24 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



bag - , carved wooden comb, and beads; also a specimen of preserved food, 

 consisting- of camas root, dried and compressed into a thin cake. 

 These Indians are somewhat away from the beaten ronte, and everything 

 from them is of much interest. 



California. — From mounds in Alameda County, California, examined 

 by Dr. L. G. Tates, who has frequently contributed articles of interest 

 from that State, we have received many specimens of the ancient stone 

 age, consisting of stone pestles, perforators or awls, sinkers, a phallus, 

 spindles, a soapstone ladle, stone mortar and pestle, pipe bowls, shell 

 and perforated stone ornaments, an ancient awl and serrated implements 

 of bone. The race of Indians at present occupying the country are said 

 to be entirely ignorant of the art of making these objects and of their 

 use. From the Pott Eiver Indians, California, Dr. Powell, United 

 States Army, has sent a bow, quiver and arrows; and from the Pah Utes 

 of Owen's Valley, California, we have similar weapons from Dr. Tn. 

 McMillan, United States Army, who has likewise contributed a war club 

 of the Mohaves. 



Nevada. — Clarence King, esq., director of the United States geological 

 survey in Nevada, presented a portion of a beautifully worked pestle of 

 syenite, obtained in Lower California. 



Dakota. — The post surgeons stationed at the military posts on the 

 Upper Missouri, chiefly within the Territory Of Dakota, have shown 

 much zeal in collecting objects to illustrate the pursuits and customs of 

 the numerous tribes occupying the country bordering on this river. 

 First among these, in point of interest, are the collections of Surgeon 

 C. C. Gray and Dr. Matthews, United States Army, stationed for some 

 time at Fort Berthold. From the Mandans they have furnished a head 

 dress mounted with buffalo horns., with an ornamental pendant of dressed 

 buffalo hide falling behind the head ; a war shield of the Gros Ventres, 

 with bow, case, quiver and arrows, in the highest style of Indian orna- 

 mentation; a bow of the Arickarees, ingeniously fashioned of an elk 

 horn ; a stone hatchet from the same, together with the scalptaken from 

 a Blackfoot Indian ; also from the Tanktonnais Sioux, a hoe, made of the 

 shoulder blade of an elk, accompanied by a wooden saddle and append- 

 ages, a pad saddle, a whip with a horn handle, parfleche meat case, 

 sheath for a scalp knife, and a rake of wooden material. The Mandans 

 and the Berthold Indians generally, are addicted to gambling, and 

 accordingly in the collection there are dice, and a small basket to contain 

 them ; also the gambling implements in use among the women ; and, 

 finally, a wheel or roulette, the workmanship of Gros Ventres. There are 

 also domestic implements of the same tribe, consisting of a basket 

 for carrying provisions, a wooden desk, an earthen pot, implements of 

 bone for scraping skins, with horn spoons and ladles ; several medicine 

 rattles, indicating the superstitions of the tribe, and a musical instru- 

 ment of their invention, illustrating the innate tendency to cultivate 

 the fine arts ; while children's toys, including a popgun, not unlike those 



