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Map .1/ Inuian l,ov*UTitt embraced uilhin the Author't TraieU, LETTl'R— N(). 1. \VyomiiiE:, birth-place of the Author, p. 2.— His former Profession— First cause of hk Triivola to the liuliiiii Country— DelfK"'""" of lu.Jiuns in Philadelphia— First start to the Far West, in 18.52, p.3.— Oesii,'n of formiuj? a National Gallery— Numbers of Tribe* visited, and number of i'aintin};s and other thin-:s collectvd, p. 4.— Probable extinction of the Indians, p. 5.— Former and present numbers of -The proper mode of approaciimg them, and estiiuatinp; their character, j). 5 — 10. Cehtihcaies of Government Oijicers, Indian Agents and others, as to the fidelity of m« Portraits aHd other Painting:., ji. 11 — 13. LITTER— No. 2. Mouth of Yellow Stone, ji. 14, pi. 3.— Distance from St. Louis— Difficulties of the .Missouri— Politeness of iMr. Cliouteuu and iMiijor .>*anlord— Fur Company's Fort— Indian F.picures— New and true .School for tlie Arts— Ueautiful Models, p. 14— 16. LETTER— Nc. ' Mouth of Yellow Stone. Character of .Missouri Uiver, p. 18, pi. 4.— Heautiful prairie shores, p. 19, pi. 3.— Pic- turesque clay blurts, p. 19, pi. 6.— First appeiirante of a steamer at the Yellow Stone, and curious conjecture." of the Indians about'it, p. 20.— Fur Company's Establishment at the mouth of Yellow Stone — M'Kenzie— His table and politeness, p. 21.— Indium tribes in this vicinity, p. 22. LETTER — No. 4, Mouth of Yellow Sto.ne. Upper .Missouri Indians— General character, p. 23.— Uuftaloes— Description of, p. 24, ids. 7,11.- .Modesof killinfr thera— Uuflalo-liunt, p. 85.— Cliardon's Leap, p. 26, pi. 9 - Wounded bull, p. 26 pi. 10 — Eitraordiiiar)- feat of Mr. M'Kenzie, p. 27.— Ueturn from the cliase, p. 28. A -2 LETri'.H — No. 5, Mount or Ykllow Siowr. AolWi pnintinf;-r om, and rliiiraclcr:i in it, |>. if. — |!l»ckl'i>ol rhirf, p. <9, |>l. II. — Oin*' liiH. kliiut rhiel'ii, ami tlii'ir cutniiiii's, p. 34). — lllacktuu! mom.au ana rlulil, p. ,M). pU. H, 13. — Sciilpii.Qnil (iliji-cts for which takt-n — r«l pii**, aiMi pi|«-«tmr ^uarrr. |i.Sl. — Illuckftiul bon-H, sliii-Mt, iirrowit ami laiiciM, p. 9S, 5J, yl. IB — >*««rkl uitUuguuhrd Ulttcktevt, p. 04, pU. 11, l.'i, 16, 17. LF.TTKR— No. n, Moitii or Yellow Srovr. Mpdirines or nivstprios — mi'(liiiii«'-hii)j — oripin of ih* woij mtdiriur, p. 3.». — Mode of torniini; iIib iii<*ilic'iiii'-l>u^', p. ^>(i. — \ alut* ol thr ma^icior-ba^; lo ll>« lutiiau, and iuatii> riala tor llieir construction, p. 37, pi. It). — lllarkl'ool doclur or Bmlicia«-iuau — lua mod* of curiii); the sick, p. 3'.), pi, 1'.'. — Ditfprent office* uid UBportaoc* of mediciue-mva, p. 41. LETTER — No. 7, .Moi m m- Yllld* Siose. Crcwi and Rkckft!tsus — Uome-sicalint; or captaruig — Kaaaooi ab)- thry »tm called roguen and robbers of the tirst order, &r. p. 46. l.lTI'llll — No. 8, .MoiTii Ol Yiiiow Snor.. fiiriler remarks on the Crows — Kitruordiiiarv length ot hjir, p. 4y. — Peculiarities of tlia Crow head, uiidsevi'ral porirmt8, p. bO, pis. '.'4, 'J 3, re»»ea of Komen and children of the Assinneboins, p. j7, pi. M. — Kuisleoesux (or Crees)— cliaiariiT and numbers, and several portraits, p. 37, pU. 30. 31, — Ujibbewat* — ( nief and wile, p. 68, pis. 3j, 3o, LETTER — No. 9, Moitii or Yellow SmNr. Contemplaiinns of the (ireat Kar West and its customs, p. j'.>. — tJld acquai u*nce, p. 00.— .M anil and effects of civiluation, p. oO. — I he "Far Ueu" — The Author lu search of it, p. tii!.— .Meetiiij; with " iia'tiste," a ir>e irapp«', p. 63, «>4. LEITER — No. 10, Mand.^n Vl!I.^r.r. I'rprR Mi*«>i-Ri. A stnnge plare— \ oyage from .Mouth of Yellow Sr ,|,e down the nrer lo Mandans — Coiumeuceinent — l.iave M'kenzie's Fort, p. 66 — Assumebt'ins ennapcd on the riTSi Wijiiii-jon lecturing on the customs of nhiie prnpic — .Moantam-abcep, p. ti7. — i Wir-figUt — Griiily Imarii, p, 6B.— Clay lliiir«, " brick-kiloi," Tolckoio ramtioi, p. 09, pU. 57, Mil. — ll«il puinirti ulinic — A wild »»ri)ll — .Mi''iiiluinvi>r't alMp, p. 70,— (Tritily hrnr mill riiln- ('niirntjfdiiii atinck — Cbiiom riihhcil, p. 71. — KaliiiK "ur nieala on t pill- of drifl-wunil --F:iuMni|iiii(; iii tlio iiiijlit — \ci|iiptuiiii« acciin tif wild floworn, buB'ato biiBli iiikI l>iirrn»i, p, 7*. — AilviMiiun- at'lur an rlk — Wur-pnrtv di'icovrri'd, p. 74 — Ma){- iiifici'iii m I'lii'ry III tlin " (iriiml Dtiuiir" — Stiipciidiiiit clay liliiU'ii — I'abii land, p. 7.>. pi. .I'.t — Aiiiflupr ubiititinii, p. 76, pi. Kl.— " Cirniid Dniim" — i'rairie duifii — Villu^'o— Fruillnaa iiiidravuuri lu iliiiut tlii-ni, p. 77, pi, 4'J, — I'iciurud blulT and tliu I'lirvii Uumci, p. 711, pK. l;), 44.— Arrivul at ilif .Mundan rillage, p. 7l>. LKITKU — \... II. M.^XPAN V|M.A«E. Localidii — Villum-, p. UO, pi. -l.'i.— Forniiir ImutKiiis torliliiiilioii of lliiMr tiIUrb — De»rri|i- (iiiii of villain uiid moil,- of ciiiiitrucliii.,- llifir >vi|(w'iuna, p. ill, U'^. — I)i>acrip(ioii of iiittTior—lifdn—WcaponH— Family groups, p. 82, 8,1, pi. 4*.— '"diiin garrulity— .loLra — Kiri'-nidf Inn and atnry-lclliii);, p, Ut. I nu^is of Iiitliaii lan'uruity in civi.iMd •ucifti, p. 11^. M-.TIKR— No. I?, Mandas Vim-aoe. Bird'«>cys Tiew f tin- villnge, p 117, pi. 47.— lliw " bi(f ranon" — Miilicine-li.cl^.«'— A atruii^c iiiecllry, p Hli. — Miiilo iif dcpoaitiii); the diMid on urutT.ddn, p. ll'.». — K i tit to llie ilfiid— ViititiiiK tliK dt'ud— Kfi'diinj tliU dead—Cuiivfrse with tbe dead— ll.— Several portraitii, p. 9S, pU. SO, .'il, .">•/, 5.S.— Persiiii il appcarancH--l'fCiilinrities — Cuiiiplexioii, p. M. — " ('hevoux i:t\», p. 94. — llair of tbe men— Ihiu of tbe women, p. '.l.i, pi. .>4.— Baibinp and swimming, p. 91), — Mode of swininiini;— Sudutoriea or vaponr-batbs, p. 97 -H, pi. 71. l,F.Tri:R— Xo. 14, Man DAN Village. roHl'inies of ibe Miiiidiiim— lli|:b value set upon tbeni— Twro borses for • head-dress— Ma.lf ol \var-eaj,'le»' (jiiilU and ^'rmine, p. 100, 101.- Iliud-dreiises with horns, p. 103 --A .li'Winb cuslom, p. 104. I.KTTF.R— No. 1.'), Maxdan Village. Aitoni.sbment of tbe Mandans ul the operation of tbe Author's brush, p. lO.S.— The Author inutalled «if6. — Discovery of bulTaloes— rit^'iiniiii.nii for the chase — Start — A decoy — A retreat— Deal h u:.d scaljiinjj, ji, IW'J. LETTER— No. 10, Mani-av Viii.aof, Sham furlit and sham scalp dunce of the Mandan l>(>vs,|i. Ijl, pi. .S7.—(iame of 'rchiini;-I(ee p. i;>a, pi. 59.— Fea>liiii;— Kuslui): and cacnliiiii;;— W laic hull.ilo r..hi — lis idli:e p. l;);i, pi. 47.— Uain makers ami ruin .stoppers, p. l.il.— Kain makin-, p. l.io, pi. .Sll.— " The thumler boat" — Ihe hii; (luiililu medicine, ji. 1 10. LKTTKIl— > , JO, .Mam,.vn Vih.a.^k. Mandan arc hery— " (.ame of the larow." p. in, ,,|. (iii.—Wild ho, a's— Horse racing, p. 11-.', pl.t)l.— luol war-party in conncil, p. 1 l.i, |,|. o.i. LETTER— No. '21, Mandan Village, Uiteu Missoim Mah-to-toh-pa, fthe Four Hears)— His costume and his Jiortrait, p. 1 l.i, pi. (il.— l },, of .Mah-to-toh-jia, wiih all the battles of his life painted on it, p. im, ',,|.6,i. e rooe letter-No. 22, Mam,an v„.lac.i-. Mandan religious ceremonies-Mandan reli^Mous creed, p. l.i.i.-TI.ree objects of ,-,« ceremony, p. 1.^7.-Place of holdin,^ .he cerem„„y_Bi,. eanoe-Season of commencin, -nd manner, p. 158._Opening the medicine Udije-Sacrihces to, he water p l ,v _ Fnst.n. scene for four days an,, nights, p. uil. pi. titi -llei.lohck.nal,.pick. (,he hull dance).p.l64,pl.6T.-roLk.l,onirCthecutt,o?ortor,„nnjrsr...,.., ,, ,„o , ,„_ ni g Ah-lin ii«li kii-ii^ih-pit^k, (tliH laHt rmiy) \i. l7.S, pi. 69.— Kxtrau/diuury iniraiirM of ortixliv ill self-torture, p. 175.— Sacriticiii); to tlin tviitfr, p. 176.— Ctfrtificutui of tb« Mmiiliui cprfiiionieil — lnfi>ri>rict'» ilruwii I'rnui thcso liorriliU) cruelties, witli triiditiona, i> |77, — t'riiJitioii of O-kue-lieu-du (tlio. Lvil S|iirit), p. 179. — .Maiidan* can be ciri- lited, p. I8:t. LUITEIl— No. 23, Minataiu b Viilaoe. Lnnitiun and nuinburn — Urii;in, p. IKS.— Principal villiiBe.pl. 70. — Vapour bulbs, pi. 7l. — Old chief, Klack .Mdccttmn, p. 1X6, pi. 7-.'. — Two portraits, luuii and w>iiuuii, pis. 7J, 74, 'jit'un cum diincp, p. UI9, pi. 7.'). I,ETri::il— No. 'J4, MlNAT.XUF.F. VlI.I.AtiE. trows, in tlia INIiiialareo villiigc, p. I'.M.— Crow cliii-f on liur:»cback, in full dress, p. 19*, pi. 76.— JVculmritiesof th« Crows— Long liuir — Semi-lunar faces, p. 11'3, pis. 77, 7b.— Uuts in ibi! .Miimtareo villajjo, p. 19.>.— Crossing Knil'a Uivcrin" bull boat" — Swimmiof ol .MiniilartM' ^>t\ii, p. I'.'o — Ilorse-racin;,' — A banter — Hiding a " naked horse," p. 197.— Grand buHulo surround, p. 199, pi. 79.— Cutting up and carrying in meat, p. »01. LI'TTKll — No. 25, Litti f. Man dan Vili.aok, Uppeii Missouri. An Indian oUVring himself for a pillow, p. VO.K— rortraits ol Kiccnrees, p. i!Ol, »>'•. s,1, iH, bi!. Hi.— Kiiciirce village, p.'.'dl, pi. bO. — Origin of tliK .Muudans — Welsh CO oiiy — I.xpeditiuii of .Madoc, p '.'(Ui-7. LlVri'Lll— No. 10, MoUTii OF TcTov River. Sioiix or (I)ah-co-la;, p. JOII.— Fort I'lerrc, pi. H.i.— .Mississippi uid Missouri Sion», p. i!l);». — lla-waii-j(!-tuli (^chiof) p. 'Jll, pi. !i6.— l'untuhi,Shoo-d«-gti-cha (chielj •nil " lie, p. if.', pis. 117, bli. — Kdur wives taken ut once, p. Vl3 pi. !K(. —Port rait of one of tU »n.s, p. '.'li, pi. U9.— Karly marria;;u»— Caui»»» of, p. 215. LE'ITKH — No. 27, Mouth or Teton River. Ciistiiin of exposing the aged, p. 216. — A tedious march on foot, p.«l8. — Level prairies— " Out ol si),'lit of land" — .Mirage — Looming of the prairies, p. *18. — Turning the toes in — liijou hills — Salt meadows, p. 'J 19 — Arrive at Fort Pitrre— Great assemblage of Sioux — Paint the portrait of the chief — Superstitious objections — Opposed by the doctors, p. 'J'JO. — Difficulty settled— Ueath of Ila-wan-je-tah (the chief) — Mode of, p. 221. — Por- traits of other Sioux chiefs — Wampum, p. 222-j, pis. 91, 92. — Beautiful Sioux womeu— Daughter of Black Rock — Chardon, his Indian wife, p. 224-5, pis. 94, 95. LETTER- No. 28, Mouth of Teton River. Difficulty of painting Indian womeu, p. 226. — Indian vanity — Watching their portrai'A— Arrival of the Ursi sleauier aiuongst the Sioux, p. 227. — Dog-feast p. US, pi. 96. flii LETTRR— No. 29, Mmin «>i Tcow Rirrn. Votittarr lortuit, " looking *i ihn lun," p. t.lt, pi >>7. — ll«li|[i(iua ri>rpmnnv, p. ?.11.— kiM>kiiif " k'nick-k'nrck" — l'i|>«>«, p. '•'^1, pi. W. — r>luiii*lf nr \>\]tMKi<. p. v.i « — 'loaaliiwki anil anlpiriK kiiirrii, p. '.'.'Oil, pi. ;'■.'.— I>«iir<> cit llir rliinf*, p. ;'.<*, pi. Ilti), ^hcclpa — Mncln of liking, tiul oliji'il, p. '.t.18-11.— iMiHl.'f. ol rirryiii); an I uiiiik iIi* ■Mlpa, p. «4(), pi. KM. LFTrr.H— No. no. Mm m or Tr.ToN IlivrR. laditn wvipnni mil inilnimrnti oT mu«ir, p J41, pi. 101 J.— (Jiiirrr »nil uliirli) — SmnkinK lb* •bivid p. V-n .— liiliBiTO pouclii'n — Prunn— ll»lili'» — \Mii«llcii — Lulvn, p. ',' |'/, pi I0I|.— bcvdtnrf, p. «44, pi. IU(.— Ur|;K«ri'iUiiri— ilcalp (Jaocd, p. (4.), pU. lOJ, U 1 LFTTER— No. ;il, M..utM op 'U :, Tvivrh. Biaou (or balTklopi) tipirriptinn of, p f47.— lUhiii of, p. flH- — llulU' li|;litin); — llulTalo wtllowi — Fiiryrirrlri.p. »4'.>, pU. W.^, KM).— KunmiiK tlia kuffalorn.inil throwing ih* MTOW, p. 1!tt, pi. K)7.— BulTiln cliniii*— tin uf llin l»«(i, p. }A.1, pi. KMI, 109. — llunlinf ui)d«r niui|u» of while wolfikini, p.t(.'i4,pl. IK) — llomri ri(>>troy«>d in huffklo liunliDg, p. J.^.^, pi. 111.— liulfalo calf— Muilti of eilcliin); uid bringing in, p. <.'i.^, pi. lit. — ImniPiiio and wintor deilrurtion of buffiluei — 1,400 killed, p. y.ib — WluM wolrca Htlac Liii); bulTaluei, p. •iiiT-U, pU I l.'l, lit. -L'uuiemplaliuBt on lh« ptubabU •itueuon iM >'jffilo«> and luditui, p.f.'>H,t64. ,1 I \ [ 1 i LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS. •I f LI-TTEIl— No. I As tl'o f(>llowiii(T pjTifo.s have been hastily compiled, at thr iirsent fequfrt ol a nmiiher oC my IikiuIs, from a series of letter* and Notes written b) niyselfdiirina: several years' residerne and travel amont;st a number of the wildest and most remote tribes of the \orlh American Indians, I have thoiii:;ht it best to make this page the beginning of my hook ; dispensing with Preface, and even with Dedication, other than that which 1 hereby make of it, with all my Iieart, to those wlio will take the pains to read it. If it he necessary to render any apology for beginning thus unceremoni«iusly my readers will understaiKl that I bad no space in these, my first volumes, to throw away ; nor much time at my disposal, which 1 coukl, m justice, use for rntroducin^ myself and my works to the world. Having commenced thus abruptly then, I will venture to take opoii myself the sin of calling this one of the series of Letters of which I have spoken ; altlM)ugh I am writing it several years later, ami placing it at the U'i;inning of my book ; by which means 1 will be enabled briefly lo intro- duce myself to my readers (who, as yet, know little or nothing of me), and also the subjects of the following epistles, with such explanations of tlw customs described in them, as will serve for a key or glossary to the same, and prepare the reader's mind for the information they contain. Amidst tlk; multiplicity of books which are, in this enlightened age, flooding the world, 1 feel it my duty, as early as possible, to beg pardon for making a book at all ; anmerica, and of bringing home faithful portraits of their principal personages, li(;th men and women, from each tribe ; views of their villages, games, ike. and full notes on their character and history. I designed, also, to procure tieir costumes, and a complete collection of their manufactures and weapons, and to perpetuate them in a Gallery unit^ue, for the use and instruction of future ages. I claun whatever