Fig. 557. (S. 1–2.) Bone ornaments and effigies. Three of these may represent goose heads. The bone to the right is ridged, and on the elevation are notches.
After Mr. Brower returned East, and Rev. Mr. Wilson moved away from Mandan, Mr. Steinbrueck continued investigations, and after several years had passed, came to the conclusion that the triangular pieces were discarded objects, obtained during the process of manufacture of other forms. Mr. Steinbrueck has drawn a series of outlines conveying his ideas as to the manufacture of these objects, which I reproduce in Fig. 552 A. Reference to the letters in Fig. 552 A will make clear Mr. Steinbrueck’s contentions.
Fig. 558. (S. 3–4.) Teeth of the opossum and raccoon. Harness Mound, Ohio.
Fig. 559. (S. 2–3.) To the left in Fig. 559 is an arrowpoint made of deer-horn, with a perforation for attachment to the shaft. The other two are pendants made of ocean shell. These are from the Baum Village-Site, Ohio.
Fig. 560. (S. 1–3.)
Shell crescent. Gartner Mound, Ohio. These three figures are from the collection of W. C. Mills.
“The part of the elk-horn for the bracelets was chosen just above the first prong (a). The horn was scraped all around to a smooth surface. Next, incisions were made with a flint knife, parallel to each other, up and down the horn, to the soft inside of the horn. Thus long narrow strips (b) were formed, which were easily (c) loosened from the stem. Next, the inside was smoothed down and the edges rounded off. Then, on the inside generally, not always, a groove was cut for the easier bending (a). The measure of the arm or wrist was taken and a hole bored at each end according to size of arm or wrist, and above the holes the bracelet was cut (e). We found an abundance of those short pieces (f). Then finally, there remained nothing to be done but soak the straight bracelet piece, maybe in hot bear-grease, and bend it. Most of the bracelets (g) are made in that shape and manner. There are also thinner, narrower ones, without a groove and ornamented at the ends or incised (i-i), maybe for the purpose of tying together. One of the necklaces I found, and which is among the specimens at Phillips Academy, represents a snake, one end showing the head, the other end the tail. Perfect horn bracelets are very scarce, owing to their fragility. The first I found was broken in many pieces. I gave it to Mr. Brower, who was much exalted over it, saying that that was the first complete bracelet he ever saw; and although broken, it is now restored. It is erroneous and was a mistake to state that bracelets were made from ribs of small animals. A test will prove the truth of my statement, that they all are made from horn and particularly from the elk-horn.
