BY RICHD. HELMS. 
401 
smaller sort, which was more curved than the other, they threw 
at birds. This if thrown against the wind would return to the 
thrower after making one or two circles in the air. The com- 
monest implement was the }^am stick, a plain stout cudgel about 
four feet long, sharpened and hardened in the fire at one end. 
It was used for digging out roots and other food from the ground, 
and in case of need served for defensive purposes. 
For carrying water they made a vessel out of bark in the shape 
of a small canoe. For this purpose they thinned a suitable piece 
of bark at both ends and placed it in hot ashes to make it soft 
and pliable, and whilst in this state the ends were folded and tied. 
Their canoes were mostly made of bark which was gathered in 
folds at both ends, after these had been sweated in hot ashes, and 
fastened together with withes and wooden pins. They chose a 
convenient crooked tree and stripped the bark from the bent part 
of it that was already naturally shaped like a canoe. To prevent 
leaking, a good-sized lump of clay was pressed in at both ends, 
and if through running on a snag or some other accident, leaks 
occurred, these were as a rule also stopped with clay. Such canoes 
did not usually last for a great length of time on account of their 
fragile nature and the rather rapid decay of the material, but 
they were more frequently used than those made of wood because 
they could easily be replaced if destroyed by an enemy. The 
wooden canoes were made out of a suitable log, and their manufac- 
ture demanded a great deal of labour. They had to be entirely 
worked with stone implements, assisted by lighting a fire inside, 
which when carefully managed would destroy the bulk of the 
wood to be removed. Generally they adopted a partly hollow 
tree for this purpose. 
Besides the casual ornamentation of painting, they used to mark 
their body with tattoo scars. These were produced by means of 
some sharp stones with which the flesh was incised. To stop the 
blood and to form the scars they lay down on a heap of fine ashes. 
Ashes were also applied if at any future time the bleeding should 
start again. This was all that was used to raise the scars above 
the surface of the skin. At the age of 17 to 20 years were made 
