Travels amongst American Indians : their ancient earthworks and temples : including a journey in Guatemala, Mexico and Yucatan, and a visit to the ruins of Patinamit, Utatlan, Palenque and Uxmal . in, and evidently are thesame as those that were described by Clavigero asbeing practised by the Aztecs in the towns of are also adopted by the Shoshones in thedeserts of Utah. Amongst the Dakotas a low cir-cular wigwam is made about four feet high. Theframe is usually covered with buffalo skins in sucha manner that no steam can escape. A small open-ing is left through which the patient c


Travels amongst American Indians : their ancient earthworks and temples : including a journey in Guatemala, Mexico and Yucatan, and a visit to the ruins of Patinamit, Utatlan, Palenque and Uxmal . in, and evidently are thesame as those that were described by Clavigero asbeing practised by the Aztecs in the towns of are also adopted by the Shoshones in thedeserts of Utah. Amongst the Dakotas a low cir-cular wigwam is made about four feet high. Theframe is usually covered with buffalo skins in sucha manner that no steam can escape. A small open-ing is left through which the patient can crawl in. Inthe interior of the wigwam some sand is put upon theground. Stones which have been heated by fire arethen pushed in under the wigwam and placed uponthis sand, together with a jar of water. The patientthen pours the water upon the stones until theinterior is filled with vapour or steam. When the Jesuit missionaries surveyed the shoresof Lake Superior in 1669, they reported that thesavages in preparing their meals, used a pail madeof birch bark, which contained water. Hot stoneswere thrown into this until the water was raised toa temperature which was sufficiently high to cook. 3 EAR Skin. Red of the Oqallalas.(dakotas.) Rocky Beak. MAORIS AND DAKOTAS. 175 their food. This custom was similar to that whichwas followed by the Maoris in New Zealand. It is hazardous to attempt to form any conclusions, based uponanalogies, respecting the habits and superstitions of savageraces, but with regard to the Maoris and the Dakotas, thereare circumstances which require that a passing notice should begiven to them. The New Zealanders, like the Dakotas, placed the bodies ofthe dead upon platforms or high scaffoldings. After a certaintime the bones were scraped and gathered together, and takento the burying place. The Maoris also had much faith in dreams, and believed thatit was chiefly through them that they received communicationsfrom their gods. It was also usual for


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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookidtravelsamong, bookyear1894