of this description, the woman grasped the
wooden pestle in the middle, with the larger end upward; the smaller
end, which was about an inch in diameter, was put into the mortar. The
operation of pounding corn among the Omaha was called "he." The mortar
(uhe) and pestle (wehe) were both made commonly of elm, although
sometimes they were fashioned of white oak. Mortars were of various
sizes, some of them measuring 2 feet in diameter. Pestles were always of
hard and heavy wood, and fully 3 feet long, taperring from 4 inches to
an inch in diameter.

[Illustration: Fig. 314.--Omaha pestle.]

[Illustration: Fig. 313.--Omaha mortar.]

Spoons, Ladles and Drinking Vessels.

Spoons were made of horn, wood, or pottery. The black spoons made of
buffalo horn ([t]ehe sab[)e]), are not used by such Omaha as belong to
the Buffalo gentes (Inkesab[)e], [|C]atada, [T]esinde, etc.) which may
not touch a buffalo head. Other horn spoons of light color are made of
cow horn. These are of modern origin. Wooden spoons (ja^{n}[t]ehe) were
made of knobs or knots of trees. Spoons made of buffalo horn are found
among the Omaha and Ponka, but the Osage, Kansa, and Kwapa use clam
shells ([t]ihaba, in [|C]egiha; tcuehaba, tcuehuba, in Kansa), so the
Kansa call a small spoon, tcuehaba jinga. Spoons of buffalo horn had
their handles variously ornamented by notches and other rude carving,
often terminating in the head of a bird, the neck or handle of each
being elevated at an angle of 50 deg. or 60 deg. with the bowl, which, was about
3 inches in width by about 5 in length. As the handle of such a spoon
usually terminates in a head or hook, it was impossible for it to slip
into the bowl when the hook rested on the outside of the rim of the
bowl.

Food was served in bowls of a very wide and simple form and of various
sizes, generally carved out of large knots of wood. These served as
drinking cups (ni[']i[|c]ata^{n}), but now cups of tin or earthenware
are used for that purpose.

Water Vessels

When pottery was made, they used bowls and kettles. Some used wooden
bowls of different sizes, the largest being about 2 feet in diameter.
When they went on the hunt, they used the inijeha (or sack made of the
muscular coating of the buffalo paunch, by filling with, grass to make
it stand out and keep its shape until dried). When the inijeha was
filled with water the mouth was tied, and it was kept covered and in the
shade that it might remain cool. A