﻿36 
  TWENTY-FIRST 
  REPORT 
  ON 
  THE 
  STATE 
  CABINET. 
  

  

  Another 
  interesting 
  question 
  remains 
  with 
  respect 
  to 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  

   these 
  mauls 
  and 
  hammers. 
  They 
  are 
  of 
  different 
  sizes, 
  weighing 
  

   from 
  one 
  to 
  twelve 
  pounds, 
  and, 
  of 
  course, 
  adapted 
  to 
  different 
  

   kinds 
  of 
  work. 
  The 
  mauls 
  were 
  evidently 
  used 
  where 
  heavy 
  

   blows 
  were 
  required, 
  such 
  as 
  driving 
  stakes 
  and 
  posts, 
  and 
  would 
  

   be 
  indispensable 
  in 
  constructing 
  timber-framed 
  lodges. 
  They 
  

   would 
  also 
  be 
  useful 
  for 
  breaking 
  up 
  fire-wood. 
  The 
  hammers 
  

   would 
  serve 
  a 
  greater 
  variety 
  of 
  purposes, 
  such 
  as 
  breaking 
  up 
  

   the 
  bones 
  of 
  the 
  buffalo, 
  the 
  elk 
  and 
  the 
  deer 
  to 
  obtain 
  the 
  mar- 
  

   row, 
  breaking 
  ribs 
  and 
  other 
  small 
  bones, 
  preparatory 
  to 
  cooking; 
  

   pounding 
  dried 
  meat 
  ; 
  bruising 
  wood 
  to 
  separate 
  it 
  into 
  splits 
  for 
  

   basket 
  work 
  ; 
  bruising 
  bark, 
  to 
  separate 
  it 
  into 
  filaments, 
  for 
  

   making 
  ropes 
  and 
  strings, 
  and 
  for 
  many 
  other 
  similar 
  uses 
  sug- 
  

   gested 
  by 
  the 
  exigencies 
  of 
  their 
  condition. 
  The 
  necessities 
  

   which 
  pressed 
  them 
  for 
  such 
  implements, 
  were 
  met 
  by 
  increasing 
  

   the 
  size 
  and 
  form 
  of 
  the 
  hammer 
  until 
  it 
  was 
  made 
  to 
  subserve 
  the 
  

   purposes 
  of 
  many 
  different 
  implements 
  in 
  civilized 
  life. 
  

  

  Elk-Horn 
  Skin 
  Dresser 
  — 
  Fig. 
  12, 
  PI. 
  IV. 
  — 
  Bone 
  implements, 
  

   particularly 
  needles 
  or 
  awls, 
  were 
  much 
  used 
  by 
  the 
  American 
  

   Aborigines. 
  Whether 
  bone 
  handles 
  and 
  sockets 
  for 
  axes, 
  chisels 
  

   and 
  adzes, 
  Avere 
  used 
  in 
  any 
  case, 
  as 
  they 
  were 
  by 
  the 
  inhabitants 
  

   of 
  the 
  Swiss 
  lake 
  villages, 
  I 
  am 
  unable 
  to 
  state. 
  M. 
  Troy 
  on 
  

   shows 
  about 
  thirty 
  different 
  forms 
  in 
  which 
  axes, 
  adzes 
  and 
  chisels 
  

   were 
  thus 
  mounted,* 
  giving 
  a 
  remarkable 
  variety 
  of 
  implements 
  

   of 
  this 
  class. 
  Aside 
  from 
  awls, 
  needles 
  and 
  arrow-points, 
  I 
  know 
  

   of 
  no 
  single 
  implement 
  of 
  bone 
  in 
  universal 
  use 
  amongst 
  the 
  

   American 
  Aborigines. 
  The 
  instrument 
  shown 
  in 
  the 
  figure 
  is 
  of 
  elk 
  

   horn, 
  12 
  inches 
  long, 
  1J 
  inch 
  in 
  diameter, 
  round, 
  polished 
  and 
  

   nearly 
  straight. 
  The 
  projecting 
  blade 
  measures 
  three 
  inches 
  in 
  

   length 
  from 
  the 
  inside 
  of 
  the 
  handle, 
  and 
  the 
  blade 
  is 
  1J 
  inch 
  

   wide. 
  It 
  weighs 
  one 
  pound 
  and 
  one 
  ounce. 
  The 
  smoothness 
  of 
  

   the 
  bone 
  shows 
  that 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  much 
  used. 
  In 
  forming 
  the 
  

   blade, 
  the 
  exterior 
  surface, 
  on 
  both 
  sides, 
  was 
  cut 
  away, 
  showing 
  

   the 
  brown 
  and 
  porous 
  bone 
  which 
  forms 
  the 
  pith. 
  It 
  is, 
  however, 
  

   solid 
  throughout. 
  The 
  color 
  of 
  the 
  handle 
  is 
  a 
  yellowish 
  white. 
  

   It 
  was 
  probably 
  made 
  after 
  the 
  Arickarees 
  became 
  possessed 
  of 
  

   metallic 
  implements. 
  At 
  the 
  time 
  it 
  was 
  found 
  at 
  the 
  village, 
  

   Mrs. 
  Culbertson, 
  a 
  native 
  Blackfoot 
  woman, 
  informed 
  the 
  author 
  

  

  * 
  Habitations 
  Lacustres. 
  Plates 
  III 
  and 
  IY. 
  

  

  