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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mAthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 } / y^:/ c^. ^^A. ^^^. c^ VVESTEKN MISSIONS AND 3IISSI0NARIES: A SEKIES OF LETTERS, V7 REV. P. J. DE SMET, OF THE 80CIKTT OP JK8178, tlm Dork: T. W. STRONQ, Late EDWARD DUNIGAN A BRO., CATHOtIO PUBLiaHINO HOVaS, W9 BROADWAY. 1 •> « > k Entered acoording to Act of Congress, in the yetr 1859, Bt JAMES R KIREEB, In the Clerk's Office of the District Gouit of the United States for the Southern District of New York. E CONTENTS. DESCRIPTIVE LETTERS. iCATTRB '*o« I. Voyage from Belgium to Lima in 1844 13 II. Journey to the Great Desert in 1849— The Prairies 2oard sannf with the ;ing at the Q to Bata- liso." On lilors gave as kindled voice was many pas- "Well, norrow he em." On me ! Nep- ik to pay We found 3ne would ite Pluto. 3l. They deity be- i; after lit to the sengers, I g us first. st he told ntly, and fun. I e of sail- leted his )peration, Tipanions 1. On a ieluge of Sisters. who were exempted from passing through the ceremony, en- joyed the laughable scene. Next came a sea-fight between the sailors. All the buckets were put in requisition, ana were filled and emptied with astonishing dexterity. At length, exhausted with fatigue, all retired. After some time they reappeared in their best clothes, and played all sorts of antics. The whole terminated with an extra supper, and a donation to the sailors. On the 1st of March we had three vessels in sight, and at night we beheld a meteor of a most beautiful appearance. For a considerable time we had opportunities to admire the three nebulae of Magellan. Two of them are luminous, the third is dark. They seem to be at a distance of thirty degrees from each other ; their un- defined forms have about five degrees diameter. Their height on the southern horizon varies in proportion as the latitude increases towards the Antartic pole. On the 3d the thunder rolled in all directions, and at night a violent hail- storm buist from the clouds. Nothing remarkable occurred till the 16th, when we came in sight of the Falkland Isles. Three days after we found ourselves close to the South Shetland Isles. During the night of the 20th two large icebergs floated by us ; they appeared about a hundred feet above the surface of the sea. Soon after we saw the volcanic rocks called Greenock, and the rocky islands of San Ildefonso and San Diego. A few days after we were overtaken by a violent tempest which tore our sails, and our ship became the sport of the winds and waves. Scarce- ly did we begin to breathe when we were subjected to a still greater trial. A strong gale arose and drove us di- rectly towards the land, which soon appeared to our view. The danger was imminent. The ship had become unman- ageable. All on deck, in breathless expectation, had their eyes fixed on the frightful rocks that line the Patagonian 20 ^ 18 WESTERN MISSIONS 11! coast. We awaited in silence the accomplishment of the designs of Divine Providence. I hastened down to the cabin to warn the Sisters of the danger, and to offer them the help of my ministry. Tiiey were engaged in imploring the pro- tection of Heaven thronjrh the intercession of the Blessed Virgin. You will naturally suppose that on my intimation of the danger, they gave vent to their feelings in lamenta- tions and cries of distress. Quite the reverse. With a smile on their lips, and with that unalterable peace of mind which proceeds from a pure conscience and a heart inflamed with the love of God, they replied that they were not alarmed, and that they abandoned themselves to the will of God. I returned to the deck. The wind suddenly changed and wafted us away from the land. On the 2d of April we steered towards the coast, and on the next day we were near the Peninsula of the Three Mountains. On the following Sunday, '7th of April, being the Feast of Easter, the motion of the ship was so considerable that I ordered the altar to be transported to a private cabin, where, with the assistance of one of the Fathers, I celebrated the holy mysteries. All received the holy communion on that occasion. On the 8th and 9th we coasted along the shores of Chili, and after pass- ing the dangerous rocks of Maca, we entered the port of Valparaiso on the 12th, about five o'clock, p. m. We remained on board till the following day. The city presented a most picturesque appearance. Built on a range of hills, it presents the form of a semicircular amphitheatre along the coast. The sight was gratifying to us, who had been for more than three months confined to the ship, and had beheld nothing but sky and water, with the exception of a few barren coasts and frightful rocks. Early the next day I repaired to the city to look out for lodgings for our company. I soon .eturued with the welcome news that sev- -4Ui>o'«k4 i AND MISSIONARIES. 19 eral Jesuits were assembled in Valparaiso, where they had been convened to make a spiritual retreat, and that a com- munity of French ladies, belonging to the Order of Picpus, invited the ladies of Notre Dame to lodcfe at their house. Great was the joy with which all hastened to tread the American soil, and still greater the joy with which we were welcomed to our respective lodgings. Nothing could exceed the kindness and attention that were bestowed on us all. The Fathers of the Order of Picpus have also an establish- ment here ; for several years they have had a school, and they render great serviced to religion. On Tuesday, the 16th, I set out for Santiago, the capital of Chili, in company with the Reverend Fathers Gomila, Su- perior of the Missions, and Landan. We had two carriages, and each carriage had two horses, one mounted by the pos- tillion ; another conductor, on horseback, aided us in the steepest places. Four spare horses followed or preceded us without rope or bridle, and never strayed from the carriages, though the distance between Valparaiso and Santiago is more than ninety miles. A part of the way resembles that of Mount Simplon, and is much frequented. We passed a large number of wagons with teams of six or eight oxen, several other vehicles, and droves of horses, mules, and asses, all loaded with merchandise. W^e crossed two ridges of mountains that are linked to the Cordilleras. The tvt^o prin- cipal passes, remarkable for their height, are called Cerra- Puerto and Quesia de Zapato. We lodged at a little vil- lage called Cura-cavL The general aspect of the country between the two cities bears some resemblance to that of the Rocky Mountains, but the soil is extremely barren. On the following day we crossed the second ridge by the pass da Pradoj and the torrent of the same name, which was forded, for bridges are almost unknown in this country. It seldom 20 WESTERN MISSIONS rains in Chili, and when the torrents are swollen by the melting of the snows or the heavy rains, the oommunication is interrupted for a few days. About noon we arrived at the mansion of Senor Kuiz-Tagle, one of the richest proprietors of the Chilian Republic. He received and treated us with *he greatest cordiality. In the evening he took us to the city in his own carriage, which he left at our disposal. The city of Santiago is situated in a delightful valley, at the foot of the Mapocho Mountains, 33° 35' southern lati- tude, and 73° 4' longitude west from the meridian of Paris, 2410 Spanish feet above the level of the sea. It was founded by Don Pedro de Valdivia, in 1541. Its stately edifices, its public establishments, and its commerce and pop- ulation, amounting to more than 100,000 souls, and still daily increasing, make it one of the principal cities of South America. It is surrounded by mountains that are called the crown of Santiago. Beyond them are seen the summits of the Andes covered with eternal snows. The streets of the city are large and straight. The vast public square is adorned with a beautiful fountain, representing the statue of Liberty crowning another statue that represents the country. The principal edifices are the governor's palace, the mint, the archiepiscopal palace, the stately cathedral (not yet com- pleted), the church of the Jesuits, and their college, which now belongs to the city. There are, besides these, ten other churches that are suflSciently handsome and capacious. Be- fore the suppression, we had here four houses of the Society. At present there are two convents of Dominicans, two of Augustinians, three of Franciscans, and two of the Order for the Redemption of Captives. There are also eight monas- teries of religious ladies. The ladies of Picpus are the only ones that keep a boarding-school, conducted on the same principles as that of Valparaiso. They give a finished edu- AND MISSIONARIES. 21 cation to the young ladies belonging to the first families of the country, and they give gratuitous instruction to about three hundred children of the inferior classes. The people seem to be gifted with an excellent character and happy dis- position, and are warmly attached to the religion of their forefathers. The government prospers under the shadow of peace, and the wisdom of a well-conducted administration. It extends its solicitude to the Armicanians, a savage tribe be- yond the river Bobio to the south, and bordering on the country of the Patagonians. Preparations are being made to carry the light of faith to those tribes which have been so long left in darkness, but show the most favorable dis- positions to correspond to the zeal of the missionaries whom it will please Divih > Providence to send to them. Valparaiso, by its commerce and population, about 40,000 souls, is the next largest city of Chili. Here, as in Santiago, the buildings are of brick and but one story high, as earth- quakes are frequent and violent in this country. The poor, who are very numerous, live in huts made of straw or boughs of trees. The interiors of the houses of the rich vie witli the most splendid mansions of the European nobility. You are acquainted with the topography of this republic, which, on account of the beauty of its sky, the tempera- ture of its climate, and the general fertility of its soil, is con- sidered one of the most delightful countries in the world. The spring commences in September, summer in December, winter in June, and autumn in March. From the com- mencement of spring till the middle of putumn, the heavens are ever serene. The rains begin to fall ti wards the end of April, and often last till the middle of September. In the province of Coquimbo it rains but twice or thrice a year, and this only for a few hours. In the provinces of Santiago, Aconcana, and Colcha, rain generally lasts three days, and 22 WESTERN MISSIONS lii i m :M #fe 1 1 is then succeeded by twelve or fifteen days of fine weather. The rains are more copious in proportion as we advance fur- ther south towards the Isle of Chiloe. The want of rain in the north is supplied by heavy dews which fall during the dry seasons. The temperature, which varies according to the seasons, is generally favorable to health. On the 3d of May we left the port of Valparaiso with a favorable wind, and, as I have already mentioned, in eight days we reached tlie harbor of Lima. The city is seen from the roads, and also the town of Callao, situated on the coast about two leagues from the capital. Father Goniila had offered to accompany us from Valparaiso and to act as inter- preter, for he speaks Spanish and French, and with him I re- paired to the city to find suitable lodgings for our company, who weie to follow us on the succeeding day. The people of the city, which is very extensive, and contains a popula- tion of 40,000 souls, were soon apprised of the arrival of Jesuits. They came in crowds to kiss our hands. A re- spectful old gentleman exclaimed, " Fathers, how happy I am to see my wishes accomplished 1 You are the first Jesuits who set foot in my country since the suppression of your order. May God be praised ! Still happier would I be were you to remain among U8." We went to lodge at the house of a zealous priest named Mateo Aguilar. On the following day we paid our respects to the bishop (Luna- pizarro), who has been presented to the Roman court as suc- cessor to the late archbishop. He received us with great affection, and spoke in terms of praise and esteem of our Society, We also visited the principal churches and estab- lishments of the city, after which we prepared to return to Callao, The omnibus, with five horses, which I had hired to convey us from the port of Lima, was by some accident detained nearly half an hour. The people came from all AND MISSION ARIK9. 23 quarters to see us, and the carriage was soon surroundod by a numerous crowd. Motliers, and among them hidies of dis- tinction, pressed through the crowd, held up their children, kissed the hands and veils of the Sisters, and conjured them to remain and establish themselves in the cit3\ The men, too, showed us the greatest respect. The same regard and aflFection were manifested along the road. The people were prompted to act in this manner by the conviction that the education of youth is neglected in their country, and they severely feel the want of it. When the Sisters arrived in Lima, they took up their lodgings at an old Carmelite con- vent, now converted into an orphan asylum. The crowd poured into the building after them. For four or five days they received visits from morning till night. The most re- spectable famiUes came with their interpreters, and vied with each other in showing them marks of kindness and affec- tion. They were obliged to accept three carriages, in which, accompanied by the principal ladies of the city, they visited the churches and the other establishments. When they alighted at any place, the people crowded around them, even in the churches, to kiss their hands, their heads, and veils. The humble Sisters received this homage with reluctance, but they were to them a heartfelt consolation; and who knows whether they may not prove instrumental in the de- signs of Providence to obtain the object of this kind-hearted people ? There is not a single religious order in this city that devotes its labors to teach the inferior classes. Hence their want and desire of instruction. I went with my com- panions to lodge at the former college of the Society, called St. Paul's, where we all occupied the same room. The establishment is very extensive, covering one of the square blocks of the city, and is divided into four square buildings, each having an area in the middle, and supported by a M WESTERN MISSIONS double colonnade. The roof is flat, as are all the roofs of all the churches and houses in Lima, for here it never ruins. At a distance the city with its numerous domes presents a beau- tiful prospect, but when we enter it all the buildings, appa- rently without roofs, give it the appearance of a city in ruins. The streets are drawn at right angles and paved with round stones. They are crossed by large sewers that carry the filth to the river Limac, which divides the capital. One of the greatest curiosities of Lima is the fruit-market, by the abund- ance and variety of tropical productions. There are seventy- two churches within the precincts of the city, including those of religious orders, which are numerous. The cathe- dral, whose architeciare is of the 16th century, is a magnifi- cent pile. It fronts the large public square, on which is also built their archiepiscopal palace. The other sides of the square are adorned with rich stores and colonnades. The main altar of the cathedral is a splendid piece of workman- ship. It consists of three rows of columns supporting one another, and plated and ornamented with silver. Peru I Land of gold and silver, with its fertile and beau- tiful soil, and its temperate and healthy climate, once the terrestrial paradise of South America, now its poorest and most wretched region : thy commerce languishes ; the edu- cation of thy children is neglected ; the oflBcers of thy venal army fly from standard to standard ; the ambition and faith- lessness of thy leaders have exhausted thy treasury; thy chiefs, destitute of patriotism, seek their own aggrandizement, and oppress thy people ; — such is the state of things in Peru at present, and it is feared the worst is still to come. To-day (16th May, Feast of Pentecost) we shall leave Cal- lao to continue our voyage. We expect to arrive at Fort Vancouver, on the Columbia, in forty days, and shortly to embrace the Fathers sent from Missouri. I shall write again ID ruins. AND 'LISSIONAIilES. 25 to acquaint you with whatever relates to me and my com- panions. Remember me most affectionately to the Bishop and h,s clergy, and to ail the Fathers, Scholastics, and Broth- ers ot the province as if named, and believe me to be with great respect and esteem, Very Reverend and Dear Father Provincial, Your most humble, obedient Son in Jesus Christ, P. J. De Smet, S. J. 26 WESTERN MISSIONS Letter II. iiiii^ To THE Members of the Central CouiNuiis of Lyons AND Paris. University of St. Loris, June 1, 1849. Gentlemen : A transient visit to some tribes of Sioux, on the Upper Missouri, on my way back from the Kocky Mountains, left in me an ardent desire to see those poor Indians again. I was anxious to judge more maturely of their disposition, and ascerUiin with greater certainty what hopes might be entertained from the estat)hshment of a Mission among them. During the course of last summer, my su- periors granted me this truly consoling privilege. In order to reach their villages, I was obliged to ascend the Missouri as far as Bellevue (a village situated in the terri- tory of the Ottos, 610 miles from St. louis), and then pur- sue my journey on horseback, over immense prairies, for about twenty-five days. An excuision through the magnifi- cent plains of the great American desert, and, above all, in the vicinity of this noble rivei', which descends in innumera- ble torrents from the Rocky Mountains, offers undoubtedly many charms, and migiit afford material for descriptions replete with intere>t ; but it would be a theme on which I ha' e had predecessors, and, moreover, it would be giving the letters whicli I have the honor to address you an exient <]uitH beyond what I (hire assume. I will content myselt with a sketch by Mr. Nicollet, my own experience enabling me to appreciate the exact fidelity of his picture. ill AND MISSIONARIES. 27 p Lyons ! 1, 1849. he Upper [ouiitains, ■ Indians of their hat hopes a Mission *, my su- scend the the teiri- hen pur- liries, for magnifi- 'e all, in iniunera- [oubtedly Icriptions [which I vinsc the 111 ex If lit It niysell lenal>ling " Consider the boundless extent of a prairie — scan one by one its unduhitions, and borne as it were from wave to wave, from valley to hill-top, find yourself in presence of the limit- less plain which is spread out before you ; journey onward — hours, days, and weeks will succeed each other, and emotions of ever-varying delight will captivate the mind, while the spectacle of inexhaustible wealth and new beauties will fas- cinate the eye. Without doubt there will be moments in which the ardors of a burning sun, and the privation of pure water capable of allaying thirst, will force you to remember that the best of earthly joys have their hidden thorn ; but these trials are rare and brief. A gentle breeze almost, con- tinually refreshes the atmosphere in these vast plains, and the surface is so uniform as to baffle a surprise from the most crafty enemy. The route is one field of verdure, enamelled with odoriferous wild-flowers, whose brilliant beauty has no witness but the azure firmament. It is particularly during summer that the aspect of the prairies breathe gayety, grace, and life, and if there be f.iiy one moment in which they may excite all the sympathies of the traveller, it is when an Indian hunter, in pursuit of the deer or bison, animates this immense solitude with his presence and motions. I pity the man whose heart remains unaffected before so ravishing a spectacle !" My land-journey commenced at Bellevue, nine miles beyond the Nebraska or Platte River, thence to the mouth of the Niobrarah or Uau-qui-court, ten days' march. "VVe met not a single Indian, and no vestige of human habitation greeted the eye. But ever and anon we distinguished small artificial mounds, erected by the hand of man ; irregular heaps of stones, and tombs containing the mortal remains of Indians, carefully wrapped in buff"alo-robes. At times a soli- tary post marked the spot where some brave had fallen in 28 WESTERN MISSIONS the field of battle — where reposed, perhaps, some ancient Nestor of the desert. These monuments, though with no epitaph to attest lofty deeds or transmit names to posterity, are a tribute of a feeling heart — a mute testimony of the respect the Indian bears to the memory of a father or a friend, and of the value he attaches to the glory of his ancestors. Some herds of bison and dense flocks of deer, of several species, that fled at our approach, alone beguiled the tedium of the march. » It is customary to encamp in places where the grass is fresh, which is generally on the border of a stream or pond of clear water. Care must also be taken for the safety of the norses during the night. To prevent all accident, they are hobbled — enfarge^ as the Canadian voyagcurs say — that is, the two fore-legs are tied together, so as to prevent their straying too far from the camp. Two or three men remain on guard against any suprise from the Indians, too justly renowned as the most expert of horse-thieves. These senti- nels also protect us against the bears and wolves which infest the wilderness, and incessantly prowl in the neighbor- hood of camps. Horses, on perceiving them, take fright and fly, unless the necessary precautions have been taken, and it sometimes happens that the most careful measures prove futile. Thus we, one day, lost a superb stallion of great value. Every evening he was tied to a post, with a long and heavy halter, but in a fright, caused by the approach of wolves, he darted forward with such velocity after the other horses as they rushed by him, that on reacliing the end of his halter he broke his neck. In so long a march, through regions so singularly various, two great inconveniences are sometimes experienced — want of water, and of wood. More than once >/e had no other fuel than the dry bison-dung, and three times at our camp- AND MISSIONARIES. 29 le ancient I with no posterity, ny of the ither or a ry of his >f deer, of juiled the 5 grass is or pond safety of ent, they iay— that 'ent their Q remain oo justly se senti- s which leighbor- ight and ken, and es prove of great ongand oach of le otlier d of his various, -want o other cainp- 4 ing-ground water failed us. This is a hard trial for man and horse, especially after travelling all day under the burning sun of the month of August. Another kind of torment, still less supportable when the heat is most intense, is the appearance of fantastical rivers and lakes in the verge of the horizon, seeming to invite the weary traveller to advance and refresh his vv'asted strength upon their banks. Fatigue and thirst picture in the distance verdure, shade, and coolness awaiti!ig him. The illusion increases the desire of quench- ing your burning thirst. You hasten onward to reach the goal. Hour succeeds hour ; the deceitful mirage heightens in brilliancy, and the panting, exhausted traveller presses on without a suspicion that the phantom flies before him. In an open, elevated region, where the atmosphere is in con- tinual agitation, this efiect may be easily produced by the reverberation of the sun's rays from the surface of these vast prairies, throwing the various tints of the verdure upon the deep blue of the firmament. Besides the dithculties arising from the nature of the ground, there are others which summer always brings with its myriads of insects. Among these, the most to be dreaded is the gad-Jiy, the sting of which will make the gentlest horse bound with rage. Happily for the horse in these plains, Providence has bestowed upon him a defender as skil- ful as devoted The starling, unalarmed by the presence of man, which, wheeling ever about the rider, lights on the back of the horse or on his load, to dart with wonderful skill upon the malicious insect which is about to attack his travel- ling companion. For ourselves, we were obliged towage continual war upon the swarms of mosquitoes, and their allies the " gnats." The latter teased us by day, the former, more cowardly, attacked us by night. These famished enemies, the product of the 80 30 WESTERN MISSIONS stagnant waters and decaying plants, at the approach of a convoy, rush tfrom their infected abodes, and accompany it, with their plaintive buzzing, to the spot where the traveller seeks in vain a brief repose after the heat and hardships of the day. The winged tribe at once sound the trump of war, and darting on their tired victim, sting, harass, and pursue him until they have assuaged their sanguinary fury, and obliged the unfortunate traveller, already sweltering with heat, to seek a stifling shelter under a buffiilo-robe or a thick blanket. One day I found myself the object of attack of a swarm of winged ants. They came upon me with such furious impetuosity, that in a few seconds I was totally covered. Then I waved my handkerchief about my head, and SDon got my horse to leave far behind us this phalanx of black insects, which filled a space of about a quarter of a mile. To those who pass their days amid the quiet of domestic joys, surrounded by all the delicacies that abundance can produce, a journey through the prairies may appear a sad realization of human misery and suffering ; but to the man that elevates his thoughts above earthly and passing things, in order to devote himself to the many unfortunate souls who will love and serve the true God when they know him, such a one can perceive in these privations, in even greater perils and difficulties which may be encountered, only slight annoyances, which he will prefer to all the delights of indo- lence or the dangers of wealth. He has meditated the sub- lime words of our Lord : " The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent bear it away ;" he recollects that a God become man — " although he was without sin, bore the weight." His sufferings finally teach him, that it is through tribulations and sacrifices that he can enter the kingdom of i AND MISSIONARIES. 81 heaven, and conduct thereto those who may desire to range themselves and die beneath the banner of the Cross. I have the honor to be, with the most sincere respect and profound esteem, Gentlemen, Your most humble and obed't serv't, P. J. De Smet, S. J. li ' 32 WESTERN MISSIONS ^: I ( ,1 ; A Letter III. To THE Members of the Central Councils op Lyons AND Paris. University, June % 1849. Gentlemen : In my last letter I spoke of the annoyance resulting from the continual attacks and buzzing of the mosquitoes and brulots. I must add to tliis harsh music the more fearful and more disagreeable noise of the rattlesnake. These reptiles are frequently met in the region styled Mau- raises- Torres, a very remarkable plateau, of which I will hereafter give a description — and where the Little Missouri, the Mankizita-Watpa, the Terre-blanche, and the Niobrarah take their rise. Here also are found the many-hued chame- leon, the hideous lizard, the horned frog, known by the per- haps more classical name of salamander, and several varieties of small tortoise. I witnessed a singular trait of the instinct of a rattlesnake. The reptile was basking in the sun, sur- rounded by eight or ten little ones. As soon as she perceived me, she gave the rattle, opened her throat wide, and in an instant the whole brood descended. I withdrew some sec- onds, and then returned ; the young ones had come for*h from their living tomb, to which my presence quickly obliged them to seek refuge anew. The unbroken, arid soil of the Mauvaises-Terres, which will ever baffle the most energetic and persevering labor, boasts, however, of several millions of townships, full of life and movement — I mean the villages of the prairie-dog — the f AND M18SI0NARTKS. 33 )liged labor, If life -tho site of each one of which extends over an area oi several square miles of smooth table-land, on which the grass is very short and thin. The instincts of this remarkable animal (which bears some resemblance to the squirrel) are at once curious and amusing. The grass which springs up in the neighborhood of their dwellings they tear up by the roots , but their vandalism has its exceptions. They seem to respect and spare certain flowers which generally surround their lit- tle abodes, and give them a much more agreeable look. These proved to be the Hedeoma hirta, the Solanom trijlorum^ the Lupinua pus'dlus^ the Erigeron divaricaturn, Dysodia chrf/sa7i(hemoidef}, ElUsia nyctagenea^ and the Panicum virgntum. They pile up the earth around their dwellings about two feet above the surface of the soil, thus protecting themselves against the inundations which, in the rainy seasons or at tho melting of the snows, would engulf them and their little hopes. Guided by instinctive foresight, they carefully gather all the straws which are scattered over the plain, and carry them into theh*' subterraneous asylums, to protect them against the rigors of winter. At the approach of a horse- man, alarm is rapidly communicated to all the citizens of this singular republic. All quit their habitations, and with head erect, the ears pricked up with anxiety, and a troubled stare, remain standing at the entrance of their abodes, or at the opening of their conical hills. After a momentary silence, they break forth into one loud and repeated chorus of shrill barking. For some minutes life, motion, and rest- less agitation reign throughout the extensive field they oc. cupy ; but at the first gun-shot, all is tranquil, every ani- mal disappearing like a flash. A kind of small owl, and the rattlesnake, appear to entertain amicable relations with the prairie-dog, and are commonly found at the entrance of their » m 'III Ml : f;!' :ifi] m ^1 ■ 34 WESTERN MISSIONS lodges, and in the general fright, the three seek safety in the same asylum. Tlie motives and nature of this singular sym- pathy are unknown. The wolf and the fox are their great- est enemies. The Indian word Mankizita-Watpa, commonly translated White Earth River, signifies, more literally. Smoking Land River; and in this region there are incontestable and numer- ous indications that subterranean and volcanic fires have passed there. The water of the river is strongly impregnated with a whitish slime. We encamped on its shore. A heavy rain had recently washed all the ravines and dry beds of the rivulets and torrents, which are abundant throughout the Mauvaises-TerreSj consequently the water was very similar to thin mud. What was to be done ? We must cither use this water to prepare our evening repast, or retire without tea or broth. This is no easy sacrifice in the desert, after riding on horseback for ten or eleven hours in the scorching sun. After many fruitless efforts to purify the water, we were obliged to use it as it was. Hunger and thirst make us less dainty. The mixture of mud, tea, and sugar, was, after all, palatable to our famished stomachs. On the mor- row we travelled all day, and found a delicious spring, where we camped all night. The Mauvaises-Terres, in the portions which are traversed by the Mankizita-Watpa, are the most extraordinary of any 1 have met in my journeys through the wilderness. The action of the rains, snow, and winds upon the argillaceous soil is scarcely credible ; and the combined influence of these elements renders it the theatre of most singular scenery. Viewed at a distance, these lands exhibit the appearance of extensive villages and ancient castles, but. under forms so ex- traordinary, and so capricious a style of architecture, that we might consider them as appertaining to some new world, or 4 AND MISSK>NARI1':S. 35 T in the ar syra- r great- inslated ijxLand numer- !s have cgnated ^ heavy s of the out the simihir ther use without jrt, after orching ter, we make ar, was, le mor- where aversed of any The aceous >f these ceuery. ince of i so ox- hat we rid, or ftges far remotu. Here a mnjestic Gotliic tower, surrounded with turrets, rises in noble grandeur, and there enormous and hjfty cohunns seem I'eared to support the vault of heaven. Further on you may descry a fort beaten by the tempest, and surrounded by mantellated walls ; its hoary parnpets to h{ idured, di *r«^ "^j th ap[)ear lo nave enuureu, uunng many successiv assaults of tempest, earthquake, and tliunder. Cupolas of colossal proportions, and pyramids wliich recall the gigantic labors of ancient Egypt, rise around. The atmospherical agents work upon them with such eft'ect, that probably two consecutive years do not pass without reforming or destroy- ing these strange constructions. This clayey soil hardens easily in the sun, is of a grayish hue, or occasionally of a spaikling white ; it is easily softened when mixed with water. The Mankizita-Watpa is the great drain of the streams of this country, and corresponds admirably to the name bestow- ed upon it by the Indians. The industry of the settler will never succeed in cultivat- ing and planting this fluctuating and sterile soil — no harvest ever crown his efforts. But though it offers no interest to the farmer, and little to the botanist, the geologist and naturalist may find abundant material for study and illus- tration ; for here are found rmrious remains of the mastodon (the largest of known quadrupeds), mingled with those of the mountain-hare. I have seen well-preserved skulls, horns, &c., so large that two men could hardly raise them. All of these bore the distinct impress of their primitive nature. I have the honor to be, with profound respect, Gentlemen, Your most humble and obed't serv't, P. J. Dk Smet. ■"*■ 36 WESTERN MISSIONS mi Letter IV. To THE Directors op the Association. Universitt of St. Loris, Juno 4, 1849. Gentlemen : It remains for me to give some details concerning the Indian tribes that I was able to visit. In none of my pre- ceding voyages had I met the Ponkahs ; this time I found the whole of this nation assembled at the mouth of the Nio- brarah — their favorite haunt during the fruit season and the gathering of the corn harvest. The manner in which they accosted my travelling companions augured little good, and was near being attended with disastrous consequences. It appears, indeed, that they meditated an attack upon the lit- tle troop of white men who, numbering but fifteen, escorted a wagon filled with merchandise for the Fur Company. They intended, at least, to pillage the convoy and kill one of the travellers, under pretext that he came from the country of the Pawnees, where one of their warriors had lost his life. I will present you here the laconic formula of reasoning of one of these barbarians, while in the act of taking aim at his victim. My brother was killed by a Pawnee ; thou art a notorious friend of the Pawnees ! I must avenge his death, or recover the debt {value of his body) in horses or in blankets/ To this degree, unfortunately, lias the idea of justice sunk in the Indian mind. Has an Indian fallen by the hand of a wliite man, every brave of that tribe consid- ers himself justified in retaliating upon the first white man he chances to meet, without regard to his country or the ,r! .. AND MISSIONARIES. 