ts place
in their game whenever its facings are mentioned above. I transmit
with this paper a set of these figured seeds, which can be used to
illustrate the game if desired. These seeds are said to be nearly a
hundred years old, and sets of them are now very rare.

[Illustration: FIG. 34.--Figured Plum Stones.]

[Illustration: FIG. 35.--Winning Throw No. 1.]

[Illustration: FIG. 36.--Winning Throw No. 2.]

[Illustration: FIG. 37.--Winning Throw No. 3.]

[Illustration: FIG. 38.--Winning Throw No. 4.]

[Illustration: FIG. 39.--Winning Throw No. 5.]

[Illustration: FIG. 40.--Winning Throw No. 6.]

[Illustration: FIG. 41.--Auxiliary Throw No. 1.]

[Illustration: FIG. 42.--Auxiliary Throw No. 2.]

[Illustration: FIG. 43.--Auxiliary Throw No. 3.]

[Illustration: FIG. 44.--Auxiliary Throw No. 4.]

[Illustration: FIG. 46.--Grave Posts.]

For assisting in obtaining this account Dr. McChesney acknowledges his
indebtedness to Dr. C. C. Miller, physician to the Sisseton Indian
Agency.

Figures 35 to 45 represent the appearance of the plum stones and the
different throws; these have been carefully drawn from the set of stones
sent by Dr. McChesney.

_POSTS._

These are placed at the head or foot of the grave, or at both ends, and
have painted or carved on them a history of the deceased or his family,
certain totemic characters, or, according to Schoolcraft, not the
achievements of the dead, but of those warriors who assisted and danced
at the interment. The northwest tribes and others frequently plant poles
near the graves, suspending therefrom bite of rag, flags, horses' tails,
&c. The custom among the present Indians does not exist to any extent.
Beltrami[101] speaks of it as follows:

Here I saw a most singular union. One of these graves was surmounted
by a cross, whilst upon another close to it a trunk of a tree was
raised, covered with hieroglyphics recording the number of enemies
slain by the tenant of the tomb and several of his tutelary
Manitous.

The following extract from Schoolcraft[102] relates to the burial posts
used by the Sioux and Chippewas. Figure 46 is after the picture given by
this author in connection with the account quoted:

Among the Sioux and Western Chippewas, after the body had been
wrapped in its best clothes and ornaments, it is then placed on a
scaffold or in a tree until the flesh is entirely decayed, af