merit there may have been in the originality of such a Hi design , as I was undoubtedly the first artist who ever set out upon such a work, designing to carry his canvass to the Rocky Mountains ; and a con- siderable part of the following Letters were written and published in the New York Popers, as early as the years 1832 and 1833 ; long before the Toi^rs of Washington Irving, and several others, whose interesting narratives arc before the world. I have, as yet, by no means visited all the tribes : but I have progressed a very great way with the enterprise, and wiih far greater and more complete success than I expected. I have visited forty-eight different tribes, the greater part of which I found speaking different languages, and containing in all 400,000 souls. I have brought home safe, and in good order, 310 portraits in oil, all painted in their native dress, and in their own wigwams ; and also 200 other paintings in oil, containing views of their villages — their wigwams — their games and religious ceremonies — their dances — their ball plays — their buffalo hunting, and other amusements (containing in all, over 3000 full-length figures); and the landscapes of the country they live in, as well as a very extensive and curious collection of their costumes, and all their other manufactures, from the size of a wigwam down to the size of a quilL or a rattle. A considerable part of the above-named paintings, and Indian manufac- tures, will be found amongst the very numerous illustrations in the following pages; having been, in every instance, faithfully copied and reduced by my own hand, for the engraver, from my original paintings ; and the reader of this book who will take the pains to step in to " Catlin's North American Indian Gallery," will find nearly every scene and custom which is described in this work, as well as many others, carefully and correctly delineated, and displayed upon the walls, and every weapon (and every " Sachem" and every " Sagamore" who has wielded them) according to the tenor of the tales herein recited. So much of myself and of my works, which is all that I wish to say at present. Of the Indians, I have much more to say, and to the following de- lineations of them, and their character and customs, I shall make no further apology for requesting the attention of my readers. Tlie Indians (as I shall call them), the savages or red men of the forests and prairies of North America, are at this time a subject of great interest and some importance to the civilized world ; rendered more particularly so in this age, from their relative position to, and their rapid declension from, the civilized nations of the earth. A numerous nation of human beings, whose origin is beyond the reach of human investigation, — whose early history is lost — whose term of national existence 's nearly expired — three-fourths of whose country has lallen into the possession of civilized man within the short space of 250 years — twelve millions of whose bodies have fattened the soil in the mean time; who have fallen » ctims to whiskey, the small-pox. and the ut upon such a ins ; and a con- shed in the New fore the Tours ol narratives are ive progressed a more complete f which I found ) souls. I have , all painted in other paintings tieir games and Buffalo huntinir. length figures); I very extensive manufactures, Ltle. idian manufac- n the following: reduced by my d the reader of flin's North nc and custom , carefully and y weapon (and lem) according wish to say at following de- lake no furtiier of the forests great interest rtieularly so in ision from, the beings, whose :arly history is ree-fourths of ithin the short ".ed the soil in li-pox.and the bayonet ; leaving at this time but a meagre proportion to live ^m ; inducing us to look upon them in no other light than that ot a hostile foe. and worthy only of that system of continued warfare and abuse that has been for ever waged against them. There is no difficulty in approaching the Indian and getting acquainted with him in his wild and unsophisticated state, and finding him an honest P...U honourable man ; with feelings tu meet feelings, if the above prejudice and dread can be laid aside, and any one will take the pai'is, as I have dune, to I (TO Bnd see him in the 8iin|>li('ity of Ins native state, smoking his pipo under his own hinnbh; roor, with his wifu ami chiUlren around him, and liis t'aithl'ul iir)irs and horses lian^iii); about his hospitable tiMieincnt. — So the world muif »,v him and smoke liis Iriendly pi|H.>, which will be invariably citcndol to tluni ; and share, with a hearty welcome, the best that his wii;wani att'ords fir the appetite, whirh is always set out to a stranger the next momcnl alter he inters. Hut so the mass of the world, most assuredly, will 110/ see these people ; for they are too far oH', and approaclialile to those only whose avarice or eiipidity alone lead tliem to those leiiiDte rei^ions. and whose shame prevents them from publishing to the wotid the virtues which they have thrown down and trampled under foot. The very use of the word savage, as i is applied in its general sense, I am inclined to believe is an abuse of the word, and the people to whom it is applied. The word, in its true dctinition, means no more than wild, or wild man ; and a wild man may have been endowed by his Maker with all the humane and noble traits that inhabit the heart of a tame man. Our ignorance and dread or fear of these |)eople, therefore, have given a new dehnitioii to the adjective; and nearly the whole civilized world apply the word suvnyc, as expressive of the most ferocious, cruel, and murderous eliaracter that can be described. The (frizzly bear is callctl savage, because he is blood-thirsty, ravenous and cruel ; and so is the tiger, and they, like the poor red man, have been feared and dreaded (from the distance at which ignorance and prejudice have kept us from them, or from resented abuses which we have practised when we have come in close contact with them), until Van Amburgh shewed the world, that even these ferocious and unreasoning animals wanted only the friendship and close embrace of their master, to respect and to l(>ve him. As evidence of the hospitality of these ignorant and benighted people, and also of their honesty and honour, there will be found recorded many striking instances in the following pages. And also, as an ofl'set to these, many evidences of the dark and cruel, as well as ignorant and disgusting excesses of passions, unrestrained by the salutary influences of laws and Cliiistianity. 1 have roamed about from time to time during seven or eight years, visiting ard associating \vitli,some three or four hundred thousand of these p( ople, under an almost intinile variety of circumstances ; and from the very many and decided voluntary acts of their hospitality and kindness, 1 feel lioiind to pronounce them, by nature, a kind and hospitable people. 1 have been welcomed generally in their country, and treated to the best that they could give me, withoiit any charges made for my board ; they have often escorted me through their enemies' country at some hazard to their own lives, and aided me in passing mountains and rivers with my awkward bajj- voL. I. r 10 gnp;o : mill iinilor nil nf iIipm> rirciiniiilaiicPK of rx|H)Hurr, no lixliiin rvor Iw Iriiyi-d iiic, ■truck me it Mow, or Mdlu fioin niu u itliillin);'* wurlli of my properly tli.it I nm nwan* of. Thin i« miyiup; n prciit doiil, (unil proving it too, if the ri-adcr will U-lii've mr) in favour of the virtues of these |M'oplc ; when it in home in mind, iii it ithould he, that there ii no law in their land to pnnii«li a man for theft — thai locks and keyn are not known in their country — that the conunandnientit havu never heen divnl;;cd ainoni^xt tliein ; nor can any hi'ninn retrilnition fall ii|Min the head of a thief, save the diH^race which attaches us u iti);nia to hi» c-hu- ractor, in the eyes of hin people about him. And thun in these little commnnitieA, strange n% it may seem, in the ab- sence of all HyHtems of jtiriitprudence, 1 have often beheld peace and hiippi- less, and (piiet, rei;:nint; supreme, for which even kin^s and em|H.>ror8 mi}(ht •nvy them. I have seen rijjhts and virtue protected, and wrongs redressed ; and I have seen c(>nju|;nl, filial and paternal atiiection in the simplicity and contentedness of nature. I have unavoidably, formed warm and endurini; attachments to some of these men which I do not wish to forget — who have brought me ne;ir to their hearts, and in onr tinal separation have embraced nic in their arms, and commcndeil me and my atfuirsi to the keepint; of the Cjreat Spirit. For the above reasons, the reader will be disposetl to forgive me for dwel< ling so long and so strong on the justness of the claims of these |)coplc : ar.d for my occasional expressions of ladncst, when my heart bleeds for the fate that awaits the reinaitulcr of their unlucky race ; which is long to be outlived by the rocks, by the beasts, and even birds and reptiles of the country they I've in ; — set upon by their fellow-man, whose cupidity, it is feared, will hx no bounds to the Indian's earthly calamity, short of the grave. I cannot help but repeat, before I close this Ix'tter, that the tril>es of tim red men of North America, as a nation of human beings, are un their wane ; that (to use their own very beautiful figure) " they are fast travelling to the shades of their fathers, towards the setting sun ;" and that the travel- ler who would sec these people in their native simplicity and beauty, must needs be hastily on his way to the prairies and Rocky Mountains, or he will sec them only as they are now seen on the frontiers, as a basket of dead ymnc, — harassed, chased, bleeding and dead ; with their plumage and colours despoiled: to be gazed amongst in vain for some system or moral, or for some scale by which to estimate their uue native character, other than that which has too often recorded them but a dark and unintelligible mass of cinelty and barbarity. Without further comments I close this Letter, introducing my readers at once to the heart of the Indian country, only asking their forgiveness for having made it so long, and their patience whilst travelling through the f«)IIowing pages (as I journeyed through those remote realms) in search of information and rational amusement ; in trr.cing out the true character of n Ian rvrr Iw* ortli of my will iN-lii'\n niiiiil, III it llitCl— lliiil liiiciiLs liiivu )n tall ii|M)ii to Ilia dm* , ill tlic ab- aiul liiippi- erors nii^lil redressi'd ; iplicity and d endiirini; —who hiivo c cmhracnd ping of the ne for dwol- woplc : ar.d for the fiito be outlived Duntry they cd, will fix •il)C9 of tim re on tlicir it travelling . the triivel- ;auty, must I, or he will et of dead itnd colours loral, or for ir than that le mass of r readers at iveness for lirough the search of liaractcr of that ' ilranrjf nnomaly" of man in the iiini|il(' cli-nu'iit* of liiti iiiiturc, iiii- diMolvvd or cuiii|iounded into the niysteiieit uf cnli};litened und laithiuniilile hff. NOTE. AithiungHUr maHHiri of thi CouHlrif Ml /ar(A in th* folUuing i>ift$, and iht »Mlr— iirdiiiiirv 'mm rtprtttiileil in tin itri) iiumiroui illuilruliOHi, mf <;/ iiii'A a rharaelfr ui to rtifuirt all iionthlr unit J'nr tht 'utiifucliun of iht rtmifri ; I liit thru uill riruM «• fur intruding in Ihit phci tht iiMm«riiiii Ctrtijieat*$ which follow, and mhieh hail hn» lolunlarily furiiiihtd mt hii mtn trhou livii, it U'l/I ht utn, hail hfn $p»nt, i» grial pari, iHthi Indian Country, and injamiliarilii uith thi mm and mauneri ut forth in Ihi work: CERTIFICATES. " I hiir»hy cprlil'y, that th<> p<>r«oni whosn RiKnnlurpd irn affixed to tha cprtilleatas here halow, bv Mr. ('AiiiN.are cfficprs in tli« aervica of the United Stalai, a* herein act forth ( and that their opinions of the accuracy of tlie likeneiiiai, and correctness of the viewa, &c. cibibiti'd by him in his ' Indian GALi.tat,' are entitled to full credit. " J. U. POINSETT, Secretarii of War, HuiAin^lon." " With ref^ard to the (gentlemen whose names are affixed to certificates below, I am fully warranted in saying, thiit no individuals have had better opportunities of aciiuiring a know* led^e of the persons, habits, costumes, and sports of the Indian tribes, or pussasa stronger claims upon the public confidence in the statements they make, respecting the correctneaa (if delineations, \c.of Mr. Cailin'b Inuian (JAtxtav ; and I may add my owa testimony, with regard to many of those Indians whom I have seen, and whose likenescea are in tba collection, and sketched with fidelity and correctness. " C. A. IIAHIIIS, Commisiiontr of Indian Affairs, WaihiugUm,' " I have seen Mr.CATLiN'sCollectionof Portraits of Indians, east of the Rocky Mountaioa many of which were familiar to me, and painted in my presence : and ns far as they hava included Indians of my acquaintance, the tikenesut are easily recognized, bearing the uost alriking resemblance to the originals, aa well aa faithful representations of their costumes. " W. CLARK, Superintendent of Indian Affairi, St. Louii." "I have examined Mr. Cailin'b Collection of the Upper Missouri Indians to the Rocky Mountaina, all of n jiich I am acquainted with ; and indeed most of them were painted when 1 waa present, and 1 do not hesitate to pronounce them correct likenesses, and readily to be recognized. And 1 consider the cotiumei, as painted by him, to be the only correct ri' preuntatioHi 1 have ever seen. "JOHN F. A. SANFORD, "U.SS. Indian Agent Jor ilanJam, Kickariet, Ninalann, Crau-t, Knifteniaux, Ailinntbuins, Blackjrft, Sjc." 12 " We h.tvo Hei'ii Mr. ('\ii iN't l\>rlrHits of Iiulinnt oa.'tl of tim Uootiv !