ABORIGINAL USE OF WOOD IX NEW YORK 



177 



of small paint kegs, and often made of them, are used in many 

 dances. 



The flute is called so-wen-tuk'-wah by the Onondagas, with a 

 sometimes prefixed. It is often termed the courting flute from its 

 old use. The Senecas term it ya-o'-da-was-ta. Figure 52 is taken 

 from Morgan's figure of this. It is I J/2 feet long, and his account 

 follows : 



This instrument is unlike any known among us, but it clearly 

 resembles the clarionet. Its name signifies " a blowpipe." It is 

 usually made of red cedar, is about 18 inches in length, and above 

 an inch in diameter. The finger holes, six in number, are equi- 

 distant. Between them and the mouthpiece, which is at the end, 

 is the whistle, contrived much upon the same principle as the com- 

 mon whistle. It makes six consecutive notes, from the lowest, on 

 a rising scale. The seventh note is wanting, but the three or four 

 next above are regularly made. This is the whole compass of the 

 instrument. As played by the Indians, it affords a species of wild 

 and plaintive music. Morgan, 2 : 38 



This is now rare at Onondaga, though in use not long since. One 

 examined there was as described above. There was a raised part 

 between the mouthpiece and the hole below, and there were nice 

 bands of lead. The lover used to play a jew's-harp to call the 

 maiden out. A mouth organ is now used. 



Figure 115 is a cylindric bamboo whistle, once belonging to 

 Captain George of the Onondaga reservation, and used by him in 

 the annual medicine-making. There is an opening a third of the 

 way from the mouth, and two adjustable pieces are slipped back 

 and forth, over this and under the strings, to get the desired pitch. 



When Bishop Spangenberg was at Onondaga in 1745, he noted 

 that " the Indians paraded through the town to the music of a couple 

 of violins, flutes and a drum; and also around the house where we 

 lodged." Violins are now forbidden. 



Hunting 



Besides their archery the Indians had other devices for taking 

 game, using snares, traps and pounds. Wild pigeons were found in 

 such vast numbers that long poles alone were required to take the 

 young. Bruyas defined gannhi as " a great stick with which they 