37 I part of the world from which he may come. I was in ad- vance, but at the first signal of alarm I faced the point of (lanirer. At once the air resounded with reiterated cries of " The Black-gown has come ! The Blach-yown has come /" Surprise and curiosity arrest the work of pillage. The chiefs ask an exj)lanation, and order the spoilers to keep re- sj)tcttully off, and restore what they had already stolen; then tlu'V ]>i'ess around me to shake hands (a ceremony some- what lengthy, for they were about GOO in number), and con- duct us in triumph to our encampment on the shore of the Niobrarah. In my turn I made a little distribution of tobacco, which they appeared to appreciate more than any thing else. The calumet is smoked in token of fraternal good feeling, and passed from mouth to mouth : they lavish upon me as well as upon my companions the most touching marks of kindness and I'espect. Such was the happy conclusion of a meeting which at first inspired us with such just fears. But the merciful views of Providence extended further. They besought me to visit their village, four miles from our camp, in order to pass the night with them. I ac- ce})tod the invitation the more willingly, as it would aftord me an opportunity of announcing the truths of Faith. In fact I lost no time, and shortly after my arrival the whole tribe, numbering more than a thousand persons, surrounded the " Black-f/oivnr This was the first time that the Pon- kahs had heai'd Jesus Christ preached by the mouth of his minister. The holy eagerness and attention which they lent to my words induced me to prolong my instructions until late in the night. The next day I baptized their little ones, and when the time of separation arrived, they besought mo with the greatest earnestness to renew my visit, and to fix my residence among them. We will cheerfully listen to the Words of the Great Spirit, said they, and submit to all His / 38 WESTERN MTSSK'N:^ commands that you manifest to us. Until their wislics can be gratifietl, 1 coiisideied myself Imppy to Hiul amoti^ tliom a Catholic halt-biccd, tolerably well instructed in iiis religion, who promised me to serve as catechist. This extraordinary attention on tlie part of the Indians, and their avidity to hear the Word of God, must appear sur- prising in a people which seems to unite all intellectual and moral miseries. But the Spirit of the Lord breatlies where it will. His graces and his light prompt and aid men whom ignoran(!e, rather than a perverse and disordered will, ren- ders vicious. Moreover, that same Spirit which obliged the most rebellious to cry with St. Paul, " Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ?" can also soften the most obdurate liearts, warm the coldest, and produce peace, justice, and joy, where before reigned iniquity, trouble, and disorder. The gieat respect, and the marked attention which the poor Indians testify OH all occasions to the missionary who appears among them to announce the Gospel, are a source of much consola- tion and encouragement to him. He discovers the finger of God in the spontaneous manifestations of good-will offered by these poor creatures. The language of the Ponkahs differs little from that of the Ottos, the Kanzas, and the Osages. Of intrepid and tried courage, they have, notwithstanding the paucity of their numbers, made themselves feared by their more numerous neighbors. They may with justice be styled the Flat-Heads of the Plains, on account of their bravery. Although at- tached by taste to the wandering life, they have begun to cultivate some fields of corn, of pumpkins, and potatoes. Ilere, then, is a portion of the vineyard as yet untilled, but which only waits for a generous, charitable hand to cause it to yield fruits worthy of the dews of heaven. Can the Lord refuse his grace and his assistance to the apostolic * "^ AND MISSIONARIES. 39 visiles can 'S •f^ii^r thorn t s I'uliirjon, 'Vi e Indians, >|'t'ar snr- ^^^ <'tiial and ^r^^^M »t'S wjiere H en wliom '9 will, ren- H J'ged tlie ' VWiH •ilt thou .JK t! hearts, ■JH Yj wljere '*^^4l^^^^B 'e great 9 Indians -'.jH^H • among ;S :onsola- '/ ' •'ij^^B nger of ' A'*' ^^^H ottered 1 hat of m d and 9 f tlieir w lerous m ffeads M •h at- M 11 n to *'i^Mi s. m Uled, ■■\^m d to Can M tolic -M man, who abandons all the advantages of civilized life in or- der to teach, in the midst of every species of privation, the salutary and consoling words of the Gospel ? When I reflect upon the hopes that may be justly entertained of the Indijiu tribes of the North and West of the United States, I cannot refrain from blessing the bou!ity and mercy of (Jod, and trembling at the consideration of the terrible judgments of his justice. While Europe, shaken to the centre by the incessant efforts of learned impiety, appears to have strength or vigor oidy to shake off the divine yoke which the blood of Jesus Christ has rendered "suoet and easv," the forlorn iidiabitant of the far-distant wilderness lifts his supjdiant liands to heaven, and in all the sincerity of his heart asks to know the true Faith, and to be directed in the path of true happiness. While in the heart of Catholicity the priests of the Most High sink under oppression. Providence, impene- trable in its views, is secretly preparing for them the vast solitudes of another hemisphere. There, perhaps, the Di- vine Master will fix his sanctuary, p.nd choose to himself new worshippers whose simple hearts will otFer him only an oblation of gratitude and love. With the greatest respect, and commending myself to your kind prayers, I am, Gentlemen, Your most humble and obedient servant, P. J. De Smet S. J I m 1 :|j| 40 WESTEKN MISSIONS Letter V. To THE DjRSCTORS OP THE ASSOCIATION. St. Louis, June 5, 1849. Gentlemen : It is time to pass to the Sioax, whose territory I reached a few days after my visit to the Ponkahs. Mr. Campbell, one of the best interpreters in the country, generously offered to accompany me to the different tribes of this nation. His acquaintance with the country and the manners of the In- dians, as well as the respect and friendship which the latter entertain for him, greatly facilitated my relations with them. I must also add, as a tribute of well-merited gratitude, that the officers of Fort Bonis and of Fort Pierre received me with the most delicate hospitality, and that the concurrence of their influence aided powerfully to render my intercourse with the saviges easier and more profitable. I have several times observed, in former letters, that the Indians inhabiting the vallej of the Upper Missouri, are generally more cruel than those sojourning west of the Itocky Mountains. Probably this arises from their almost incessant wars, which inflame them with a love of plunder and a thirst for vengeance. A.t the epoch of my visit to the Sioux, a troop of these barbarians were returning from a war againi»t tlie Mahas, with thirty-two human scalps torn from defenceless old men, and from women and children whose husbands and fathers were oft' hunting. When they re-enter their villages, after the combat, it is their custom to attach these horrible trophies of th^ir shameful victory to the points AND MISSIONARIES. 41 of their lances or to the bits of their horses. At the sight of these spoils the whole tribe shouts with joy, and every one considers it the highest gratification to assist at the Scalp Dance and Feast — which is celebrated amid the most discordant yells and fearful gestures. They plant a post daubed with vermillion in the midst of the camp ; the war- riors surround it, flourishing in their hands the bloody scalps which they have brought back from the field of battle ; each one howls his war-song to the lugubrious tone of a large drum ; then giving in turn his stroke of the tomahawk on the post, he proclaims the victims that his hatchet has im- molated, and exhibits ostentatiously the scars of the wounds which he has received. Such is, even at the present day, the degraded condition of the unfortunate Indian. They never take the field with- out endeavoring to draw down the favor of the Great Spirit, either by diabolical rites or by rigorous fasts, macerations, and other corporeal austerities. They even go so far as to cut otF joints of the fingers and toes. Add to the thick shade of heathen darkness a shocking depravation of man- ners, and you will have a faint idea of the lamentable posi- tion of these wretched tribes. Yet these same men welcomed me with open arms, as a messenger from the Great Spirit ! A vivid emotion, depicted in every countenance, accompa- nied their respectful attention to my discourse, while 1 in- structed them in the great truths of religion. An event which occurred two days after my arrival at Fort Pierre, contributed much to augment their confidence in me. I give it as it occurred. The tribe of the Ogallallahs had entered in a hostile manner on the lands of their neigh- bois, the Absharokes (or Crows), and had attacked them The latter defended themselves bravely, routed their aggres sors, and killed ten or twelve warriors. They had even eiii 40 I "i i 1 ■ V 42 WESTERN MISSIONS ployed a mode of repulsion which covered the tribe that experienced its effects with immortiil disgrace : they pursued the Og'allallas with rods and clubs. This, according to them, signifies that their adversaries were worth neither the lead nor powder that would he expended in killing them. So shame- ful a defeat discourages the Indian, and he no longer dares appear before such an enemy. In this affair, the chief of the vanquished nation, named the Red Fish, lost his daughter, who was carried off by the Crows into captivity. Melancholy and humbled, he deserted the wigwams of his tribe, which loss of honor and the death of so many of its warriors had overwhelmed with mournir & and desolation. He presented himself at Fort Pierre on the morrow of my arrival. The object of his journey was to ob- tain the liberty of his daughter, through the mediation of the officers of the fort ; he offered eighty fine buffalo-robes and his best horses for her ransom. In his visit to me, grasping my hand firmly in Vis, with tears coursing down his cheeks, and heart-broken with grief, he thus addressed me, while sobs often interrupted his utterance: ''''Black- gown^ I am a most unhappy father ! I have lost my be- loved daughter. Pity me, for I have learned that the medi- cine of the Black-goion (the prayer) is powerful before the Great Spirit. Speak to the Master of Life in my favor, and J will still preserve hope of seeing my child^ At these few words., which the emotion of the aged man rendered singularly eloquent, I replied, that I sympathized with his sorrow, but that he must himself prepare the way for the blessing of Heaven — and that by virtuous deeds he might obtain from the Great Spirit the accomplishment of his desires. I added, that without doubt the Master of Life had been offended by this unjust attack upon the Crows, of which he himself had been the chief instigator, in his posi- fLu,l AND MISSIONARIES. 43 tribe that ey puisued ig to them, he lead nor So shame- Qger dares on, named off by the e deserted the deatli mo'jrnir;& rre on the v'as to ob- iiation of Falo-robes t to me, ng down addressed Black- my be- he medi- fore the vor^ and ed man athized ie way ?eds he lent of of Life 3WS, of s posi- (( tion as Great Chief, and that to himself solely he must attrib- ute the misfortune of his child, and all the other miseries which had resulted from that expedition. I exhorted him to abandon in future all unprovoked attacks upon his neigh- bors, and to persuade his tribe to hearken to the orders of the Great Spirit, which I had come to announce to them. I con- cluded by speaking to him of the mercy of God, who always hears the voice of the afflicted when they love and serve him. I also promised him the assistance of my prayers, and he on his part ag.eed to follow my counsels. Red Fish returned soon after to his nation, and collected all the principal chiefs, in order to communicate to them what had passed at the fort, and in particular his conversa- tion with me, the Black-gown, concerning his daughter. At that very moment a cry of joy was heard in the extremity of the Gimp. They ran up from all sides to ask the cause ; at length the good tidings are announced, that the captive daughter has escaped safe and sound from her enemiep. The old chieftain scarcely dares to believe what he hears. He rises, and on leaving his oabin he has the unspeakable con- solation of beholding once more his beloved child, whom P;:\idence had restored. Imagine, if possible, his astonish- T T'; and delight, shared with him by his tribe. Every H-;',d vas lifted to heaven to thank the Great Spirit for the deliver, uce of the prisoner. The report flew quickly from village to village, and this coincidence, that Divine Provi- dence permitted for the good of the Ogallallahs, was to them a certain proof of the great power of Christian prayer, and will, I hope, contribute to confirm these poor Indians in their good dispositions. The number of half-breeds and Indians baptized among ilu Sioux amounts to several hundred. I conferred the same sacrament upon six adults far advanced in years, two of 44 WESTERN MISSIONS m whom were over ninety, and dwelt in a little hut of buffalo- skins, in which a poor fire with difficulty imparted a little warmth to their members, chilled and stiffened with age. They received me with great joy. I spoke to them of the Great Spirit, of the necessity of baptism, of the future life, of the blessed or miserable eternity which must follow this state of being. They listened with avidity to the instruc- tions which I repeated during several days, and, in fine, re- ceived the sacrament of regeneration. They were never weary of tell' ^o; me again and again that they had never ceased to love ■■ eat Spirit, and that, being ignorant of more suitable pra} ..rs, they had daily offered him the first fruits of the calumet ! This recalls to my mind a fact, insignificant in itself, which nevertheless proved a source of genuine consolation to me. On my arrival in the nation of the Brules, I was singularly sur- prised to find myself followed by a youth about fifteen years of age, whom my presence seemed to afford a degree of pleas- ure which it would be difficult for me to describe. The little kind encouragement, by which I corresponded to his manifestation of contentment, so effectually conciliated his affection for me, that the efforts and threats even of the sav- ages who surrounded me, could not remove him any length of time from my pprson. Scarcely had they taken him from my side by violence, than another path brought him back ; he even penetrated into the grand council of the chiefs, in which the expeditious diplomacy of the Brules agitated the questions of which my arrival among them required a solu- tion. Night came on, and terminating the deliberations of the assembly, obliged me to withdraw from my new friend. His narrow and flattened brow, his silly stare and extraordi- nary gestures, gave me to understand that he was of the number of those beings whose want of reason is ft p^feguard «v; AND HISSI0NARIE8. 45 :>f buffalo- id a little with age. 3m of the uture life, ^llovv this 5 instruc- 1 fine, re- re never ad never Jorant of the first If, which to me. arly sur- years of 'f pleas- 3. The i to his ted his he sav- length n against the loss of innorence, and I resolved to regenerate liiin on t .0 morrow in the salutary waters of baptism. I tliercfjre caused the whole tribe to be collected, and after giving them a clear explanation of the blessings of the sacra- ment that I was going to confer, I caused them to under- stand the happiness that was in reserve for all eternity to a being apparently so vile, and who had hitherto been only an object of their contempt, or at least of their compassion. These few words produced a profound impression upon my new auditory, and were followed by numerous petitions for the grace belonging to the Great Spirit, like my poor friend Paschal (this was the name of the little idiot), who is now treated with respect almost amounting to veneration through- out his whole tribe. But not being able to remain with them longer than a few days, I contented myself with bap- tizing a great number of their children; and giving the others a hope, that later we would return and visit them, and that we could then instruct them, and grant, in a more useful manner, the favor which they solicited. There is a custom existing among the Indians, which is excessively liitiguing to the stranger or to the missionary who visits one of their villages. A-> soon as he arrives, a succes- sion of grand banquets is given in his honor, and Indian politeness exacts that he accept all these invitations — and the savage pre ires without delay the best and most delicate that he has. Ihe fat dog, which with them replaces the fat- ted calf, is the most acceptable dish, and is reserved for great occasions, ikfter this, succeed buffalo-tongues, ribs, etc., etc., and a great variety of fruits, grain, and roots. In every camp which I visited, I was conducted ceremoni- ously from banquet to banquet, by the leading chiefs. Every- where I was presented with a dish so filled with their deli- cacies that each portion would have sufficed me during several t 46 WESTERN MISSIONS days. All must be consumed. This would be impossible were it not for the allowance of the blessed privilege of con- ducting one or two eaters with us. In some of the Sioux camps, the guests are permitted just to touch the dish, and then take it home to their cabins. In the various camps which I visited, I presented each one of the great chiefs with a medal of our Holy Father, Pope Pius IX. On this occasion I explained to them the high position of the Great Chief of all the Black-gowns — the respect, the veneration, and the love that all the nations faithful to the Great Spirit testify to his vicar on earth, etc., etc. They immediately brought the calumet, and after hav- ing oflfered it first to the Master of Life, imploring his bless- ing, the savages, in their engaging simplicity, presented it to his visible representative, entreating me to make known to him the esteem and love which they bear to him, and the ardent desire they entertain to listen to the Black-gowns sent in his name. When distributing medals to the Indians, these explana- tions become neces="iry ; for, being naturally inclined to superstition, they often treat those objects with more than respect. A Sioux chief gave me a singular proof of this. While I was suspending the medal of Pius IX. to his neck, he testified an extraordinary joy and gratitude. ''^ I will place it" said he, " with my War-Manitou ; it will render me as prudent in councils during peace, as the other has rendered me strong in battle." I asked an explanation of these words. He at once opened a little box, and drew forth from it a package, carefully wrapped up in buckskin. He unrolled it, and, to my great surprise, I saw a colored picture of General Diebitsch, in full uniform, and mounted on a beautiful war- horse. For ye'irs the Russian had been the Manitou of war to the Sioux ohief ; he invoked him, and offered him his '■■■>?■ KivU AND MISSIONARIES. 47 impossible ge of con- the Sioux > dish, and 1 each one her, Pope the high >wns — the e nations arth, etc., after hav- his bless- nted it to :nown to and the ^wns sent e i )re xplana- ined to than of this, is neck, II place •• me as ered me words, m it a )l]ed it, reneral 1 war- of war im his calumet, before all his enterprises against his enemies, and attributed to him the success of the many victories he had gained. I endeavored to disabuse the poor Indian of his strange devotion, and have reason to hope that my efforts vere not useless. As stated already, I was sent to the Sioux tribes to sound their dispositions in a moral and religious point of view. The little account that I have the honor of presenting you discloses the result of my visit. What I have narrated touching these inhabitants of the desert, offers little encour- fijxement to the missionary. There is an immense difference between them and the Flat-Heads, and numerous other nations that occupy the regions west of the Rocky Mountains. These first children of my apostolate have given me consolations that I should vainly seek among the Sioux. Would, then, a mission with the latter prove destitute of success ? The little experience that I have been able to acquire, and my residence among them, inspire me to trust more confidently in Ilira who holds in liis hands the most obdurate hearts and the most refractory wills. I hope that in the course of this year something may be done in favor of these degrsur« steamboat certainly does appear quite ridiculous. But I relied upon the numerous delays of the boat at the different sand-banks, which were more likely to take place, also, as the season was advancing. I calculated well ; in twenty-four hours I was on buard. For four months I had been night and day exposed to the open air, and, as in all my other excursions, with no bed but H butfalo-robe. Yet my health had been uninteri iptedly good, not even suffering from the slightest attack of cold ; but scarcely was I subjected, during one day, to the heat ot the stove in the cabin of the steamboat, than I was seized with a violent sore throat — it being my first indisposition through the whole of my long journey. At length, after four months' absence, I arrived without other accident at the University of St. Louis, where, enjoy iug with my brethren the charms of the community life, 1 soon forgot the little fatigues of my expedition. ^' ^' — I subjoin a list of the principal forest trees found 6 Iilll^ 50 WESTERN MISSIONS along tlie batilcs f)f the Missouri, hoping it may prove agree- able to the ainateiirs of botany : Populus aii^nlata. Plutiimis occidontalia. Cultis crussitblia. Gleditschia triacanthus. Rohinia pst'iulacacia. Ju}^lan.s olivuB tbriuia. Cormis Florida. Azalia Hpinosa. Gymuooladus Canadensis. Monis, rubra ct alba. Laiinis sassatras. Ulimia Americana a.. >4 aapera. Acer rubruin et saccharinuni. Diospyros Virgiuiana. Salix. Cornus sericoa. Prunns. Pyriia coronarea. Castanea Americana et pumila. Quercus palustris, macrocarpa ^t piunila. Betula nigra, papyracea et lenta. Sambucus. Juglaiis squamoaa ct ni(;ra. Corylus. Fraxinua. Pinna. Juniperns Virginiana. Vacciniinn reainoaum. Magnolia. SHRUBS. Berberla vulgaris. Laurna benzoin. (Spice-buah.) Viburnum. (Arrow-wood.) Burnet saxifrage. Hawthorn. Vines of dillerent speciea. Vaccinium ; Oxycoccus. Elkwood. I am, with the most profound respect, and esteem the most sincere, Gentlemen, Your most humble and most obed't srrv't, P J. De Smet, S. J. 5 AND MISSIONARIES. 61 Letter VI. To THE Directors of the Association. Univbbsity or St. Louis, June 10, 1849. Gentlemen : In order to complete the observations which I had the honor of offering you in my late letters on the Western tribes of Indians of the United States, I purpose submitting to you certain facts touching the actual condition of the In- dians in Upper Missouri and among the Rocky Mountains. Tlie facts — such is, at least, my opinion — reveal clearly the melancholy future which at no very remote epoch awaits these nations, if efficient means are not employed for pre- venting the woes with which they are threatened. My visit to several tribes, and, above all, that which I lately paid to the great Sioux nation, have only confirmed the sad fore- bodings to which my experience, during a prolonged resi- dence among these forsaken children of the forest, had given birth. I have communicated these views, in substance, to an honorable agent of the United States Government, who is laboring with ardor and constancy in the amelioration of the condition of the Indians, and who joins, as much as is in his power, the use of means to the laudable wishes of his heart. I have traversed at several different times the vast plains which are watered by the Missouri and its principal tributa- ries, such as the Platte or Nebraska, Yellow Stone, the Mankizita-Watpa, the Niobrarah, Tchan Sausan, called James River by the whites, the Wassecha or Vermillion, and 59 WESTKRN MISSIONS the three great superior forks that constitute the source of \he Missouri, viz., the Jefferson, the GalUitin, and the Madi- »on. Coasting along the north and south brandies of the Saskatchawan, I penetrated three hundred miles into the in- ferior of the forests and plains watered by the Athabasca. In evciy place the whites, half-breeds, and natives, who in- habit these regions, agree in saying that the buffalo, moose, or American elk, and deer of all kinds, diminish in an alarm- ing manner, and that in a few years these races of animals ■will have wholly disappeared. Tlie territory traversed by the Athabasca furnished, some yeais ago, abundant game to the greater part of the nations of the Crees, and to a tribe of Assiniboins, which, sixty years previous, had detached them- selves from the main body of their nation. Well, over this vast extent of territory I met but three fcunilies, viz. — an old Iroquois with his children and grandchildren, numbering about thirty-seven ; a family of half-breeds composed of seven persons; and a Sioux with his wife and children. The Crees and the Assiniboins, hitherto the occupants of this land, have been forced to follow the track of the buftalo, and are beginning to intrude upon the territory of the Black-Feet. I resided a long time among tlie Flat-Heads and the Kalis- pels. I have visited at different epochs the Koetenays at the North, and the Shoshonies or Snakes at the South. Their vast territories, watered by the principal branches of the Ui)per Columbia and the Rio Colorado of the West, were formerly abundantly provided with every variety of game, which furnished them with clothing and nourishment. But now that the buffalo has disappeared from these lands, the poor Indians are obliged to go and pass a portion of the year east of the Rocky Mountains, in search of their only means of subsistence. Often, too, in pursuit of their prey, they are drawn into the regions claimed by the Crows '?< •'I i^tiL AND MISSIONARIES. 53 and Black-Feet, and are thus obliged to open their way, amis in hand. The Yantons and the Santics, Sioux tribes, are beginning to make inroads on the hunting-grounds of tlie Brules, a portion of the Sioux nation. Tlie Ponkahs are often driven to the necessity of hunting in tlie lands of the Sioux and of the Cheyennes. Formerly the lowas, the Oniahas, and the Ottos subsisted principally on the product of their buffalo-hunts ; at present they are reduced to the most pitiful condition, having nothing for food but a small quantity of deer, birds, and roots. Such is their miseiy that they are forced to scour the country in every direction, and in little bands, most happy if they escape the ambush of an enemy more powerful than themselves, and who frequently massacre the old, the women, and children. It is not rare here to have to deplore similar cruelties. Each year shows an increase of these revolting scenes — melancholy forerun- nera of an approaching and tragical issue. The Pawnees and the Omahas are in a state of nearly ab- solute destitution. Surrounded by enemies, where shall they go to hunt the wild animals which often fail them, hav- ing retired to other sections ? It is true, that for a consider- able time it has been customary among them to cultivate a little field of squashes and corn ; but often, also, when the harvest appears to meet their expectation and their toil, the enemy comes suddenly and wrests from them this last pitiful resource. The buffalo is disappearing and diminishing each success- ive year on the prairies of the Upper Missouri. This does not, however, hinder them from being seen grazing in very numerous herds in particular localities ; but the area of land that these animals frequent is becoming more and more cir- cumscribed. Besides, they do not remain in the same place, but change pasturage, according to the seasons. 6« I' >lj' 54 WESTERN MISSIONS |t> ^l!| I Jt It, Thence arise the incursions which the Sioux make into the territories of the Riccaries, the Mandans, the Minataries, the Crowe, and the Assiniboins ; thence also the mutual in- vasions of the Crows and the Black-Feet in their respective hunts. These depredations are committed by all the wan- dering tribes of the dosert, and give birth to dissensions, and to incessant and bloody wars, which annually revive and multiply, to their great detriment and misfortune. It is not, therefore, astonishing that the number of these savages is gradually decreasing. In the plains, war and famine lend their aid ; on the frontier of civilization^ liquors, vices, and maladies carry them off by thousands. I have visited the Elack-Fcbt. the Crows, Mandans, Assini- boins, the Riccaries, the Minataries, etc., who possess the whole region of the Upper Missouri and its tributaries. The condition of all these savages, far from the influence of all religions and moral principles, renders them much alike — ejusdem farince. Among them all a^ 3 met the same cru- elty, the same barbarity, the same sloth and supineness, in fine, the same degrading aud revolting superstitions, pushed, to the most remote limits whict the human mind abandoned to itself, and under the empire of vile passions, can reach. It is quite a common observation, and I have myself heard it offered by several persons, that the " religious as well as the social condition of the Indians of these regions, is in nowise canablo of am'^lioration." I am far from part^'cipa- ting in this opinion. Let the obstacles arising from the peo- ple who style themselves civilized, be removed ; let al trade in ardent spirits, that deadly scourge of the Indian, be pre- vented; let missionaries be sent, whose zeal ib, prompted only by the love of our Divine Master, and with no object but the happiness of the poor souls intrusted to their care, and I am confident that in a short time we should have the .