Lewis: March 16, 1805
At Fort Mandan, a Frenchman named Mr. Gurrow, who had lived many years among the Arikara and Mandan tribes, demonstrated the Indigenous process of making glass beads. The technique was reportedly learned from Snake Indian prisoners and remained a closely guarded secret known to few. The detailed method involved pounding colored glass, washing it, shaping it around small clay sticks set on clay pedestals in an earthen pot, and firing it carefully over coals. The resulting large beads were highly prized and worn as ear pendants, hair ornaments, or necklaces.
March 16th, 1804. Mr. Gurrow a Frenchman who has lived many years with the
Ricares & Mandans shewed us the process used by those Indians to make
beads. the discovery of this art these nations are said to have derived
from the Snake Indians who have been taken prisoners by the Ricaras. the
art is kept a secret by the Indians among themselves and is yet known to
but few of them.
the Prosess is as follows,Take glass of as many different colours
as you think proper, then pound it as fine as possible puting each colour
in a seperate vessel. wash the pounded glass in several waters throwing
off the water at each washing. continue this opperation as long as the
pounded glass stains or colours the water which is poured off and the
residium is then prepared for uce. You then provide an earthen pot of
convenient size say of three gallons which will stand the fire; a platter
also of the same materials sufficiently small to be admitted in the mouth
of the pot or jar. the pot has a nitch in it’s edge through which to watch
the beads when in blast. You then provide some well seasoned clay with a
propertion of sand sufficient to prevent it’s becoming very hard when
exposed to the heat. this clay must be tempered with water untill it is
about the consistency of common doe. of this clay you then prepare, a
sufficient number of little sticks of the size you wish the hole through
the bead, which you do by roling the clay on the palm of the hand with
your finger. this done put those sticks of clay on the platter and espose
them to a red heat for a few minutes when you take them off and suffer
them to cool. the pot is also heated to cles it perfectly of any filth it
may contain. small balls of clay are also mad of about an ounce weight
which serve each as a pedestal for a bead. these while soft ar distributed
over the face of the platter at such distance from each other as to
prevent the beads from touching. some little wooden paddles are now
provided from three to four inches in length sharpened or brought to a
point at the extremity of the handle. with this paddle you place in the
palm of the hand as much of the wet pounded glass as is necessary to make
the bead of the size you wish it. it is then arranged with the paddle in
an oblong form, laying one of those little stick of clay crosswise over
it; the pounded glass by means of the paddle is then roped in cilindrical
form arround the stick of clay and gently roled by motion of the hand
backwards an forwards until you get it as regular and smooth as you
conveniently can. if you wish to introduce any other colour you now
purforate the surface of the bead with the pointed end of your little
paddle and fill up the cavity with other pounded glass of the colour you
wish forming the whole as regular as you can. a hole is now made in the
center of the little pedestals of clay with the handle of your shovel
sufficiently large to admit the end of the stick of clay arround which the
bead is formed. the beads are then arranged perpindicularly on their
pedestals and little distance above them supported by the little sticks of
clay to which they are attatched in the manner before mentioned. Thus
arranged the platter is deposited on burning coals or hot embers and the
pot reversed with the apparture in it’s edge turned towards coverd the
whole. dry wood pretty much doated; is then plased arron the pot in sush
manner as compleatly to cover it is then set on fire and the opperator
must shortly after begin to watch his beads through the apparture of the
pot lest they should be distroyed by being over heated. he suffers the
beads to acquire a deep red heat from which when it passes in a small
degree to a pailer or whitish red, or he discovers that the beads begin to
become pointed at their upper extremities he removes the fire from about
the pot and suffers the whole to cool gradually. the pot is then removed
and the beads taken out. the clay which fills the hollow of the beads is
picked out with an awl or nedle, the bead is then fit for uce. The Indians
are extreemly fond of the large beads formed by this process. they use
them as pendants to their years, or hair and sometimes wear them about
their necks.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
March 16th, 1804. Mr. Gurrow, a Frenchman who has lived many years with the Ricaras and Mandans, showed us the process used by those Indians to make beads. These nations are said to have learned this art from the Snake Indians, who had been taken prisoner by the Ricaras. The art is kept a secret by the Indians among themselves and is still known to only a few of them.
The process is as follows: Take glass of as many different colors as you think proper, then pound it as fine as possible, putting each color in a separate vessel. Wash the pounded glass in several waters, throwing off the water at each washing. Continue this operation as long as the pounded glass stains or colors the water that is poured off, and the residue is then prepared for use. You then provide an earthen pot of convenient size, say of three gallons, that will stand the fire; also a platter of the same material small enough to be admitted into the mouth of the pot or jar. The pot has a notch in its edge through which to watch the beads when in blast. You then provide some well-seasoned clay with a proportion of sand sufficient to prevent it from becoming very hard when exposed to the heat. This clay must be tempered with water until it is about the consistency of common dough. From this clay you then prepare a sufficient number of little sticks of the size you wish the hole through the bead to be, which you do by rolling the clay on the palm of the hand with your finger. This done, put those sticks of clay on the platter and expose them to a red heat for a few minutes, then take them off and let them cool. The pot is also heated to cleanse it perfectly of any filth it may contain. Small balls of clay are also made, of about an ounce weight, which each serve as a pedestal for a bead. These, while soft, are distributed over the face of the platter at such distance from each other as to prevent the beads from touching. Some little wooden paddles are now provided, from three to four inches in length, sharpened or brought to a point at the extremity of the handle. With this paddle you place in the palm of the hand as much of the wet pounded glass as is necessary to make the bead of the size you wish. It is then arranged with the paddle in an oblong form, laying one of those little sticks of clay crosswise over it; the pounded glass, by means of the paddle, is then wrapped in cylindrical form around the stick of clay and gently rolled by motion of the hand backwards and forwards until you get it as regular and smooth as you conveniently can. If you wish to introduce any other color, you now perforate the surface of the bead with the pointed end of your little paddle and fill up the cavity with other pounded glass of the color you wish, forming the whole as regular as you can. A hole is now made in the center of the little pedestals of clay with the handle of your shovel, large enough to admit the end of the stick of clay around which the bead is formed. The beads are then arranged perpendicularly on their pedestals and a little distance above them, supported by the little sticks of clay to which they are attached in the manner mentioned before. Thus arranged, the platter is deposited on burning coals or hot embers, and the pot is reversed with the aperture in its edge turned toward you, covering the whole. Dry wood, pretty much rotted, is then placed around the pot in such a manner as to completely cover it, and is then set on fire. The operator must shortly after begin to watch his beads through the aperture of the pot, lest they should be destroyed by being overheated. He lets the beads acquire a deep red heat, and when it passes in a small degree to a paler or whitish red, or he discovers that the beads begin to become pointed at their upper extremities, he removes the fire from about the pot and lets the whole cool gradually. The pot is then removed and the beads taken out. The clay that fills the hollow of the beads is picked out with an awl or needle, and the bead is then fit for use. The Indians are extremely fond of the large beads formed by this process. They use them as pendants for their ears or hair, and sometimes wear them about their necks.
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