204 



REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1887. 



East of the Mississippi Eiver, north of the Tennessee and the North 

 Carolina line, and south of Hudson Bay lived Algonkin and Iroquois 

 stocks, and all of theru used a flat cradle'-board, not far from 2£ feet 

 lung, 10 inches wide, and one-half inch thick, tapering wider at the 

 head. The St. Kegis Iroquois, in the north of New York and near the 



Cauada line, have for many years bought 

 their cradle- boards from the whites or 

 made them of material bought from a 

 white man (Figs. 39, 40). The specimen 

 illustrated has the back carved in flowers 

 and birds, and painted blue, red, green, 

 and yellow. The cleat at the upper end 

 of the back is a modern chair-round. The 

 foot-board is a small shelf or bracket, on 

 which the child's feet rest. 



An interesting relic of savagery on this 

 quite civilized cradle are the notches in 

 the awning-bow, falling down over the 

 ends of the cleat, extended and held in 

 place by braces of leather thong. The 

 hoop serves many functions, such as sup- 

 port for sunshade, rain protector, mos- 

 quito net, ornaments, dangling trinkets 

 to please the child, etc. 



181106. Cradle back- board, carved in 

 peacocks, and paiuted bright colors. 

 Square at top. Awning frame mortised 

 at ends, which allow them to slide over 

 awning-bar. Held down and guyed by 

 stays on opposite side. Has a movable 

 foot-rest at bottom. Thongs along sides 

 for lashing baby in. Length, 29J inches; width, top, 10£ inches; bot- 

 tom, 8£ inches. Foot- rest, height, 3J inches ; width, 6 inches. (Fig. 38.) 

 The following notes regarding the Indians east of the Mississippi 

 River have been collected in the course of the author's reading, and are 

 here appended to throw additional light upon the subject : 



Heriot, G. (Travels through the Canadas. London, 1807. 4to.) " The use of a 

 pillow is known to but a few" among the Iroquois tribes. Having seen that article 

 in use, they imitate it " with a billet of wood, with a mat rolled up, or with skins 

 stuffed with hair (p. 267). 



which the children lie as if their backs were glued to them, being swaddled in liuuen 

 and kept on with swath bands run through the sides of the boards. To these boards 

 they tie strings, by which they hang their children on the branches of trees" (vol. II, 

 p. 7). "As soon as their children come into the world they dip them in warm water 

 up to the chin." The Dacotahs, Aleutian Islanders, etc., use cold water. "After 

 this they swathe them down upon little boards or planks, stuffed with cotton, where 

 they lie upon their backs" (vol. II, p. 43). 



Fig. 38. 

 Iroquois Cradle. Back view. 



( Cat. No. 18006, U. S. N. M. St. Regis, New York. 

 Collected by R. B. Hough. ) 



