The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-07-24

The game of memory as practiced by the
Ojbwas and Northern Indians has been
found profitable in schools, both for recrea-
tion and improvement, as branch of object
| teaching.
The Iudian chief, or teacher, in bis rude
way, has from twenty to fifty, or more, sticks,
cut, made sharp, or pointed at tbe larger end,
and split at the top an inch or two. These
sticks are then planted around in circle, a
short distance from each other; then various
specimens OF different substances Ia single
specimen in each stick at the top) are distrib.
uted around the circle in ORDER beginning OH
the right hand of the teacher and proceeding
around in the order, of Numbers, one, two,
three, &c. The Indians, or class, are then al
lowed to go around the circle slowly and take
strict and scrutinizing look at each speci-
men in the order of the numbers, one, two,
three, and thus around the circle. This is
done silently. The sticks, or specimens, are
then removed and placed by the teacher, and
then the class, on going aronnd second
time, each one in ORDER is to tell the teacher
as far as possible, without mistake, what spec
linen is contained in stick number one, two.
three, four, five, and SO around the whole
circle, If possible.
With the Indians the first specimen will
probably be brch-bark to make canoes, the
second little tobacco, the third the fur of a
beaver, the fourth bit OF calico, the fifth e
feather OF particular bind, the sixth the bona
of some sort OF fish, and so on, different sub
stances in the different sticks planted around
the circle. The one who can repeat without
mistake up to the highest number receives
the premium or reward. The consequence is.
| the perceptive faculties are called into exer-
| else, and each individual will soon learn to
| discriminate so sharply that they Will be abba
| to track wolf over dry leaves in the forest
as we'll as a white man can track the sams
animal in the snow. You will ask how can
they do it? reply that they do it very read
lily by observation and sharp inspection, by
first noticing a leaf with holes in it, the mic
die hole, or holes, trifle larger and in adj
vance of the other hole or holes, near the cen-
trail holes. These two holes they know, by
observation, were mnde by the toes OF the
wolf, and they Immediately stick down a leaf
by this first leaf thus marked, and search for
a second, and third, and fourth, and so on,
putting stick at each leaf thus marked. By
these sticks in row they find the course the
wolf was travelling, and follow on till they
find where the animal drank at a spring, per-
haps, and they soon discover his den among
the rocks or caves near by. BY this mode OF
snarp Inspection tney become acquainted
with the habits of all the wild animals, and
| also gain knowledge OF the different plants
| and trees, and turn their knowledge to good
account for their individual welfare. The .
writer has known scholar, by practising
| this exercise, who was enabled to memorize
| a long lesson for Bible-class, and at the rec
itation, without the book, repeat it backwards
as well as forward, or give any particular
verse called for; and he trusts that it may be
made available in our common schools as a
recreative and profitable branch of object
| teaching.-Forrest Shepherd, IN the Western
| Educational Reuiel1.