\1oiiiit:iiiis, iiiiiiiv of n liu ti lire t'uiuiluir to tis ; the likenessoM nrti eiisilv r(^ ii slroiii; reieiii- bhtiiie to the orii;iiiiil:i, lis well >M u liiithl'iil re|>rt>:«tv'nie:<, Iti'|>iiMi<.in Taw iu'es, I'an iiee l.otips, I'apiiai^o I'liwiiees, Dtoes, Omaliatvs, anil Missoiiries, wliu'h are in Mr. ('ah iv's Imuan liti.lKliY, were |iaiiiteil from life hv Mr. Cin). Caiiin, ami tliai llie null- vuliials sat to liiiii in the cusinuies pret'iselv in nhiili they are painleil. •'.I. DOlKilll'.Ul'V, /. A. tor i'.iiiHf.'.. Oim,luiu>,iiiut (>;..»». •• Sfw i\•! the Am. F, r (V. M.>iulnrtifv, that the I'orlraits of Seminoles ami Kncbees, in Mr. t'Aii.iN's (jal- I KKV, were piiiiiiid bv hini, from the lite, at Kort Moultrie ; that the Imtiaiis sat or stood III the costumes jirecisclv in which they iiro paiiilol, ami that the likenesses ure remiirk- Bbly (jooil. " 1". MOKKlSON. C.ipt. Hh Inft. II. WIIAHTON. «J. l.ient.oth Inft. .1. S. ll.VrilAWAY, Al l.ieut. 1st .\rt. F. W KKDON, Asgislunt Surgeon. Fort Moultrit, Jati. -.'u, 18;>H." " Having examined Mr. Cati.in's Collection of I'orlraits of Indians of the Missouri to tbe Uocky Mountains, I have no hesitation in prononnciiii; them, so tar as 1 am aci|uaintuJ with the Imlividnals, to be the best 1 have overseen, both as re};ards the expression of oountenance, uiid the vxact am' complete muiiner in which the costume has been pai.itixi bv him. •• .1. L. HKAN, .V. Agent /or Imimn Afairs." " I have been for many years |wst in familiar ncqunintanre with tbe Indian tribes of th» I'pper iMiSoonii to the Kocky Mountains, and also with tbe landscape and otber HOmies represented in Mr. ("athn's t'ollection ; and it gives me great pleasure to assure the world, thai on looking them over, I found the likenesses of my old friends easily to be recognized ; iind his sketches of Manners and Customs to be pourtrayed with siiigulitr truth and correctness. ".I. IMLCHKK, Agtnt U^ Vfftr Afijjeiiri /iirfi4, lull arc III \lr. I thai iiii> mill- iiii'.s, ijfai C/iitfi. vi'Tf I'aiiiiliar to ii'ali'i- [lail of lot llt'Slllltti to tcluvs of 'lu'ir .Missimii mill Vf//.iU' Sttmt." ('aII.In'.S CJAL- iis sat or stood I's uri' ri'iuark- 'Ut.6lh Infl. t Surgeoa. IP Missouri to nil U('i|uiiiiittiil I'xprt'ssioii of i liroii imialml ii/iiin AjI'uiri," iiliuii triliivs of ijiK ami oilier iiii;iilar luri Iniiiiim." " lliivinir livoil mill ilraU willi lh.> Wack Keot In.lians for fivj< vivirs pmt, I wis pnalil.'l to r.'ii>!;iiuo ••irri/ one of tlu> l'..rlniils ol' tlu.s.. ii.'o|.l.., mi.l ol' lli.« Cn.ws ul.-o. » lili li Mr. I'AniN liiis ill Ins ColKH-tioii, from tlm laitlilul likiisM'il/i/ n;:-;^iiiifA nrri/ ,mt otthem, when I lookeJ ihein over. fr...ntl.e strikiii- resenil.huuo they liore lo iho oii'iiials — so also, of tlio LanJscaiirs on tlio Missouri. •• iu)M)iu'. I'UDi n;.' •' Tho rortrnits.in tlio |Hi4ses«ion of Mr. I'm.iN, of Pawnee Tiets, Kiowiiys. Cnmaii.hes, Wecos.aml Dsa^i's, were i-ainleil by In.n trem life, when on a tour to their countrv. Willi the riiileil Stales l)riii;ooiis. Tlio liKeiiean are !;oo. I'KKKINS. fapt. of Drag. H. II. MASDN, .Major of Ditto. .M. 1>1 NC.VN, Ditto. U. HUMK.K, {^aiil. l>'"o. T. ». U llKKLOt'K, l.ieut. Dra;;." " riie Lanilsrape.s, IJntralo-llnnting scenes. \c. nbove-metitioneil. I liavo seen, ami ■llhouKh it has bee.i thirty years situe 1 travelled over that country ; yet u oonsuleral.lo iiunsber of them 1 reooguiied as faithful representations, and the remainder of them aro bo much iu the peculiar character of that country iw to seem entirely familiar lo me. W.M. CL-VUk, i'ii;)«i-iiitsouri. " .1 L. UKAN, kS. Agtnt of Indian Agaiis." " I have examined a series of paintings by Mr. CAn.iN, representing Jmiiiiii J)iij/'.il« '/lints, LiinUti-apes, iV'. »"'' 'r"'" "" aciuaiiitame of twenty-neven yimrs with such scenes as are represoiiled, I feel iiualilied lo judge them, and do unhesitatingly pronounce ihem good and unexaggerated representiiiinns. " JNO. UOUUllEUl V, Indian Agintjor I'aunttt, Oiiiu'iuui, .iiiii Utei'i.'* of those who on of Imtiaii I light on iho n with great II 7Vrriti>rv.'' 14 LETTER— No. 2. MOUrri OF YELLOW STOXK, UPPF.K MISSOURI, 1R34. I AKKivED at tliis place yesterday in the steamer " Yellow Stone," after a voyaj;c of nearly three months from St. Louis, a distance of two thousand miles, the greater part of which has never before been navigated by steam ; and the almost insurmountable difficulties which continually oppose the voyageur on this turbid stream, have been by degrees overcome by the indefatigable zeal of Mr. Chouteau, a gentleman of great perseverance, and part proprietor of the boat. To the politeness of this gentleman I am indebted for my passage from St. Louis to this place, and I had also the pleasure of his company, with that of Major Sanford, the government agent fur the Missouri Indians. The American Fur Company have erected here, for their protection against the savages, a very substantial Fort, 300 feet square, with bastions armed with ordnance (pla ie 3) ; and our approach to it under the continued roar of cannon for I 'f an hour, and the shrill yells of the half-affrighted savages who lined the sliores, presented a scene of the most thrilling and picturesque appearance. A voyage so full of incident, and furnishing ao many novel scenes of t! 3 picturescjue and romantic, as we have passed the numerous villages of the " astonished natives," saluting them with the puffing of steam and the thunder of artillery, would afford subject for many epistles ; and I cannot deny myself the pleasure of occasionally giving you some little sketches of scenes that I have witnessed, and am tvitnessing ; and of the singular feelings that are excited in the breast of the stranger travelling through this interesting country. Interesting (as I have said) and luxurious, for this is truly the land of Epicures ; we arc invited by the savages to feasts of dog's meat, as the most honourable food that can be presented to a stranger, and glutted with the more delicious food of beavers' tail?, and buffaloes' tongues. You will, no doubt, be somewhat surprised on the receipt of a Letter from me, so far strayed into the Western World ; and still more startled, when I tell you that 1 am here in the full enthusiasm and practice of my art. That enthusiasm alone has brouifht me into this remote region, 3500 miles from my native soil ; the last 2000 of which have furnished me with almost unlimited models, both in landscape and the human figure, exactly suiti'd to my feelings. I au\ now in the full possession and enjoyments of one," after a wo tltousand d by steam ; oppose tlie ;ome by the ^erance, and letnan I am had also the iment agent :tion against tions armed inued roar of »ted savages picturesque many novel e numerous puffing of ny epistles ; you some ing ; and of r travelling d luxurious, savages to )resented to s' tail?, and n the receipt still more i practice of egion, 3500 led me with ure, exactly joyments of £ i 15 those conditions, on wliich alone ( was induced lo pursue tlic art as a pro- fession ; and in anticipation of which alone, my admiration for the art could ever have been kindled into a pure flame. I mean the free use of nature's undisguised models, with the privilege of selecting for myself. If I am here losing the benefit of the fl'jeting fashions of the day, and neglecting that elegant polish, which the world say an artist should draw from a continual intercourse with the polite world ; yet have I this consolation, that in this country, I am entirely divested of those dangerous steps and allurements which beset an artist in fashionable life ; and have little to steal my thoughts away from the contemplation of the beautiful models that are about me. It, also, I liave not here the benefit of that feeling of emulation, which is the life and spur to the arts, where artists are associates together ; yet am 1 suriounded by living models of such elegance and beauty, that I feel an unceasing excitement of a much higher order — the certainty that I am drawing knowledge from the true source. My enthusiastic admiration oi man in the honest and elegant simplicity of nature, has always fed the warmest feelings of my bosom, and shut half the avenues to my heart against the specious refinements of the accomplished world. This feeling, togeth"r v.ith the desire to study my art, independently of the embarrassments which the ridiculous fashions of civilized society have thrown in its way, has led me to the wilderness for a while, as the true school of the arts. I have for a long time been of opinion, that the wilderness ot our countrv afforded models equal to those from which the Grecian sculptors transferred to the marble such inimitable grace and beauty ; and I am now more confirmed in this opinion, since I have immersed myself in the midst of thou- sands and tens of thousands of these knights of the forest ; whose whole lives are lives of chivalry, and whose daily feats, with their naked limbs, might vie with those of the Grecian youths in the beautiful rivalry of the Olympian games. No man's imagination, wittk all the aids of description that can be given to it, can ever picture the beauty and wildness of scenes that may be daily witnessed in this romantic country ; of hundreds of these graceful youths, without a care to wrinkle, or a fear to disturb the full expression of pleasure and enjoyment that beams upon their faces — their long black hair mingling with their horses' tails, floating in the wind, while they are flying over the carpeted prairie, and dealing death with their spears and arrows, to a band of infuriated buflfiiloes ; or their splendid procession in a war-parade, arrayed in all their gorgeous colours and trappings, moving with most exquisite grace and manly beauty, added to that bold defiance which man carries on his front, who acknowledges no superior on earth, and who is amenable to no laws except the laws of God and honour. In addition to the knowledge of human nature and of my art, which I hope to acquire by this toilsome and expensive undertaking, 1 have another in view, which, if it should not be of equal service to me, will be of no less ^" ■MMI im i !! !v i;" ! U 16 interest, and value to posterity. I have, for iiuuiy years past, contemplated the noble races of red men who are now spread over these trackless foresta and bonndiess prairies, melting away at the approach of civilization. Their lights invaded, their morals corrupted, their lands wrested from them, their customs changed, and tiierefore lost to the world ; an;! they at last sunk into the earth, and the ploughshare turning the sod over their graves, and I have flown to their rescue — not of their lives or of their race (for they arc *' doomed" and must perish), but to the rescue of their looks and tlieir modes, at which the accpiisitive world may hurl their poison and every btsom of destruction, and trample them down and crush them to death; vet, phcenix-like, they may rise from the "stain on a oainter's palette," and live again upon canvass, and stand forth for centuiies yet to come, the living monuments of a noble race. For this purpose, I have designed to visit every tribe of Indians on the Continent, if my life should be spared ; for tlie purpose of procuring portraits of distinguished Indians, of both sexes in each tribe, painted in their native costume ; accompanied with pictures of their villages, domestic habits, games, mysteries, religious ceremonies, &c. with anecdotes, traditions, and history of their reipective nations. If I should live to accomplish my design, the result of my labours will doubtless be interesting to future ages ; who will have little else left from which to judge of the original inhabitants of this simple race of beings, who require but a few years more of the march of civilization and death, to de- prive them of all tiieir native customs and character. 