272 



EEPOET OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1887. 



purpose they used baskets, hampers, wallets, par-fleche cases, skin 

 bottles, skin wallets, aod every other receptacle hitherto described. 

 (Figs. 25, 26.) In some of the mounds that have been carefully ex- 

 amined little strise showed that about a peck of earth constituted the 

 separate loads of dirt which were doubtless scraped up near by and 

 carried on the head or back in baskets to the mound. The first settlers 

 found the aborigines carrying on a respectable commerce, and using 

 inventions that were truly labor-saving machines. 





Fig. 21. 



Italian Woma* supporting empty 

 jar. 



(From a photograph in the U S. National Mu- 

 seum.) 



Fig. 22. 

 Breast straps. 



(Cat No. 70962—4, U. S. N. M. Zufii Indians. 

 Mexico. Collected hy James Stevenson.) 



Fortunately a beautiful example of a carrying apparatus was gath- 

 ered forty years ago from the Arikara and Mandan area. (Fig. 26.) 

 Its composition is worthy of our closest study Four bent poles com 

 stitute the frame-work, two of them with a wide interspace, the other 

 two narrow, like an ox-yoke bow. The two wide bows are placed nearly 

 parallel and about 10 inches apart at top and 4 at bottom. The nar- 

 row ones cross these at right angles nearly, only they are spread a 

 little at top. They are also as far apart as the length of the basket 

 demands. These two narrow bows descend inches to afford a rest for 



