Identifier: annualreportofbu219smit (find matches)
Title: Annual report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
Year: 1895 (1890s)
Authors: Smithsonian Institution. Bureau of American Ethnology
Subjects: Smithsonian Institution. Bureau of American Ethnology Ethnology Indians
Publisher: Washington : U. S. Govt. Print. Off.
Contributing Library: Boston Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Kahle/Austin Foundation and Omidyar Network

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
Fig. 47—Sickle-shape sticks used to draw tlie stalks within reach for tying. for about 2 feet, and then bends the top of the bunch over in theform n and fastens it to the upright part by a single loop and singleknot of the string, which is then cut with a knife, and the tying proc-ess is completed. These bunches are usually ;^ feet long from thelowest wrapping to the top of the stalks, but the stalks are usuallynot tied closer than 10 or 12 inches to the ends. Such long bunchesare made necessary by the uneven length of the stalks. The fruitheads are quite uniformly 1 foot long. Probably one-half of the ker-nels are securely wrapped with the string, while the others, at the topof the stalks, are kept from jarring out by tiie steady support of thebunch. As much as S, lU, and 12 feet of the string is used to tie asingle sheaf. BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY NINETEENTH ANNUAL REPORT PL. LXXII
Text Appearing After Image:
TIED BUNCHES OF WILD RICE .lENKsl METHODS OF GATHERING 1061 Iln bunches uiv iiuide witli ■•eat luiitunnity and rtij-uhirity. Arow is tied on both sides of the canoe, and when the limit of the heldis reached the laborer turns around in the eanoe, and returniny-, tiestwo other rows by the side of and piirallel to the last. The ti(>lds atthis period are very attractive. The graceful liunches and regularrows, either straight or following the outer limits of the beds, areextremely pleasing to see. At present the Menouiini Indians tie their rice only where the wateris too shallow to allow canoes to travel. The mechanical means necessary in the process of tying are verysimple. The canoe (.see plate lxxiii) is indisipeu.sable. The only mate-rial spoken of which is used to tie the stalks is ))asswood bark in stringsor strips. It has also been noticed that at times the .stalks were heldtogether bv being twisted to form a bunch. A sickle-shaped stick,a1)out 3i feet long, is used to draw t

Note About Images