October 2, 1S85.] 



SCIENCE. 



285 



Knuckling Ticking of pockets. 



*Doing the cove of a trick . . Taking a gentleman's watch. 



A snow rig Stealing clothes out of doors. 



Taking chattery upon the lift, Taking goods in the dayiime. 

 *The evening or morning 



sneak Goods taken early in the morn- 

 ing, or late in the evening. 



A scamp Robbing a gentleman on the high- 

 way. 



*A dub Opening a door with a false key. 



*Cracking a ken Breaking into a house. 



*Open a glaze Going in at a window. 



Flying the hie Going up or down a chimney. 



Knocked down upon the crap. Condemned. 



Turnips Acquitted. 



Naptatees A man to be flogged. 



Knocked down upon the slum, Aplaceof confinement, or castle. 

 I have done the cove out and 



out I have killed a man. 



I have queered the quod . . I have broke prison. 



*I'm in slangs I'm in irons. 



*I'm napping my bib .... I'm crying. 



*R.eady to be topped .... Going to be hanged. 



The same pamphlet adds the following : — 



" The Oath at the Admission of a Flat into the 

 Flash Society : — 



"The oldest Flash cove talking the Flat by the 

 hand, asks him if he desires to join the Flash Com- 

 pany. The Flat answers, Yes. The Flash cove (head 

 man) bids him say thus: — 



" ' I swear by that to the Flash Company I 



will be true; never divulge their secrets, nor turn 

 evidence against any of tliem; and if a brother is 

 in distress, that I will hasten to relieve him, at the 

 risk of my life and liberty; and if he suffers, en- 

 deavor to be revenged on the person or persons who 

 were the means of bringing him to punishment.' 

 After taking the above, or a similar oath, the Flat 

 receives a. pall; i.e. a companion, and they two are 

 sent out upon some expedition. 



" N.B. By the confession of Mount and Williams, 

 it appears the Flash Company have spread them- 

 selves all over the continent, from Nova Scotia to 

 the remotest parts of Georgia; that the principal sea- 

 port towns are their places of general rendezvous; 

 and that the number of the society at present, are 

 from about seventy to eighty, males and females. 

 They have receivers in the principal towns of each 

 State, who not only receive the stolen goods, but 

 point out shops and houses for them to break into 

 and plunder, 



" S^^ Sometimes they swear by God, and some- 

 times by the Devil: when they use the name of God, 

 they swear by the Old Cove, who knows all things; 

 and when by the Devil, by the Cove of the Scarlet 

 Ken!" 



Henry Tufts mentions no such organization 

 as this, directl}^ or indirectly ; but the facilit}^ 

 with which he found accomplices and places 

 of concealment everywhere, from Maine to 

 Virginia, would seem to render such a league 

 very probable. T. W. Higginson. 



Cambridge, Mass. 



AN AVERAGE DAY IN CAMP AMONG 

 THE SIOUX. 



On the day designated for a journey every 

 one is astir, while the stars are still shining. 

 Those who sleep late are wakened by the 

 crackling of the leaping blaze. Shadowy forms 

 are moving about the entrance to the lodge, 



and the boiling kettle warns the sleepy one 

 that he had better be up and ready for break- 

 fast. To slip out into the cool morning air, 

 to dash the water over the face and hands, and 

 dry them on the tall grass, is the work of a mo- 

 ment ; and, with a little shaking together, every 

 one is ready for the morning meal. This is 

 portioned out by the wife, and each one silently 

 eats his share. The baby still sleeps on its 

 cradle-board, but the older children are relish- 

 ing their broth with the vigor of young life. 

 As each one finishes, he passes his dish to the 

 matron, springs up, and leaves the tent. When 

 the mother has eaten, she too goes out, and^ 

 with rapid steps and bent form, passes around 

 the outside of the tent, pulling up the tent-pins 

 used to hold the tent-cloth taught, and throwing 

 down the poles which support the smoke-flaps. 

 If there is an adult female companion, she 

 takes out the round, slender sticks which fasten 

 the tent-cloth together in front. The two 

 women then fold back the cloth in plaits on 

 each side, bringing it together in two long 

 plaits at the back pole ; and this is now tipped 

 backward, and allowed to fall to the ground. 

 The cloth is loosened from the upper part of 

 the pole, and rapidly doubled up into a com- 

 pact bundle. The bab}', who has wakened 

 and lain cooing to the rattle of blue beads 

 dangling from the bow over its cradle-board, 

 gives a shout as the sunlight falls in its face, 

 and watches the quick motions of the mother 

 throwing down the tent-poles, thus leaving the 

 circle free of access. It is the leader's tent 

 which first falls as a signal to all the others. 



Meanwhile the boys are off with many a 

 whoop, and snatch of song, gathering together 

 the ponies. The men are bus}- looking after the 

 wagons, or else sit in groups and discuss 

 the journey and the routine of the intended 

 visits, or attend to the packing of the gifts 

 to be bestowed. All visitors are expected to 

 bring presents to their hosts. The younger 

 children run here and there, undisturbed in 

 their play by the commotion. Soon the boys 

 come riding in, swinging the ends of their lariats 

 in wide circles, and driving before them a mot- 

 ley herd of ponies, some frisking and galloping, 

 and others in a dogged trot, none following a 

 path, or keeping a straight line, but spreading 

 out on each side in the onward movement. 

 As the}^ come abreast wath the dismantled tent, 

 the women, without any break in their talk, 

 make a dash at a pony, and generallv capture 

 him. The animal may, if he is good-natured, 

 at once submit to be packed, two poles on each 

 side, the packs containing the gala dress : bass 

 filled with meat and corn are adjusted like 



