202 



REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1887. 



position (as it rides on its mother's back, supported by a broad strap 

 that passes across her forehead), that of standing erect, which, no 



doubt, has a tendency to produce 

 straight limbs, souud lungs, and 

 long life. 



"In plate 232, letter tf, is a cor- 

 rect drawing of a Sioux cradle, 

 which is in my collection, and 

 was purchased from a Sioux wo- 

 man's back, as she was carrying 

 her infant in it, as is seen in let- 

 ter e of the same plate. 



"In this instance, as is often 

 the case, the bandages that pass 

 around the cradle, holding the 

 child in, are all the way covered 

 with a beautiful embroidery of 

 porcupine quills, with ingenious 

 figures of horses, men, etc. A 

 broad hoop of elastic wood passes 

 around in front of the child's face 

 to protect it in case of a fall, from 

 the front of which is suspended a 

 little toy of exquisite embroidery 

 for the child to handle and amuse 

 itself with. To this and other lit- 

 tle trinkets hanging in front of 

 it there are attached many little 

 tinseled and tinkling things of the 

 brightest colors to amuse both the eyes and the ears of the child. While 

 traveling on horseback the arms of the child are fastened under the 

 bandages, so as not to be endangered if the cradle falls, and when at rest 

 they are generally taken out, allowing the infant to reach and amuse 

 itself with the little toys and trinkets that are placed before it and 

 within its reach. 



* 4 The infant is carried in this manner until it is five, six, or seven 

 months old, after which it is carried on the back in the manner repre- 

 sented in two of the figures of the same plate, and held within the folds 

 of the robe or blanket. 



"The modes of carrying the infant when riding are also here shown, 

 and the manner in which the women ride, which, amongst all the tribes, 

 is astride, in the same manner as that practiced by the men. 



" Letter b, in the same plate, is a mourning cradle, and opens to the 

 view of the reader another very curious and interesting custom. If 

 the infant dies during the time that is allotted to it to be carried in 

 this cradle, it is buried, and the disconsolate mother fills the cradle 



Fig. 37. 

 Sioux Cradle. 



(Cat. No. 73311, U. S. N. M. Missouri 

 George Catlin. ) 



Collected by 