1 have been kindly supplied by the '"'ommander-in-Chief of the Army and the Secretary of War, with letters to tne commander of every military post, and every Indian agent on the Western Frontier, with instructions to render me all the facilities in tiieir power, which will be of great service to me in so arduous an under- taking. The opportunity afforded me by familiarity with so many tribes of hinnau beings in the simplicity of nature, devoid of the deformities of art ; of drawing fair conclusions in the interesting sciences of physiognomy and phrenology ; of manners and customs, rites, ceremonies, &c. ; and the op- portunity of cxaminii.f, the geology and mineralogy of this western, and yet unexplored country, will enable me occasionally to entertain you with much now and interesting information, which I shall take equal pleasure in com- municating by an occasional Ll cr in my clumsy way. 17 LETTER— No. 3. MOUTH OF YELLOW STONE, UPPER MISSOURI. Since the date of my former Letter, 1 have been so much engaged in the amusements of the country, and the use of my brush, that I have scarcely been able to drop you a line until the present moment. Before I let you into the amusements and customs of this delightful country however, (and which, as yet, are secrets to most of the world\ I must hastily travel with you over the tedious journey of 2000 milas, from St. Louis to this place ; over which distance one is obliged to pass, before he can reach this wild and lovely spot. The Missouri is, perhaps, diflTerent in appearance and character from all other rivers in the world; there is a terror in its manner which is sensibly felt, the moment we enter its muddy waters from the Mississippi. From the mouth of the Yellow Stone River, which is the place from whence I am now writing, to its junction with the Mississippi, a distance of 2000 miles, the Missouri, with its boiling, turbid waters, sweeps off, in one unceasing cur- rent ; and in the whole distance there is scarcely an eddy or resting-place for a canoe. Owing to the continual falling in of its rich alluvial banks, its water is always turbid and opaque ; having, at all seasons of the year, the colour of a cup of chocolate or cofTee, with sugar and cream stirred into it. To give a better deiinition of its density and opacity, I have tried a number of simple experiments with it at this place, and at other points below, at the results of which I was exceedingly surprised. By placing a piece of silver (and afterwards a piece of shell, which is a much whiter substance) in a tumbler of its water, and locking through the side of the glass, I ascertained that those substances could not be seen through the eighth part of an inch ; this, however, is in the spring of the year, when the freshet is upon the river, rendering the water, undoubtedly, much more turbid than it would be at other seasons ; though it is always muddy and yellow, and from its boiling and wild character and uncommon colour, a stranger would think, even in its lowest state, that there was a freshet upon it. For the distance of 1000 miles above St. Louis, the shores of this river (and, in many places, the whole bed of the stream) are filled with snags and raft, formed of trees of the largest size, which have been undermined by the VOL. I. O r^ 18 falling l)anks and cast into the stream ; their roots bccomnip; fastened in the bottom of the river, with their tops floating on the surface of the water, and pointing down the stream, forming the most frightful and discouraging pro- spect for the adventurous voyagjur. (See plate 4.) Almost every island and sand-bar is covered with huge piles of these floating trees, and when the river is flooded, its surface is almost literally covered with floating raft and drift wood which bid positive defiance to keel-boats and steamers, on their way up the river. With what propriety this " Hell of waters" might be denominated tl.e *' River Styx," I will not undertake to decide ; but nothing could be more appropriate or innocent than to call it thi River of Sticks. The scene is not, however, al! so dreary ; there is a redeeming beauty in the green and carpeted "chores, which hem in this huge and terrible deformity of waters. Thee is much of the way though, where the mighty forests of ■tately cotton wood stand, and frown in horrid dark and coolness over the filthy abyss below : into which they are ready to plunge headlong, when the mud and soil in which they were germed and reared have been washed out from underneath them, and with the rolling current are mixed, and on their way to the ocean. I'lie greater part of the shores of this river, however, are without timber, where the eye is delightfully relieved by wandering over the beautiful prairies ; most of the way gracefully sloping down to the water's edge, carpeted with the deepest green, and, in distance, softening into velvet of the richest hues, entirely beyond the reach of the artist's pencil. Such is the character of the upper part of the river especially ; and as one advances towards its source, and through its upper half, it becomes more pleasing to the eye, for snags and raft are no longer to be seen ; yet the current holds its stifl' and onwArd turbid character. It has been, heretofore, very erroneously represented to tba world, that the scenery on this river was monotonous, and wanting in pic uresque beauty. This intelligence is surely incorrect, and that because it '.las been brought perhaps, by men who are not the best judges in the Avorld, of Nature's beautiful works ; and if they were, they always pass them by, in pain or desperate distress, in toil and trembling fear for the safety of their furs and peltries, or for their livos, which are at the mercy of the yelling savages who inhabit this delifrhtful country. One thousand miles or more of the upper part of the river, was, to my eye, like fairy-land ; and during our transit through that part of our voyage, i was most of the time rivetted to the deck of the boat, indulging my eyes in the boundless and tireless pleasure of roaming over the thousand hills, and blufls, and dales, and ravines ; where the astonished herds of buffaloes, of elks, and a itelopes, and sneaking wolves, and mountain-goats, were to be seen boundinf, up and down and over the green fields ; each one and each tribe, band, '^nd gang, taking their own way, and using their own means to i i \ 19 the greatest advantage possible, to leave the sight aud sound uf the puffing of our boat ; which was, for the first time, saluti:ig the green and wild shores uf the Missouri with the din of mighty steam. From St. I^uis to the falls of the Missouri, a distance of 2600 miles, is one continued prairie ; with the exception of a few of the bottoms formed along the bank of the river, and the streams which are fulling into it, which are often covered with the most luxuriant growth of forest timber. The summit level of the great prairies stretching off to the west and the east from the river, to an almost boundless extent, is from two to three hun- dred feet above the level of the river ; which has formed u bed or valley for its course, varying in width from two to twenty miles. Tliis channel or valley has been evidently produced by the force of the current, which has gradually excavated, in its floods and gorges, this inmiense space, and sent its debris into the ocean. By the continual overflowing of the river, its de- posits have been lodged and left with a horizontal surface, spreading the deepest and richest alluvion over the surface of its meadows on either side ; through which the river winds its serpentine course, alternately running from one bluff to the other, which present themselves to its shores in all the most picturesque and beautiful shapes and colours imaginable — some with their green sides gracefully slope down in the most lovely groups to the water's edge (plate 5) ; whilst others, divested of their verdure, present themselves in immense masses of clay of different colours, which arrest the eye of the traveller, with tlie most curious views in the world. These strange and picture ajuc appearances have been produced by the rains and frosts, which are continually changing the dimensions, and varying the thousand shapes of tl^- 1 21 they saw tlir li);liliiiny; flisli frntn it.'t lidun, uml lioard the tliiindor come fioni it ; olht^rs callrd it tin- " l)i(; medicine canoe witli eyes ;" it wan medicine (mystery) because tliey could not understand it ; and it muMt liave eycH, tor ■aid they, " it Hce« its own way, and takes the deep water in the middle of the channel." They had no idea of the boat being steered by the man at the wheel, and well they might have been astonished at its taking the deepest water. I may (if I do not forget it) hereafter give you an account of some other curious incidents of this kind, which we met with in this voyage ; for we met many, and some of them were really laughable. The Fort in which I am residing was built by Mr. M'Kenzie, who now occupies it. It is the largest and best-built establishment of the kind on tlie river, being the great or principal head-tpiarters and dep6t of the Fur Company's business in this region. A vast stock of goods is kept on hand at this place; and at certain times of the year the numerous out-posts concentrate here with the returns of their season's trade, and retit out with a t'resh supply of goods to trade with the Indians. The site for the Fort is well selected, being a btautilul prairie on the bank near the junction of the Missouri with the Yellow Stone rivers ; and its in- mates and its stores well protected from Indian assaults. Mr. M'Kenzie is a kind-hearted and high-minded Scotchman ; and seems to have charge of all the Fur Companies' business in tiiis region, and from this to the Rocky Mountains. He lives in good and comfortable style, inside of the Fort, which contains some eight or ten log-houses and stores, and has generally forty or fifty men, and one hundred and fifty horses about him. Me has, with the same spirit of liberality and politeness with which Klons. Pierre Chouteau treated me on my pasiiage up the river, pronounced me welcome at his table, which groans under the luxuries of the country ; with buffalo meat and tongues, with beavers' tails and marrow-fat ; but sans coH'ee, sans bread and butter. Good cheer and good living we get at it however, and good wine also ; for a bottle of Madeira and one of excellent Port are set in a pail of ice every day, and exhausted at dinner. At the hospitable board of this gentleman I found also another, who forms a happy companion for ftiine host ; and whose intellectual and polished society has added not a little to my pleasure and amusement since I arrived here. The gentleman of whom I am speaking is an Englishman, by the name of Hamilton, of the most pleasing and entertaining conversation, whose mind seems to be a complete store-house of ancient and modern literature and art; and whose free and familiar acquaintance with the manners and men of his country gives him the stamp of a gentleman, who has had the curiosity to bring the embellishments of the enlightened world, to contrast with the rude and the wild of these remote regions. 22 r ;.ii We three bons vivants form the group about the dinner-table, of which I have before spoken, and crack our jokes and fun over the bottles of Port and Madeira, which I have named ; and a considerable part of which, tiiis gentleman has brought with great and precious care from his own country. This post is the general rendezvous of a great number of Indian tribes in these regions, who are continually concentrating here for the purpose of trade ; sometimes coming, the whole tribe together, in a mass. There are now here, and encamped about the Fort, a great many, and I am continually 'it work with my brush ; we have around us at this time the Knisteneaux, Crows, Assinneboins and Blackfeet, and in a few days are to have large accessions. The finest specimens of Indiana on the Continent are in these regions ; and before I leave these parts, I shall make excursions into their respective coun- tries, to their own native fire-sides ; pnd there study their looks and peculiar customs ; enabling me to drop you now and then an interesting Letter. The tribes which 1 shall be enabled to see and study by my visit to this region, are the Ojibbeways, the Assinneboins, Knisteneaux, Blackfeet, Crows, Shiennes, Grosventres, Mandans, and others ; of whom and their customs, their history, traditions, costumes, &c., 1 shall in due season, give you fui'tlier and minute accounts. 23 letter-No. 4. MOUTH OF YELLOW STONE. The several tribes of Indians inhabiting the regions of the Upper Mis- souri, and of whom I spoke in my last Letter, are undoubtedly the finest looking, best equipped, and most beautifully costumed of any on the Con- tinent. They live in a country well-stocked with buffaloes and wild horses, which furnish them an excellent and easy living ; their atmosphere is pure, which produces good health and long life ; and they are the most inde- pendent and the happiest races of Indiai s I have met with : they are all entirely in a state of primitive wildness, und consequently are picturesque and handsome, almost beyond description. Nothing in the world, of its kind, can possibly surpass in beauty and grace, some of their games and amusements — their gambols and parades, of which I shall speak and paint hereafter. As far as my travels have yet led me into the Indian country, I have more than realized my former predictions that those Indians who could be found most entirely in a state of nature, with the least knowledge of civilized society, would be found to be the most cleanly in their persons, elegant in their dress and manners, and enjoying life to the greatest perfection. Of such tribes, perhaps the Crows and Blackfeet stand first ; and no one would be able to appreciate the richness and elegance (and even taste too), with which some of these people dress, without seeing them in their own country. 