<. ANP MISSIONARIES. 55 consoling spectacle of a sensible improvement among them. My personal observations serve as a foundation for these hopes. I. have had frequent interviews with the Black-Foet, the Crows, the Assiuiboins, the Riccaries, and the Sioux. They have always lent the most marked attention to all my words ; they have ever listened to the holy truths which I preached to them with extreme pleasure and a lively interest They entreated me with the most captivating ingenuousness to take compassion on their miseries, to establish myse.f among them, promising to join a faithful practice to the i.nowledge of the truths I should impart to them. Among the Indians of the great American desert, I never found even one who presumed to rail against our holy religion. To put an end to the cruel wars which decimate these na- tions ; to rescue so many souls from the baneful consequences of the idchicry in which they are buried; to prevent the to- tal ^';:.Lruction of these tribes already so wretched, and yet redeemed like ourselves by the precious blood of our Lord .Jesus Christ, is it not an enterprise worthy of inflaming the zeal of a minister of the Gospel ? a work worthy of claim- ing the efficient co-operation and assistance of a government as powerful as is that of the United States ? As to agriculture, considered as a means of civilization, its introduction will always be difficult among the Indians, as long as there remains to them a hope of procuring t)uffiil()es or other wild animals. It would prove, in my opinion, a chimera to pretend to introduce this brancli among them on an extensive scale in the beginning. We know, however, by experience, that, althongh little habituated to the fatigue of the assiduous labor that farming requires, some tribes have already attempted to cultivate their little fields. Tliis step taken, each year, according to the abundance of the increase, t^ 'imits of these little fields mi'dit be extended. Liko 1 1:.^ 56 WESTERN MISSIONS i. their brethren who reside west of the Rocky Mountains, they would become more and more attached to the soil whose productions would be the result of their toil. Their roving habits, the wars which often spring from them, would insen- sibly give place to a more peaceable and domestic life. The animals which they would raise replacing the buffalo, would insensibly efface its memory amid surrounding plenty. During the last ten years, a great part of the disposable funds of the Vice-province of Missouri have been emploj'^ed in the relief of the Indians. The liberality of the Associa- tion for the Propagation of the Faith established at Lyons, and those of our friends, have assisted us powerfully in con- verting and civilizing the tribes beyond the Rocky Moun- tains. Several of oar fellow-members still pursue there the same work of charity, and many of our Fathers and Brothers desire to visit the tribes which I visited last year. An estab- lishment founded among them east of the Rocky Mountains would be most desirable ; but the pecuniary means which they have at their disposal are very far from answering to the work which they contemplate. The lively interest which you take, gentlemen, in the salvation and civilization of so many thousands of men in the wilderness, inspires me with confidence to appeal to your generosity, which alone can fur- nish the means of conducting to a happy conclusion an enterprise so vast and so eminently Catholic. There are among these Indians several hundreds of children of mixed blood, whose parents are anxious that means of instruction should be afforded them. To attain this, schools and establishments would be necessary, in which agriculture could be learned ; and also many children of pure Indian blood could be received, as the heads of fami- lies are desirous of confiding them to the care of the mis sionaries. A short statistic will give you an idea of the good '"1. A: AND MISSION AKIES. 57 which might be done among these Indians. Among the Black-Feet, Father Point and myself baptized more than 1100 children |»among the "Gens du Sang," a tribe of Black-Feet, M. Thibaut baptized sixty ; the Rev. M. Bellecourt, of Red River, visited Fort Berthold, on the Missouri, and baptized a good number of the children of the Mandans ; all the savages pre- sented him their children for baptism. F. Hoecken, in an ex cursion made among several tribes on the Missouri, baptized over 400 persons; M. Ravoux, who visited some tribes of Siouji in 184Y, and penetrated as far as Fort Pierre, was hstened to everywhere with a consoling eagerness, and baptized a great many children. In my late tour among the Sioux, the Pon- kahs, etc., I baptized more than 300 children and several adults. From all these facts, may we not conclude, with sufficient certainty, that these poor souls seem ripe for a more peace- able life, and for a blessed eternity ? I have the honor to be, Gentlemen, Yours, & P. J. De Smst. i • ll^ ^'■mm 58 WESTERN MISSIONS ^tttjinA ^tvit^. -♦♦^- Letter L To THE Chevalier DiEUDONNfe Stas, Editor op the Jour- nal DE BrUXELLES. Bbdssels, June 30, '1853. Dear Sir : After many journeys in the deserts of North America, I am at last in my native land, happy to be able to express to the benefactors of the poor Indian all the gratitude of the missionaries. Since my last departure from Belgium, I have travelled prairies where no mission had ever been established — indeed, where no Europaan probably had ever been. We ascended the Missouri for about seven hundred and thirty leagues, and crossed a plateau of over a hundred, on the upland that separates the waters of the Yellowstone from those of the Missouri. From the Yellowstone we pro- ceeded southwest, marching about three hundred leagues to the Black Hills atid Wolf Mountains, spurs of the Rocky Mountains. We left these hills at the great road leading from the Rocky M'^nntains to California. On the 2d of September, 1851, we were on this highway, trodden by the whites hastening, these latter ; cars, to the gold mines. The road is fine, broad, and perhpj)s the longest in the world. On the track of the emigrant caravans, you ■m •■'.i ^f^4. AND MISSION A RIF:S. >[) can travel easilv fiorn the frontier settlements to tlie Pacific. This immense avenue is like a barn-floor swept by the vjnds. No blade of grass springs up, so unceasingly is it trodden by the feet of thousands of Americans and Europeans hastening to California. Our Indians, who had seen only pathless wastes, crossed at most by a hunter's trail, thought, on be- holding it, that the whole nation of the whites had passed over it, and that the land of the sunrise must be depopulated. They could hardly believe me when I told them that the multitudes who had gone were scarcely missed. Providence has supported my feeble courage, guided my stt.'ps, fructified the seed of the gospel in lands which had not yet received them. After travelling many hundred leagues, I saw what good could be done among these wan- dering tribes, always at war, without consolation in misery, because they scarcely know of the hopes of eternity. With the grace of God, I hope to return next spring with Bishop Miege, the Vicar-Aposlolic. We will be able to found mis- sions f«)r those nomade tribes on a soil fertile enough to sup- port them, and thus removing occasion of war, let civiliza- tion, with the light of the faith, dawn on these wastes. The limits of a journal do not permit me to enter into details on this expedition to the Great Desert, on which I have yet published but one letter ; but I intend to publish more in the Precis Historiques^ published by Rev. E. Tej \ve- coren, at the College of the Society of Jesus, Brussels. Besides a notice on the Mormons, a new sect, dating from 182G, but threatening to ])lay in America the part of the Moslem in Asia, I am preparing notes to develop to Euio- peans the almost unknown state of religion in that vast por- tion of the world, and to leave authentic documents on the rising church of the wild«^rness. 1 will vary these historical details with notes, written in the desert, on geology, WW i ..^i; IB li « 1 ^ m \ 1 ml 1 1 if III 1 I ■ 'I ! 11 t i if ii ; 1 ri 60 WESTEKN MISSIONS zoolijgy, botany, the manners, religion, and language of the Indians. This will show what civilized Europeans are too apt to forget, that Catholicity, by the very force of her missions, contributes to the civilization of nations and the develop- ment of science. The government of the United States knows it, and encourages our labors. The good to be accom plished is in every respect immense. The Catholics and recent converts need priests to preserve the faith, the pagans to learn the good tidings of the gospel. The small number of ministers of the Lord there does not suffice for the four millions of Catholics, and for all the Indians who desire ardently the visit of a Black-gown, to instruct and baptize them. I have come to Europe to appeal to generous hearts. I will express one more desire, and express it frankly. I come, too, to solicit alms. I am not unaware that Belgium is constantly visited by missionaries from America, the Indies, and the East. I am conscious that the benevolent can scarcely satisfy these repeated solicitations. But Europeans cannot conceive the immense want of succors experienced in these countiies, to prevent defections, convert the heathen, form missionaries, establish schools, build churches, &c. Consent, sir, to contribute by your estimable paper, which has elicited so many generous works, to make known this twofold object of my coming to Europe, where I shall prob- ably remain till the close of September. Your obed't serv't, P. J. De Smet. S. J, AND MISSIONARIES. 61 Lette. II. To THE Editor of the Precis Historiques, Brussels. Journey to the Great Desert in 1851. University of St. Louis, Jan. 16, 1852. On the Yth of last June, accompanied by Father Christian Hoecken, I embarked, at this place, on board the steamer St. Ange, to go to the Rock) Mountains. The boat ran to Fort Union, which is about three miles above the mouth of the Kiver Yellow Stone, on the northern side, and about 730 leagues northwest of St. Louis. Several passer.gers, mem- bers of the American Fur Company, set out on the same occasion, intending to repair to the f^ijQferent trading-posts established auiong the Indians of the Upper Missouri. They took with them about eighty men ; these were principally Canadians, some were Americans, some Irish, German, Swiss, and Italians, and several '"'■Francain de France^'' a title which is given them here, to distinguish them from the Franco- Americans. They went in quest of earthly wealth ; Father llcecken and I in search of heavenly treasures — to the con- quest of souls. We had had a wet spring. Up to the moment of our de- parture tlie rain had been excessive ; the snows and ice, which had collected in heaps during the rigorous season of the more northern regions, detaching themselves and dis- solving, in a very short time swelled the thousand and thou- sand tributaries of the mighty Mississippi. These rivers, one 6 62 WKSIERN MISSIONS 1 .; after the other, precipitated their torrents into the ^'■Father of Waters" and so swelled it that it overflowed, rolling its muddy billows from upland to upland, over a surface of eight, fifteen, and in several places of twenty miles in width. No longer knowing any bounds, tlie river, usually so grave and sublime, disappeared. Beneath its waters also vanished the verdure of the smiling plains, the stately forests, and the varied spring-flowers which so delight the eye of the traveller. A vast lake now covered all this space; and the immense volume of water, which went on continually en- hirging, carried ruin and desolation among the numerous habitations which covered the lowlands on either shore. We could see the torrent descending with the violence and rapid- ity of an avalanche, overturning and sweeping every thing with its angry waves. In ordinary times, the sawyers and sand-banks are the principal obstacles to navigation in the western waters ; they had now entirely disappeared, and gave the pilot no anxiety. But other dangers had taken their place ; the whole face of the waters seemed covered with wrecks ; nouses, barns, stables, fences of fields and gardens, were borne away, in confusion, with thousands of uprooted trees — wood piled on the shore and lumber-vards, were all afloat. In the midst of these floating masses, whose dangerous contact we could not always avoid, the St. Ange used her whole power of steam to stem an almost irresistible current. Several times the boat was carried down ; twice, especially, it was a regular contest between the river and the steamer. The latter, for a good quarter of an hour, lay, as if motionless, in the mid.st of the angry waters, but, thanks to the quantity of tar and resin with which her furnaces were charged, she at last triumphed. Amid such fearful dangers, the remembran(,'e of the object li, '■ AND MISSIONARIES. 63 of the missionary's voyage sustains and animates him ; lie knows that he is in the hands of Him wlio can " comiMand the winds and the sea," and that rarely has heaven perkuit- ted that a vessel bearing missionaries should perish. The inundations of the rivers, the continual rains of spring, and the sudden transitions from heat to cold, are, in this climate, sure precursors of malignant fevers. The cholera appears to assume an epidemic type in these regions. Dis- ease, in many forms, soon appeared on board the St. Ange. From the moment of its advent a mournful silence took the place of the rude shouts and boisterous conversations of our travellers. Six days had hardly elapsed from our departure, when the boat resembled a floating hospital. We were 500 miles from St. Louis when the cholera broke out in the steamer. On the tenth, a clerk of the American Fur Com- pany, vigorous, and in the prime of manhood, was suddenly seized with all the symptoms of cholera, and expired after a few hours' illness. The following days several others were attacked with the same malady, and in a short time thirteen fell victims to the epidemic. A bilious attack confined me to my bed nearly ten days. Good Father Hoecken devoted himself to the sick night and day, with a zeal at once heroic and indefatigable. He vis- ited them ; he assisted them in their sufferings ; he prepared and administered remedies; he rubbed the cholera patients with camphor ; he heard the confessions of the dying, and lavished upon them the consolations of religion. He then went and blessed their graves on the bank of the river, and buried them with the prayers and ceremonies prescribed by the Roman ritual. This beloved brother had, naturally, a hardy constitution, and was habituated to a life of privation ; but the journeys and continued labors of the mission among the Indians had greatly weakened it, and his assiduous and 64. WK8TERN MISSIONS fatiguing attentions to the sick completely exhausted him. In vain I warned him, begging him to spare himself; his zeal silenced every other consideration; instead of taking precautions against exposure, he seemed to delight in it. It gave me pain to see him fulfilling this heroic work of charity alone ; but I was in such a state of debility that I was inca- pable of offering him the least help. On the 18th, fears were entertained that my illness was assuming the form of cholera. I requested Father Iloecken to hear my confession and give me extreme unction, but at the very moment he was called to another sick person, who was in extremity. He replied, going, " I see no immediate danger for you ; to- morrow we will see." He had assisted three dying ones that day. Alas ! never shall I forget the scene that occurred some hours later. Father Hoecken's cabin was next to mine. Between one and two o'clock at night, when all on board were calm and silent, and the sick in their wakefulness heard naught but the sighs and moans of their fellow-suflfer- ers, the voice of Father Hoecken was suddenly heard. He was calling me to his assistance. Awaking from a deep sleep, I recognized his voice, and dragged myself to his pil- low. Ah me ! I found him ill, and even in extremity. He asked me to hear his confession : I at once acquiesced in his desire. Dr. Evans, a physician of great experience and of remarkable charity, endeavored to relieve him, and watched by him, but his cares and remedies proved fruitless. I ad- ministered extreme unction : he responded to all the prayers with a recollection and piety which increased the esteem that all on board had conceived for him. I could see him sink- ing. As I was myself in so alarming a state, and fearing that I r"ight be taken away at any moment, and thus share his last abode in this land of pilgrimage and exile, I besought him to hear my confession, if he were yet capable of listen- ■..,,' AND MISSIONARIES. 65 iiig to mc. I knelt, bathed in tears, by the dying couch of my brother in Clirist — of my ftiitliful friend — of my sole coinpaniou in the lonely desert. To him in his agony, I, sick and almost dying, made my confession ! Strength forsook him : soon, also, he lost the power of speech, although he remained sensible to what was passing around him. Resign- iug myself to God's holy will, I recited the prayers of the agonizing with the formula of the plenary indulgence, which the Church giants at the hour of death. Father Hoecljen, ripe for heaven, surrendered his pure soul into the hands of his Divine Redeemer on the 19th of June, 1851, twelve days after our departure from St. Louis. Who would then have foretold it ? So ardent were his desires to labor for the glory of God, that he sighed for the wilderness — he thirsted for the salvation of souls ! Alas ! how many projects annihi- lated ! In any other enterprise it would have proved suffi- cient motive for discontinuing a perilous journey ; but the desire of procuring God's glory endows man with strength that nature denies him. Father Christian Hoecken was born in Upper Brabant, lie was only forty-three years old at his death. The last fifteen years cf his life were passed among the Indians, who had oouceived the most profound veneration for him. He was tdl to them — their father in Christ, their physician in illness, their counsel in difficulties, their sincere and faithful friend. When he could share any thing with his poor neophytes, he rejoiced with all the simplicity of a child. His only conso- lation was to be among them. He was an active instrument in the hands of God to announce his holy word to thousands of pagans. The churches that he bnilt, and the fervent con- gregations of Indians that he collected and formed, attest his fervor, and the apostolic zeal which animated him. His holy death crowned all his labors. A martyr of charity, he 6» ee WESTERN MISSIONS exercised his sacred ministry to his very agony. Sad, but salutary, will ever be the remembrance of that last solenui and aflectinj^ hour. What friends could ever offer, jr take a more touching or more religious farewell ? The passengers were deeply moved at the sight of the lifeless corpse of him who had so lately been " all to all," ac- cording t> the language of the apostle. Their kind f/ither quitted them at the moment in which his services seemed to be ,the most necessary. I shall always remember with deep gratitude the solicitude evinced by the passengers to the reverend father in his dying moments. My resolution not to leave the body of the pious missionary in the desert, was unanimously approved. A decent coffin, very thick, and tarred within, was prepared to receive his mortal renjains : a temporary grave was dug in a beautiful forest, in the vicinity of the mouth of the Little Sioux, and the burial was per- formed with all the ceremonies of the Church, in the even- ing of the 19th of June, all on board assisting. About a month after, on the return of the St. Ango which passed near the venerated tomb, the coffin was ex- humed, put on board of the boat, and transpoited to the Novitiate of the Society of Jesus at Florissant. There re- pose the mortal remains of Father Hoeckeu, with those of his brethren. His death, so precious in the sight of God, saddened the hearts of the passengers, but for many it was a salutary sorrow. A great number had not approached the tribunal of penance during long years; immediately after the funeral, they repaired one after another to my cabin to confess. Five more passengers were also fatally attacked, but re- ceived before expiring the consolations of my ministry. The languor and weakness to which the fever had reduced me, quitted me insensibly : after a lapse of some days I found AND MISSION A RIK8. 67 myself perfectly recovered, so that I was able to celebrate iiuiss on board and devote my whole tiiiie to the sick. As the boat ascended the river and penetrated farther into the country, attaining^ the higher and more open portions of the Indian territory, the epidemic gradually disa{)peared. We could again give a little time to the contemplation of the beauties of the wilderness, to reflections on the future of these interesting solitudes — above all, of their poor, despised inhabitants. I will describe them in my future letters. Tliey will inform you whatever striking or edifying events happened in my relations with the Indians during the long and dangerous journey which I have just terminated. Accept, etc., P. J. De Smet. P. S. — The following notice of the death of Rev. F. Hcnoken, from "The Shepherd of the Valley," a weekly journal, is attributed to His Grace the Archbishop of St. Louis : " The Rev. Father Christian Hoecken, of the Society of Jesus, died of cholera, on board the St. Ange, on the Missouri. Those only who have had the happiness of an acquaintance with the deceased can form any idea of the loss religion has sustained by his death. To the knowledge of several Indian languages he joined a perfect understanding of the manners, prejuc-'ces, and predilections of the savage?. He showed the most dovoted attention to their interests, as well temporal as eternal. He enjoyed a robust conpdtution, united with a great energy of character, w!»ich induced hira to undertake without hesitation any work that seemed likely to redound to an increase of the glory of God. The quali- ties which most distinguished him amid his labors and pri- vations were his admirable frankness, his simplicity, his it 68 WESTERN MISSIONS sound judgment, an ever-joyous and peaceful disposition of mind and heart, and an imperturbable contentment, which the author of this notice has never found to the same degree in any individual. It would be impossible to find a mission- ary more apostolic, and we are convinced that the illustrious Society of which he was a member, counts no more faithful and fervent religious among her children." w fKdi,, AND MISSIONARIES. 69 Letter III. To THE Editor of the Precis Historiques, Brussels. Travels in the Great Desert, 1851. Univeksity of St. Louis, January 18, 1852. The mouth of the river Platte, or Nebraska, is the point of division between the Upper and Lower Missouri. To the early navigators on the river it was a kind of equinoctial, where, as at sea, the Neptunian tribute was exacted of all 2)ork-eat€7'S, as all were styled who vis'ted the desert for the fii>t time. No one could escape. The flat country, or the valley of the Missouri, is covered with dense forests extending from the bank of the river to the hiii'li hills that skirt it on either side for from four to six miles in width. The forests are successively replaced by flourishing cities, fine villages, and thousands of beautiful farms. This alluvial soil is probably unequalled on the earth for the richness of some of ils productions. The Wood is in great demand. As the country is settled and trade becomes more important, steam-mills increase and prepare all kinds of timber and boards; the steamboats, too, con- sume immense quantities of wood. Between the Nebraska and the Wasecha, or Vermillion, f"i' about four hundred miles the forests are vast and beauti- ful, often intersected by rich piairies of turf and verdure. This contrast delights the traveller. Every time be enters 70 wp:stkkn missions the desert lie*cannot refrain from admiring this succession ol forests and plains, this series of hills wliich encircle them and present such a variety of forms, — here and there covered with trees and underwood of a thousand kinds, sometimes rising, bold, rugged cliffs, to the height of one or two hun- dred feet, and then noble plains, ascending gradually, with scattered groves, so pleasing to the sight that art seems to have crowned the work of Nature. We wonder that we do not see farms, barns, and fences. Surely, one just from Europe would think himself on the demesne of some great lord, and would be amazed at not seeing the mansion and its appurtenances. Nature seems to have lavished its gifts on this region ; and without being a prophet, I can predict a future far unlike the past for this desert. The words of the Psalmist will be soon applied — "The earth was created for the abode of man, and to manifest the glory and perfection of the Lord." These plains, naturally so rich and verdant, seem to invite the husbandman to run the furrow, and promise an ample reward to the slightest toil. Heavy forests await the wood- man, and rocks the stone-cutter. The sound of the axe and hammer will echo in this wilderness ; broad farms, with or- chard and vineyard, alive with domestic animals and poul- try, will cover these desert plains, to provide for thick-com- ing cities, which will rise as if by enchantment, with dome and tower, church and college, school and house, hospital and asylum. I speak here principally of the region from the mouth of the river Kansas to that of the Niobrai'ah or Eau qui coule, aiid extending beyond the Black Hills, continuing along their crest to the Rocky Mountains, thence it follows south- wardly the already existing limits of Utah, New Mexico, and '',j I V AND MISSIONARIES. 71 Texas. This region contains several large rivers, with nu- merous tributaries, the principal of which are the Platte, the two rivers just named, and the head-waters of the Arkansas, Osage, and Reji. These present the greatest inducements to civilization. Will not the President of the Republic, like some of his predecessors, pluck some plumes from the Indian eagle, once the emblem of their greatness and power, to place them in the crown composed of the trophies of his administration ? In the limits which I trace he will find an extent of country vast enough to be represented by three or four stars more of the first magnitude, which will enhance the lustre of the galaxy of the flag of the Union. This great territory will hold an immense population, destined to form several great and flourish; '^ States. But, then, what will become of the Indians, who have already come from afar to abide in this land ? What will become of the aborigines, ^vho have possessed it from time immemorial? This is, indeed, a thorny question, awaken- ing gloomy ideas in the observer's mind, if he has followed the encroaching policy of the States in regard to the Indian. I have remarked with pleasure one ray of hope in the future for these poor and wretched tribes. They readily send their children to school ; they make rapid progress in agriculture, and even in several of the most necessary mechanical arts ; they carefully raise poultry and domestic animals. We may then hope that the sad remnant of these numerous na- tions, who once covered America, now reduced to earn their bread in the sweat of their brov/ (for they can no longer ouu^ist by hunting), will find an asylum, a permanent abode, and will be incorporated with all the rights of citizens c{ the Union. It is their only remaining chance of well-being; humanity and ju >tice seein to demand it tor them. If thej li 72 WESTERN MISSIONS ^■1 iiiiii ■' ( ut \ .' 'ill ill are again repelled and banished further inland, they will perish infallibly. The Indians who refuse to submit or ac- cept the definitive arrangement, alone favorable to them, v/ould resume the wandering life of the plains, and close their sad existence as the bison and other animals on which they live, vanish. In the neighborhood of the Mankizitah, or White-earth River, the hills are blackenrid, and evidently owe this ap- pearance to subterraneous fires. The. soil is light and sterile for about a hundred miles; the high hills have little verdure, and the bottom or valley is very narrow. Some of the hills may even be called mountains. The islands of the Missouri are, in general, well wooded, and present on all sides most agreeable views. On some is found the red cedar, the most durable wood of the country, lasting longer than any other when plunged in water or buried in earth. If we except the space between the Nio- bi'arah and Mankizitah, where the low prairies are rare, p/nd where the upland is almost entirely iinwooded, this district has many fine sites, which seem to invite the pioneer, and say, "The time is not far off; here you will raise your cabin and till your field." Coal is also very abundant, and will supply the failure of the forests. From the Mankizitah to the great bend of the Missouri, and thence to Fort Mandan, and even above the mouth of the Yellowstone, on both banks, the country is very fine ; the fertile soil gives most abundant crops. Here and there, on the banks of the great rivers, the forests are pretty fine, while in the upland plains, as you recede from the river, the country is destitute of trees, and even of bushes. In mv visits to the Indian tribes, I have several times trav- ersed the immense plains of \\\p West. I have travelled over various sections, from the frontiers to the Pacific, and 1 frc 1 ail 1 of 1 th 1 ro i wi I-.' hf 1 in i re 1 to it^ th ,1 .4. AND MISSIONARIES. 73 M from the Hudson's Bay territory, along the Saskatchewan and Athabasca, to Great Salt Lake, now the head-quarters of the Mormons. Every time that I have travelled over these plains, I have found myself amid a painful void : Eu- rope's thousands of poor, who cry for bread, and wander without shelter or hope, often occur to my thoughts. "Un- happy poor," T often cry, *' why are ye not here ? Your industry and toil would end your sorrows. Here you might rear a smiling home, and reap in plenty the fiuit of your toil" Yes, this void exists; and when I say it must be fill(.d by an industrious and persevering population, I concur with the experience of all travellers. It would be impossible for me to describe the sombre silence that reigns in this vast desert. You may pass weeks theie, on the march, without meeting a living soul. And Jot we become habituated to it — like it. Solitude seems to give scope to man's intellectual faculties ; the mind seems more vigorous, the thought clearer. It has always seemed to me that when one travels over the plains, he feels more inclined to prayer, meditation, confidence in God, more dis- posed to resign himself into the hands of Hiin who alone is our refuge amid perils, and who alone can provide for all our wants. Doubtless the removal of all bustle and business, the constant dangers to which we are exposed from wild animals and enemies, liable to be met at every step, contribute to this. It has often been remarked that the songs of the birds are moi'e sweet and agreeable here than in the forests of the east. This phenomenon is capriciously attributed to the effects of society. From the scarcity of wood, the birds aie forced to perch on the same tree, or seek the same grove, and thus teach each other. It is commonly supposed that the biids in Europe are better singers than those in America: can this be attributed to any other cause than that just given ? 