip, securing to the men the exclusive pleasure that flows from conversation, 

 when they wish so to ordain it. 



CUSTOMS, DRESS, HABITS, AND MANNERS OF NORTH AMERI- 

 CAN INDIANS, WITH ILLUSTRATIONS. 



Throughout Catlin's Eight Years he notes and ilhistrates Indian cus- 

 toms, manners, habits, and styles of dress. Of the several tribes of ISTorth 

 American Indians which he illustrates, the data and illustrations are 

 here given. Mr. Catlin's notes on the Indians of the Pacific coast were 

 made from information gathered during the years 1831 to 1838, and also 

 from conversations with Governor William Clark, who spent two years 

 there prior to 1808. Mr. Catlin did not visit the Pacific coast Indians 

 until 1854. His notes of this visit are in " Last Eambles," page 88 et seq. 



INDIANS OF THE PACIFIC COAST. 



[Letter from Saint Louis, ,1832.] 



Whilst I am thus taking a hasty glance at the tribes on the Atlantic coast, on the 

 borders of Mexico, and the confines of Canada, the reader will pardon me for taking 

 him for a few minutes to the mouth of the Columbia, on the Pacific coast, which place 

 I have not yet quite reached myself in my wild rambles, but most undoubtedly shall 

 ere long, if my strolling career be not suddenly stopped. I scarcely need tell the 

 reader where the Columbia Eiver is, since its course and its character have been so 

 often and so well described by recent travelers through those regions. I can now but 

 glance at this remote country and its customs, and revert to it again after I shall have 

 examined it in all its parts and collected my materials for a fuller account. — Pages 

 113, 114, vol. 2, Catlin's Eight Years. 



Mr. Catlin then writes of the "Elatheads," dividing them into the !N"ez 

 Perces and Chinooks, giving exanlples, ^o. 147, of the manner of flat- 

 tening the heads of children of the l^ez Perces, and the same custom 

 amongst the Chinooks, in No. 148. The last is fully illustrated therein, 

 following Ko. 148.* 



* Tlie objects sliowii in the plate facing this page, and described in the text, Mr. Catlin received from 

 Gov. William Clark (Governor Clark had a museum of Indian curiosities at Saint Loiiis), as well as 

 most of the data for the descriptive text. 



Gov. William Clark's Indian collection, or museum, at Saint Louis was an object of interest to 

 travelers and investigators. Mr. Catlin, being a friend, had the run of it and profited by it. Governor 

 Clark began this collection while an officer of the now famous Lewis and Clark's expedition to explore 

 the Louisiana purchase in 1806-1808. 



But few of the articles collected by Lewis and Claj'k in 1806-lSOS amongst the Indians are now ex. 

 tant. Mr. Jefferson received some ; these are, possibly, in the University of Virginia. Mr. Catlin 

 received a few. Governor Clark's museum is mentioned as follows : 



"The council chamber of Gov. William Clark, where he gives audience to the chiefs of the varioug 

 tribes of Indians who visit Saint Louis, contains probably the most complete museum of Indian cnri- 



