ACCOUNT OF THE INDIANS. 377 



a very small size, as fast only as is required by 

 the length of the hole. Wooden dishes, they con- 

 struct, with crooked knives. The women manifest 

 much ingenuity and taste, in the work which they 

 execute, with porcupine quills. The colour of 

 these quills is various, beautiful and durable ; and 

 the art of dying them, is practised only by females. 

 To colour black, they make use of a chocolate 

 coloured stone, which they burn, and pound fine, 

 and put into a vessel, with the bark of the hazel- 

 nut tree. The vessel is then filled with water, 

 and into it the quills are put, and the vessel is 

 placed over a small fire, where the liquor in it is 

 permitted to simmer, for two or three hours. 

 The quills are then taken out, and put on a board, 

 to dry, before a gentle fire. After they have 

 been dried and rubbed over with bear's oil, they 

 become of a beautiful shining black, and are fit 

 for use. To dye red or yellow, they make use of 

 certain roots, and the moss which they find, on a 

 species of the fir tree. These are put, together 

 with the quills, into a vessel, filled with water, 

 made acid, by boiling currants or gooseberries, 

 &c. in it. The vessel is then covered tight, and 

 the liquid is made to simmer over the fire, for 

 three or four hours, after which the quills are 

 taken out and dried, and are fit for use. Feath- 

 48 