7 h i s. ^1 ;:ii 11 74 WESTERN MISSIONS If you would have an idea of the topography, vastness, and extent ot" our western plains, imagine P'rance, (iermanv, Belgimn clianijed into one single prairie, along water- courses, and intersected here and there by a wood of sjnall extent, or by a very small forest. You will excuse these little dio'ressions on the localities I have traversed. They will show, witlial, to our unbelievers in Europe, that science and civilization may find their ac- coinit in voyages undertaken for the good of souls and the glory of the Church. And then, too, all these fair and varied objects make us incessantly bless heaven, and say, with the Psalmist, " The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof." At last we reached the Great Bend, where the boat came to land opposite a camp of lantons, a powerful tribe of the Sioux nation. As soon as these Indians perceived us, they broke out into cries of joy, and honored - 'ii L nt;on. The sur\ ivors long r* t.-.ined biack spots. Even during this contagious disease, the Indians retained their old custom of giving a last abode to the dead, by AND MISSIONARIES. 75 placing the body, wrapped in a blanket or buffalo-robe, on scaffolds raised eight or ten feet above the plain. They left them thus exposed to the burning heat of a July sun, the most intense of the year. The pestilential exhalations of these corpses infected the air for miles around. They showed me in their camp a little orphan boy who had been attacked, and who, given up, had been turned out of the lodge in the midst of the night, during a fearful rain, by his adoptive father, a cruel and unfeeling man. lie was still alive in the morning, when a Canadian perceived him, and, like the good Samaritan, carried him to his hut and lavished the most constant care on him. I had the pleasure to see him recovering, and to baptize him. Some days after, I was at Fort Pierre, situated on the shore, south of the Missouri, about 1500 miles above St. Louis, and near the mouth of the Schicah, or Bad River. The influenza had existed for some time in the fort, and a panic had seized many at the news that the small-pox was in the neighborhood, and the cholera on board. In fact, im- mediately after we started, the last broke out and carried off many. The 'Indians, awe-struck at the approach of danger from this implacable scourge, were overjoyed at my presence ; the children of the whites and of the Indians encamped around the fort were presented to me, to the number of eiglity-two, to be regenerated in the holy waters of baptism. The same inquietude reigned at the post of the Arickaras. Some couriers had announced the approach of the boat, and spread alarm by reporting that there were contagious dis- eases on board. But when the people saw that all were well, their fears vanished, and they welcomed the boat with the usual demonstrations on such occasions. Cries of joy burst from two thousand mouths ; volleys of cannon and musketry rolled echoing over the plains. The scene was beautiful and In 1 1 ' .:M ,■•'. i>^ 76 WESTERN MISSIONS imposing. The fort stands on a high hill, nearly a hundred feet above the level of the river. A long row of Indians, in their gayest costumes, their faces daubed with various colors, hned the shore. I had galloped on in advance of the boat, to have time to instruct the half-breeds and Canadians, and baptize all their children. I spent two days among them. A great number of Indians, learning of my arrival at the fort, came to shake hands with me from respect, and to bid me welcome. At the same time they earnestly begged me to grant their little children the same benefit of baptism that I had granted the half-breed children. I yielded to their wishes, in conse- quence of the great danger in which they were. The num- ber of baptisms was about two hundred. Not long after, I heard that the cholera had swept through the village of the Arickaras, and that many of the children had fallen victims. What a consolation, that, by the sacrament, I unlocked the gates of heaven to them ! We now bade farewell to the officers of the fort, to plunge further into the desert. Ere long we passed the Mandan vil- lage, composed of large huts covered with earth. This once numerous nation is now reduced to a few families, the only survivors of the small-pox of 1838. Their village lies 1800 miles above the mouth of the Missouri, two hundred below the mouth of the Yellowstone. Some days after, we stopped at Fort Berthold, to land some goods at the great village of the Minataries, or Osier tribe, nicknamed the Groa Ventres of Missouri. Their cabins are built like those of the Arick- aras and Mandans. Four forks, or rather four forked trees, set in the ground, about twenty feet apart, form a square. These are joined on top by cross-pieces, over which other pieces are laid obliquely, leaving a great opening in the cen- tre, to admit air and give vent to the smoke ; these pieces l:i A AND MISSIONARIES. 77 are woven together with osiers : the whole is covered with hay and earth — not with turf, however. An opening is made on one side to receive the door, which consists of a bison- skin. Before the door is a sort of alley, ten or fifteen feet long, inclosed by pickets, and easily defended in case of attack. In the middle of the lodge, under the upper open- ing which admits the light, a hole about a foot deep is dug to answer as a fireplace. Around the lodge there are beds, one, two, or three feet from the floor, with doe-skins as cur- tains. The whole village is surrounded by a high and strong pallisjide of large trees, squared. The Minataries raise Indian-corn, squashes, beans, and po- tatoes. The other permanent villages on the Missouri are those of the Osages, Omahas, Ponkahs, Pawnees, Arickaras, and Mandans. The Minataries are of the same stock as the Crows, and speak about the same language. They say that they separated in consequence of a dispute between two chiefs, over a bison that both claimed to have killed on a hunt. The great chief of the latter village, called Four Bears, is the most civil and affable Indian that I met on the Missouri. He begged me to baptize his two children and several members of his family. All the children of this tribe had been bap- tized by Rev. Mr. Bellecourt, a zealous and untiring mission- ary of the Vicariate Apostolic of Red River, which is under the jurisdiction of Mgr. Provencher. Rev. Mr. Bellecourt has visited these tribes several times, and met with great suc- cess in disposing them in favor of our holy religion. I learned, to my consolation, that in all probability a mission would be soon established there, with one or two resident priests, under the direction of Mgr. Provencher. The place is admin bly well chosen, and the benefits of religion will easily spread thence among the neighboring 70 * 78 WESTERN MISSIONS nations, such as the Mandans, Arickaras, and Assiniboins. These tribes evince great eagerness to hear the word of God and to be instructed in our lioly faith, wlienever a Cathoho missionary visits them. In Europe, the preachers and cate- chists must use a thousand means to win auditors; here men call priests to instruct them. They are eager for this nour- ishment of the soul, this word of God, iliat so many others despise ! What an awful account of this heavenly benefit must be one day rendered by men of all ages, especially the young, for whom religious teaching abounds in the churches, colleges, and schools of Europe ! On the 14th of July, the steamboat St. Ange reached our destination. Fort Union. This post is situated at 48° N. I had then to make all my preparations av ' take all my pre- cautions for my long journey on land. Yet, withal, I found time to instruct and baptize twenty-nine little children, be- tween Fort Union and Fort William, which are only three miles apart. I said mass daily at the fort, and gave an instruction. Yours, (fee, P. J. De Smet, S. J. iii ^C. AND MI9SIONAR1KH. 79 Letter IV. To THE Editor of the Precis Historiques, Brussels. Journey to the Great Desert in 1851. (continued.) Sir: UMViiKsiTY OF St. Louis, January 20, 1852. The whole forenoon of the 31st of July, the clay on which the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Ignatius, founder of the Society of Jesus, was employed in making preparations for our journey into the interior of the country. Mr. Cul- hertson, superintendent of the forts on the Mississippi and the Yellowstone rivers, is a distinguished man, endowed with a mild, benevolent," and charitable temper, though, if need be, intrepid and courageous. He has always given me marks of kindness and friendship, but most paiticularly in this last tour. Being at the head of our troop, he was able to aid me in my project. We numbered thirty-two persons; the greater part were Assiniboins, Minatarics, and Crows, who were rej)airing to the great Indian council to be held in the vicinity of Fort Laramie, and by the same route that we had chosen, and which was scarcely less than 800 miles in length. Two four-wheeled wagons and two carts, for transporting our pro- visions and our baggage, composed our whole convoy. The four vehicles were in all probability the first that had ever crossed this unoccupied waste. There is not the slightest Y ptible vestige of a beaten track between Fort Union t .") ,iiiil I;. M! 4'. 80 WESTERN MISSIONS '^^ and the Red Buttes, which are on the route to Oregon, and 101 miles west of Fort Laramie. Ilavinij: dined, Ave crossed the river with our baffiraire. Fuilowiiii,' the course of one of the little trilmtaries of the Yellowstone, we advanced about six miles. We had with us a skilful liunter, of the Black-Feet tribe, and he made a li.ippy commencement by bringing us two fine deer as the first fruits of his ability. The mosquitoes attacked us on all sides, leaving us no repose. We were forced to combat them continually with branches, handkerchiefs, and smoke. The last is the most efficacious weapon for dissipating these sanguinary insects, but it is at the same time the most diffi- cult for the traveller to support. Night came on, and brought with it a terrible storm. The thunder rolled above our heads and the clouds discharged torrents of water. On tlie 1st of August, at six o'clock in the morning, we resumed our route. We took all possible precaution to {ivoid meeting any hostile band. The Indians who accom- panied us kept their eyes on the earth to discover any re- cent tracks of an enemy. An extraordinary experience gives them an admirable tact in detecting trails which are imperceptible to others. The foes that our travelling com- panions dreaded most in the section we were about to trav- erse, were the Black-Feet and the Sioux. After breakfast- ing in the neighborhood of the source of the Fox Rivei*, we journeyed from morning till night over hilly and undulating plains, bounded by ranges of hills which stretch fi'om the Yello%vstone to the Missouri. From time to time we descried promontories in the distance, whicli serve as guides to the traveller. .At the close of the day we pitched our camp at the base of the Tetons of the Yellowstone. These Tetons derive their name from a group of lofty hills situated in one of those delightful valleys which are numerous in these ft? ■4. ui6 AND MlftSlONAUIKS. 81 pnrts, and whicli, being siirroundcd by trees and shrubbery of virions kinds, form n most agreeable contrast to the plains that we had just left behind so destitute of wood and water. Wild fruit, such as plums, cherries, gooseberries, sorbs, buf- falo-berries, or Shephrdia anf/elica, abound. Among the vf'getables and roots we noticed the Psoralea eaculeiita, or Ihvadroot : its white apple, and its charming white, oval blos- som, nearly three inches in circumference, is universally found in this uncultivated solitude, and would deserve a place in a garden of choice plants; the savages value it highly. The wild onion and the sweet onion bear handsome flowers;^ these plants would undoubtedly improve with culture. The roots of the water-arrow (Safjittaria rif/kfa)^ and those of the wild Lily of the Valley [Convullaria horealis)^ are equally prized by the Indians, who call them Swan potatoes. Teaiuits are also a delicious and nourishing root, found com- monlv in low and alluvial lands. The above-named roots form a considerable portion of the sustenance of these In- dians during winter. They seek them in the places where the mice and other little animals, in particular the ground- squirrel, have piled them in heaps. The musquitoes tormented us greatly during the day. They especially worried our horses and mules, which were literally covered with them. For us, we had taken measures against their attacks by covering our heads with sacks formed of coarse gauze. The distance between the Tetons and Fort Union is about eighty miles. We saw very few deer, and from time to time an antelope or buck was roused from repose and fled at our approach. Traces of several kinds of bear, especially the grizzly bear, are very common ; the latter are found in the woody places and along the streams and rivulets. We suc- ceeded in killing three, not without great eflbrt and danger. lir 82 WESTERN MISSIONS Our hunter brought us two fine, fat antelopes, whieli were soon dressed and served up for our supper. One of tlie In- dians killed a skunk [Miqihitis Americana). The strong odor of this animal is intolerable to the wliites; the savages, on the contrary, appear to like it, and deem its flesh exquisite. How true is the proveib : De gustihus non dispufaudum ! — there is no accounting for tastes. On the 2d of August we set out at break cf day, and were fanned by a refreshing breeze. The country through which we progressed was full of interest : the valleys were ^covered wiih a luxuriant verdure, intermingled with flowers of various hues. Groves of cotton- wood, elm, and ash, as Avell as groups of service-trees and cherry-trees, offered themselves along the beds of dry rivers and streamlets. We ascended, step by step, the hills which separate t!)e waters of the Missouri from thobe of the Yellowstone, like so many insuperable barriers furrowed with profound ravines. We triumphed over these obstacles with great difficulty, and at length attained tlie summit of the hiils. There a most mag- nificent spectacle unrolled itself before our eyes. Nature lias accumulated in this spot a great variety of her most fan- tastical caprices. On one side is displayed a succession of beautiful prairies, here and there interrupted with gi'oves of stunted trees and shrubs, and terminating in verdant hills dotted with groups of cedar and pine; on the other are shapeless heaps of red and white clay and piles of stones, which, viewed at a distance, resemble brick-kilns, from their peculiar color: although thrown together without any appa- rent order, they add much interest to the landscape. The region through which we passed for several days fur- nished evident proofs that it has been strongly volcanic, eveji at a verv recent date, for the surf-ice is still covered with lava and scorife. I counted as many as seventy conical hills, AND MISSIONARIES. 83 from twenty to a Imndred feet in heiglil, grouped in one sin- j^ie plain and in the space of from four to five miles: tlicy had evidently gone through the ordeal of fire. Some of these hills were composed of cinders tliat the earth in her fiery convulsions appeared to have vomited from her centre. Several times, after having gained some miles on the heights, Ave found ourselves suddenly facing an almost perpendicular descent, formed of rock and white clay, down which we had to let our vehicles by hand. We llu n entered into a chain of valleys and fertile praij'ies watered by springs and rivulets, and embellished with the cotton-wood, elm, ash, cedar, and pine; in other places the summits of the hills are lemark- ahie for their beauty, and the rich undulr^ing plains for their abundant verdui'e. On the fourth day of our march we descried thousands of bison ; the whole space between the Missouri raid the Yel- lowstone was covered as far as the eye could reach. Hith- erto the musquitoes had greatly tormented us, but now they entirely vanished. We sought the cause of this phenome- non. The Indians told us that the absence of our winijed enemies was owing to the prodigious number of buffaloes which weie grazing in the neighboring plains, and which at- tracted these insects. In fact, we saw these noble animals throwing the earth on their bodies by lueans of their horns and feet, or rolliiig themselves in the sand and dust, and thus filling the air with clouds, in the endeavor to rid themsi Ives of their vexatious followers. The lot of these animals ap- peared bad enough, for they were pursued day and night. During a whole week we heard their bellow i tigs like the noise of distant thpnder, or like the murmurs of the ocean- waves beating a'^ain^l the shore. It mav be said tliat it is the country in \/hich the buffalo and lierds of deer are yvn- erally found in the greatest abundance. A good hunter 84 WESTERN MISSIONS. iiiiglit easily kill here, in the course of a day, several co\vf>, deer, a mountain-goat, a I'ed-tailed and a black-tailed buck, an antelope, hares, and rabbits. lie might fire twice upon a grizzly bear, and perhaps meet a gray and a silver fox. To this list of animals we may add the beaver, otter, badger, prairie-dog, and several kinds of wild fowl, principally pheas- ants and grouse. It is easy to see that our hunters possess the power of selecting a repast. In truth, we regaled our- selves with what was most delicate, and left a great quantity of tlesh in the plains for the benefit of the vultures and wolves, whose bowlings and rejoicings already resounded on every side. An Ass: nboin gave us a singular proof of his dexterity in the chase ; I cannot forbear mentioning it. Alone and on foot, he stealthily approached a large herd of bison cows. As soon as he was near enoui>h to them to allow o\' their hearing him, he began to imitate the cry of a young calf. At once the ccws lan towards the place of concealment of the ingenious hunter, and he killed one of them. The troop, alarmed, withdrew hastily and in gieat disoider. lie re- loaded his rifle and renewed his cr}^ ; the cows stopped, re- turned as if by enchantment, and he killed a second. The Assiniboin assured us that he could easilv have taken more by the same stratageiu, but thinking two cows were enough for us, he sufi^red the rest to go. Travellers in these upper regions enjoy an excellent appe- tite. I have been mure than once astonished at the enor- mous quantity of meat that a man is capable of consuming without injury to his health ; it would hardly be credited in Europe. One and even two buffalo-tongues, a »ide of veni- son or other meat, an MISSIONARIES. 87 ing soil infect tlie atinosp lero for several iniles, and render the eartl) so barren that even the wild wormwood cannot grow on it. The beaver-hnnters have assnred nie, that the underground noises and explosions are often frightful. How- ever, I think that the most extraordinary spot in this respe-it, and perhaps the most marvellous of all the northern half of this continent, is in the very heart of the Rocky Mountains, .^ between the 43d and 45th degrees of latitude and 109th and null degrees of longitude, that is, between the sources of tliH Madison and Yellowstone. It I'eaches more than a hun- d'ed miles. Bituminous, sulphurous, and boiling springs^ are verv numerous in it. The hot springs contain a large quantity of calcareous matter, and form hills more or less elevated, wliich resemble in their nature, perhaps, if not in their extent, the famous springs of Pemboukkalesi, in Asia Minor, so well described by Chandler. The earth is thrown up very high, and the influence of the elements causes it to take the most varied and the most fantastic shapes. Gf.s, vnpor, and smoke are continually escaping, by a thousand openings, from the base to the summit of the vol(!anic pile ; the noise at times resembles the steam let off bv a boat. Strong subterranean explosions occur like those in " Colter s Hcliy The hunters and the Indians speak of it with a su- perstitious fear, and consider it the abcnle of evil spirits, that is to say, a kind of hell. Indians seldom approach it with- out offering some sacrifice, or, at least, without pi-esenting the Jumet of peace to the turbulent spirits, that they nuiy h« ])iopitious. They declare that the subterranean noises proceed from the forging of warlike weapons: each eruption of ea! th is, in their eyes, the result of a combat between the uitvrnal spirit ■•, and l>econies the monument of a new victory or .alaniitv. NVar Gardiner River, a tiibutarv of the Vd- lowstone, and in the vicinity of the region 1 have just been m 88 WESTERN MISSIONS describing, there is a mountain of sulphur. I have this re- port from Captain l^ridger, who is familiar with every one of these mounds, having passed thirty years of his life near them. From the Owl Buttes, where we encamped on the 7th of August, to the source of the Immel, a distance of nearly thirty miles, we travelled on the highlands. The surface was rugged, cut by deep ravines, and excessively difficult to pass with our vehicles. At every step ""» met volcanic re- mains. For two days our route ottered on the right and left burnt hills, some of which were covered with lava and sco- riae, and had evidently been craters, whence volcanic matter had been ejected into the neighboring plain. At the decline of he same dav, we were witnesses of a singularly beautiful phenomenon. The moon was surround- ed by four circles ; the first was of a beautiful azure, the second a rich purple, and the third white, while the fourth was obscure or black. In the midst of all these circles the queen of night shone brilliantly. The savages augured from tljis sign, that some hostile band was near, and passed the whole night in arms, watching. On the 10th we quitted the highlands and advanced about twenty miles, over a barren, rugged space, excavated by rains. A kind of salamander, vulgarly called " horned frog," lizards, and rattlesnakes, were most abundant. I give you the information I gathered from the Indians concerning the antidotes they emj)loy for curing the bite of the last-named reptile. Blackroot [Pterocaidon) is regarded by them as a sovereign remedy against the wound inflicted by this most venomous serpent, and Providence has rendered it very plen- tiful, precisely in those places in which these snakes are found. The remedy is truly side by side with the ill — for it is sufficient to chew the weed and apply it to the wound, AND MISSIONARIES. 89 wlien the swelling is arrested and disappears. When an In- dian, his iiorse, or his dog, has been bitten by one of these serpents, they pursue the reptile, which dies almost directly utier havino- given its bite. They open its stomach, take out the blood that it has swallowed and a])ply it to the wound; the swelling subsides at once, and the dangerous ttfects of the poison are prevented. When the swelling is considerable, the Indians use the sharp bones and the teeth of the rattlesnake to pick and open the swollen skin, and by this means they dissipate or remove the inflammation. The copperhead-snake has a poison so subtle, that its breath alone causes death to him who inhales it. Its tongue is not forked like that of other snakes ; it is of a triangular shape. When the reptile is startled and provoked, his head flattens, and he throws from his mouth a great quantity of yellow poison, and then blows till he expires. On the 11th we arrived at the upper portion of a gently sloping plain. Having crossed it, we found ourselves at Fort Alexander, situated on the banks of the Yellowstone, and at a short distance from the little river Rosebud. Fort Alex- ander is one hundred miles distant from Fort Union. The winter, it is said, is extremely severe in these regions, com- mencing in November, and only terminating in the month of April. Accept, &c., P. J. I>ir. Smet, S. J. 8« M I I 90 WESTERN MISSIONS fill Letter V. To THE Editor of the Precis Historiques, Brussels. Ui St. Louis, Jan. 24, 1852. Jniversity After remaining six days at Fort Alexander, allowing our animals time to repose, and also awaiting the arrival of a barge belonging to the American Fur Company, which was freighted with some of our eftects, we passed over the Yellowstone on the I7th of Auirust, at about two o'clock. We passed over a high and very level plain : for a distance of five miles the soil is light, sandy, and entirely covered with green toads, as the voyageurs call different kinds of cactus — plants that are noted for the splendor of their flowers, and for their grotesque and varied shapes. The round and the oval, about the size of a hen's agg, abound in this plain, and are set with long thorns, hard, and as fine and sharp as needles. When trampled by the horses' feet, these thorns spring up and adhere to the legs and belly of the animals, and thus render them furious and unmanaofeable. We soon arrived in Rosebud Vallev, and continuing our route until sunset, we encamped on the borders of a little river bearing the same name, and quite near a beautiful pond, over which a new dam had been constructed by the beavers. This section of the c< ntry off'ered us frequent occasions of admiring the hibors aii ingenious industry of these in- telligent animals. They are more numerous here than in any other district I have visited, and I am told that their presl 1 sion: alii ■« hull '1 % part that Cro this Thi % AND MISSIONARIES. 91 preservation is chiefly attributable to the continual excur- sions of war-parties, either Sioux, Assiniboins, or Black-Feet, all implacable enemies of the Crows, and these prevent the huntsman and the savages from hazarding a chase in these parts. At present, the fur of the beaver is of so little value that their search is almost abandoned. In ancient times the Crows held the beaver in the highest veneration, because this nation imagined that they became beavers after death. This article of their creed entailed the loss of his scalp to many a bold huntsman among the whites, for every Crow Indian considered himself bound to protect, defend, and avenge, even with death, the spirits of his near relations, in their second state of existence. During late years this dog- ma of faith has been erased from their religious code, to the groat detriment certainly of the poor beavers. Such super- stitious will never wholly disappear until the Catholic faith enlightens these wilds, over which the darkness of paganism still hangs. For four days we continued ascending the valley of the Rosebud, about one hundred miles, as high as the sources of the river. There again we found the soil light and sandy ; it was covered with wild rose-bushes, cactus, and artemisia of several varieties, and intersected with ravines which were exceedingly difficult to be crossed with baggage-wagons. The shores of this river relieve the eye with an occasional group of cotton-wood, intermingled with plum, cherry, and service trees, which thrive here in undisturbed plenty. The Little Wolf Mountains, whose rivulets give rise to the Rosebud River, have in general a charming appearance in their hills and acclivities — and in their combined aspect as a whole chain. The absence of water, especially of spring- water, is a painful privation to travellers in this season of the year. We found, indeed, some holes of stagnant water, 1 i 92 WESTERN MISSIONS in the dry bctls of the rivers, but the taste is almost insup- portable. The butfalo-lierds are less numerous here tha!J in the lands lying further north, owing no doubt to bands of warriors that roam over the space. Yet we perceived at every moment large troops of stags, and a great many deer and mountain-sheep. We remarked recent traces of enemies — such as the slain carcasses of very dangerous wild animals, the impress of human feet in the sand, concealed encamp- ments, and half-quenched fires. Consequently we redoubled our vigilance, iu order to avoid a perilous surprise. A beau- tiful chiefs-coat, of scarlet cloth, and trimmed with gold lace, suspended from the branch of a tree, was perceived waving in the air like a floating banner. There was a race to win the prize; an Assiniboin having carried it otf, it was most carefully scrutinized. The conclusion was, that it had been offered only the day before by some Black-Foot chief. These Indians, when on the war-path, frequently make such offerings either to the sun or to the moon, hoping thus to render them propitious, so that through their intervention they may obtain many scalps and horses. The most precious objects which they possess and which they esteem most, are often thus sacrificed. The Mandans, the Arickaras, and their neighbors, go still further : they cut off fingers, and make deep incisions in the fleshy parts of the body before starting for war, in order to obtain the same favors of their false gods. On my last visit to these Riccaries, Minataries, and Mandans, I could not discern a single man at all advanced in years whose body was not mutilated, or who possessed bis full number of fingers. How profound their ignorance i How fearful the idolatry in which these unhappy tribes are plunged ! To this sombre picture we may add a passionate love of gaming, which consumes the hours which should be devoted to necessary repose ; a sloth which nothing but hun- tui AND MISSION AKIKS. 03 fjor can arouse ; an innate inclination to dissimulation, glut- tony, and to whatever can flatter sensuality. A»id still, amid this ocean of miseries, they foel an indeseribable need of invoking a power supciior to man : they listen attentively to any instruction wliicli I'eveals to them the means of pro- curing his favor, and give them information of his attributes. Thny lov(^ the missionary, and ever listen to him with de- light; and in his quality of priest receive him with friend- ship and respect. To judge by the I'cspect and friendship sliown me as a priest, on all occasions and circumstances, by ilu- Indiaiis on the Upper Missouri, I am satisfied that if a few z«^'ilous priests were stationed here, they would soon be- come generous Christians, full of zeal and ardor for the glory of our God and his holy law. " They would know tlu'ir Father who is in hea\en, and Ilim wliom lie has sent on earth ;" they would become faithful disciples of the Redeem- er, who so ardently desires the salvation of all, and who did not disdain to shed his blood for them on the cross. On the 22d of August we quitted the valley of the Rose- bud, and crossed the mountainous train which separates it from Tongue Ri ^er. The crest of this chain presents a con- tinuation of sandotone clitFs, under a multitude of varied and fantastical shapes. The sides are almost perpendicular, and consequently very difficult to ascend or descend with our wagons. The aia of every arm was necessary to sustain the teams. For several days we had to camp by a pond filled with disgusting water. How agreeable the contrast to find ourselves on the borders of this beautiful river, the waters of which are pure as crystal ! How eagerly did we allay our I'uniing thirst! The horses and mules appeared to rejoice, neighing and reanng v.ith impatience; as soon as their bri- dles Were loosened, they plunged into the waves and in- dulged ill loi'i>- draughts. When the whole caravan had 1ft A^ N^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) & // f/. ^ 1.0 IJi 11.25 mm ^ Mi ■ jn r - I- ^U4 Photographic ^Sciences Corporation 'd'i WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. I4SS0 (716) •72-4S03 4^n Z 6^ 94 WESTERN MISSIONS h 1 assuaged their thirst, we continued our route. We traversed an uny which they transport ihemst-lves and their lodges, vv«.*ie tilled with adiiiiralioii on seeing tiiis noble liighway, \vlii(.'h is as smooth as a barn-tloor swe[)t by the winds, and not a blade of grass can slioot on it on account of the continual passing. They conceived a high idea of th(f countless White Nation^ as tliey express it. They fan- cied that all had gone over tliat road, and that an immense voitl must exist in the land of the rising sun. Their coun- tenances testified evident incredulity when 1 told them that their exit was in nowise perceived in the laiids of the whites. They styled the route the Great Medicine Road of the Whiten. The term medicine is applied by tliem to whatever they find grand, religious, mysterious, or incomprehensible. They visited and examined in detail all the forsaken camp- ing-grounds on tlie way ; they brought a great variety of objects to me to have their use and signiticaticm explained ; they filled their pouches with knives, forks, spoons, basins, coti'ee-pots, and other cooking articles, axes, hammers, etc. With the bits of eartlien ware which bore any figure or in- scription, they fabricated so.ne ornament for their necks and ears. How wonderful will be the accounts given of the Great Medicine Road by our unsophisticated Indians when they go back to their villages, and sit in the midst of an ad- miring circle of relatives. But these relics collected by our savage friends were not the sole vestiges of the great multitude of emigrants who, in search of gold, had crossed this vast plain with a rare courage and unheard-of fatigues and difficulties. The bleached bones of domestic animals disseminated profusely along the route; the rising mou'.d hastily made over the grave of a parent or a friend deceased during the long jour- ney, and the tribute oflfered to memory in a coarse and AND MISSIONARIES. 