122 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



The common dart is now called ka-none-cha'-ah by the Onon- 

 dagas. Morgan says the Seneca name of this game is gii-ga-da- 

 Xan'-duk. The darts are slender and but rudely worked. Those 

 hich the writer has seen used are from 3 to 5 feet long and colored 

 with native dyes. Usually they are merely thrown high in the air, 

 but in a game some object was selected, which, it was to strike in 

 its descent and rebound. The farthest distance gained a point, and 

 several might be scored on one side. The second party chose the 

 object and distance for the next trial, and so it went on till one side 

 had the necessary points. 



The Iroquois bow differs from the short bow used by the prairie 

 Indians, intended for a short range and ready handling on horse- 

 back. Of these Mr Catlin said: 



The result produced by them at the distance of a few paces is 

 almost beyond belief, considering their length, which is not over 3, 

 and sometimes not exceeding 2 T ' feet. It can easily be seen, from 

 what has been said, that the Indian has little use or object in throw- 

 ing the arrow to any great distance. Catlin, i. 142 



Quickness was a more important element, and to keep the air full 

 of arrows something of which to be proud. The practice of the 

 Mandans. he said, "enables the most expert of them to get as many 

 as eight arrows up before the first one reaches the ground." It is 

 well that Mr Catlin stated the size of the western bow, as his draw- 

 ings are often much out of proportion. In several he has repre- 

 sented bows at least 5 feet long. 



The New York Indian required a different how for use in the 

 forest. His range was also usually short — sometimes long, but he 

 shot deliberately, from behind his shield or a tree, often at small 

 objects like birds or squirrels, or at some vulnerable point in larger 

 game. Tlis bow and arrows were made accordingly. We can not 

 depend on early pictures, but long bows are usually placed in the 

 hands of the Indians near the Atlantic coast. The artists who 

 illustrated Capt. John Smith's varied productions sometimes made 

 the bow exceed a man's bight, with very long arrows. Notably is 

 this the case with a Susquehanna warrior, near in kindred to the 

 New York Iroquois. His bow reaches above his head, and of him 