1 will do ail I cun, however, to make their looks as well as customs known to the world ; I will paint with my brush and scribble with my pen, and bring their plumes and plumage, dresses, weapons, &c., and every thing but the Indian himself, to prove to the world the assertions which I have made above. Every one of these red sons of the forest (or rather of tlie prairie) is a knight and lord — his squaws are iiis slaves ; the only things whrh he deems worthy of his exertions are to mount his snorting steed, with his bow and quiver slung, his arrow-shield upon his arm, and his long lance glistening in the war-parade ; or, divested of ail his plumes and trappings, armed with a simple bow and quiver, to plunge his steed amongst the flying herds of buffaloes, and with his sinewy bow, which h^ seldom bends in vain, to drive deep to life's fountain the whizzing arrow. wmr 24 '^^1' Tlie buffalo herds, wliich grarc in almost countless numbers on these beautiful prairies, afford them an abundance of meat ; and so much is it preferred to all other, that the deer, the elk, and the antelope sport upon the prairies in herds in the greatest security ; as the Indians seldom kill them, unless they want their skins for a dress. The buffalo (or more correctly speaking bison) is a noble animal, that roams over the vast prairies, from the borders of Mexico on the south, to Hudson's Bay on the north. Tlieir size is somewhat above that of our common bullock, and their flesh of a delicious flavour, resembling and equalling that of fat beef. Their flesh which is easily procured, furnishes the savages of these vast regions the means of a wholesome and good subsistence, and they live almost exclusively upon it — converting the skins, horns, hoofs and bones, to the construction of dresses, shields, bows, &c. The buffalo bull is one of the most formidable and frightful looking animals in the world when excited to resistance ; his long shaggy mane hangs in great profusion over his neck and shoulders and often extends quite down to the ground (i-l-vte 7). The cow Is ''• in stature, and less ferocious ; though not much less wild and frightful in lier appearance (plate 8). The mode in which these Indians kill this noble animal is spirited and thril- ling in the extreme ; and I must in a future epistle, give you a minute account of it. I have almost daily accompanied parties of Indians to see the fun, and have often shared in it myself; but much oftener ran my horse by their sides, to see how the thing was done — to study the modes id expressions of these splendid scenes, which I am industriously putting upon the canvass. They are all (or nearly io) killed with arrows and the lance, while at full speed ; and the reader way easily imagine, that these scenes afford the most spirited and picturesque views of the sporting kind that can possibly be seen. At present, I will give a little sketch of a bit of fun I joined in yesterday, with Mr. M'Kenzie and a number ot his men, without the company or aid of Indians. I mentioned the other day, that M'Kenzie's table from day to day groans uiulcr the weight of buffalo tongues and beavers' tails, and other luxuries of this western land. lie has within his Porta spacious ice-house, in -.vhich he jireserves his meat fresh for any length of time required ; and sometimes, when his larder runs low, he starts out, rallying some five or six of his best hunters (not to hunt, but to " go for meat"). He leads the party, mounted on his favourite buffalo horse (i. e. the horse amongst his whole group which is best trained to run the buffalo), trailing a light and short gun in his iiand, such an one as he can most easily reload whilst his horse is at full speed. Such was the condition of the ice-house yesterday morning, which caused these self-catering gentlemen to cast their eyes with a wishful look over the prairies ; and such was the pli^iht iu which our host took the lead, and I, .\ 9 ■"--'S''-. - ■:^e^' -''"@^- •wii'j- ■. V.. ^;, ixsfjtmirtt^ «, '-• -l'.^ \:'ij;)^^tjv2^^:^;'L:; . i.i,.- ■*>'■.■ .\ ■■:.-i..k-2|^S.,':-5)S!?««».t*-«^,v.-*. ^^I^l^t'^" ,^K :;' > ■■;«.-e«Mt,B«»«A-'. rtiSy^Xi^^:^!^. [,.>..' ntffK- 1 1 il'^ il 25 and then Mons. Chardon, and Ba'tiste Defonde and Tiillock (who is a trader amongst the Crows, and is here at this time, with a large party of tliat tribe), and there were several others whose names I do not know. As we were mounted and ready to start, M'Kenzie called up some four or five of his men, und told them to follow immediately on our trail, with as many one-horse carts , which they were to harness up, to bring liome tlie meat ; " ferry them across the river in the scow," said he, " and following our trail through the bottom, you will find us on the plain yonder, between the Yellow Stone and the Missouri rivers, with meat enough to load you home. My watch on yonder blufi' has just told us by liis signals, that there are cattle a plenty on that spot, and we are going there as fast as possible." We all crossed the river, and galloped away a couple of miles or so, when we mounted the bluff; and to be sure, as was said, there was in full view of us a Hue herd of some four or five hundred buffaloes, perfectly at rest, and in tiieir own estimation (probably) perfectly secure. Some were grazing, and others were lying down and sleeping ; we advanced within a mile or so of them in full view, and came to a halt. Mons. Chardon "tossed the feather" (a custom always observed, to try the course of the wind), and we commenced " stripping" as it is termed (i. e. every man strips himself and his horse of every extraneous and unnecessary appendage of dress, &c. that might be an incumbrance in running): hats are laid off, and coats — and bullet pouches; sleeves are rolled up, a handkerchief tied tightly around the head, and another around the waist — cartridges are prepared and placed in the waist- coat pocket, or a half dozen bullets "throwed into the mouth," &c., &c., all of which takes up some ten or fifteen minutes, and is not, in appearance or in effect, unlike a council of war. Our leader lays the whole plan of the chase, and preliminaries all fixed, guns charged and ramrods in our hands, we mount and start for the onset. The horses are all trained for this busi- ness, and seem to enter into it with as much enthusiasm, and with as restless a spirit as the riders themselves. While '* stripping" and mounting, they exhibit the most restless impatience; and when "approaching" — (which is, all of us abreast, upon a slow walk, and in a straight line towards the herd, until they discover us and run), they all seem to have caught entirely the spirit of the chase, for the laziest nag amongst them prances with an elasti- city in his step — champing his bit — his ears erect — his eyes strained out of his head, and fixed upon the game before him, whilst he trembles under the saddle of his rider. In this way we carefully and silently marched, until within some forty or fifty rods; when the herd discovering us, wheeled and laid their course in a mass. At this inccant we started ! (and all must start, for no one could check the fury of those steeds at that moment of excite- ment,) and away dl sailed, and over the prairie flew, in a cloud of dust which was raised by their trampling hoofs. M'Kenzie was foremost in the throng, and soon dashed off amidst the dust and was out of sight — he was after the fattest and the fastest. I had discovered a huge bull whose shoulders VOL. I £ 26 !■■ I "1 towered above the wliole band, and 1 picked my way through the crowd to pet alongside of him. I went not for " meat," but for a trophy ; I wanted hii* head and horns. I dashed along through the thundering mass, as they swept away over the plain, scarcely able to tell whether I was on a buffalo's back or my horse — liit, and hooked, and jostled about, till at length I found myself alongside of my game, when I gave him a shot, as I passed him, I saw guns flash in several directions about me, but I heard them not. Amidst tl.s trampling throng, Mons. Chardon had wounded a stately bull, and at this moment was passing him again with his piece levelled for another shot ; they were both at full speed and I also, within the reach of the muzzle of my gun, when the bull instantly turned and receiving the horse upon his horns, and the ground received poor Chardon, who made a frog's leap of some twenty feet or more over the ball's back (plate 9), and almost under my horse's heels. I wheeled my horse as soon as possible and rode back, where lay poor Chardon, gasping to start his breath again ; and within a few paces of him his huge victim, with his heels high in the air, and the horse lying across him. I dismounted instantly, but Chardon was raising himself on his hands, with his eyes and mouth full of dirt, and feeling for hi \ gun, which lay about thirty feet in advance of him. " Heaven spare you ! are you hurt, Chardon ?" «< hi — hie hie -hie hie hie no, - -hie no no, I believe not. Oh ! this is not much, Mons. Cataline— this is nothing new — but this is a d d hard piece of ground here— hie — oh ! hie ! " At this the poor fellow fainted, but in a few moments arose, picked up his gun, took his horse by the bit ; which then opened its eyes, and with a hie and a ugh — ughk ! sprang upon its feet — shook off the dirt — and here we were, all upon our legs again, save the bull, whose fate had been more sad than that of either. I turned my eyes in the direction where the herd had gone, and our com- panions in pursuit, and nothing could be seen of them, nor indication, except the cloud of dust which they lefl behind them. At a little distance on the right, however, I beheld my huge victim endeavouring to make as much head-way as he possibly could, from this dangerous ground, upon three legs. I galloped off to him, and at my approach he wheeled around — and bristled up for battle ; he seemed to know perfectly well that he could not escape from me, and resolved to meet his enemy and death as bravely as possible. I found that my shot had entered him a little too far forward, breaking one of his shoulders, and lodging in his breast, and from his very great weight it was impossible for him to make much advance upon me. As I rode up within a few paces of him, '.e would bristle up with fury enough in his looks alone, almost to annihilate me (plate 10) ; and making one lunge at me, would fall upon his neck and nose, so that I found the sagacity of my horse alone enough to keep me out of reach of danger : and I drew from my pocket my sketch-book, laid my gun across my lap, and commenced taking his likeness. lie stood stitlcned up, and swelling with awful I -no, 4A£ S^^eTr-'r'- I . . .«— ■ -r-— -. ,^ ^^r^ -irzS^^^l^^^^^^zi:^^.^^^^ >.^, -V4-' .^ Ca lUn 10 i ' ■it fl l! i 27 vengeance, which was siiMime for a picture, but which lie could not vetit upon mc. I rode around him and sivotchcd iiiin in numerous attitudes, sometimes he would lie down, and I would then sketch him ; then throw my cap at him, and rousin;^ him on his legs, rally a new expression, and sketch him again. In this way I added to my sketch-book some invaluable sketches of this grim-visrtgcd monster, who knew not that he was standing for his likeness. No man on earth can imagine what is the look and expression of such a subject before him as this was. I defy the world to produce another animal than can look so frightful as a huge buffalo bull, when wounded as he was, turned around for battle, and swelling with rage ; — his eyes bloodshot, and liis long shaggy mane hanging to the ground, — his mouth open, and hid horrid rage hissing in streams of smoke and blood from his mouth and through his nostrils, as he is bending forward to spring upon his assailant After I had had the requisite time and opportunity for using my pencil, M'Kenzie and his companions came walking their exhausted horses back from the chase, and in our rear came four or five carts to carry home the meat. The party met from all (piarters around me and my butt'alo bull, whom I then shot in the head and finished. And being r?eated together for a few minutes, each one took a smoke of the pipe, and recited his exploits, and his " coups" or deaths ; when all parties liad a hearty laugh at me, as a novice, for having aimed at an old bull, whose flesh was not suitable for food, and the carts were escorted on the trail, to briiuj away the moat. I rode back with Mr. M'Kenzie, wlio painted out fi\e cows which he had killed, and all of tliem selected as the fattest and slickest of the herd. This astonishing feat was all performed within the distance of one mile— all were killed at full speed, and every one siiot through the heart. In the short space of time required for a horse under " full whip," to rim the distance of one mile, he had discharged his gun five, and loaded it four times — selected his animals, and killed at. every siiot ! There were six or eiglif others killed at the same time, which altogether furnished, as will i)e seen, abundance of freight for the carts ; which returned, as well as several packhorses, loaded with the choicest parts which wore cut from the animals, and the remainder of the carcasses left a prey for the >vo!vco. Such is the mode by which white men live in this country — such the way in which they get their food, and such is one of their delightful amusements —at the hazard of every bone in one's body, to feel the fine and thrillmg exhilaration of the chase for a moment, and then as often to upbraid and blame himself for his folly and imprudence From this scene we commenced leisurely wending our way back ; and dismounting at the place where we had strii)ped, each man dressed himself again, or slung his extra articles of dress, &c. across his saddle, astride of which he sat ; and we rode back to the Fort, reciting as we rode, and for tweniy-lbur hours afterwards, deeds of chivalry and chaso, and hair's-brcadth 28 cscnpes which each anel either had foiiglit and run on Turmcr occasiuns. M'Kcnzic, with all the true character and dignity of a leader, was silent on these subjects ; but smiled, while those in his train were reciting for him the astonishing and almost incredible deeds of his sinewy arms, which they had witnessed in similar scenes ; from which I learned (as well as from my own observations), that he was reputed (and actually wai) tiie most distinguished of all the white men who have flourished in these regions, in the pursuit and death of the buffalo. On our return to the Fort, a bottle or two of wine were set forth upon the table, and around them a half dozen parched throats were soon moistened, and good cheer ensued. Ba'tiste Defonde, Chardon, &c., retired to their quarters, enlarging smoothly upon the events of our morning's work ; which they wfre reciting to their wives and sweethearts ; when about this time the ejate of the Fort was thrown open, and the procession of carts and pack- liorses laden with buffalo meat made its entree ; gladdening the hearts of a hundred women and children, and tickling the noses of as n^any hungry dogs and puppies, who were stealing in and smelling at the tail of the pro- cession. The door of the ice-house was thrown open, the meat was dis- charged into it, and I being fatigued^ went to sleep. :\i n I . ■ I ,! I ; I s» LETTER— No. 5. MOUTH OF YELLOW STONE, UPl'EIl MISSOURI. In my former epistle I told you there were encamped about the Fort a host of wild, incongruous spirits— chiefs and sachems— warriors, braves, and women and children of different tribes— of Crows and Blackfeet— Ojibbe- ways— Assinneboins — and Crees or Knisteneaux. Amongst and in the midst of them am I, with my paint pots and canvass, snugly ensconced in one of the bastions of the Fort, whicli I occupy us a painting-room. My easel stands before me, and the cool breech of a twelve-pounder makes me a comfortable seat, whilst her muzzle is looking out at one of the port-holes. The operations of my brush are mj/steriea of the highest order to these red sons of the prairie, and my room the earliest and latest place of concentration of these wild and jealous spirits, who all meet here to be amused and pay me signal honours ; but gaze upon each other, sending their sidelong looks of deep-rooted hatred and revenge around the group. However, whilst in the Fort, their weapons are placed within the arsenal, and naught but looks and thoughts can be breathed here ; but death and grim destruction will visit back those looks upon each other, when these wild spirits again are loose and free to breathe and act upon the plains. I have this day been painting a portrait of the head chief of the Black- foot nation ; he is a good-looking and dignified Indian, about fifty years of age, and superbly dressed (plate 11); whilst sitting for his picture he has been surrounded by his own braves and warriors, and also gazed at by his enemies, the Crows and the Knisteneaux, Assinneboins and Ojibbeways ; a number of distinguished personages of each of which tribes, have laid all day around the sides of my room ; reciting to each other the battles they have fought, and pointing to the scalp-locks, worn as proofs of their victories, and attached to the seams of their shirts and leggings. This is a curious scene to witness, when one sits in the midst of such inflammable and com- bustible materials, brought together, unarmed, for the first time in their lives; peaceably and calmly recounting over the deeds of their lives, and smoking their pipes upon it, when a few weeks or days will bring them on the plains again, where the war-cry will be raised, and their deadly bows will again be drawn on each other. The name of this dignitary, of whom I have just spoken, is Stu-mick-o- sncks (the buffalo's back fat), i.e. the "hump" or "fleece," the most delicious part of the buffalo's flesh. I have also painted, of the Blackfeet, 30 Pc-toli-ppp.-kiss (ihc eajjlc liba), and Mix-ko-motc-skin-na (tlie iron liorn\ and Wun-nes-ton (the white buffalo), and Trlia-acs-sa-ko-niah-pee (the bear's cliild), and In-ne-n-eose (the buffalo's child), and lialf-a dozen others, and all in rich and costly dresses. ^, There is no tribe, perhaps, on the Continent, wlio dress more comfortably, and more gaudily, tlian the Blackfeet, unless it be the tribe of Crows, There is no great difference, however, in the costliness or elegance of their costumes ; nor in the materials of which they are formed ; though there is a distinctive mode in each tribe, of stitching or ornamenting with the porcupine quills, wliich constitute one of the principal ornaments to all their fine dresses ; and which can be easily recognized, by any one a little familiar with their modes, as belonging to such or such a tribe. Tiie dress, for instance of the chief whom I have just mentiuned, and whose portrait I have just painted, consists of a shirt or tunic, made of two deer skins finely dressed, and so placed together with the necks of the skins downwards, and the skins of the hind legs stitched together, the seams running down on each arm, from the neck to the knuckles of the hand ; this seam is covered with a band of two inches in width, of very beautiful embroidery of porcupine quills, and suspended from the ;inder edge of this, from the shoulders to the hands, is a fringe of the locks of black hair, which he has taken from the lieads of victims slain by his own hand in battle. The leggings are made also of the same material ; and down the outer side of the leg, from the hip to the feet, extends also a similar hand or belt of the same width ; and wrought in the same manner, witli porcupine quills, and fringed with scalp locks. These locks of hair are procured from scalps, and worn as trophies. The wife (or squaw) of this dignitary Eeh-nis-kin (the crystal stone), I have also placed upon my canvass (plate 13); her countenance is rather pleasing, which is an uncommon thing amongst the Blackfeet — her dress is made of skins, and being tiie youngest of a bevy of six or eight, and the last one taken under his guardianship, was smiled upon with great satisfac- tion, whilst he exempted her from the drudgeries of the camp ; and keeping her continually in the halo of his own person, watched and guarded her as the apple of his eye. The grandson also of this sachem, a boy of six years of age, and too young as yet to have acquired a name, has stood forth liku a tried warrior; and I have painted him at full length (plate 12), with his bow and quiver slung, and his robe made of a racoon skin. The history of this child is somewhat curious and interesting ; his father is dead, and in case of the deatli of the chief, of whom I have spoken, he becomes hereditary chief of the tribe. This boy has been twice stolen away by the Crows by ingenious stratagems, aiul twice re-captured by the Blackfeet, at consider- able sacrifice of life, and at present he is lodged with Mr. M'Kenzie, for saf(! keeping and protection, imtil he shall arrive at the proper age to take tlie office to which he is to succeed, and able to protect himself. I ( ill ( 1- - II i ■ iiif : II 31 The scalp of which I spoke above, is procured by cutting out a piece of tlie skin of the head, the size of the palm of the hand or less, con- taining the very centre or crown of the head, the place where the hair radiates from a point, and exactly over what the phrenologists call self- esteem. This patch then is kept and dried with great care, as proof positive of the death of an enemy, and evidence of a man's claims as a war- rior : and after having been formally " danced," as the saying is, (i. e. after it has been stuck up upon a pole or held up by an " old woman," and the war- riors hare danced around it for two or three weeks at intervals,) it is fastened to the handle of a lance, or the end of a war-club, or divided into a great many small locks and used to fringe and ornament the victor's dress. When these dresses are seen bearing such trophies, it is of course a difficult matter to purchase them of the Indian, for they often hold them above all price. I shall hereafter take occasion to speak of the scalp-dance ; describing it in all its parts, and giving a long Letter, at the same time on scalps and scalping, an interesting and general custom amongst all the North Ameri- can Indians. In the chiefs dress, which I am describing, there are his moccasins, made also of buckskin, and ornamented in a conesponding manner. And over all, his robe, made of the skin of a young buffalo bull, with the hair remaining on ; and on the inner or flesh side, beautifully garnished with porcupine quills, and the battles of his life very ingeniously, though rudely, pourtrayed in picto- rial representations. In his hand he holds a very beautiful pipe, the stem of which is four or five feet long, and two inches wide, curiously wound with braids of the porcupine quills of various colours ; and the bowl of the pipe ingeniously carved by himself from a pie':e of red steatite of an interest- ing character, and which they all tell me is procured somewhere between this place and the Falls of St. Anthony, on the head waters of the Mississippi. This curious stone has many peculiar qualities, and has, undoubtedly, but one origin in this country, and perhaps in the world. It is found but in the hands of the savage, and every tribe, and nearly every individual in the tribe has his pipe made of it. I consider this stone a subject of great interest, and curiosity to the world ; and I shall most assuredly make it a point, during my Indian rambles, to visit the place from whence it is brought. I have already got a number of most remarkable traditions and stories relating to the " sacred quarry ;" of pilgrimages performed there to procure the stone, and of curious transactions that have taken place on that ground. It seems, from all I can learn, that all the tribes in these regions, and also of the Mississippi and the Lakes, have been in the habit of going to that place, and meeting their enemies there, whom they are obliged to treat as friends, under an injunction of the Great Spirit. So then is this sachem (,the buffalo's back fat) dressed ; and in a very similar manner, and almost the same, is each of the others above named ; and all are armed with bow and quiver, lance and shield. These nortli 32 1i western tribes are all armed with the bow and lance, and protected with the shield or arrow fender, which is carried outside of the left arm, exactly as the Roman and Grecian shield was carried, and for the same purpose. There is an appearance purely classic in the plight and ecjuipment of these warriors and " knig;hts of the lance." They are almost literally always on their horses' backs, and they wield these weapons with desperate effect upon the open plains; where they kill their game while at full speed, and contend in like manner in battles with their enemy. There is one prevailing custom in these respects, amongst all the tribes who inhabit the great plains or prairies of these western regions. These plains afford them an abundance of wild and fleet horses, which are easily procured; and on their backs at full speed, they can come alongside of any animal, which they easily destroy. The bow with which they are armed is small, and apparently an insigni- ficant weapon, though one of great and almost incredible power in the hands of its owner, whose sinews have been from childhood habituated to its use and service. The length of these bows is generally about three feet, and sometimes not more than two and a half (plate 18 a). They have, no doubt, studied to get the requisite power in the smallest compass possible, as it is more easily and handily used on horseback than one of greater length. The greater number of these bows are made of ash, or of "boisd'arc" (as the French call it), and lined on the back with layers of buffalo or deer's sinews, which are inseparably attached to them, and give them great elasticity. There are very many also (amongst the Blackfeet and the Crows) which are made of bone, and others of the horn of the mountain-shc^p. Those made of bone are decidedly the most valuable, and cannot in this country be procured of a good quality short of the price of one or two horses. About these there is a mystery yet to be solved, and I advance my opinion against all theories that I have heard in the country where they are used and made. I have procured several very fine specimens, and when pur- chasing them have inquired of the Indians, what bone they were made of? and in every instance, the answer was, " That's medicine," meaning that it was a mystery to them, or that they did not wish to be questioned about them. The bone of which they are made is certainly not the bone of any animal now grazing on the prairies, or in the mountains between this place and the Pacific Ocean; for some of these bows are three feel in length, of a solid piece of bone, and that as close-grained — as hard — as white, and as highly polished as any ivory ; it cannot, therefore be made from the elks' horn (as some have supposed), which is of a dark colour and porous : nor can it come from the buffalo. It is my opinion, therefore, that the Indians on the Pacific coast procure the bone from the jaw of the sperm whale, which is often stranded on that coast, and bringing the bone into the moun- tains, trade it to the Blackfeet and Crows, who manufacture it into these bows without knowing any more than we do, from what source it has beeii procured. 