99 rudely-carved inscription on a narrow strip of board or on a stone, with other graves which offered no such testimonial of affection, furnisli ample and melancholy proofs that death had considerably thinned their ranks. By such disasters thousands of emigrants have found themselves suddenly ar- rested, and been mocked in the flattering hope of wealth and pleasure. The countless fragments of conveyances, the heaps of pro- visions, tools of every kind, and other objects with which the emigrants must have provided themselves at great ex- pense, but which the most impatient, eager to outstrip others in the Western Eldorado, had forsaken and cast aside, testify to that bold recklessness with which they hazard every thing in this enterprise which has proved fatal to thousands. The picture traced by Thornton in his Journal of 1848, is the most shocking that can be contemplated. Arrived in the arid lands of California, the famine had at first reduced them to eating their horses and mules; soon they had recourse to dead bodies ; then the dying were not spared, and at last they actually devoured each other! What a salutary proof of the uncertainty that accompanies the grandest perspectives in the life of man, and of the de- ceptions that unveil to him his native weakness ! We followed the great road south of the Platte to the foot of the Great Black Hills. On this road we found our- selves relieved from those obstacles which had so often en- dangered our vehicles and our animals. After eight days' journey along the Platte, we arrived at Fort Laramie without the least trouble or accident. The commander of the fort informed us that the Great Council was to take place at the mouth of Horse River, in a vast plain situated nearly thirty- five miles lower down on the Platte. The next day I ac- cepted the polite invitation of the respected Col. Campbell, '% 100 WESTERN MISSIONS and took a seat in bis carriage. We arrived at the plain of the intended council about sunset. There the supenntend- ent, Col. M. Mitchell, received me with warm friendship and cordiality, and insisting that I should become his guest dur- ing the whole time of the council. AH the others showed me great respect. In this immense plain above-mentioned, we found about a thousand lodges, that is to say, ten thousand Indians, representing Sioux, Sheyennes, and Rapalios, with several deputations from the Crows, Snakes, or Soshonies, Arickaras, Assiniboins, and Minataries. I purpose entertaining you in my next with the object of the council, and of my inter- views with the Indians. Accept, etc., P. J. De Smet, S. J. P. S. — I subjoin a list of the animals killed oy our hunt- ers from the 1st of August till the 9th of September, 1851 : 2 deer, 11 antelopes, 37 bison cows, 22 bulls, 3 bears, 2 stags, 7 Rocky-Mountain sheep, 2 badgers, 2 polecats, 1 porcupine, 1 wolf, 17 hares and rabbits, 13 ducks, 18 heathcock, 16 pheasants. ▲ND lilSSIONASIES. 101 Letter VI. To THE Director of the Pk^gis Historiques, Brussels. Journey to the Great Desert in 1851. Universitt of St. Louis, January 26, 1852. During tb^ eighteen days that the Great Council lasted, the union, harmony and amity that reigned among the Indians were truly admirable. Implacable hatreds, heredi- tary enmities, cruel and bloody encounters, with the whoie past, in fine, were forgotten. They paid mutual visits, smoked the calumet of peace together, exchanged presents, partook of numerous banquets, and all the lodges were open to strangers. A practice occurring but on the most amicable and fraternal occasions was seen — this is, the adopting of children and of brothers on each side. There was a perfect unanimity of views between Col. Mitchell, superintendent of the Indian Territory, and Major Fitzpatrick, and nothing was omitted to foster these germs of peace. The object of the assembly was a distinguished proof of the highest benevolence on the part of the United States Government, as well as of the sincere desire of establishing a lasting peace among tribes hostile to each other, and of obtaining a right of passage through their possessions for the whites, and making the Indians compensation for hijuries and losses the latter may have sustained from the whites. At the opening of the council, the superintendent made known to the savages that the object of the assembly was 90 102 Wi<»TRKN MISSIONS n 11 :m ^ii'iff the acceptation by them of the treaty, such as it had been prepared beforehand, with the consent of the l^resident of the United States. This treaty was read sentence by sen- tence, and distinctly explained to the different interpreters, that they might have the exact and legitimate meaning of each article. The preamble explains that it is a treaty between the agents named on one side by the President of the United States, and on the other by the chiefs or braves of the Indian nations that reside south of the Missouri, east of the Rocky Mountains, and north of the boundary line of Texas and Mexico, viz.: The Sioux or Dacotahs, the She- yennes, the Arapahos, the Crows, the Minataries, the Mandans, and Arickaras. The principal articleswere : Art. 1st. — The Indians recognize and admit the right of the United States to furm roads and establish military posts in their terr*^'" Art. 2d. — Solemn obligations agreed upon for the tenance of peace, and for repairing the damages and losses sustained by the whites on the part of die Indians. Art. Sd. — Indemnity accorded to the Indians for the destruction caused in their hunting-grounds, their forests, pasturages, etc., by travellers from the States who cross their lands. The present of $50,000 is granted to them on this ground. Art. 4th. — During fifteen coming years, $50,000 will be annually paid in objects and gifts which may prove useful or necessary to the Indians. The treaty was signed by the agents of the United States, and by all the principal chiefs of the different nations who were present. Another treaty in favor of the half- breeds and the whites residing in the country was proposed, to-wit : That a tract of country be assigned them for their use, in order to form agricultural establishments and colonies, and that they should obtain the assistance of the Govern- ment of the United States in the execution of their project. ill AND MISSION A RUS. 103 to This 18 the sole moans of prcsorvin*,' union among all tliose wandering and scattered families, which boconu' every year more and more numerous, and of establi>hing them in ouo or two colonies, with dmrches and scliouls, fur their general instruction and wvll-being. With a few exceptions, all the half-breeds are baptized and received as chihlren of the Church. During twenty vears they have petitioned to have Catholic priests, and have manifested their good-will to meet the wants of their mission- aries, and to maintain them. If ecclesiastical superiors are not aided to make timely provision, it is to be feared that the care of these new colonies will pass under the direction of men who will spare no exertion to extinguish iu the hearts of the courageous and simple p'ople the germs of faith, and the good wishes they entertain in favor of our holy religion. The question, ^ SJuill they have priests P^ involves the salva- tion of several thousand souls. It must be scon decided ; it is already agitated, and unless Catholic missionaries arc sent there, I repeat it, it is to be feared that persons hostile to the true faith may take possession of the ground. On the second Sunday of September, Feast of the Exalta- tion of the Cross, three days after my arrival, some lodges of burtalo-hides were arranged and ornamented as a sanctu- ary, on the plain of the Great Council. Under this tent I had the happiness of offering the Holy Sacrifice, in presence of all the gentlemen assisting at the council, of all the half- bloods and whites, and of a great concourse of Indians. After my instruction, twenty-eight children (half-bloods), and five adults, were regenerated in the holy waters of baptism, with all the ceremonies prescribed by the Church. The Canadians, French, and half-breeds who inhabit the Indian territory, treat all the priests who visit them with great kinduesSi attention, and respect. It is truly afflicting f 104 WESTKKN MI88ION8 i II to iTic'ot them in this wihlorness, like so many strayed sheep. By the zealous (sfforts of two good clergymen, fine missions could be founded nmoiig tln-nj — those would furnish cate- chists, and these latter would labor in concert with the priests for the conveision of so many bcjiighted pagans, who wander forsaken in the deserts, aud destitute of religious hope and consolation. During the two weeks that I passed in the plain of the Great Council, I paid frequent visits to the different tribes and bands of savages, accompanied by one or more of their interpreters. These last were extremely obliging in devoting themselves to my aid in announcing the gospel. The Indians listened eagerly to my instructions. Each time that I addressed them concerning the particular vices which I knew reigned among them, tliey owned their faults with admirable simplicity and candor, free from all human respect. Dunng an instruction in the camp of the Ogallallahs, a Sioux tribe, in which I explained to them the ten commandments, when I arrived at the sixth and seventh, a general whispering and embarrassed laugh took place among my barbarous auditory. I inquired the reason of this conduct, and explained to them that the law I came to announce to them was not mine, but God's, and that it was obligatory on all the children of men ; that the word of God required all their attention and respect : that those who observe his commandments will have eternal life, while the prevaricators of his holy law shall receive hell and its torments as their lot. The great chief at once rose and replied : " Father, we hear thee ; we knew not the words of the Great Spirit, and we acknowledge our ignorance. We are great liars and thieves ; we have killed ; we have done all the evil that the Great Spirit foibids us to do; but we did not know those beautiful words ; in future we will try to live better, if thou wilt but stay with us and teach us." AND MIBmOMAUIES. 105 They besought me to oxphiiii baptism to them, as several of lliem had been present when 1 baptized the half-blood children. I conjplied with their request, and gave them a lengthy instruction on its blessings and obligations. All then entreated me to grant this favor to their infants. The next day the ceremony took place ; 239 children of the Ogallallahs (the first of their tribe) were regenerated in the holy waters of baptism, to the great joy and satisfaction of the whole nation. I held daily conferences on religiou, sometimes with one band of Indians, sometimes v i'.h another. They all listened with great attention, and unanimously expressed the wish to be supplied with Catholic mibsionaries. Among' the Kapahos, I baptized 305 little ones ; among the Sheyennes, 263 ; and among the Brules and Osage Sioux, 280 ; ia the camp of the Painted Bear, 50. The number of the lialf-bloods that I baptized in the plaiu of the Great Council and on the liiver Platte, is 61. In the different forts on the Missouri, I baptized, during the months of June and July last, 392 children. Total number of baptisms, 1586. A great number died shortly after, in consequence of diseases which reigned in the Indian camps. I witnessed, for the first time, a singular rite, to which the Sheyennes attach as much importance as the Asiatic tribes do to circumcision ; this is the " ear-cutting of the children." This custom appears to be common among all the tribes of the Upper Missouri, and probably in other places, though there may be perhaps some variety in the form of the cere- mony. Among the Sheyennes, the mother chooses the operator, and puts the knife into his hands. She extends the child on the skin of some animal, carefully prepared and painted, and which the Canadians call pare Jleche. While one of the relations or friends holds the infant in a quiet pos- ture, the operator makes five incisions in the rim of each ear. rur ijiii is. 106 WESTERN MISSIONS These incisions are destined to receive and carry ornaments. Ihe mother makes a present of a horse to the operator, and another present to each one of the assistants. In the same place, rudely arranged for the occasion, and composed of six lodges, each lodge consisting of twenty hides of bison cow, we witnessed another ceremony. The So- shonies, or Snake Indians, had scarcely quitted the Rocky Mountains to repair to the Great Council, when they were pursued and attacked by a party of Sheyennes, who killed two of their men, and carried away their scalps. The She- yennes must pay, or " cover the body," which is a satisfaction required by the savages on such occasions, before they can accept the calumet of peace, or smoke it together. On this day the principal braves of the Sheyenne nation, and forty warriors of the Soshonies, were assembled. Several orations were delivered as preliminaries of peace. Then followed a feast, of which all partook. It consisted simply of corn, crushed and thoroughly boiled. The dogs were spared this time, for the Soshonies are an exception to the common rule among the Indians ; that is, they never eat dog-flesh. The feast over, the Sheyennes brought suitable presents of tobacco, blankets, knives, pieces of red and blue cloth, and deposited them in the centre of the circle. The two scalps were also exposed, and then returned to the brothers of the two wretched victims, who were seated at the head of the circle, between the two chiefs of their nation. The brothers were solemnly assured that the " scalp-dance"* did not take place. They wore, however, a very sombre air, * This ceremony, which is an essential condition, consists of dances and songs. Tlie hitter recount all the exploits of the braves. The ceremony is renewed every day, and often lasts several weeks. Women, old and young, as well as children, can take part ; and, in fact, tho women make most noise and exertion. AND MISSIONARIES. 107 and on accepting the scalps were deeply affi'cted. How- ever, they embraced the murderers, received the donations, and distributed the larger })ortion of them to their compan- ions. After this, the usual signs of peace and amity, presents and reciprocal adoptions of children, were intercliaiiged ; their orators employed all their eloquence to strengthen the good-feeling which appeared to reign in the assembly, and to render it lasting. The next night the Sheyeunes visited the lodges of the Soshonies, who were encamped beside my little tent. Songs and dances were prolonged till daylight, and prevented me from sleeping. These amusements among the Indians are perfectly innocent. I have never been able to detect the slightest gesture that could oflfend modesty. During my waking hours that night I reflected on the excel- lent dispositions of these pagans, and thought, could the clergy of Europe but know them, they would eagerly hasten hither to gladden our Holy Mother, the Church, with thou- sands of new children. During this assembly, as on other occasions, I frequently remarked the skill and facility with which the Indians com- municate their ideas by signs and gestures. Their move- ments are highly expressive, and appear to be reduced to a language as perfect and communicable as that of the deaf and dumb among us. By means of these signs an Indian will relate the chief events of his life. This mute speech may be styled a language of precaution and defence, for when they meet in the desert, in their excursions, they make signs while yet very far apart, before they approach. Tlu-y immediately know with whom th(.'y have to deal, and of what there is in question. They have, however, still more remarkable modes of comnmnicating thought. The large figures displayed on their but!alo-robes are hieroglyphics, as easily understood by an intelligent Indian as written words 1U8 WESTERN MISSIONS Mm': are by ourselves ; and they often contain the narrative of some important event. This is not, however, because words are wanting in their various dialects, which are quite copious and expressive. I attended the council from the outset to the close. As I have already stated, ten thousand Indians, belonging to dif- ferent tribes, many of which had been at war from time im- memorial, met on the same plain. During the twenty-three days of the assembly there was no disorder : on the contrary, always peaceable and tranquil, which is saying much for Indians. They seemed all to form but a single nation. Po- lite and kindly to each other, they spent their leisure hours in visits, banquets, and dances; spoke of their once intermi- nable wars and divisions as past things, to be absolutely for- gotten, or "buried," according to their expression. There was not a remark in all their conversations to displease ; never did the calumet pass in peace through so many hands. To convey an idea of the importance of this action, I must observe, that smoking the calumet together is equivalent to a treaty confirmed by oath, which no one can contravene without dishonoring himself in the eyes of all his tribe. It was really a touching spectacle to see the calumet, the Indian emblem of peace, raised heavenward by the hand of a savage, presenting it to the Master of life, imploring his pity on all his childiun on earth, and begging him to confirm the good resolutions which they had made. Notwithstanding the scarcity of provisions felt in the camp before the wagons came, the feasts weie numerous and well attended. No epoch in Indian annals, probably, shows a greater massacre of the canine race. Among the Indians the flesh of the dojr is the most honorable and esteemed of all viands, especially in the absence of bison and other ani- mals. On the present occasion it was a last resource. The f ' AND MISSION A KIES. 109 carnage then raay be conceived. I was invited to several of these banquets ; a great chief, in particular, wished to give me a special mark of his friendship and respect for me. He had filled his great kettle with little fat dogs, skins and all. He presented me, on a wooden platter, the fattest, well boiled. I found the meat really delicate, and I can vouch that it is preferable to sucking-pig, which it nearly resembles in taste. The Indians regaled me several times with a dish highly esteemed among them. It consists of plums, dried in the sun, and afterwards prepared with pieces of meat, like a stew. I must own that I found it quite palatable. But hear what I learned subsequently, as to their manner of preparing it. When an Indian woman wishes tD preserve the plums, which grow in profusion here, she collects a great quantity, and then invites her neighbors to her lodge to pass an agreeable afieruoon. Their whole occupation then consists in cliuttiiig and sucking the stones from the plums, for they keep only the skins, which, after being sun-dried, are kept for ffiaud occasious. The wagons containiug the presents destined by the gov- ernment to the Indians, reached here on the 20th of Sep- tember. The safe arrival of this convoy was an occasion of general joy. Mauy were in absolute destitution. The next day the wagons were unloaded and the presents suitably arranged. The flag of the United States floated from a tall Btiift' before the tent of the superintendent, and a discharge of cannon announced to the Indians that the division of the presents was about to take place. Without delay, the occu- pants of the various camps flocked in, — men, women, and children, — in great confusion, and in their gayest costume, daubed with paints of glaring hues, and decorated with all the gewgaws they could boast. They took the respective 10 110 WESTERN MISSIONS places assigned to each particular band, thus forming an im- mense circle, covering several acres of land, and the mer- chandise was displayed in the centre. The view of such an assembly would give an interesting theme to a Hogarth or a Cruikshank. The great chiefs of the different nations were served first, and received suits of clothes. You may easily imagine their singular movements on appearing in public, and the admiration which they excited in their comrades, who were never weary inspecting them. The great chiefs were, for the first time in their lives, pantalooned ; each was arrayed in a general's uniform, a gilt sword hanging at his side. Their long, coarse hair floated above the military costume, and the whole was crowned by the burlesque solemnity of their painted faces. Colonel Mitchell employed the Indians as his agents in distributing the piesents to the various bands. The arrange- ments were characterized by benevolence and justice. The conduct of this vast multitude was calm and respectful. Not the slightest index of impatience or of jealousy was ob- served during the distribution ; each band appeared indiffer- ent until its portion was received. Then, glad, or satisfied, but always quiet, they removed from the plain with their families and their lodges. They had heard the good news that the bison were numer us on the south fork of the Platte, three days* march from the plain, and they hastily turned their steps in that direction, resolved to make the buffaloes atone for the hunger they had recently suffered on the great council plain. This assembly will form an era among them, and I trust will be ever dear to their memories. It closed on the 23d of September. The happy results of this council are, no doubt, owing to AND MISSIONARIES. Ill the prudent measures of the commissaries of government, and more especially to their conciliatory manners in all their intercourse and transaction with the Indians. The council will doubtless produce the good eflfects they have a right to expect. It will be the commencement of a new era for the Indians — an era of peace. In future, peaceable citizens may cross the desert unmolested, and the Indians will have little to dread from the bad white man, for justice will be rendered to him. Accept, &c., P. J. De Smet, S. J. 112 WS8TEBN MISSIONS i ■■ .> ■W ill'' m E1 Letter VII To THE Editor of Precis Historiques, Brussels. Journey to the Gruit Desert in 1851. University of St. Louis, Jan. 30, 1852. Quite late in the afternoon of the 23d of September I bade farewell to the Creoles, Canadians, and half-bloods. I exhorted them to live well, and to pray to God, and to hope that he would soon send them spiritual succor for their tem- poral and eternal happiness, and that of their children. I shook hands for the last time with the great chiefs and with a large number of Indians, and addressed them some en- couraging words, and promised to plead their cause with the great chiefs of the Black-gowns, and make known the desire, good intentions, and hopes they had expressed to me, while they would daily, in all sincerity of heart, implore the "Master of Life" to send them zealous priests to instruct them in the way of salvation, which Jesus Christ, his only Son, came to trace to his children on earth. I directed my course towards " the springs," situated about fourteen miles distant, in the vicinity of the trading-house at Robidoux, for Colonel Mitchell had named this as the rendezvous for all those who proposed going directly to the United States. On the 24th, before sunrise, we set out in good and numerous company. I visited, in my way, two trading-houses, in order to bapti..e five half-blood children. m ' r AND MISSIONABISS. 113 In the course of the day we passed the famous Chimney- rock, so often described by travellers. I hud already seen it, in 1840 and 1841, in my first visit to the Rocky Mountains, and mentioned it in my letters. I found it considerably di- minished in height. We cast a last look upon the singular productions of nature, the Castle and the Tower, which are near the Chim- ney, and resemble the ruins of lordly residjences scattered over several acres, and presenting a very elevated and broken surface, amid a level plain. Arrived on the Platte, at the place known as Ash Hollow, we turned our steps towards the South Fork, fifteen miles away, over a beautiful rolling country of great elevation. Here we met the Prince P., accompanied only by a Prussian oiBcer, on their way to enjoy a hunt in the Wind River Mountains. We exchanged our little news, and received with pleasure the interesting information which the prince gave us. His excellency must be indeed courageous, to undertake at his age so long a journey in such a wilderness* with but one man as suite, and in a wretched little open wagon, which carried the prince and his oflScer, as well as their whole baggage and provisions. Later, I learned that the prince intends to choose a location suited to agriculture, for the purpose of founding a German colony. We live in an age when wonders multiply ; we cannot say what, in the way of colonization, may not come to pass in a short time, after witnessing the success of the Mormons, who in less than five years have changed the face of a frightful desert, and live there in great abundance. Yet I am free to maintain, that if the prince has really formed the plan as- cribed to him, which I scarcely credit, I pity from the bot- tom of my heart those who first embark m the expedition. The enemies whom they would have to meet ar« still to» 10* !i^ II 114 WESTERN MISSIONS powerful : Crows, Black-Feet, Sioux, Sheyennes, Rapahos, and Snakes, are the most feared and warlike of the desert. A colony established in such a neighborhood, and against the will of the numerous warlike tribes in the vicinity of those mountains, would run great dangere and meet heavy obstacles. Tho influence of religion alone can prepare these parts for such a transformation. The threats and promises of colonists, their guns and feabres, would never effect what can be accomplished by the peaceful word of the Black- gown, and the sight of the humanizing sign of the cross. From the crossing of the South Fork to the junction of the Great Forks, the distance is reckoned to be seventy-five miles, and thence to Fort Kearney one huudeed and fifty miles. Wood is very rare between the Platte and the Ne- braska. From the junction of the two Forks to the mouth of the valley is six or eight miles wide, while the bed of the river is about two miles in width. In the spring, at the melting of the snows, when this river is high, it presents a magnificent sheet of water, with numerous isles and islets covered with verdure, and skirted with cotton-trees and wil- lows. In the autumn, on the contrary, it loses all interest and beauty. Its waters then escape into a great number of almost imperceptible passages and channels among the sand- banks which cover the bed through its whole length and extent. When wood fails, as frequently happens on the banks of the Platte or Nebi-aska, the meals are cooked at fires of bison- dung, which, when dried, burns like turf. The soil of the Nebraska is in general rich and deep, min- gled, however, with sand in several localities. There is a great variety of grasses, which with numerous slirubs, cov- ered with flowers of dazzling beauty, present a wide field of study to the lover of botany. As we retire from the vale, a AND MISSIONARIES. 115 very sensible change is perceptible in the productions of the soil : instead of the former robust and vigorous vegetation, the plains are overgrown with a short, crisp grass ; however, it is very nourishing, and eagerly sought by the herds of buffalo and countless wild animals that graze on them. We arrived at Fort Kearney on the 2d of October, where Colonel Mitchell, the superintendent, held a conference with a deputation of some twenty Pawnee chiefs and braves. They expressed their regret that, not having assisted at the great council, they found themselves excluded from the ad- vantages that the treaty would secure to the other nations, and had no share in the presents made by the government. They all made solemn promises to adhere to the spirit of the treaty, and to execute the orde. i of their " Great Father the President," who desired that they should live peaceably with all their neighbors, and decreed the cessation of all depreda- tions exercised against travellers from the United States who cross this territory. These Pawnee chiefs and warriors re- ceived with all the politeness of Indian customs the various deputations which accompanied us on their way to Wash- ington, — that is, the Sioux, Cheyennes, and Rapahos, hither- to their mortal enemies, — regaling them with banquets, dances, and songs. "My heart leaps with joy," shouted a chief of the Pawnee W"olves, " because I find myself in pres- ence of those that from my infancy I have been taught to consider as my mortal foes. Sheyennes, I and my warriors have made many incursions into your territories, to steal your horses, and rob you of your scalps. Yes, my heart bounds with delight, for it had never dreamed of m ;eting yon face to face, and of touching your hand in friendship.' You see me here poor — I have not a horse to mount. Well, I will gladly go on foot the remainder of my days, if the tomahawk is to be buried by all." He offered the calumet 116 WESTERN MISSIONS I U \h to all the deputies, and several accepted it. A young She- yenne chief, named " He who mounts the clouds," refused to touch it, and thus auswered the Pawnee : " Neither thou nor thy people have invited me into your territory. My father," added he, pointing to the superintendent, " requested me to follow him, and I follow him : I accept not thy calumet of peace, lest I betray thee. Perchance while I now speak to thee, our brave warriors seek the lodges of thy tribe. No ! I will not deceive thee, therefore know that peace exists not between me and thee. I speak thus fearlessly and clearly, for I stand beneath the banner of my father." The allusions of the Sheyenne seemed not to mar the ex- isting harmony ; the dances, songs, speeches, and banquets were kept up till late in the night. The following are the names of the Indian deputies. The Sheyenne envoys are — Voki vokammast^ or The White Antelope ; Obalawska, or Red Skin ; and Voive atoishy or The man that mounts the clouds. The Rapaho deputies are — Nehunutah^ or Eagle's Head ; Nocohotha, or The Tempest ; and Vash^ or Friday. The Sioux deputies are — Haboutzelze, or The Unicom ; Kaive ou nhe^ or The Little Chief ; Pouskawit cah cah^ or The Shellman ; Chakahakeechtah, or The Watchful Elk ; and Mawgahy or the Goose ; the last belongs to the Black-Foot Sioux. The two Ottos and their wives, who joined us afterwards, were, Wah-rush'a-menec, or the Black Deer ; and his wife, Mookapec, or the Eagle's Plume : Wah-sho-chegorah^ or The Black Bear; and his wife, Hou ohpec, or The Singing Bird. At Fort Kearney we parted with Colonel Mitchell and his suite, who took the route to Table River. I joined Major Fitzpatrick and the deputies, and we continued on the south- ern route, which crosses the Indian territory. AND MISSION A UIFIS. 