INGENUITY OF THE INDIANS. 251) 
tile name of some animal., as, The Blue Snake; 
The Little Turkey; The Big Bear ; The Mad 
Dog; &c. and their signatures consist of the 
outline; drawn with a pen, of the different 
animals whose names they bear. Some of the 
signatures at the bottom of these deeds were 
really well executed, and were lively representa¬ 
tions of the animals they were intended for. 
The Indians in general possess no small 
share of ingenuity. Their domestic wooden 
utensils, bows and arrows, and other weapons, 
&c. are made with the utmost neatness; and 
indeed the workmanship of them is frequent¬ 
ly such as to excite astonishment, when it is 
considered that a knife and a hatchet are the 
only instruments they make use of. On the 
handles of their tomahawks, on their powder 
horns, on the bowls of their pipes, &c. you 
oftentimes meet with figures extremely well 
designed, and with specimens of carving far 
from contemptible. The embroidery upon 
their moccasins and other garments shews that 
the females are not less ingenious in their way 
than the men. Their porcupine quill Avork 
would command admiration in any country 
in Europe. The soft young quills of the por¬ 
cupine are those which they use, and they dye 
them of the most beautiful and brilliant colours 
imaginable. Some of their dyes have been 
discovered, but many of them yet remain un- 
s 2 
