St. Landry democrat., 1888-08-04
CRADLES FOR BABIES.
Some Singular Prisons Prepared for In
fants in Distant Lands.

some Singular Prisons Prepared for In
fants in Distant Lands.
The Chinese have a queer institution
which they call the winter cradle. II
is shaped somewhat like an hour glass
and stands on end. There is an open
Ing above and below, and the waist,
which is contracted, serves to keep
the celestial baby on lis feet Day
after day little almond-shaped eyes
peep over this top of the cradle and
little hands play with miniature dragons
and other toys until the nurse puts in
| an appearance. Some of these winter
/. cradles are made of wicker.work and
are beautifully painted by Chinese wo-
men artists. 1t is almost impossible
for one to be upset; but now and shen,
when two are placed together and the
occupants declare war and measure
arms, two cradles roll over the floor
to noises that bring down the house,
The L:app baby very often has snow
cradle, fom when the ipdulgent mother
attends church she makes a hole in the
snow outside and deposits the young
Laplander therein 1t is no uncommon
sight to see a circle of these snow
cradles in front of d Lapp chapel, and
now and then d lot of fierce-lOOking
dogs are on guard to keep off the
wolves that might mediate a raid on
the baby contingent The Lapp cradle
in material differs essentially from that
used by the Btpshman baby, whose
mother digs a hole in the hot sand and
chucks him therein In the shadow OF
some lonely bush. Sometimes the
cradle is ready to hand in the shape
of an ostrich nest, and now and then
some feathers left by the mighty bird
help to soften the nest Of the future
Bushman warrior.
There is tribe in the palm region of
the Amazon that cradles the young in
palm leaves. A single leaf turned up
around the edges by some native pro-
cess makes an excellent cradle, and
now and then it is made to do service as
a bath tub. Strong cords are formed
from the sinews of another species of
palm, and by these this natural cradle
is swung alongside tree, and the wind
rocks the little tot to sleep. Long ago
the Amazonian mothers discovered that
it is not wise to leave baby and cradle
under cocoa palm, for the mischiev-
GUS monkey delighted to drop nuts
downward with unerring precision. An
older child is stationed near by to
watch the baby during the siesta, and
the chatter of the monkeys overhead is
enough to cause a speedy migration.
Patagonian babies are kept in cradles
made of flat pieces of board. Two
pieces of guanaco skin are so arranged
across the cradle that the child is firmly
fastened inside, and can be carried thus
suspended from a saddle bow without
danger. In the rude huts of this people
these cradles are hung hammockwise
to the rafters, and amid the smoke that
darkens everything, including his very
nature, as it seems, the Patagonian in
FAINT passes the first stages of babyhood.
When the village migrates the cradle is
swung from the saddle, and in SWIM
ming stream it floats like canoe on
the surface, while the horse is almost
entirely submerged. Sir Francis Head,
who saw a good deal of Patagonian life
years ago, leaves on record the state
ment that the Patagonian baby in his
queer cradle is one of the best natured
representatives of the infant world.
One would hardly go to Kaffirland for
fantastic cradle, and one almost as
queer as as it is fantastic at that. Yet
he would find such a one there. The
Kaffir baby, when he comes into the
world, is put into a cradle or bag made
of antelope skin, with the hair on. This
baby castle, narrow toward the bottom,
widens to within few inches of the
opening, when it again suddenly con-
tracts. The skin is turned inward, Civ
ing the young Kaffir as soft bed as
some found in the cradles of royalty.
Four long strips of antelope skin are at
tached to the cradle, and enable the
mother to swing it ON her back after a
peculiar fashion.-Drake's Magazine.