117 \ The country between the frontiers of Missouri and the Great blue River presents a reinarkabh) uniformity in all its leading features. Clay soil, rolling prairies, and the shores of the river well wooded. You meet forests of oak and nut- trees of all varieties, with maple and cotton-wood and a variety of trees found in the east. The hillsides in several places abound in fine springs of water, surrounded by beau- tiful groves, arranged with as much order and taste as if planted by the hand of man. While a luxuriant turf, euMm- elled with fragrant flowers, replaces the briars and underwood, the prairies on all sides, surrounded by forests which pro- tect the water-courses, present to the sight an ocean of ver- dure adorned with flowers, agitated by the wind, and per- fuming the air with a thousand odors. The vale of the Kanzas is broad, of a deep, brown vege- table soil : the same remark may be made of the valleys of the remaining rivers of this territory, all of which are suit- able, for agriculture. The streams of water are clear ; they run over pebbly bedsj between high banks, and teem with fine fish. Major Fitzpatrick preferred taking the southern route, in order to give our friends, the Indian deputies, an opportunity of witnessing the progress that the tribes are capable of making in agriculture and the mechanic arts. He wished to convince them that labor and its results gradually conduct to happiness and ease, and convince them that by adopting habits of industry man is freed from the necessity of wander- ing from place to place to obtain subsistence. We reached St. Mary's, among the Potawatomies, on the 1 1 th of October. Bishop Miege, and the other Fathers of the Mission, received us with great cordiality and kindness. To give the Indian deputies a relish for labor by the tast- ing of the various products of farming, a quantity of vegeta- 118 WKSTKRN MISSIONS , ii f!i bles and fruits were set before them. Potatoes, carrots, tur- nips, squashes, parsneps, melons, with apples and peaches, graced the board, and our forest friends did them most ample honor. One of the chiefs, " Eagle Head," said to me, " Now, Father, we comprehend thy words. Thou hast told us that in a few years the buffaloes would disaj)pear from our terri- tory ; that we must take measures against the day of need ; that then we can '"eap from the earth subsistence and even plenty for our children. When thou wast speaking to us, our ears were shut ; now they are opened, for we have eaten the products of the soil. We see here a happy people, well fed and well clothed. We hope tha* the great Father (the Bishop) will take pity on us and on our children. We wish to have Black-gowns with us, and we will cheerfully attend to their words." The day after was Sunday, and all attended High Mass. The church was well filled. The choir, composed of half- bloods and Indians, sung admirably the Gloria, the Credo, and several hj rans. The Rev. Father Gailland delivered a sermon in Potawatomie, which lasted three quarters of an hour, and the number of communicants was large. All this, joined with the attention, modesty, and devotion of the whole auditory, some with prayer-books and others with beads, made a profound and, I hope, durable impression on the minds of our Indians of the plains. During several days they never ceased talking with me and questioning on all they had seen, calling it the doctrine that renders men happy here and conducts them to heaven. We found the Mission in a flourishing state ; the two schools sue well attended ; a community of religious of the Sacred Heart have concili- ated the affection of the women and girls of the nation, and are working among them with the greatest success. The Potawatomie^ approach their residences nearer and nearer it i"i AND MISSION AKIK8. 110 the cliurch and to their '* Good Fathers," and have resolutelj conimeuced cultivating tlie ground and raising domestic ani- mals. Every Sunday the Fathers have the consolation of contemplating a beautiful congregation uf Indians assembled in the wood-built cathedral, and on an average one hundred and twenty piously approaching the Holy Communion. We spent two days visiting the Mission. The Indian chiefs quitted the establishment with hearts overflowing with de- light, and in the consoling expectation of having similar happiness in their own tribes at no very distant future. God grant their hopes may be realized ! The weather was fine, and in three days we attained Westport and Kanzas on the Missouri. On the ICth of October we took places on board the steamboat Clara. Our Indian deputies had never seen a vil- lage or settlement of whites except what they had seen at Fort Laramie and at Fort Kearney ; they knew nothing of the manner in which houses are constructed, hence they were in constant admiration ; and when for the first time they saw a steamboat their wonder was at its height, although they appeared to entertain a certain fear as they stepped on board. A considerable time elapsed before they became ac- customed to the noise arising from the escape of steam, and the bustle that took place at the ringing of bells, etc. They called the boat a *■'' fire-canoe^'' and were transported with delight at the sight of another boat ascending with a small boat behind, which they called a ^^pappoose" or little child. When their apprehensions of danger had subsided, their cu- riosity augmented ; they took the liveliest interest in what- ever they saw for the first time. They were in grand cos- tume and seated themselves on the promenade deck ; as the boat approached the several towns and villages in her prog- ress, they hailed each with aliouts and songs. 120 WESTERN MISSIONS On the 22d of October we reached St. Louis. A few days after all the members of the Indian deputation were invited to a banquet given in our University. They were highly pleased at the reception given them by the Rev. Father Provincial, and overjoyed at the encouraging hope tnat he gave them of having Black-gowns among them — a hope perhaps soon to be realized. Recommending the poor Indian to your prayers, I beg you to believe me with profound respect, Yours, etc., etc., P. J. De Smet, S. J. Note. — The word " Medicine" is frequently found in letters written on the religious ideas, practices, and customs of the North American Indians. It is necessary to know the signilication that the Indians themselves attach to this word. The term Wuh-kon is employed by the Indians to express any thing that they cannot understand, whether supernatural, natural, or me- chanical. A watch, an organ, a steamboat, or any thing in fine, the operations of which exceed their capacity to understand, is called Wah- kon. God is called Wah-kon-tonga, or the Great Incomprehensible. The word Tonga in Sioux means great or large. Wah-kon means, properly, incomprehensible, inexpressible. It is badly translated by the wliites, who always render it medicine ; thus, for example, the word Wah-kon-tonga, or God, htvs been trarslated Great Medicine / The word medicine has since been so universally applied to the differ- ent religious and superstitious ceremonies of the Indians, that all trav- ellers use it when writing of the natives. The word medicine, when applied to Indian ceremonies, whether re- ligious or superstitious, has, however, no relation to the treatment of the body, but it has been so commonly adopted that I am forced to use it when speaking of the Indians. Thence are derived the compounds, "medicine-feast," "medicine-dance," ** medicine-man," etc., and also '■^ mediciM-hag,'''' or sach, containing idols, charms, a'^td other supersti- tious articles. My intention in giving this little note is to distinguish between medi- cine used in the sen&e of medkainent, and the same word applied to charms, religious invocations, and ceremonies. )• i. J AND MISSIONARIES. 121 Letter VIII. To THE Editor of the PRifccis Historiques, Brussels. Shipwreck of the Bth of Deceniber^ 1853. University of St. Louis, Jan. 1, 1854. My dear Brothers : I profit by ray eailiest leisure moments, to inform you that we happily arrived at our place of destination on the 27th day of December. I wish you and your dear children a happy and prosper- ous New Year, and I implore God to pour down upon you daily his choicest favors and blessings. I can never forget the fraternal attachment and extreme goodness manifested to me so continually during my short visit to the land of my nativity. I inclose you a little sketch of my long and dangerous voyage. As 1 am overwhelmed with business, I am forced to write in hast^^ — currente calamo. The lYth of November, the day on which I bade you fare- well, will not soon be effaced from my memory. The fol- lowing day 1 rejoined Mgr. Miege and his companions, at Paris. The eight young men who accompanied me had only two days to allow them a cursory view of tin:, groat city, or interminable fair. They, however, visited its most splendid palaces, and its principal monuments, with the pub- lic squares of this extensive and wonderful capital, and the palaces and gardens of Versailles. 11 I '.,..< V2'2 WESTERN MISSIONS Oil tlie second we arrived at Havre, so as to be ready to enibaik thttiice on the iiiurruw. The whole dav was em- ployed ill i'.olh'ctiiiij;' our trunks, boxes, and cases, which were ill the dirt'ereiit offices of the port, and in making prepara- tions for our voyage. The American steamer was already in tlie roadstead, about two leagues from the city, and a small tow boat was waiting to conduct her pas.seugers to her. I had left my thirteen companions for an hour, to go in search of three boxes at the custom-house, and have them trans- ported directly on board of the Humboldt. On my arrival at the proper place of embarking, all the passengers were there in readiness, excei)t my company. I immediately sent some eight or ten persons in search of them, who searched all the streets and wharves of Havre for six hours, without procuring the least information concerning them. The mo- ment nametl for sailinof arrived ! when a aem/arme, to whom I had addressed myself as a last resource, and the surest, after all, hastened to draw me from my embarrassment by infcjrming me that the young gentlemen that were giving me so much solicitude had been on the Humboldt the last six hours, and that they also were in great anxiety concern- ing my delay. In a word, they bad mistaken their course in the labyrinth of wharves at Havre, and thinking they had not a moment to spare, had hired two little boats to convey them to the steamer. I hastened to join them, and ref>ched the ship at the moment they were heaving the anchor to put to sea. I found gendarmes on board, in search of some suspected individuals. It was said that these agents had received strict orders to examine all the passports carefully. My travelling coinpinions were all provided, except one, who had joined me in I'aris, with the consent of his parents. I was not without anxiety in his regard ; but our young deserter^ AND MISSIONARIES. 123 M. M****, disguised as a cabin-boy, played his part per- fectly ; he held the lantern to aid the police-officers in a man- ner to do honor to the most skilful cabin-boy, during their whole visit to the saloons and cabins. All the passengers pass- ed in review, all the passports were minutely criticised ; but the agents paid no attention to the handsome lantern-bearer, who always remained close by them, and thus quietly escaped their scrutiny. My anxiety, however, did not subside until I saw the gentlemen leave our decks. Without a morrient's delay, two discharges of cannon announce the departure of the Humboldt. Every officer, pilot, and sailor is at his post. The whistling of the steam- engine is heard for the last time, so shrill that it penetrates the very heart of the town : it is the signal of the engineer. The captain with his speaking-trumpet orders the departure, and the steamer steers her course in the direction of South- ampton and Cowes — places between the Isle of Wight and the coasts of England, where English passengers and the English mails are received. It was only in the evening of the 23d that she took the direction of New York. For fourteen days the Humboldt combated against a stormy sea and violent west wind ; Neptune received this time a double tribute from those who were so bold as to hazard crossing his domain in this season of the year. The greatest sufterer was Bishop Miege, who kept his bed constantly. The next was young Fortune Hegel, of Brussels, who has too weak a stomach ever to make a good sailor ; he supported this misery with great fortitude, never regretting that he had left his quiet home for some years. All the others escaped tolerably ; as to myself, I felt almost no i'nconvenience from sea-sickness during the whole voyage. To the violent storms of wind we must add several other dissigreeable circumstan- ces : the steam-engine got out of order several times, and the 11 124 WESTERN MISSIONS |j' ' :i* t; boilers threatened to blow us in the air ; the coal was of a bad quality, and that, even, began to become scarce on the twelfth day of our voyage. We were obliged to deviate from our ordinary route, to get a supply of coal at Halifax, a seaport of Nova Scotia. This neglect on the part of the company was extremely fatal in its consequences. In the forenoon of the 6th of December, about five leagues from port, a fisherman presented himself on board as a pilot, and declared to the cai)tMin, who demanded his certificates, " that his papeis were either in his boat, or at his own house." The captain relied upon his word, and intrusted hiin with the management of the ship. Against the expressed opinion of the officers, the false pilot changed the boat's direction, and notwithstanding their reiterated remonstrances, he per- sisted in his obstinacy. An hour and a half afterwards, the Humboldt struck on the dangeious rocks called " The Sisters," in the neighborhood of Devil's Island. It was half-past six in the morning — the greater number of the passengers were still in their berths. The shock was terrific ; I was walking on the deck at the moment. Discovering directly great pieces of wood floating on the surface of the water, I has- tened to warn all my companions of their danger, for they were also still in their beds. Young Hegel having been intrusted to me by his father, I took him by my side as long as the danger lasted, and kept a rope in my hand for the puipose of lowering him into the first life-boat that should be launched. All had been startled from sleep. Fear had palsied every heart ; and while the water was pouring into the vessel by torrents, fire broke out. It was got under but by great exertion, through the presence of mind and manly ener- gy of the first engineer ; after great ettorts, they succeeded in extinguishing it. As if all things conspired to our destruc- tion, a fog arose, so thick that we could not see thirty paces AND MISSIONARIES. 125 from the vessel. Ine whole power of the steam-engine was exerted in an attempt to gain the shore, six miles distant. The boat soon inclined to the larboard side, where she had sprung a leak, and began to go down. Every arm set to work to aid in launching the small-boats. Had not the cap- tain exhibited great presence of mind and an extraordinary- firmness, there would have been much tumult and disorder. There was a rush to get in first, but happily we were not obliged to resort to this means of saving ourselves. While the greater number believed that all was lost, and I among the rest, the ship touched again, in a few fathoms of water, and rested on a rock. We were saved ! Immediately after the shipwreck, the fog rose, and we then discovered, for the first time and to our joyful surprise, that the shore was only one hundred feet from us. The sea was calm, the wind lowered, and the sun rose majestically. It was the announcement of a return of fine weather, which left us at Havre de Grace, and now accompanied us until we reached Missouri. We had the good fortune and the time to save all our trunks, travelling bags, and boxes. The loss of the ship and cargo was estimated at $600,000. We had for travelling companions on the Humboldt, Jews, Infidels, and Protestants of every shade. Some of the voy- agers were imbued with very strong prejudices against the Catholic faith, but in particular against Jesuits. The wreck of the Humboldt was even attributed to our presence, and it was maliciously proposed to oblige us to quit as soon as possible. A few hours after the wreck, a steamboat from Halifax came to our aid. The Archbishop of that city treated us with great kindness, and insisted that Mgr. Miege and myself should become his guests during our stay. The next morn- ing we had the consolation of offering the sacrifice of mass 11» '•; :i S- 'i'ii 126 WESTERN MISSIONS in the cathedral, and my companions all received Holy Com- munion, to thank the Almighty and our Lady for having saved us amid so many perils, and especially shipwreck, where our life was in danger. Such circumstances are well suited to convince us that we are in the hands of the Lord, who protects us and preserves our life, or calls us, as he wills, before his tribunal. Halifax numbers about 25,000 souls, one third of whom are Catholics, and contains three Catholic churches, two con- vents, and four schools. On the 8th of December, Feast of the Immaculate Con- ception, after the celebration of mass, we heard that the steamship Niagara, of the Liverpool and Boston line, was in sight. At each trip she stops at Halifax, remaining two hours. All the passengers of the Humboldt, including those that we took in from England, went on board, making the total of passengers more than four hundred. Among those already on the Niagara, was a little man, with an ape-like face and a goatish beard, who called himself Francis Tapon, a self-nominated apostle, and self-commis- sioned to teach a new religion to the universe. Fiancis declared himself an enemy of all existing creeds, but above all to the Pope and the Jesuits. When quitting Liverpool, he declared openly and aloud that he would kill the first Tesuii that he might meet on American soil ! In fact, he was so violent that the captain prudently took from him his ^un, pistols, and poniards. The moment I set foot on the Niagara, I was informed of these interesting particulars. I advised my young friends to avoid Mr. Francis Tapon, and pay no sort of attention to his words or movements. He pro- claimed ..om the deck the programme of his new gospel, that '* was to succeed all religions." Those who heard him shrugged their shoulders, saying, " The man is crazy." On AND MISSION A RIKS. 127 ari'iving at Boston, he made several ablutions, to the great amiisi'ment of the passengers, saying that he ^loas washing of the last filth of Eur ope r Mr. Tapon at last reached the city, and we lost sight of him, without receiving a blow. He is but a fanatic more for these States, which have already unfortunately re(!eivcd thousands from all the various countries of Europe. These creatures begin to agitate, to harangue, to seek to change the Constitution, and make the United States a land of proscription, especially against the Catholics. But let us resume our journey of voyage. We had fine weather, and a pleasant trip from Halifax to Boston, which we reached at night. Our Fathers received us with open arms and extraordinary charity, in which all their parishion- ers joined, — I will add to the praise of the German congre- gation in particular, that during our stay at Boston they loaded our tables with poultry, choice vegetables, cakes, and fiiiits. This parish numbers about 3000 Catholics, and they are distinguished in the city by their piety and zeal. Although Boston contains a Catholic population of nearly 75,000 souls, there are but fifteen priests, and only four or five Catholic schools. The Sisters of Notre Dame, from Nainur, have a very flourishing establishment here, and are doing immense good. Their houses in America are very successful, and their subjects are asked for in many of our large towns. In Cincinnati these good sisters teach 2000 children and youth. I accompanied young Hegle as far as St. John's College, at Fordham, according to the wishes of his father, who had intrusted him to my care for this purpose. We are always astonished at the rapid increase of New York, the great me- tropolis of the United States, in commerce and population. Its inhabitants, who number more than 700,000, are the H n 128 WESTEKN MISSIONS rf ,' [;ll! f ■: ■ tat^-J* :- ■ descendants or representatives of every nation beneath the sun. The Catholics number about 200,000. I returned to Boston on the 14th. The day following, my companions (who were quite recovered from their fatigue) and myself quitted this city. Their astonishment was un- ceasing at all they saw in Boston, which is styled the Athens of America, Its commerce is very great, and its population exceeds 150,000. We risked ourselves on the railroad, by Buffalo, Cleveland, and Columbus, as far as Cincinnati — a distance of seven hundred and seventy miles — and passed over it in fifty-two hours, comprehending all the delays experienced at the nu- merous stations. We changed cars six times in this distance. Be not astonished at the word "mA:," for accidents on all the routes are of fi-equent occurrence, and often frightful. To-day, it may be that a bridge has been left open — a hair- brained or intoxicated engineer pays no attention, and loco- motive and cars are precipitated into the water ; to-morrow, two trains will meet in collision, dashing into each other with all the velocity that steam can create. In a word, there are all kinds of accidents. When they occur, a list is given of the killed and disabled, which is often a very considerable one, curious inquiries are made, and some days after there is no further mention of the affair. At Cincinnati our Fathers were most delighted to see us arriving with thirteen new and youthful companions, full of fervent zeal to labor in this vast vineyard of the Lord. As we approached St. Louis, I breathed more freely ; I was no longer harassed with anxiety — indeed I had but one step to take, and I should be at home. However, this '"'' step''"' meas- ured seven hundred miles, five hundred and thirty of which were to be passed on the Ohio, and one hundred and seventy on the Mississippi, and these rivers give an annual list of '•'.>< AND MISSIONARIES. 129 fearful accidents. Wc entered the steamer on the Ohio, and on the morning of the 21st found ourselves cordially wel- comed by our Fathers of Louisville, Kentucky. Continuing our descent on the 2 2d, we arrived at the junction of the Ohio and Mississippi without accident. My young companions were never weary of admiring the graceful and varied scenery of the lovely Ohio, now gratify- ing the sight by a chain of romantic elevations, then by a succession of rich lowlands, adorned with well-cultivated and extensive farms ; and the attention arrested also by a succes- sion of flourishing villages and cities. The Mississippi is also more dangerous than the Ohio; exacting from its navigators during the winter many pre- cautions, for the river is then low, full of sand-banks, saw- yers, and floating ice. We were several times in danger, and three different times our boat ran aground, and we be- lieved her lost. On our way we saw the wrecks of five boats. Five Lazarists, who shared our disasters in the Humboldt, arrived in St. Louis some days before us, but only after hav- ing undergone a second shipwreck, and having been immersed in water to the neck. On the 26th we reached St. Louis in safety, and animated with joyful and grateful sentiments on finding ourselves at our destination. An hour after my arrival I had the comfort of celebrating mass, in thanksgiving for the special protec- tion and blessings extended to us in our journey from Ghent to St. Louis. Believe me, dear brothers. Your devoted brother, P. J. Db Smet, 130 WESTERN MISSIONS Letter IX. To THE Editor of the Pr^icis Historiques, Brussels. The Crazy Bear^ an Assiniboin Chief. CiNOINXATI, COLLEGK OV St. XaVIER, Julj 28, 1854, Rev. and Dear Father: Vocations, alas ! are still extremely rare ; we must have ecclesiastics from Europe to go to the aid of the benighted Indians, who are without guide or pastor, and ahvays desirous and anxious for them. I annually receive letters and most pressing invitations from the chiefs of the Indian tribes on the Upper Missouri and among the Rocky Mountains. The following is a faithful translation of a letter I received from a great chief of the Assiuiboins. They occupy the plains of the Yellowstone and of the Missouri : they number about 1500 lodges, and speak the Sioux language. My cor- respondent and petitioner is the great chief, "the Bear." He was one of the deputation of chiefs who accompanied mo to the Great Council in 1851. " To the Medicine-man of the White Nation. ** Black-gown, Father, and Friend : " I was so happy as to become acquainted with you at Fort Union, in the summer of 1*851 ; but I was then igno- rant, in a great degree, of the motives of your visit among AND MISSIONARIES. 131 ns, and hence I could not discover to you my inmost feel- ings and explain to you my thoughts. At Fort Union you preached to us — telling us of the Great Spirit and his law. You said you would like to come and teach us, so as to ame- liorate the mental and moral condition of our tribes. I think, also, that you gave us reason to expect, that after two or three wintere some Black-gowns would come and establish themselves among us, in order to show us how to live well, and how to train up our children. Afterwards we travelled together as far as the Platte. During that journey, and since my return from Fort Laramie, I have learned and heard much of the beautiful Word of the Great Spirit, which you first made known to us. Now, I am persuaded that this Word would change our state and render us happy. At the Great, Council, our great Father (Colonel Mitchell, superintendent of Indian Territory) told us that some Black- gowns would come and live among us in the course of four or five years. Black-gown, five years are long to wait! In this long interval I and many of my children may have en- tered the land of spirits. Take pity on us ! The Black- gowns ought not to delay their coming so long. I am growing^old: before I die I should like to begin the work, and then I could depart satisfied. My country is tranquil, we are at peace with all the surrounding tribes — our ancient enemies, the Black-Feet, are the only ones we have to fear; but we can protect you. All my nation call aloud for the Black-gown, and invite him to come with all speed : I sin- cerely hope that our expectation may not be deceived. We know that the Black-gowns devote themselves to the happi- ness and well-being of the Indi.-ms, If to hasten the project pecuniary aid be wanting, I will cheerfully give a portion of the annuities of my tribe to meet this deficiency. *' I see the buffaloes decrease every year. What will be- m *•*. ^ 132 WESTERN MISSIONS I 1 ill"! 1 ^^H' 1 i fi !■■ ■' \ Hilnl' " !| 1 : \ ii: ■ 1 > nii:^v ■ 1 1 mi i H 1^' V I^^K !'' j ^H 1 1^ i"",; » p 1 ! , i m ■ ii mWM i!"^i . •1 1% ' i, ■.)! i ', iil^. • !- - 1 r- !;■ I! '' t . :* I C ■' ■ i ' ' : ■ U- « 1 i . i 1 I 1 !;, T c'omo of US without help ? If our children aro not instructed in time, they will disappear like the game. " I have learned that the * Long Knives' (the Americans) have bought the lands of tlie Chippeways, Sioux, and Win- nebngoes, as far as the Red River, and of the Pawnees, Omahas, and Ottos, on the Missouri. The whites are ap- proaching us on the north and on the west, which is a new motive for hastening the arrival of the Black-gown among us. " I hope my words will reach you, and that you will think of us and our destitute situation. Do this. Black-gown, at the request of your friend, " The Bear, Chief of the Assiniboins,** Remember me to Father Provincial and the Fathers of St. Michael's. In union with your holy sacrifices, I have the honor to be. Rev. and dear Father, Your devoted brother in Christ, P. J. De Smet, S. j. P. S. — At this time thousands of whites aro settling in the Indian Territory from the Kansas to the Running. Water, and two large territories have been erected by Congress, called Kansas and Nebraska. It is not yet known what arrangements will be taken for the protection of the difier- ent aboriginal nations that are found in them ; it is much feared that they will be exiled further into the western wilds. You can see what I said in my second letter, in January, 1852. The sect of Mormons is making extraordinary progress in the United States. I will endeavor to send you some new and original details on them, which I am actually preparing. The agitation and pn^judices against our holy religion are AND MISSION A UIFS. 133 80 groat here just now, that Catholic p;ipers from Enropo can scarcely reach us. We are on the eve of great difficul- ties. The anti-Catholic spirit increases daily. All the enc- niics of our holy religion are leagued against her. As in all persecutions, they seek to excite the masses by atrocious lies and calumnies. Within the last few days three Catholic churches have been destroyed, and every paper speaks of some new exhibition in some part or other. European dem- agogues labor with all their might to establish on the Amer- ican soil their maxims of intolerance and persecution. Of all tyrants, they are the most terrible and fearful. 12 lill'lM 1 m 184 WESTERN MISSIONS Letter X. ■. f SI i^, b't ' py-i : ■i|* To THE Editor op the Precis Historiques, Brussels. Religious Opinions of the Assinihoins. Cincinnati, College of St. Xavier, July 28, 1854, Rev. and Dear Father : In my last letter, dated the 16th of this month, when sewding you the translation of the address of the Bear, the great Assiniboin chief, I promised you a sketch of the reli- gious and superstitious opinions of that nation. I will now fulfil my promise. I here propose acquainting you with the rehVious worship and moral code of the Assinihoins : it may be considered as the type of the superstitious creed of the greater portion of the barbarous tribes which roam over the forests and prairies of the Upper Missouri. Shrouded in idolatrous darkness, these people have no clear idea of their origin or end. Upon the iiiomentou! questions, " Whence came I ?" and " What is my future des- tiny ?" th^re are various conjectures, even among those na- tions who have received even a feeble liijht concerninir the eternal veritie!= of the Gospel. All the Indians admit the existence ot the Great Spirit, viz., of a Supreme Being who governs all the important affairs of life, and who manifests his action in the most ordinary events. They have ••o cor- rect potion of the immutability of God. They think thoy can obtain his favors in the accomplishment of their projects, •: ,;s:^ AND MISSIONARIES. 135 whatever be their nature, by presents, corporeal macerations, penances, fasts, &c. Thus every spring, at the first peal of thunder, which they call the voice of the Great Spirit, speak- ing from the clouds, the Assiniboins offer it sacrifices; — some burn tobacco, and present to the Great Spirit the most ex- quisite pieces of buff'alo-meat, by casting them into the fire ; while others make deep incisions in the fleshy parts of their bodies, and even cut off the first joints of their finge;?, to offer them in sacrifice. Thunder, next to the sun, is their Great Wah-kon.* They hear it, and after a storm they sometimes perceive the effects of the lightning on the trees, on their horses, and on man ; hence it is an object of dread, and they endeavor to appease it. It is rare that, during the course of a year, a family is not visited by some calamity; — disease; death, eithei' natural or at the hands of their foes; the loss of their horses, their richest treasure, by robbery ; in fine, the scarcity of game, which condemns them to rigorous fasts, and sometimes even to famine. At the least misfortune the father of a family pre- sents the calrmet to the Great Spirit, and, in prayer, im- plores him to take pity on him, his wives, and children, lie promises to give him a part of all he possesses, at the first peal of thunder in the spring. "When it is practicable, the various camps collect, as soon as winter is over, to ofter their gifts and sacrifices in union. This is the religious ceremony par excellence. The Assiniboins attach the highest impor- tance to it. They often speak of it in the course of the year, and look forward to its immediate arrival with joy, respec^t, and veneration. Sometimes three or four hundred lodijes of families assemble in one locality. One sole individual is named the high-priest, and directs all the ceremonies of the * Incomprehensible. See note, p. 120. ►•*'*T t." W" w. II- ^' 136 WKSTERN MISSIONS ■ li .! ; m^ festival. A species of hall is constructed, with about thirty lodges, of skins of the buffalo. Each lodge is composed of twenty or twenty-four skins, stretched over a number of posts, seven or eight feet high. On the top of these posts several hundred perches are fastened, and on these each family hangs the articles that it intends to offer in sacrifice. These consist of skins of animals, richly embroidered with porcelain or glass beads, adorned with feathers of every hue ; many-colored collars, clothes, and ornaments of all kinds, making a rich and varied "great Indian exhibition." Oppo- site to this hall they raise a high pole, to which all the chiefs and braves hang their medicine-bags, containing the idols, their arrows, quivers, trophies won from their enemies, especially scalps. This pole is a tree, stripped of its bark, and thirty or forty feet higl". Men, women, and children, in a spirit of religion, join in raising and planting it, amid the acclamations of the tribe. After these preliminaries, the cereu ,ny begins with a harangue and a prayer to the Great Spirit by the high- priest. He implores him to accept their gifts, to take pity on them, protect them against sickness, accidents, and mis- fortunes of all kinds, and to give them a plenteous hunt, plenty of bison, stag, deer, bighorns, wild-goat, &c., and to aid them in their wars and excursions against their enemies. Then he ofiers the calumet to the Great Spirit, to the sun, to each of the four cardinal points, to the water, and the land, with words analogous to the benefits which they obtain from each. The sacred calumet is then ps^sed to all the chiefs and warriors, who draw two or three whiffs of smoke, which he puffs out towards heaven, at the same time eleva- ting the pipe. The day finishes with the great " medicine dance," and a variety of dances in honor of the animals which I have named. In these last they try to imitate, as m AND MI8SIONAEIE8. 