﻿42 
  TWENTY-FIRST 
  REPORT 
  ON 
  THE 
  STATE 
  CABINET. 
  

  

  diameter 
  are 
  placed 
  as 
  rafters 
  from 
  the 
  external 
  walls 
  to 
  the 
  string 
  

   pieces 
  upon 
  the 
  central 
  posts, 
  and 
  near 
  enough 
  together 
  to 
  give 
  

   the 
  requisite 
  strength 
  to 
  support 
  the 
  earth*covering 
  which 
  formed 
  

   the 
  roof. 
  These 
  poles 
  are 
  first 
  covered 
  over 
  with 
  willow 
  matting 
  of 
  

   the 
  kind 
  previously 
  described, 
  upon 
  which 
  prairie 
  grass 
  was 
  spread, 
  

   and 
  over 
  this 
  a 
  deep 
  covering 
  of 
  earth. 
  An 
  opening 
  was 
  left 
  in 
  

   the 
  centre 
  about 
  four 
  feet 
  in 
  diameter, 
  for 
  the 
  exit 
  of 
  the 
  smoke, 
  

   and 
  for 
  the 
  admission 
  of 
  light. 
  The 
  interior 
  is 
  spacious 
  and 
  toler- 
  

   ably 
  well 
  lighted, 
  although 
  the 
  opening 
  in 
  the 
  roof 
  was 
  the 
  only 
  

   one 
  through 
  which 
  light 
  could 
  penetrate. 
  There 
  is 
  but 
  one 
  en- 
  

   trance, 
  and 
  that 
  protected 
  by 
  an 
  Eskimo 
  doorway 
  : 
  that 
  is, 
  by 
  a 
  

   passage 
  five 
  feet 
  wide, 
  ten 
  or 
  twelve 
  feet 
  long 
  and 
  about 
  six 
  feet 
  

   high, 
  constructed 
  with 
  split 
  timbers 
  roofed 
  with 
  poles 
  and 
  covered 
  

   on 
  the 
  top 
  with 
  earth. 
  Buffalo 
  robes 
  suspended, 
  both 
  at 
  the 
  outer 
  

   and 
  inner 
  eutrauces, 
  supply 
  the 
  place 
  of 
  doors. 
  Each 
  house, 
  

   when 
  occupied, 
  was 
  comparted 
  by 
  screens 
  of 
  willow 
  matting 
  or 
  

   unhiiired 
  skins 
  suspended 
  from 
  the 
  rafters, 
  with 
  spaces 
  between 
  

   for 
  storage. 
  These 
  slightly 
  constructed 
  apartments 
  extended 
  back 
  

   to 
  the 
  wall 
  and 
  opened 
  toward 
  the 
  centre, 
  thus 
  defining 
  an 
  open 
  

   central 
  area 
  which 
  formed 
  the 
  gathering 
  place 
  of 
  the 
  inmates 
  of 
  

   the 
  lodge. 
  The 
  fire 
  pit 
  was 
  in 
  the 
  centre, 
  about 
  five 
  feet 
  in 
  dia- 
  

   meter 
  and 
  a 
  foot 
  deep, 
  and 
  encircled 
  with 
  flat 
  stones 
  set 
  up 
  edge- 
  

   ways. 
  A 
  hard 
  smooth 
  earthen 
  floor 
  completed 
  the 
  interior. 
  Such 
  

   a 
  lodge 
  would 
  accommodate 
  five 
  or 
  six 
  families 
  of 
  related 
  persons. 
  

   In 
  fact 
  it 
  was 
  a 
  communal 
  house, 
  in 
  accordance 
  with 
  the 
  usage 
  and 
  

   institutions 
  of 
  the 
  American 
  aborigines, 
  and 
  growing 
  naturally 
  out 
  

   of 
  their 
  customs 
  and 
  mode 
  of 
  life. 
  I 
  counted 
  forty-eight 
  of 
  these 
  

   houses 
  which 
  would 
  average 
  forty 
  feet 
  in 
  diameter, 
  besides 
  several 
  

   rectangular 
  houses 
  constructed 
  of 
  hewn 
  logs 
  at 
  a 
  more 
  recent 
  day. 
  

   The 
  roofs 
  of 
  several 
  of 
  them 
  had 
  fallen 
  in, 
  leaving 
  the 
  outer 
  walls 
  

   still 
  standing; 
  but 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  them 
  were 
  perfect, 
  just 
  as 
  the 
  

   Arickarees 
  left 
  them 
  several 
  months 
  before, 
  with 
  strings 
  of 
  corn 
  

   still 
  hanging 
  upon 
  poles 
  and 
  broken 
  articles 
  of 
  various 
  kinds 
  scat- 
  

   tered 
  around. 
  A 
  front 
  elevation 
  of 
  the 
  Man 
  dan 
  house 
  will 
  be 
  

   found 
  in 
  Figure 
  24, 
  (PI. 
  VI). 
  

  

  Not 
  the 
  least 
  interesting 
  fact 
  connected 
  with 
  these 
  creditable 
  

   Indian 
  homes, 
  was 
  the 
  quantity 
  of 
  material 
  each 
  lodge 
  required 
  

   in 
  its 
  construction 
  and 
  the 
  amount 
  of 
  labor 
  necessary 
  for 
  its 
  trans- 
  

   portation, 
  long 
  distances 
  down 
  the 
  river, 
  and 
  to 
  fashion 
  it 
  with 
  

   the 
  aid 
  of 
  fire 
  and 
  stone 
  implements 
  into 
  a 
  comfortable 
  dwell- 
  

   ing, 
  such 
  as 
  has 
  been 
  described. 
  Wood 
  is 
  scarce 
  and 
  of 
  inferior 
  

  

  