33 One of lliese little bows in the lunds of an Indian, on a fleet and well- trained horse, with a quiver of arrows slung on his back, is a most effective and powerful weapon in the open plains. No one can easily credit the force with which these missiles are thrown, and the sanguinary effects produced by their wounds, until he lias rode by the side of a party of Indians in chase of a herd of buffaloes, and witnessed the apparent ease and grace with which their supple arms have diawn the bow, and seen these huge animalc tumbling down and gushing out their hearts' blood from their mouths and nostrils. Their bows are often made of bone and sinews, and their arrows headed with flints or with bones, of their own construction (plate 18, c), oi with steel, as they are now chiefly furnished by the Fur Traders quite to the Rocky Mountains (plate 18, d). The (juivcr, which is uniformly carried on the back, and made of the panther or otter skins (pla rE 18, e) is a magazine of these deadly weapons, and ganerally contains two varieties. The one to be drawn upon an enemy, generally poisoned, and with long flukes or barbs, which are designed to hang the blade in the wound afier the shaft is withdrawn, iu which they are but slightly glued ; — the other to be used for their game, with the blade firmly fastened to the shaft, and the flukes inverted ; that it may easily be drawn from the wound, and used on a future occasion. Such is the training of men and horses in this country, that this work of death and slaughter is simple and easy. The horse is trained to approach the animals on the right side, enabling its rider to throw his arrows to tiie. left ; it runs and approaches without the use of the halter, which is hanging loose upon its neck bringing the rider within three or four paces of the animal, whei. the arrow is thrown with great ease and certainty to the heart ; and instances sometimes occur, where the arrow passes entirely through the animal's body. An Indian, therefore, mounted on a fleet and well-trained horse, with his bow in his hand, and his quiver slung on his back, containing an hundred arrows, of which he can throw fifteen or twenty in a minute, is a formidable and dangerous enemy. Many of tliem also ride with a lance of twelve or fourteen feet in length (plate 18,6), wii+i a blade of polished steel ; and all of them (as a protection for their vital parts), with a shield or arrow- fender made of the skin of the buffalo's neck, which has been smoked, and hardened with glue extracted from the hoofs (plaie 18). These shields are arrow-proof, and will glance off a rifle shot with perfect effect by being turned obliquely, which they do with great skill. This shield or arrow-fender is, in my opinion, made of similar materials, and used m the same way, and for the same purpose, as was the clypeus or small shield in the Roman and Grecian cavalry. They were made in those days as a means of defence on horseback only — made small and light, of bull's hides; sometimes single, sometimes double and tiipled. Such was Hector's shiell, and of most of the Homeric heroes of the Greek and Trojan wars. In those days also were darts or javelins and lances ; the VOL. 1. g 34 Hi HI Rflil same were also usrd by the Ancient Britons; and such exactly are now in use amongst the Arabs and the North American Indians. In this wise then, are all of these wild red knights of the prairie, armed and equipped, — and while nothing can possibly be more picturesque and thrilling than a troop or war-party of these fellows, gallopingovcr these green and endless prairies ; there can be no set of mounted men of equal numbers, 80 effective and so invincible in this country as they would be, could they be inspired with confidence of their own powers and their own superiority ; yet this never can be done ; — for the Indian, as far as the name of white man has travelled, and long before he has to try his strength with him, i» trembling with fright and fear of his approach ; he hears of white man's arts and artifice — his tricks and cunning, and his hundred instruments of death and destruction — he dreads his approach, shrinks from him with fear and trembling- -his heart sickens, and his pride and courage wither, at the thoughts of contending with an enemy, whom he thinks may war and destroy with weapons of medicine or mystery. Of the Blackfeet, whom I mentioned in the beginning of this Letter, and whose portraits are now standing in my room, there is another of whom I must say a few words; Pe-toh-pee-kiss, the eagle ribs (plate 14). This man is one of the extraordinary men of the Blackfoot tribe ; though not a chief, he stands here in the Fort, and deliberately boasts of eight scalps, which he says he has taken from the heads of trappers and traders with his own hand. His dress is really superb, almost literally covered with scalp-locks, of savage and civil. I have painted him at full length, with a head-dress made entirely of ermine skins and horns of the buffalo. This custom of wearing horns beautifully polished and surmounting the head-dress, is a very curious one, being worn only by the bravest of the brave ; by the most extraordinary men in the nation. Of their importance and meaning, I shall say more in a future epistle. When he stood for his picture, he also held a lance and two " medicine-bags" in his hand ; of lances 1 have spoken, —but " medicine- bags" and " medicine" will be (he text for my next Letter. Besides the chiefs and warriors above-named, I have also transferred to my canvass the "looks and very resemblance" of an aged chief, who combines with his high office, the envied title of mystery or medicine-man, t. e. doctor — magician — prophet — soothsayer — jongleur — and high priest, all combined in one person, who necessarily is looked upon as " Sir Oracle" of the nation. The name of this distinguished functionary is Wun-nes-tou, the white buffalo (plate 15) ; and on his left arm he presents his mystery- drum or tambour, in which are concealed the hidden and sacred mysteries of his healing art. And there is also In-ne-o-cose, the iron-horn (plate 16), at full length, in a splendid dress, with his " medicine-bag" in his hand ; and Ah-kay-ee- pix-en, the woman who strikes many (plate 17), in a beautiful dress of the mountain-goats' skin, and her robe of the young buffalo's hide. it ; il '. I 1 10 T If f ^ ^ k f m i ! I ; If f\l N in ' vt ^' K 36 LETTER— No. 6. V k N MOUTH OF YELLOW SIONK, UPPEU MISSOURI. No'» for medicines or mysteries —for doctors, liigli-pricsls, for lioctu pocus, witchcraft, and animal magnetism! In the last Letter I spoke of Pe-toh-pee-kiss (the eagle ribs), a Ulaekfoot brave, whose portrait I had just paintiJ at full length, in a splendid dresx. i mentioned also, that he held two medicine-bags in his hand ; as they are represented in the picture ; both of them made of the skins of otters, and curiously ornamented with ermine, and other strange things. I must needs stop here — my painting and every thing else, until I can explain the word " medicine, " and " medicine- liatf ;" and also some medi- cine operations, which I have seen transacted at this place within a few days past. " Medicine" is a great word in this country ; and it is very necessary that one should know the meaning of it, whilst he is scanning and estimating the Indian character, which is made up, in a great degree, of mysteries and superstitions. The word medicine, in its common acceptation here, means mystery, and nothing else ; and in that sense I shall use it very frequently in my Notes on Indian Manners and Customs. The Fur Traders in this country, are nearly all French ; and in their language, a doctor or physician, is called " Medecin." The Indian coun- try is full of doctors; and as they are all magicians, and skilled, or profess to be skilled, in many mysteries, the word " medecin" has become habi- tually applied to every thing mysterious or unaccountable ; and the English and Americans, who are also trading and passing through this country, have easily and familiarly adopted tlie same word, with a slight alteration, conveying the same meaning ; and to be a little more explicit, they have denominated these personages " medicine-men," which means something more than merely a doctor or physician. These physicians, however, are all medicine-men, as they are all supposed to deal more or less in mysteries and charms, whicli are aids and handmaids in their practice. Yet it was necessary to give the word or phrase a still more comprehensive meaning — as there were many personages amongst them, and also amongst the white men who visit the country, who could deal in mysteries, though not skilled in the application of drugs and medicines ; and they all range now, under the comprehensive and accommodating phrase of " medicine- men." For instance, I am a "medicine-man" of the highest order amongst V* . 36 !l|t llii: tliese superstitious people, on account of the art which 1 practice ; which is a strange and unaccountable thing to them, and of course, called the greatest of " medicine." My gun and pistols, which have percussion-locks, are great medicine ; and no Indian can be prevailed on to fire them off, for they say they have nothing to do with white man's medicine. The Indians do not use ilie word medicine, however ; but in each tribe they have a word of their own construction, synonimous with mystery or mystery-man. The " medicine-bag" then, is a mystery-bag ; and its meaning and impor- tance necessary to be understood, as it may be said to be the key to Indian life and Indian character. These bags are constructed of the skins of animals, of birds, or of reptiles, and oriuuuented and preserved in a thousand different nays, as suits the taste or freak of the person who constructs them. These skins are generally attached to soiie part of the clothing of the Indian, or caiiied in his hand — they are oftentimes decorated in such a manner as to be exceedingly ornamental to his person, and always are stuffed with grass, or moss, or something of the kind ; and generally without drugs or medicines within them, as they are religiously closed and sealed, and seldom, if ever, to be opened. I find that every Indian in his primitive state, carries his medicine-bag in some form or other, to which he pays the greatest homage, and to which he looks for safety and protection through life — and in fact, it might almost be called a species of idolatry ; for it woi'id seem in some instances, as if he actually worshipped it. Feasts are ofte i made, and doll's and horses sacrificed, to a man's medicine ; and days, and even weeks, of fasting and penance of various kinds are often suffered, to appease his medicine, which he imagines he has in some viay offended. This curious custom has principally been done away with along the frontier, where white men laugh at the Indian for the observance of > ridiculous and useless a form : but in this country it is in full force, and every male in the tribe carries this, his supernatural charm or guardian, to which he looks for the preservation of his life, in battle or in other danger ; at which limes it would be considered ominous of bad luck and an ill fate to be without it. The manner in which this curious and important article is instituted is this : a boy, at the age of fourteen or fifteen years, is said to be making or " forming his medicine," when he wanders away from his father's lodge, and absf^nts himself for the space of two or three, and sometimes even four or five, days ; lying on the ground in some remote or secluded spot, crying to the Great Spirit, and fasting the whole time. During this period of peril and abstinence, when he falls asleep, the first animal, bird, or reptile, of which he dreams (or pretends to have dreamed, perhaps), he considers the Groat Spirit has desip;nated for his mysterious protector through life. He then returns home to his father's lodge, and relates his success ; and after allaying his tiiirst, and satiating his appetite, he sallies forth with weapons tf 1 37 or traps, until he can procure the animal or bird, the skin of which he preserves entire, and ornaments it according to his own fancy, and carries it with him through life, for " good luck" (as he calls it) ; as his strength ill battle — and in death his guardian Spirit, that is buried with him, and which is to conduct him safe to the beautiful hunting grounds, which he contemplates in the world to come. The value of tiie medicine-bag to the Indian is beyond all price; for to sell it, or give it away, would subject him to such signal disgrace in his tribe, that he could never rise above it ; and again, his superstition would stand in the way of any such disposition of it, for he considers it the gift of the Great Spirit. An Indian carries his medicine-bag into battle, and trusts to it for his protection ; and if he loses it thus, when fighting ever so bravely for his country, he suffers a disgrace scarcely less than that which occurs in case he sells or gives it away ; his enemy carrir it off and displays it to his own people as a trophy ; whilst the loser is ci. short of the respect that is due to other young men of his tribe, and for ever subjected to the degrading epithet of " a man without medicine," or " he who has lost his medicine," until he can replace it again ; which can only be done, by rushing into battle and plundering one from an enemy whom he slays with his own hand. This done, his medicine is restored, and he is reinstated again in the esti- mation cf his tribe ; and even higher than before, for such is called the best of medicine, or " medicine honourable " It is a singular fact, that a man can institute his mystery or medicine, but once in his life ; and equally singular that he can reinstate himself by the adoption of the medicine of his enemy ; both of which regulations are strong and violent inducements for him to fight bravely in battle : the first, that he may protect and preserve his medicine ; and the second, in case he has been su unlucky as to lose it, that he may restore it, and his reputation also, while he is desperately contending for the protection of his community. During my travels thus far, I have been unable to buy a medicine-bag of an Indian, although I have offered them extravagant prices for them ; and even on the frontier, where they have been induced to abandon the practice, t'.i'jugli a white man may induce an Indian to relinquish his medicine, yet he cannot buy it of him — *\ip, Indian in such case will bury it, to please a white man, and save it from his ^sacrilegious touch ; and he will linger around the spot and at regular times visit it and pay it his devotions, as long as he liveii. These curious appendages t/> the pernons or wardrobe of an Indian (plate is, (/), are sometimes made of the skin of an otter, a beaver, u musk-rat, a wcazel, a racoon, a pof'/at, a snake, a frog, a toad, a bat, a mouse, a mole, a hawk, an eagle, a magpie, or a sparrow : — sometimes of the skin of an arimal ;o large iis a wolf; and at otheiii, of the skins of the lesser animals, so small that they are hidden under the dres.s, and very difficult to be found, even if searched for. 38 P I r- ( Such then is the medicine-bap; — such its meaning and importance ; and when its owner