187 much as possible, the cries and movements of those animals. Men alone perform this dance. The second day is devoted to representations ; that is, the ;i'igglers, or medicine-men, perform their tricks. Some of these men succeed in imposing on these simple and credu- lous souls, who discover the supernatural in every thing that they do not understand : this is great or little Wah-korij as it is more or less incomprehensible. Most of these representa- tions are mere feats of legerdemain, which would scarcely excite a smile of mirth or the least astonishment in a cir- cle of civilized persons. During their execution the men and women accompany the jugglers in a kind of chant, which consists of words analogous to the feast, but it is diflB- cult to define what they say, amid their modulations of tone. The thiid day is consumed in dances and banquets, in which all can participate. It is highly amusing to witness this spectacle. Among the meats, dogs are particularly numerous — little and big, roasted and boiled, whole or en appalas ; these form the principal viands of the ^reat re- ligious banquet. Dish i of other meats, with roots, corn, wheat, sugar, &c., are added. All the pots and kettles of til 3 whole tribe, of every form and dimension, are placed 0"n- a long row of fires. The braves distribute these meats ;' b \dmirable order, giving to each one his share. These pcv ;or>t; disappear with truly wonderful celerity. The Assiniboins have two kinds of dances for this feast. Most of tliem dance some rounds for amusement, and leave the circle when they choose ; but a band of young men form the great religious dance, and make a vow to the thunder, or voice of the Great Spirit. Then they perform various dances, which last three whole days and nights, with only sl'glit intervals, without their taking the least nourishment or refreshment. I have this from a credible eye-witness. 12« I IMS li ■••i 138 WESTERN MISSIONS This extraordinary act is penitential, or rather, propitiatory, to obtain from the Great Spirit success in war. The camp, on this occasion, assumes a new life. All the garments and articles prepared during the winter, from the embroidered leggin and moccasin to the eagle-plumed headpiece, adorn their bodies for the first time, and the whole assembly ap- pears quite brilliant ; the camp acquires a new life. Those who are not at the moment occupied in the religious obser- vances, spend their time in games and often very spirited conversation. The fe a " Nprs about ten days. Before sep- arating, each person teaK juts the article which he sacri- ficed, so that no one can be tempted to take possession of it. This last act performed, the different companies separate to their own hunting-gi'ounds. They have some other religious practices and ceremonies, which I observed on my visit, and which are curious enough to be noticed here. The sun is honored and worshipped by the greater num- ber of the Indian tribes as the author of light and heat. The Assiniboins 'consider it likewise to be the favorite resi- dence of the Master of Life. They evidence a great respect and veneration for the sun, but rarely address it. On great occasions they oft'er it their prayeis and supplications, but only in a low tone. Whenever they light the calumet, they offer the sun the first whitfs of its smoke. The Indians regard a solar eclipse as the forerunner of Bome great disaster; and if a juggler can ascertain from a white man the period of the arrival of an eclipse, he is sure to make use of it to display his Wah-kon, or supernatural knowledge. At the moment of the eclipse the Indians rush out of their lodges, armed in full. They fire their guns, discharge their arrows in the air, and shout and howl, in order to frighten and o'-^t to flight the enemy of the Master AND MISSION A RTES. 139 of Life. Their pretended success is followed by great re- joicings. The bc.ir is the terror of all American Indians, for he causes the most serious accidents, and is excessively danger- ous, if he be encountered in a thick forest. Every year some savage is killed or crippled in a fight with a bear. They ad- dress it prayers and invocations ; they offer it sacrifices of tobacco, belts, and other esteemed objects ; they celebrate feasts in its honor, to obtain its favors and live without acci- dent. The bear's head is often preserved in the camp during several days, mounted in some suitable position, and adorned with scraps of scarlet cloth, and trimmed with a variety of necklaces, collars, and colored feathers. Then they offer it the calumet, and ask that they may be able to kill all the bears they meet, without accident to themselves, in order to anoint themselves with his fine grease and make a banquet of his tender flesh. The wolf is also more or less honored among the Indians, Most of the women refuse to dress its skin, at any price. The only reason that I could discover for this freak is, that the wolves sometimes get mad, bite those they meet, and give them the hydrophobia. It is, doubtless, to escape this terrible disea." and to avoid the destruction of their game, that the Indians make it presents and offer it supplications and prayers. In other cases he is little feared. He seldom injures men, at is formidable to the animals, and makes great ravages among them, especially among bison calves, kids, deer, antelopes, hares, &c. The "little medicine-wolf" is in great veneration among the Assiniboins. He ordinarily approaches the camp during the night. As soon as an Indian hears his barks, he counts the number with care ; he remarks whether his voice is feeble or strong, and from what point of the compass it 140 WESTERN MISSIONS I : [:}K |i 1 comes. These observations then become the subject of dis- cussion to the jugglers. What are the prognostics ? Why, the "little medicine-wolf" announces to them that on the morrow they may expect a visit from a friend or from an enemy, or perhaps a herd of buffalo. The Indians fre- quently regulate their movements or marches by these indi- cations ; and if, as occasionally happens, th^y result accord- ing to the explanation of the barks, the little wolf is favored with the ceremony of a grand feast ! The belief in ghosts is very profound, and common in all these tribes. Indians have often told me, seriously, that they had met, seen, and conversed with them, and that they may be heard almost every night in the places where the dead are interred. They say they speak in a kind of whis- tling tone. Sometimes they contract the face like a person in an epileptic fit. Nothing but the hope of gain could ever induce an Indian to go alone in a burying-ground at night. In such a case, love of gain might triumph over the fear of ghosts ; but an Indian woman would never be induced, on any condition, to enter one. The Assiniboins esteem greatly a religious custom of as- sembling once or twice in the year around the tombs of their immediate relatives. These sepulchres are raised on a species of scaffold, about seven or eight feet above the surface of the soil. The Indians call the dead by their names, and offer them meats carefully dressed, which they place beside them. They take care, however, to consume the best pieces them- selves, — after the custom of the priests of the idols of old, who offered their false gods the heart, blood, entrails, and indigestible parts, reserving to themselves the most delicate portions of the victim. The ceremony of burying the dead, among the Indians, is terminated by the tears, wailings, bowlings, and macerations of all present. They tear the I AND MrSSlONAKIKS. 141 hair, gash their legs, and at last the calumet is lighted, for this is the Alpha and Omega of every rite. They offer it to the shades of the departed, and entreat them not to injure the living. During their ceremonious repasts, in their ex- cursions, and even at a great distance from their tombs, they send to the dead puffs of tobacco-smoke and burn little pieces of meat as a sacrifice in their memory. The religious worship of the Assiniboins embraces a great variety of practices too lengthy to recount — they all bear the same characteristics. I will add, however, one remark- able point. Each savage who considers himself a chief or warrior, possesses what he calls his Wah-kon, in which he appears to place all his confidence. This consists of a stuffed bird, a weasel's skin, or some little bone or the tooth of an animal ; sometimes it is a little stone, or a fantastical figure, represented by little beads or by a coarsely painted picture. These charms or talismans accompany them on all their ex- peditions, for war or hunting — they never lay it aside. In every difficnlty or peril they invoke the protection and as- sistance of their Wah-kon, as though these idols could really preserve them from all misfortunes. If any accident befalls an idol or charm, if it is broken or lost, it is enough to arrest the most intrepid chief or warrior in his expedition, and make him abandon the mosc important enterprise in which he may be engaged. It is true that they have a conviction that all assistance should come from the Great Spirit ; but as they can neither see nor touch him, they invoke him through their favorite tutelary idols. If it happen (though the case is very rare) that an individual should profess not to believe in any kind of Wah-kon, he is regarded among the Indians very much as an infidel or an atheist would be in a Catholic country. They point at him and avoid him. In regard to the future state, they believe that the souls of \ 142 WESTERN MISSIONS ihe (lead migrate towards tbe South, where the climate is mild, the game abundant, and the rivers well stocked with fish. Their hell is the reverse of this picture ; its unfortunate inmates dwell in perpetual snow and ice, and in the complete deprivation of all things. There are, however, many among them who think death is the cessation of life and action, and that there is naught beyond it. As they feel uncertain which is true, they seem to attach no great importance to either. They seldom speak of it; they manifest their views to those whites who inquire of them, and in whom they feel confidence. The moral principles of the x\8siniboin8 are few in num- ber. Their opinions concerning good and evil have little precision. The social position is respected among them to a certain degree. Fear, on almost every occasion, governs and deterr Jnes the conduct of tho Indian. If he has any ground to suspect that another intends to take his life, he seizes the earliest opportunity of killing that person, provided he can do so without endangering his own life. This case is not looked upon as murder, but as a justifiable self-defence. The crime of murder, properly so called, is not known among them. They never kill, except in quarrels, to avenge or to defend themselves, and custom with them justifies the act. To behave otherwise, according to their received views, would be regarded as an act of folly. Theft, among the Assiniboins, is only considered disgrace- ful when it is discovered; then shame and infamy are at- tached rather to the awkwardness of the thief, for having taken his measures so ill. The old women are acknowledged the most adroit thieves in the country ; nevertheless, it is only just to add that the men seldom omit stealing any ob- ject, if it can prove useful to them. Adultery is punished with death in almost every case. i: '!!, AND MISSIONARIES. 143 Tlie seducer seldom escapes, if the husband and his family liave tlie power and the courage toexecuce this law. Hence this crime is rather uncommon. The woman is sometimes killed, but always severely punished. The husband causes her head to be closely shaved, and her person painted over with a heavy coat of vermihon mixed with bear's grease; she is then mounted on a horse, the mane and tail of which have been cut off, and the whole body also daubed with ver- milion ; an old man conducts her all around the camp and proclaims aloud her infidelity ; at last he commits her to the hands of her Own relatives, who receive the culprit with a good beating. A woman cannot be subjected to a more de grading punishment. An Assiuiboin has no scruple in lying^ when he can obtain any advantage from it : he rarely tells falsehoods in jest. In regaid to theft, falsehood, and adultery, the Assiniboins differ from the Indians near the Rocky Mountains, especially the Flat-Heads and the Pends d'oreilles, who detest these vices. It may be observed that the Assiniboins have been in rela- tions with the whites during a succession of years. False oaths are very jare among the Indians, when their promises are Rpsarned with any solemnity. The objects by which the Assiuiboin swears are his gun, the skin of ll t rat- tlesnake, a bear's claw, and the Wah-kon that the Indian in- terrogates. These various articles are placed before him, and he says, " In case my declaration prove false, may my gun fire and kill me, may the serpent bite me, may the bears tear and devour my flesh, may my Wah-kon overwhelm me with misery." A circumstance in which perjury could save his life, is the only one in which a savage would be tempted to commit it. In extraordinary and very important affairs, which demand formal promises, they call upon the thunder to witness their resolution of accomplishing the articles pro- 1! i 11 K'l 1 mam r i bIIPI ■ hAHIm '1, ill 144 WESTKRN MISSIONS i lit - -. 4i i.' posed and accepted. The whole vocabulary of the Assini- boin and Sioux language contains but one single word which can be considered insulting or as blasphemous. This word expresses the wish that the person or thing in question may become ugly, as we would say in French " Le Monstre," or in Flemish "Gy leelyke beest." The name of the Great Spirit is never prmiounced in vain, but always with highest marks of veneration. In this respect the language of the poor Indian is more ikftble tha^/the more polished tongues of many civilized nations, where there is ever on the swearer's lips curses and blasphem^ i, and where men mingle in all their conversation the name of the Almighty ! Such an individual would not only excite horror in the Indian, but would even excite his terror. The Sioux, or Dacotahs, of whom the Assiniboins are a branch, pretend that thunder' is an enormous bird, and that the muffled sound of the distant thunde/ is caused by a countless number of young birds ! The great bird, they say, gives the first sound, and the young ones repeat it : this is the cause of the reverberations. The Sioux declare that the young thunderers do all the mischief, like giddy youth, who will not listen to good advice ; but the old thunderer, or big bird, is wise and excellent, ^ never kills or injures any one I The Assiniboins dfead vampires and bats. Should these fly near a man, it is an omen of evil. The Will-with-a-wisp is also a great terror to then. The man who sees one dur- ing the night, is certain that death is about to carry i,way some cherished member of his family. They believe in dreams. /According to them, good dreams come from a spirit that loves them, and desires to give them good advice; bad dreams, in particular the night-mare, render them sad and iielancholy, and lead them to dread the arrival of painful events. AND MIBSIONAKIKS. 145 Not a day passes in an Indian family without some one having seen or heard something that augurs evil. This always excites an anxiety : hence their superstitions become a kind of torment. I have the honor to be, very dear Father, Your devoted Serv't and Bro. in Christ, P. J. De Smet, S. J. P. S. — I hope to send you, in a few days, some account ol ' Indian hunts, and especially of a great bison-hunt made by the Assiniboins in a kind of inclosure or park. If possible, I will add a sketch, to enable you to understand what I try to describe. The thermometer stands here at 96°, and even 102°. I am afraid my style shows it. The heat is so excessive that several persons have fallen dead in the streets. I hope you have received my itinerary, my letter on our shipwreck on the Humboldt, and the address sent me by the Bear, the Assiniboin chief. Please acknowledge receipt of ftll my letters. 18 m 146 WESTERN MISSIONS m Letter XI. To THE Editor of the Precis IIistoriques, Brussels. Indian Hunts. Cincinnati, College of St. Xavier, August 3, 1864, Rev. and very Dear Father : According to promise, I pioceed to offer you the de- S(^ripti<>n of a Imtit. If I succeed in making my nanation intelligible, I shall be satisfied, and shall not regret devoting my time to tlie writitig of it. To be a good hunter and a good warrior are the two qual- ities ^wr excellence tliat constitute a great man among all the nomadic tribes of North America. In this communication 1 sha.l limit mvself to the manner of conchictiiiof a hunt. The cliase absorbs the whole attention of the savage. The knowledge that he has acquired, by long experience, of the nature and instinct of animals, is truly marvellous. He is occupied with it from his tender infancy. As soon as a child is capable of managing a little bow, it is the first instrument his fatlier puts into his hands, to teach him how to hunt lit- tle birds and small animals. The young Indians are initiated in all their stratagems. They are taught with as much care how to approach and kill the animals, as in civilized society a youth is instructed in reading, Avriting, and arithmetic. An expert Indian hunter is acquainted minutely with the habits and instinr:ts of all the quadrupeds whiidi form the object of the chase. He knows their favorite haunts. It is essential for him to distinguish what kind of food an animal «i,j-* AND MISSIONARIES. 147 first seeks, and the most favorable moment of quitting liia lair for procuring nourisliment. The hunter must be fauiiliar with ail the precautions tlmt are necessary to elude the attentive ear and watchful instincts of his intended victims; he must appreciate the footstep that has passed him, the time that has elapsed since it passed, and the direction it has pursued. The atmosphere, the winds, rain, snow, ice, forests, and the water, are the books which the Indian reads, consults, and examines, on leaving his cabin in pursuit of game. The tribes of the desert find their subsistence in the chase ; the flesh of animals affords them food, and the skins clothing. Before the arrival of the whites, the method of killing the ditFerent species of animals was very simple, con- sisting ordinarily of stratagems and snares. They still have recourse to the primitive method in the liunt for large ani- mals, when they have no horses capable of pursuing them, and powder and ball for killing them are wanting. The trap prepared for the bison is an inclosure or pen, and is one of the more early ways, and perhaps the most re- markable in its execution ; it demands skill, and gives a high idea of the sagacity, activity, and boldness of the In- dian. As on all other occasions of moment, the jugglers are consulted, and the hunt is preceded by a great variety of superstitious practices. I witnessed one of these hunts at the base of the Rocky Mountains, and of this I will en- deavor to give you a faithful detail. The bisons roam the prairies in herds of several hundreds, and often of several thousands. On many of my travels I have seen with my own eyes, as far as I could discern on these immense plains, thousands and thousands of these no- ble animals moving slowly, like an interminable troop, in one direction, and browsing the grass as they progress. Til 148 WE8TERN MISSIONS N- They have a fearful appearance ; their hairy heads inspire with terror those who are ignorant of the pacific habits of this noble qna punishable ; however, those of the camp are more rig- ^ND MISSIONARIES. 149 orojsly chastised in case they transgress the regulation. Their guns, their bows and arrows, are broken, their lodges cut in pieces, their dogs killed, all their provisions and their hides are taken from thera. If they are bold enough to re- sist the penalty, they are beaten with bows, sticks, and clubs, and this torment frequently terminates in the death of the unhappy aggressor. Any one who should set fire to the 'prairie by accident or impvudence, or in any way frighten oti' the herd, would be sure to be well beaten. As soon as the law is promulgated, the construction of the l^n is commenced.* Everybody labors at it with cheerful ardor, for it is an affair of common interest, on which the subsistence of the entire tribe during several months will depend. The pen has an area of about an acre. To inclose it in a circular form, stakes are firmly fixed in the ground, and the distance between them filled with logs, dry boughs, masses of stone — in short, with whatever they can find that will answer the purpose. The circular palisade has but one opening ; before this opening is a slope embracing fifteen or twenty feet between the hills: this inchned plane grows » Plan of the Pen.— ABC, Pen ; AC, Opening; D, Slope •, A E and C F, Hills and Fences ; G, Medioine-mast. 13« 150 WESTERN MISSIONS ^ii 'I'l- >i ■i ':i wider as it diverges from the circle ; at its two sides they coutinue the fence to a long distance on the plain. As soon as these preparations are completed, the Indians elect a grand-master of ceremonies and of the pen. He is gen- erally an old man, a distinguished personage, belonging to Wah-kon, or medicine-band, and famous in the art of jug- glery, which the Indians, as I have remarked, deem a super- natural science. His office it is to decide the moment for driving the bisons into the inclosure, and give the signal for the commencement of the hunt. He plants the medicine- mast in the centre of the park, and attaches to it the three charms which are to allure the animals in that direction, viz., a streamer of scarlet cloth jjs himself in a buffalo-hide, the fur turned outside, and also envelops his horee as much as possible in the same manner, and then makes a plaintive cry in imitation of that of a bison calf. As if by enchantment, this orj attracts the at- m 152 WESTERN MISSIONS 1 1 flifl Mi ■ ? li 'ii tention of tbe whole herd ; after some seconds, several thou- sands of these quadrupeds, hearing this pitiful plaint, turn towards the pretended calf. At first they move slowly, then advance into a trot, and at last they push forward in full gallop. The horseman continually repeats the cry of the calf, and takes his course towards the pen, ever attentive to keep at the same distance from the animals that are follow- ing him. By this stratagem he leads the vast herd of bisons through the whole distance that separates him from his com- panions, who are on the qui vive, full of ardor and impa- tience to share with him in his sport. "When the buffaloes arrive in the space between the extrem- ities of the two lines, the scene changes ; all assumes an ap- pearance of eagerness. The hunters on horseback, giving rein to their steeds, rejoin each other behind the animals. At once the scent of the hunters is communicated among the frightened and routed animals, which attempt to escape in every direction. Then those on foot appear. The bisons, finding themselves surrounded and inclosed on all sides, ex- cept the single opening into the circular pen before them, low and bellow in the most frightful manner, and plunge into it with the speed of fear and desperation. The lines of hunters close in gradually ; and space becomes less necessary as the mass of bisons and the groups of hunters become more and more compact. Then the Indians commence firing their guns, drawing their arrows; and flini^ing their lances. Many animals fall under the blows before gaining the pen : the greater number, however, enter. They discover, only too late, the snare that his been laid for them. Those in front try to return, but the terrified crowd that follow forces them to go forward, and they cast themselves in confusion into the inclosure, amid the hurrahs and joyful shout of the whole tribe, intermingled with the firing of guns. AND MISSIONARIES. 153 As soon as all are penned, the bufialoes are killed with ar- rows, lances, and knives. Men, women, and children, in an excitement of joy, take part in the general butcher^ , and the flaying and cutting up of the animals. To look at them without disgust in this operation, one must have been a little habituated to their customs and manners. While men cut and slash the flesh, the women, and children in particu- lar, devour the meat still warm with life — the livers, kidneys, brains, AND MISSIONARIES. 157 chief proclaims with emphasis his bfty deeds, his patriotic and martial ardor — the sentiments and motives which prompt him to vengeance. His song is accompanied with the drum and the sischiquoin, or gourd filled with little pebbles. He stamps on the ground, as though he could shake the carta to the centre. All the youth listen to him with attention, and any one who rises becomes a volunteer in his party ; he, in his turn, intones his war-song, and this ceremony has the force of a solemn pledge, from which a young man cannot honorably withdraw. Each volunteer arms and equips him- self with all that will be necessary for him in his expedi- tions. The whole force of public opinion among the Indians appears to be concentrated on this point. The narration of their adventures and of their valorous deeds, their dances, their religious ceremonies, the speeches of their orators in their public assemblies ; whatever, in tine, that can serve to inflame ambition in the mind and heart of a barbarian, is referred to the idea of being one day distinguished in war. I have now to speak of the Crows. Among all the tribes of the northwest portion of North America, this nation is considered as the most warlike and valiant. It counts about four hundred and eighty lodges, ten individuals to a lodge, and roams over the valley of the Yellowstone, principally in the region of the Wind River Mountains, or Bh.ck Hills, and the Kocky Mountains. This race is one of the noblest in the desert ; they are tall, robust, and well-formed, have a piercing eye, aquiline nose, and teeth of ivory whiteness. If they are considered as superior in intelligence to all their neighbors, they also surpass them in their wah-kon, or super- stitious ideas and ceremonies, which reign in all their move- ments and actions. In illustration, I will cite the following trait, of which I was innocently and ignorantly the cause. In 1840, I first met the Crows, in the valley of the Big 14 'ii!!' ¥ It if! 158 WESTERN MISSIONS :,f! ,: fBl III ''91 1 I'll' ;! j^Rr'''' - "' : Wii. < .. > i| iMii I'f iliy|^U| iMj Horn, a tributary of the YcllowRtoiic. In my quality of Black-gown, they received mo with all possible demonstra- tions of respect, and with a sincere joy. I had with me a stock of lucifer-matches, which I used from time to time to light my pipe, and the calumet used in the Great Council. The etfect of these matches surprised them greatly ; they had never seen any. They conversed about them in all the lodges, and called them the mysterious fire which the Black- gown carried. I was at once considered the greatest medi- cine-man that had ever visited their tribe. They consequently treated me with distinguished respect, and listened to all I said with the greatest attention. Before my departure, the chiefs and principal warriors of the council requested me to leave them a portion of my matches. Unconscious of the superstitious ideas which they attached to them, I readily distributed them, reserving only what was necessary for my journey. In 1844 I visited them again. The reception they gave me was most solemn. I was lodged in the largest and finest lodges of the camp. All the chiefs and warriors were habited in their emb: ^idered mocc-Hsins, leggins, and bnckskin shirts ornamented with beads and porcupine quills, while eagle's feathers crowned their heads, and they con- ducted me in grand ceremony from lodge to lodge. That I might participate in a grand banquet, I was provided with my band of eaters, who would do honor to the viands and eat for me. One of the great chiefs testified a special friend- ship for me. "/< is to thee, Black-goion^'' said he to me, " that I owe all my glory in the victories I have gained over my enemies.^'' His language astonished me greatly, and I begged him to explain. Without delay he took fi'om his neck his wah-kon, or medicine-bag, wrapped in a bit of kid. He unrolled it, and displayed to my wondering view the remnant of the matches I had j^iven him in 1840! "I use AND MISSIONAKIES. 159 them," said he, "every time I go to battle. If the myste- rious fire appears at the first rubbing, I dart upon my enemies, sure of obtaining victory." I had considerable diffi- culty in disabusing their minds of this singular superstition. As you see, it requires little to acquire a reputation among the Indians : with a few lucifer-matches, you may be a great man among the Crows, and receive great honors. The Crows have been invested during several years, on the north by the Black-Feet, on the east by the Assini- boins and Crees, and on the south by the Sioux. Each of these invading nations being more numerous than the nation invaded, the Crows were necessarily engaged in perpetual war, sometimes with one and sometimes with the other of these tribes. Hence the last ten years show a great diminu- tion in their population, which numbers at the present time not more than four hundred warriors. Occasionally the Crows have enjoyed peace with the tribes of the Black-Feet, Sioux, Bonacks, Assiniboins, etc.; and it is a quite remarkable fact, tliat they have never been the first to violate a treaty of peace, except in the following instance, whicfi I will narrate in full. In 1843, the great chief of the nation was known by the title of Tezi-Goe^ a word which sounds bad enough, meaning Rotten Belly. He was as much renowned for his bravery in war as for his wisdom in council, and the patriotic love that he testified to the whole nation. Seeing with pain the great losses that the continual incursions of so many enemies caused hi j tribe, he resolved to conclude a solemn treaty of peace, if iiot with all, at least with a great part of the Black- Feet. H(3 made all suitable arrangements, and convoked his council, to deliberate on the most prompt and the most etH- cacious means of success in his great design. All the war- riors hastened to his aid. After having discussed the dif- i 160 WESTERN MISSIONS l"B i,;4- !i'! ferent points, it was unanimously decided that a party of twenty-five braves sliould re[)air to the Black-Feet camp, to offer them the calumet of peace. The guide chosen to conduct the band was one of the nation of Black-Feet, taken prisoner by the Crows some years before, and l.itherto retained in captivity. In order to attach him more securely to the good cause, the Crows granted him his liberty, with the title of brave, and the per- mission to wear the eagle's plume. He was, besides, loaded with presents, consisting of horses, arms, and ornaments of every kind. Having received his instructions, he set out joyfully and with signs of gratitude, fully resolved to neglect nothing to obtain and consolidate an honorable and lasting peace between the two nations. A place had been desig- nated in which the two tribes might meet as friends and brothers, to celebrate the grand event. The deputation, therefore, set out for the Black-Feet camp of four hun- dred lodges, commanded by the great chief '.'Spotted Deer," or Ponukah-kitzi-Pemmy, which they found encamped in the valley of the Maria River, a pretty large branch of the Missouri River, in the neighborhood of the Great Falls. About a month before the departure of this expedition, two Crows had been killed, near their own camp, and their scalps carried away, by a war-party of Black-Feet. The two brothers of these unfortunate victims fasted, and took their oaths according to custom. These oaths consisted in vowing that they would each kill a Black-Foot, the first good chance. They communicated their intentions to no one. The bravery and determination of these two men were well known. They were elected to join the band of deputies, and promised ostensibly to forget their private wrongs for the public wel- fare ; but in secret they renewed their first intentions, fore- ! i *;.':*■ AliD MISSIONARIES. 