8o NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



he could imagine that the Huron would eat such food but that he was 

 sure that Iroquois never used anything so questionable. 



Another writer mentions a variety of bread mixed with tobacco 

 juice. He says : " When they were traveling or laying in wait for 

 their enemies they took with them a kind of bread made of Indian 

 com and tobacco juice, which says Campanius was a very good 

 thing to allay hunger and quench thirst in case they have nothing 

 else at hand.^ i 



X USES OF THE CORN PLANT 



1 The stalk. Stalk tubes, gushe"da' or deyus'wande', were 

 made for containing medicines. A section of the stalk was cut off 

 at a joint, the pith removed, plugs were inserted at each end and 

 the tube complete. Tubes were made from 2 to 8 inches long. 

 Syrup, oshesta', was extracted by boiling or evaporating the juice 

 of young and green cornstalks. The top of the corn above the corn 

 sheaths was cut, the stalk bruised and tlien thrown in a kettle and 

 boiled, the juice was then strained off and evaporated. A metal 

 polish, yesta'teda'kwa, was made from the pith. The outer cover- 

 ing was stripped from a dry stalk and the pith used for rubbing 

 copper and silver ornaments to a polish. Absorbent, ne"deskuk, 

 qualities of the dry pith were recognized and it was employed ac- 

 cordingly. A lotion, yago'gatha, of the juice of the green corn- 

 stalk and root was employed for cuts, bruises and sores. Fish line 

 floats, hetgesho^iodye', were made from sections of the dry stalk. 

 Cornstalk war clubs and spears, gadji'wa, were used by boys in sham 

 battles. Counter or jack straws, gasho'weda, were cut from the 

 tassel stems and used with bean counters in games. Children were 

 taught to count witih these " straws." 



2 Uses of corn husks. Single husks or strips pressed or folded 

 together and dried were used to convey lights short distances, much 

 as the rolled paper " lamp lighters " are used where matches are 

 scarce. The Iroquois indeed now use husks for lighting lamps, 

 calling them yedjistonda"kwa. A larger" quantity of dried husks 

 was used in kindling a fire. Husks are shredded and used for 

 pillow, cushion and mattress fillings, onion'nya'gago'^'sha'. For 

 making " bride's bread " the corn pudding or grated green corn is 

 wrapped in the green husk and baked or boiled as the case may re- 

 quire. Another use for the simple husks is as the water sprinklers 



1 Vincent. History of Delaware. Phil. 1870. p. 74-75. 



