The Hawaiian gazette., 1885-11-17
How Indians Gamble.

In one of the tall cases in the National
Museum are displayed various implements,
some of very rude and primitive workman
ship, illustrating the games of chance
played among the North American In
dians When the comprehensive plan of
the museum has been fully carried out the
evolution of gambling from its rudest
forms to its highest development in the
intricate layout " of a modern black-leg
will be fully illustrated by the exhibition
of the implements used. Among the
most curious of exhibits illustrating the
games of the savages are packs of playing
cards collected among the Apache In
dams. These cards are made of dried
skin or parchment, and are about the size
of the ordinary playing cards in use in
every whist-playing family. The devices
upon them have been rudely drawn. The
numbers of the cards composing a pack
and the character of the devices indicate
that they are of Spanish origin. Prof.
Otis L. Mason, the curator of the section
of ethnology, recently received from Mr..
Romero, Mexican Minister, several packs
of cards of the kind known as Barcelona
cards, such as have been in use among
the Spaniards and the Mexicans for many
generations. The Apache cards are rude
limitations Of the Barcelona cards. There
are four suits, as in our cards-spades,
clubs, diamonds and hearts. The spade
is a sword or espad0a. the club is a verita-
club or bludgeon, the heart Is heart en-
closed in an urn, and the diamond a gem
or jewel represented as set in the center
of a disc or brooch of some kind. The
spot cards end with the sevens, the Fights,
mines and tens not being included in the
pack In the Apache cards the queen is
represented by female figure, rudely
drawn, like the first effort of youthful
caricaturist on a slate. The king is repre-
sented by man, and the jack or knight
by man on horseback.
These cards were found among the
Indians" said Prof. Mason to a Star re
porter, "when our exploring parties first
went among them They undoubtedly
got them first from the Spaniards They
play number of games with them, some
like simple games that are played with
our cards old maid 'muggins,' and the
like, and they had game also like euchre.
Now they use cards such as we use, which
they have obtained from the settlers and
others"
heIe 10 CulIOuo Salho' lSillA hot
the Professor, pointing to little cube of
bone, having a square hole through its
centre. "This is suspended by an elastic
sinew which keeps it bobbing up and
down" The game is to strike it with
stick When man hits it, instead of
taking up something from the pawns he
deposits something on the pile. That
gives the younger or less expert players
chance The man who makes hit goes
into his house and gets some article, like
a coat, or something of that kind, which
he throws upon the heap composing the
pawn or stakes. This goes on, until finally
the man who has made the most points
takes all.
There is no games played by the In
dians in America" continued the curator.
"in which the mind is brought to bear
upon a problem OF, has to study out the
moves as in chess or checkers. There is
no game in which the player is expected
TO have mental skill All the games are
strictly games Of chance"