161 seeing that this excursion would probahly furnish an occasion of avenging tlie j)t, the vices and excesses of the pioneers of our civiliza- tion. The spirituous liquors, which they offer the Indians in abundance — inoie terrible than war — sweeps them off by liundreds, and they disappear, leaving behind iheni only sad mounds, as tombs, which dot the plains and highlands by the river-side, till the plough at last levels these last vestiges of a race. If time permits, I will hereafter give some details on the actual conditi(jn of the Indian tribes under the domination of the great Ke])ublic. The government has just organized, in the western desert, two new territories — Kanzas and Nebraska.* They embrace an extent of neither more nor le>s than between five and six hundred thousand square miles. They will then be divided into several States, and each of these States will be larger than France. Whites are already pouring in in thousands, all hastening to take possession of the best sites. The law has just passed ; no steps are yet - * Nebraska Territory extends to 49° north, tlie northern bonndary of tlie United States; on the south, tlie line of 40" separates it from Kauzas ; its eastern limit is the Wliile Kiver and the Missouri, wliioli sep.iriite it from Minnesota and Iowa-, on the west, it extends to tlie Kockv Mountains. Kansas Terrilory extends three degrees, or 208 miles, further sotith ; 01) the oa^t -s the State of Missouri : on the north, tlie 37tii degree sepa- raier, it from the I liorokee Kescrvation ; on the west, it is buuntled by the Iiocky Mountains. These two territories contain over 500,000 square miles, or forty times the surface of Belgium. AND MISSIONARIES. 171 taken to protect the Indians, and already fifty new towns and villiiges arc in progress ; barns, farms, mills, &c., rise on all sides as though by enchantment. I did not then think that the moment of invasion was so near. The narrative with which I will entertain you to-day is well known in all the region where the scenes occurred. I have it from two most reliable sources — that is to say, fiom a man of tried probity and veracity, Mr. Denig, of the St. Louis Fur Company, and from a worthy Canadian inter- preter. Both resided many years among the Assiniboins, and knew the subject of the story, and witnessed many of his acts. This hero i.^ Tchatka or Gaucher, an Assiniboin chief. He exercised, during his long career, more power over the band or tribe that he led and governed, than any other savMge Nestor whose history I have learned. He had received sev- eral names; but that of Gaucher, or Awkward, is that by which he was known among the voyageurs* and fur-traders. His other names were, Wah-kon-kangta, or the Great Medi- cine; Mina-Yougha, or the Knifeholder; and Tatokah-nan, or the Kid. These titles were bestowed on him at different periods of his life, in memory of some remarkable deed by which he had distinguished himself, and which will appear in the course of my narrative. The family of Tchatka was very numerous, and enjoyed great influence. As the members purposed electing him their chief, and conductor of the camp, as soon as he should attain his majority, he attracted the attention of the north- ern fur-traders of Upper Canada and the Hudson Bay Com- pany's territory. The intimacy which he cultivated with i^ (I 1 n % * I use the word voyageur^ a Canadian term, adopted in English to detiguauj the white hunters of the West, a peculiar set of men. m 172 WESTEKN MISSIONS ■'•' a. BM : f;i: II ^. the whites, united to a liigh degree of native cunning, proved the means of his acquiring many arts, whicli gave him on his return a kind of distinction among Iiis peopU\ lie had also obtained, by means of a white man, a quantity of poison, and liad learned its properties and use. Tchatka was an un- principled, deceitful, cunning, cowardly man. Although young and vigorous, he always kept out of danger. While the warrior;^ of his tribe were fighting in the plain, he would be seated on a hill or some other spot fiom which he could observe all that passed. lie had been initiated into all tlie tricks of tlie jugglers. lie never performed incantation and juggleries without a good horse beside him, on which he sprang in case of defeat. He was always the first to escape, abandoning tlie combatants to their own hi . and got oft' as well as he could. As we shall see in the sequel, he became chief of two hundred and eighty lodges, or about twelve hundred warriors. The gicat confidence which they had in their leader seems to have been the cause of his a'reat sue- cess in the war against the Black-Feet and other enemies of the nation. As soon as Tchatka had attained the requisite age, he used every effort to attain his object and satisfy his ambition. He calctilated the advantages and ascendency he would ob- tain over the people by becoming initiated in ihe great band of medicine-men or jugglers,* and he pretended to the gift * The Wali-kons, or Medicine-men, among the American Indians, and the Panomoosi of Northern Asia, belong to the same class. In both hemispheres these charlatans pretend to heal diseases by witchcraft; they predict the issue of wars and hunts. In all cases they pretend to be inspired by Manitous; that is, divinities or spirits. They generally retire to the deptli of the forests, where they pretend to fast for several days, and often practice very vigorous penances, consisting especially in oorporal macerations ; then they beat the drum, dance, sing, smoke, cry, and howl like wild beasts. All these preparatives are accompanied AND MISSIONARIES. 173 of prophecy. A second CO nee motive for this initiation was, that he might thereby conceal \m want of bravery — a quality in- dispensable in a chief. Many remarkable stoiies are related of his exactitude in predicting future events, and for which the simplo savages could give no explanation. - Tchatka was not ignorant that there were several persons in the tribe whose iniUience was great, who were older than he, and who had acquired by their valor in war, and by I heir wisdom in the council, real titles to the dignity of great c^'ef. In order to arrogate to himself the sole government of the camp, he conceived the frightful design of getting rid of his competitors. He brought to the execution of his project all his cunning and deceit. I have already alluded to the poisons in his possession. By secret experiments he becajne well inforuied concerning their power and influence. lie administered it himselt^ or by the hands of others, so adroit- ly that nut the least suspicion was excited. His character of prophet came to his aid. He predicted to his victims, often several weeks and months before the event, that they had not long to live, according to the revelations of his Wah-kon, and mauitous or spirits. The accomplishment of this species of prediction established his reputation ; he ob- tained the title of "Strong in Jugglery." The poor savages regarded him with fear and respect — as a being who could at his will dispose of life. Many made him presents of by a host of furious actions, and such extraordinary contortions of body, tliat tliey would seem possessed. Tliese jugglers are visited secretly by night by accomplices in their craft and hypocrisy, who carry them all the news of the village and its neighborhood. By these means the jug- glers, on leaving the forest and returning to the village, easily impose on the credulous. The first part of their predictions consists in giving an exact account of all the events of the village since their departure — marriages, deaths, returns from the war or the hunt, and all other re- markable items. 15« . in i V '»;! ijtf I* 'i«ii"i "«»! • i " ■ II -JmJl I 'III f iiff 174 WESTERN MISSIONS horses and other objects, in order to escape figuring on the list of iiis fatal predictions. The of th( most iiinuential and courageous personage Assiniboins, the principal obstacle to the ambition of Gau- cher or Tchatka, was his own uncle. Tci a lofty stature, liis uncle joined a bravery, a boldness, and a violence which no one dared oppose. lie bore the name of the Walking Bow, or Itazij)a-man. He was renowned for his valorous deeds in combat. His robe, his casque, his clothing, his tomahawk, lance, and even the bridle and saddle of his steed, were adorned with scalps and trophies taken from his enemies. He was surnamed The One-eyed, or Istagon, because he had lost an eye in battle by an arrow. Tchatka was jealous of the power of Istagon, and of the influence the latter exercised over the whole tribe. Hither- to he had not attempted the life of his uncle ; as he feared his anger, he desired to assure himself of his protection. He needed him as long as those were living who might op- pose his ambitious march, the success of which was so little merited on his part: no deed of arms, no trophy gained from the enemy, could authorize him to carry his preten- sions higher. By his arts and flattery, by an assiduous at- tention and feigned submission to the smallest desires of the chief, the cunning young man succeeded in gaining the friendship and confidence of his uncle. They saw each other more frequently : they gave each other feasts and banquets, in which the greatest harmony seemed to reign. One even- ing Tchatka presented his guest a poisoned dish : the latter, according to the Indian custom, ate the whole. Knowing, by experience, that in a few hours the ingredient would pro- duce its eft'ects, Tchatka invited all the principal braves and soldiers of the camp to repair to his lodge, announcing, that he had an aflfaif of the highest importance to communicate AND MISSIONARIES. 1 •" "^ to tlieiii. He placed his Wjih-kon in tlie most suitable and iMost cuuspioiioiis part of iii.s lodge Tliis Waii-koii of G.iu- cljL'r'a Consisted of a stone, painted red, and surrounded by a little fence of small sticks about six inches in lenirth. It lay at a little distance from the lire, which was burning ia the centre of the hulgf, and opposite the place wh<3re he sat. It had occupied this pla(;e for several years. As soon as the whole assembly were arranged, Tchatka disclosed his Wah-kon. He declared to them that the thun- der, during a noeturnal storm, had launched this stone into tho middle of his lo^Ige ; that the voice of the thunder had told iiim that it jx)ssessed the gift, and the spirit of prophecy; that the Wah-kon stone had announced that a great event was about to take place in the camp ; for that very night the most valiant brave of the tribe would strufju-le in the arms of death, and that anothei", more favored than he by the spirits, would take his place, and would be proclaimed great-chief of the camp; that at the very moment the chief ex])ired, the Wah-kon stone would vanish, and accompany the spirit of the deceased into tho country of souls. A mournful silence succeeded this singular declaration. Ar,- tonishment, mingled with superstitious dread, was depicted on the faces of all those who composed the assembly. No one dared to contradict the discourse of Tchatka, or call in doubt his words. Besides, on so many other occasions his predic- tions had been realized at the appointed time. He whoso death had been foretold, without being named, was present. As several occupied nearly as high a rank as himself in the camp, and shared the power in concert with Istagon, the latter did not at first apply to himself exclusively the an- nouncement of death which had just been made so mysteri- ously. He did not yet feel the eflfects of the poisoned dish, aad had not even the slightest suspicion on the subject 1 I m .1 1 V' f 1 'ln^ i"' 176 WESTERN MISSIONS Each withdrew to his own lodge ; but dark apprehensions troubled their minds, and agitation controlled their hearts. Who will be the victim announced ? Towards midnight a messenger informed Gaucher that his uncle and friend was very sick, and wished positively to speak with him. The uncle suspected the perfidy of his nephcivv, and was resolved to stretch him dead at his feet while he yet possessed suflScient strength. The wily Tchatka answered the messenger, "Go, tell Istagon that my visit to him would prove useless. I could not possibly at this mo- ment quit my lodge and my Wah-kon." In the mean time a great tumult and great confusion arose throughout the camp; consternation became general. In his horrible convulsions, and befoie they had deprived him of the use 3f speech, Tstagon declared to the braves who first ansvvercd his call, that he suspected Tchatka of being the cause of his death. They at once uttered shrieks of rage and veno-eance against the latter, and hastened to his lodeco to execute their ihreats. Tchatka, apoarently grieved and melancholy, on account of the unhappy lot of iiis uncle, and trembling with fear at the sight of so many uplifted tomahawks, besought these avengers of Istagon to suspend their wrath and deign to listen to him. " Relations and friends," said he, " Istagon is my uncle ; the same blood flows in our veias ; he has ever loaded me with marks of his friendship and his confidence. How then could I injure him ? A few moments ago you saw him vigorous with health ; now that he is grappling with death you come to discharge your vengeance upon me ! What have I done to deserve it ? I predicted the event ! How could I help doing so ? Such was the decree of my great Wah-kon ! Ap- proach, and observe it closely, for I announced at the same time that my Wah-kon would disappear, in order to accom- i'l ^9 AND MISSIONARIES. 177 pany the soul of the chief into the region of spirits. If iny word is accomplishe \ and my Wah kon stone disappears, is it not an evident sio-u that tiie death of Tstaijon is rather a decree of the manitous tlian a treachery on my part ? Wait, and judge for yourselves." These few wordf. ]iaroach him. The supernatural power of the Wah-kon was acknowledged, .md he who had received it from the thunder was honored throughout the camp with the title of Wah- kon-Tangka, that is, Great MedicUe. 178 WESTERN MISSIONS pMm li«'# This pretended supornatural affair is thus explained : The wily savage had been a long time preparing the part he in- tended peiformiiig. Some days beforehand he pierced the stone, and charged it with nearly a pound of powder. A train of powder, carefully covered over, conducted from the place in which he was seated to the hole excavated in the stone — a distance of six or eiijht feet. He seized a favorable instant for lighting a piece of tinder, and at the very mo- ment that the death of the " One-eyed'''' was announced, he firt^d the train — the stone exploded. All these subtle and perfidious means of Gaucher must appear very simple in the civilized world, where poison and powder are so often em})loyed in all manner of crimes and misdemeanors ; but among the Indians the case was widely different. They were then ignorant of the destructive power of these two articles. It is not, therefore, astonishing that they saw only Wah-kon — that is to say, the supernatural and incomprehensible — :j all this. At his death, Istagon left a great number of friends, espe- cially among the warriors, who were sincerely attached to him on account of his bravery. Several among them, less credulous perhaps than the others, eyed Tchatka with stern and threatening looks every time that he appeared in public. But as he lived retir'^d, rarely quitting his lodge, their dis- dain and aversion for him were not much remarked. Besides, as I have already observed, he had a numerous band of rela- tives; the members of his family, on whom he could rely, with his partisans, formed a fouith part of all the camp, or about eighty lodges. Tehatka was well persuaded that a politic "troke was still necessary to gain the undecided, the discon(*mted, and the incredulous. Circumstances seemed to favor this measure ; he resolved to have recourse to it while the prodigy of the •i ^^Sim*- AN M 1 sSK )X A RI KS . 170 stone was still fi'osli in their nicmorv. It has occasionallv happened, too, tliut on th(3 denth of a cliicf, a numerous camp divides into different eompanies, above all ii" theie liad existed any anterior discord. Tchatka, therefore, sliut liimself in liis lodu'c during several davs, without eommuni- eating openly with any one. The camp exp(*cted som^'thititr marvellous. The causes of this lono- retreat were discussed ; they lost themselves in conjecUires ; all, however, wei'e fully persuaded that some new manifestation, either good or evil, would be the result. On the fifth day of Tchatka's letreat, a general uneasiness was manifested among the savages, and they spuke of divi^ v> ^ \ '^\ ^vv ^J^"^ ,^K^^ c.'^ 'A 188 WKSTERN MISSIONS there they would trace the war-party of the Black-Feet, of which he had dreamed before leaving the camp. Several horsemen set out witiiout delay to reconnoitre the enemy. At the spot indicated they found the path tracked by nearly a liundred horses. All the warriors redoubled their zeal, ardor, and confidence in their new chief. The two succeed- ing days offered nothing very singular. They again stopped in the evening of the fifth day, without discovering the small- est vestige of proximity to the hostile camp they sought. The watchful scouts were gone, during the day, in diflferent directions, without bringing back the least news, except the one who had been in secret communication with Tjhatka. Several of the most ancient of the warriors nmrmured boldly, saying, "that the day predicted by the chief, on which they would surely see the enemy, had passed." But Tchatka silenced them all, replying to them : " You seem still to doubt my words — the time is not past ! Rather say, tie time is arrived. You appear still young in experi- ence — and yet a great many winters are beginning to whiten your heads. Where do you think you will find the lodges of your enemies ? Is it in the open plain, or on the summit of an elevation ? With a single glance of the eye we perceive all that is there, and is it there you pretend to discover them ; and that, too, in a moment in which those who should pro- tect their wives and children are afar ? The bear and the jaguar hide their little ones in their dens, or in the depth of impenetrable forests ; the wolf hides them in a hole ; the goat and the deer cover them with hay. When you hunt the deer, do you not peep through the trees and the briars ? In the fox and the badger hunt, you seek their lairs. Let some one go and examine the little point of forest near the large rock, at the end of the plain in which we are." Instantly, several of the most courageous and the most AND MI88IONARIK8. 189 experienced in the Rtralagcms of warfare were sent to the (iiscoveiy. Favore(' by tlie niglit, and witli all possible pre- cautions, they entered the little wood, and made all their ob- Bei vations without being perceived. In the silence of n)id- night, they reported their news to Tehatka and his com- panions — "tliat they had discovered the lilack-Feet en- campment in the place indicated by the chief; that the lodges were occupied solely by old men, women, and chil- dren ; that they could not hear the voices of any youth ; and that all the horses were gone.'* This account tilled these barbarous hearts with joy. The rest of the night was passed ill songs and datices to the sound of the great drum, in jug- gleries and invocations to the manitous who had inspired Tchatka during his five days and five nights of dreams, and which had cond'icted his spirit into the regions of souls. At the break of day the four hundred Assiniboin war- liurs surrounded the thirty feeble wigwams of the Black- Feet. The cry of war and of vengeance, which they shouted simultaneously, like so many bloodthirsty furies, awakened and filled with dreadful fear those unhappy mothers and children left unprotected there. In accordance with their expectations, the Assiniboins found few men in the camp; all had gone with the war-party of which I have made men- tion. The small number of Black-Feet youth detended themselves with desperate bravery ; but they could not long lesist so many enemies. The combat was short ; the car- nage bloody and hideous. Old men, women, and children, fell an easy prey to the cruel Assiniboins. Only two young Black-Feet escaped this shocking butchery. An Assiniboin who participated in the combat gave the recital of it to M. Dcnij):, and declared that with his own hand he had killed fourteen children and three women. M. Denig asked him if he had killed them all with arrows. "Some of them," an- Er3F-.g^T^3 1^0 WESTERN MISSIONS !-■ ■;':!: It swered he; "but failing in arrows, I had recourse to the tomahawk and the dagger." He added, at the same time, that they tore from the arms of their mothers, and took ■with them a great nuniher of little children, and that on their way, amid their songs and the scalp-dances, they amused themselves with flaying them alive and running pointed sticks through their bodies, in order to ror.st them alive befce the fire. The piercMig shrieks of these little creatures fell upon the car of these barbarians, amid their inhuman orgies, like the sweetest and most delightful mel- ody. All that a pitiless and savage heart could invent of torture, was put in practice on this occasion. The Assini- boins declare that they satiated themselves with cruelty, to satisfy the manes of their deceased parents and kindred, and their implacable and long-wished-for vengeance against the greatest of their enemies, the Black-Feet. Tbe number of scalps taken surpassed greatly the number of heads paint- ed on the drum. When returning to their own grounds, at the first en- campment which they made, one of the warriors remarked, and loud enough for Tchatka's ear, " that the Black-Foot chief had neither been seen nor slain." The chief replied : " Our work is not yet finished ; we will therefore have an- other encounter before repairing to our homes. The Black- Foot chief shall die ! I saw him scalped in my dreara : such he was painted on the drum by the manitous. His scalp shall be taken from him with his own knife." A gentle shower fell during the night ; a heavy fog ob- scured the sky during the morning, which obliged the whole company of warriors to remain together, in order not to lose their way. After some hours* march, the sound of a gun discharged in front of the line, informed those who brought up the rear that an attack had commenced. Every one AND MISSIONARIES. 191 pressed forward to join the combatants. It was a rencontre with a troop of twenty or thirty Bhick-Feet that the fog had separated from their companions. Notwithstanding ail the manceuvivs of Tchatka to slielter himself from danger, he found himself enveloped in the midst of the fight, ignorant which way to turn. The Black-Feet defended themselves courageously, but they were forced to yield to the superior number of adversaries. Several escaped by means of the fot;, which covered them from view. In the heat of the enijafjement, Tchatka's horse was killed mv ^v him; the horseman and his steed rolled in the dust. At the same instant a Black-Foot, of lofty stature and pro- digious strength, hurled his lance at him, which only grazed the head of his enemy, and struck deep, quivering in the earth. Then he attacked him, knife in hand. Tchatka rose rapidly from his fall, and, coward as he was, in self-defence he displayed skill and strength. He seized the arm of his terrible adversary, and used every effort to wrest the knife. As the combat in front of the line had ceased, the Assini- boins, perceiving the absence of their chief, returned to look for him. They found him prostrate, and still combating with this powerful enemy. The Black-Foot now disen- gaged, raised his arm to plunge his knife into the heart of Tchatka, when he received the blow of a tomahawk on his skull, which stretched him without consciousness beside his vanquished adversary. The latter, in his turn, seized the murderous instrument and finished the Black-Foot. Oa rising he shouted : " Friends, behold the chief of the Black- Feet, for bis medal reveals and proclaims him ! I hold in my hand the knife of Mattan Zia (BearVFoot), whose mighty deeds you know, and who has been, during many years, the terror of our nation." With the same blood- stained knife he scalped him and cut off his two hands, in 192 WK8TERN MISSIONS |i i.i ■f] ki t 'i.m f%%^ ,li, ;,.• in order to aoconiplisli tho last point of his great prophecy, which will be repeated from father to son among the Assiniboins, to the last generation. On this occasion Tchalka received the third name, Minayougha, or the Knife- holder. The whole tribe gave themselves up to a delirium of joy, which I could not describe, when the expedition returned with so many trophies gained from their most cruel enemies. The dances and incantations to the sound of the mysterious drum, and the public rejoicing which commonly accompany the scalps, were renewed a hundred times during the space of a single moon. The glory of Tchatka and his manitous was chanted in the whole camp. They announced him, with the highest acclamations, tho Minayougha and the Wah-kon-Tangka par excellence^ whom none could resist. He lost none of the advantages which he had gained in public opinion by his profound and cruel stratagem. The whole command of the tribe was intrusted to him, and never chief among the Assiniboins attracted so much respect and fear. Like a true bashav/, or modern Mormon, he selected three wives at once, without even consulting them. Two of these had been already betrothed to two young and very influen- tial warriors. Notwithstanding their protest, the parents believed themselves honored in being allied to the family of the great chief, by the choice which he made of their daugh- ters, and they were conducted to the lodge of Tchatka. To maintain peace in his new household, and put the discon- tented in good-humor, by destroying every hope, he gave orders to one of his partisans to poison, in secret, his two competitors. The better to shield himself from all suspicion, he set off in the chase. On his return, they gave him the news of their death. He contented himself by saying, AND MISSION AlilKS. 193 "t.liat diosc who were capable of contradicting him in the smallest trifles, or who presumed to despise his power, were in imminent danger of death." In this manner the principal accomplice associated with Tchatka, for executing his numerous poisonings, fulfilled his mandates. We shall say a word concerning the relations in which these two detestable men stood. The hidden abettor was a near relative of the chii^f. IIe*was about five iWl in height, and of a robust and vigorous frame. He had lost an eye in a quarrel with a young man; over the other hung a gieat flap of flesh, beginning from the middle of his fore- head, and extending as far as his under-jaw. He had a fiat nose, thick lips, a large, gaping mouth, which displayed two rows of oval teeth, as white as ivory. He concealed lightly his ugly frontispiece under tufts of thick, filthy black hair, matted together with gum and resin, mingled with verinil- i(m. For several years, when he visited Fort Union, at the mouth of the Yellowstone, he was the terror of all the chil- dien, fur it was impossible to meet a human face more fright- ful and more loathsome. Undoubtedly, the marks of con- tempt that he everywhere received, on account of his ex- terior, excited in him the inveterate hatred that he bore to his race. The artful Tchatka, perceiving some advantages that he might draw from a man of this nature, in the execu- tion of his designs, had long before taken him as associate. He always treated him with kindness, made him presents, sought his confidence on various occasions, and flaiteied his vicious inclinations. He could, in consequence, always rely upon this man, when there was occasion to injure his ele would abandon him hopeles.sly." His proposiliou was heard with great horror, lie only received in reply severe represenlations on the baseness of his conduct and ou his infamous and frightful proceedings. J3ut these were in- etfectual on his j)erverted heart, hardened by an astonishing succession of unheard-of crimes and atrocities. He left the fort with evident tokens of discontent, at having been frus- trated in his attempt. During the two years which succeeded, Tchatka conducted several war-parties, sometimes with success and sometimes with reverses. It was perceptible that his years were ad- vancing; that his manitous wtre less faithful than formerly ; that his predictions were no longer realized ; that those who criticised his arrangements lived, notwithstanding. Several even dared to defy his power. In the spring of 1838, the small-pox (it was not well known how) was oommunicated to the Indian tribes in Upper Missouri. The ravages of this disease entirely changed the position which Tchatka had hitherto held among the In- dians. The fine camp of Tchatka, composed of twelve hun- dred warriors, was reduced, in this single season, to eighty men capable of bearing arms. Other tribes experienced trials still moi-e severely. This scourge counted more than 10,000 victims among the Crows and the Black-Feet; the Minataries were reduced from one thousand to five hundred ; the Mandans, the noblest among the races in the Upper Missouri, counting six hundred warriors before the epidemic, were reduced to thirty-two, others say to nineteen solely ! A great number committed suicide, in despair ; some with 170 198 WESTERN MISSIONS tlioir Iftnrcs and otlier warlike instruments, but the greater pari l)y tlirowinjjf thunisclves from a high rock which over- h)oks tlie Missouri. In tho course of the following year, Tchatka formed tho design of suizirjg, by stratagem, the largo village of the Man- dans,* and of tjiking all the horses and effects which they could find in it. The village of the Mandans was then permanent, and in the neighborhood of the present site of Fort Clark. About five miles lower dwelt the Arickarao, new allies and friends of the Mandans, who numbered about five liundred warriors, and had escaped the contagion, because they were absent in the hunting-grounds when tho scourge broke out. Tchatka was ignorant of the circumstances of the position of the Arickaras, in respect to the Mandans, and had scarcely given a thought to tho proximity of the two tribes. Having collected the sad remnant of his warriors, he communicated to them the design he had formed. " We will go," said he, "to otter the calumet of peace to the Mandans. They will accept it with joy," added he, "for they are feeble, and have the hope of finding in us a protection against the Sioux, their most furious enemies. As soon as we are admitted in the village, under these appearances of friendship, we will scatter ourselves here and there throughout their lodges, then, by a simultaneous movement, we will fall, with cutlass and dag- * I have mentioned tho Mandans, and some of their traditions, in several of my letters. Their Indian name is See-pohs-ka-nn-ma-ka-keo, which signifies a partridge. They have a remarkable tradition concern- iug the deluge. On a high hill existing in their territory, they say that the big canoe (tho ark) rested. Every year, when the willow buds, they celebrate this event by grand festivals and noisy ceremonies. Their tradition says that tho branch brought back to tlie great canoe by tlio bird was a willow-branch, full of leaves. Tiie bird they allude to waa the dove, and it is forbidden, in their religious code, to kill it. AND MISSION AUIKS. 11)0 gor, on ill! that remain of tlio Maiulaiis. Tliey cannot escapo U8. All tiiat they possess will Ix'Ioiitjj to us." TIk^ plan ap- peared practicahle to them. Ihisirinj^ to do something whicii might ameliovato their con