dies, it is placed in his grave and decays witli his bodv. In the case of the portrait of which I spoke in the beginning of this Letter, there are seen two medicine-bags in the liand of Pe-toh-pee-kiss ; the one was of his own instituting, and the other was taken from his enemy, whom he had slain in battle ; both of these he has a right tc display and boast ot on such an occasion. This is but the beginning or incipient stage of " me- dicines," however, in this strange and superstitious country ; and if you have patience, I will carry you a few degrees further into the mysteries of conju- ration, before 1 close this Letter. Sit still then and read, until I relate a scene of a tragic, and yet of the most grotesque character, which took place in this Fort a few days since, and to all of which 1 was an eye-witness. The scene I will relate as it transpired precisely ; and call it the story ot the "doctor," or the " Blackfoot medicine-man." Not many weeks since, a party of Knisteneaux came here from the north, for the purpose of making their summer's trade with the Fur Company ; and, whilst here, a party of Blackfeet, their natural enemies (the same who are here now), came from the west, also to trade. These two belligerent tribes encamped on different sides of the Fort, and had spent some weeks herein the Fort and about it, in apparently good feeling and fellowship; unable in fact to act otherwise, for, according to a regulation of the Fort. tlKiir arras and weapons were all locked up by M'Kenzie in his " arsenal," for the purpose of preserving the peace amongst these fighting-cocks. The Knisteneaux had completed their trade, and loitered about the pre- mises, until all, both Indians and white men, were getting tired of their company, wishing them quietly off. When they were ready to start, with thea- goods packed upon their backs, their arms were given them, and they started ; biilding everybody, both friends and foes, a hearty farewell. They went out of the Fort, and though the party gradually moved off, one of tliem undiscovered, loitered about the Fort, until he got an opportunity to poke the muzzle of his gun through between the piquets ; when he fired it at one of the chiefs of the Bbicki'eet, who stood within a few paces, talking with Air. M'Kenzie, and shot him with two musket bullets through the centre of his body ! The Blackfoot fell, and rolled about upon the ground in the agonies of death. The Blackfoet who were in the Fort seized their weapons and ran in a mass out of the Fort, in pursuit of the Knisteneaux, who were rapidly retreating to the bluffs. Tlie Frenchmen in the Fort, also, at so flagrant and cowardly an insult, seized their guns and ran out, joining the Blackfeet in the pursuit. 1, at that moment, ran to my painting-room in one of the bastions overlooking the plain, where I had a fair view of the affair; many shots were exchanged back and forward, and a skirmish ensued which lasted half an hour; the parties, however, were so far apart that little effect wiis produced ; the Knisteneaux were driven off over the bluffs, having lost one man and had several others wounded. The Blackfeet and Frenchmen It i •I: !,«!' ! 30 retu'ncHinto the Tort, and then, I saw what I never before saw in my life — I saw a "medicine-man" performing his mysteries over a dying man. Tlio mm who had been shot was still living, thongh two bullets had passed through the centre of his body, about two inches apart from each other ; lie was lying on the ground in the agonies of death, and no one could indulge the slightest hope of his recovery ; yet the medicine-man must needs be called (for such a personage they had in their party), and hocus pocus ap- plied to the dying man, as the dernier resort, when all drugs and all specifics were useless, and after all possibility of recovery was extinct ! I have mentioned that all tribes have their physicians, who are also medicine (or mystery) men. These professional gentlemen are worthies of the highest order in all tribes. They are regularly called and paid as physicians, to prescribe for the sick ; and many of them acquire great skill in the medicinal world, and gain much celebrity in their nation. Their first prf scriptions are roots and herbs, of which they have a great variety of species ; and when these have all failed, their last resort is to " medicine" or mystery; and for this purpose, each one of them has a strange and unaccountable dress, conjured up and constructed during a life-time of practice, in the ^/ildest fancy imaginable, in which he arrays himself, and makes his last visit to his dying patient,^-dancing over him, shaking his frightful rattles, and singing songs of incantation, in hopes to cure him by a charm. There are some instances, of course, where the exhausted patient unaccountably recovers, under the application of these absurd forms ; and in such cases, this ingenious son of Indian Esculapius will be seen for several days after, on the top of a wigwam, with his right arm extended and waving over the gaping multitude, to whom he is vaunting forth, without modesty, the surpri- sing skill he has acquired in his art, and the undoubted efficacy of his medicine or mystery. But if, on the contrary, the patient dies, he soon changes his dress, and joins in doleful lamentations with the mourners ; and easily, with his craft, and the ignorance and superstition of his people, pro- tects his reputation and maintains his influence over them ; by assuring them, that it was the will of the Great Spirit that his patient should die, and when sent for, his feebie efforts must cease. Such was the case, and such the extraordinary means resorted to in the instance I am now relating. Several hundred spectators, including Indians and traders, were assembled around the dying man, when it was announced that the " medicine-man" was coming ; we were required to " form a ring," leaving a space of some thirty or forty feet in diameter around »he dying man, in which the doctor could perform his wonderful operations; and a space was also opened to allow him free room to pass through the crowd without touching any one. This being done, in a few moments his arrival was announced by the death-like " hush sh " through the crowd ; and nothing was to be heard, save the light and casual tinkling of t!ie rattles upon his dress, which was scarcely perceptible to the ear, as he 40 caHtiously and slowly moved tlirou)j;h the avenue left for him ; which at lenpfh brought him into the ling, in view of the pitiable object over whom his mysteries were to be performed. Readers ! you may have seen or read of the witch of Endor — or you may imagine all the ghosts, and spirits, and furies, that ever ranked amongst the " rank and file" of demonology ; and yet you must see my painting of this strange scene before you can form a just conception of real frightful ugliness and Indian conjuration — yes, and even more: you must see tin* magic dress of this Indian " big bug" (which I have this day procured ui all its parts), placed upon the back of some person who can imitate the strides, and swells, the grunts, and spring the rattles of an Indian magician. His entree and his garb were somewhat thus : — he approached the ring with his body in a crouching position (plate 19), with a slow and tilting step — his body and head were entirely covered with the skin of a yellow bear, the head of which (his own head being inside of it) served as a mask ; the huge claws of which also, were dangling on his wrists and ancles ; in one hand he shook a frightful rattle, and in the other brandished his medicine-spear or magic wand ; to the rattling din and discord of all of which, he added the wild and startling jumps and yelps of the Indian, and the horrid and ap- palling grunts, and snarls, and growls of the grizzly bear, in ejaculatory and guttural incantations to the Good and Bad Spirits, in behalf of his patient ; who was rolling and groaning in the agonies of death, whilst he was dancing around him, jumping over him, and pawing him about, and rolling him in every direction In this wise, this strancre operation proceeded for half an hour, to the sur- prise of a numerous and death-like silent audience, until the man died ; and the nr.edicine-man danced off to his quarters, and packed up, and tied and secured from the sight of the world, his mystery dress and equipments. This dress, in all its parts, is one of the greatest curiosities in the whole collection of Indian manufactures which I hav" yet obtained in the Indian country. It is the strangest medley and mixture, perhaps of the mysteries of the animal and vegetable kingdoms that ever was seen. Besides the skin of the yellow bear (which being almost an anomaly in that country, is out of the regular order of nature, and, of course, great medicine, and converted to a medicine use), there are attached to it the skins of many animals, which are also anomalies or deformities, which render them, in their estimation, medicine ; and there are >ilso the skins of snakes, and frogs, and bats, — beaks and toes and tails of birds, — hoofs of deer, goats, and antelopes ; and, in fact, the " odds and ends," and fag ends, and tails, and tips of almost everything that swims, flies, or runs, in this part of the wide world. Such is a medicine-man or a physician, and such is one of his wild and ridiculous manoeuvres, which I have just witnessed in this strange country. These men, as I before remarked, are valued as dignitaries in the tribe, and the greatest respect is paid to them by the whole community ; not only Ws I I hlii^ m ; ! ; i 41 for their skill in their " materia medica ;" but more especially for their tact in magic and mysteries, in which they all deal to a very great extent I -hall liave much more to --^y of these characters and their doings in future epistles and barely ob-rvo ■. die present place, that no tribe is without them ;— that in al tribes their doctors are conjurors-are magicians-are sooth-sayers, and I iiad hive to have said, high-priests, inasmuch as they superintend and conduct all their religious ceremonies;- they are looked upon by all as oracles of the nation. In all councils of war and peace, they have a seat with the chiefs-are regularly consulted before any public step is taken, and the greatest deference and respect is paid to their opinions. 42 LETTER— No. 7. 5: m MOUTH OF YELLOW STONE, UPPrR MI&SOURL The Letter which I gave you yesterday, on the subject of " medicines" Riid " medicine-men," has somewhat broicen the " thread of my discourse ;" and left my paintin(;--room (in the bastion), and all the Indians in it, and portraits, and biirt'aio hunts, and landscapes of these beautiful regions, to be taken up and discussed ; which I will now endeavour to do, beginning just where I left (or digressed) off. I was seated on tiie cool breech of a twelve-pounder, and had my easel before me, and Crows ami Blackfeet, and Assinneboins, whom I was tracing upon the canvass. And so I ' e been doing to-day, and shall be for seve- ral days to come. My painti. room has become so great a lounge, and I so great a " medicine-man," that all other amusements are left, and all other topics of conversation and gossip are postponed for future considera- tion. The chiefs have had to place " soldiers" (as they are called) at my door, with spears in hand to protect me from the throng, who otherwise would press upon me ; and none but the worthies are allowed to come into my medicine apartments, and none to be painted, except such as are decided by the chiefs to be worthy ol so high an honour. The Crows and Blackfeet who are here together, are enemies of the most deadly kind while out on the plains ; but here they sit and smoke quietly together, yet with a studied and dignified reserve. The Blackfeet are, perhaps, one of the most (if not entirely the most) numerous and warlike tribes on the Continent. They occupy the whole of the country about the sources of the Missouri, from this place to the Rocky Mountains ; and their numbers, from the best computations, are something like forty or tifty thousand — they are (like all other tribes »viiose numbers are sufficiently large to give them boldness) warlike and ferocious, t. e, they are predatory, are roaming fearlessly about the country, even into and through every part of the Rocky Mountains, and carrying war amongst their enemies, who are, of course, every tribe who inhabit the country about them. The Crows who live on the head waters of Yellow Stone, and extend from this neighbourhood also to the base of the Rocky Mountains, arc similar in the above respects to the Blackfeet; roaming about a great part of the year —and seeking their enemies wherever they can find them. They are a much smaller tribe than the Blackfeet, with whom they are \h they are -"^ •"* • " " ■ ' ""TO I 1 iff' 1 I 43 hlwaya at war, nnd from whose |;i;roat nuuibors tliry suflir |)ro»li.,'ioii»ly in battle; anil proliahly will be in a (Vw years entirely distrdyeJ by tliein. The Crows have not, perhaps, more than 7000 in tlieir iiutidu, and pro- oahly not more than eit;ht Imndred warriors or fij^htint; men. Ainoni;st the more powerfid tribes, like the Sioux and Ulackftet, who have been enabled to preserve their warriors, it is a lair caleidation to coinit one in tise ,\i warriors; but anion;; the Crows and Minatarees, and Puncdhs, and several other small but warlike tril)es, this proportion cannot exist ; an in some of these 1 have found two or three women to a man in the nation; in consi!- (|ueneG of the continual losses sustained amongst their men in war, and also whilst pursnini; the buHuloes on the plains for food, where their lives are exceedingly exposed. The Dlaekftet and the Crows, like the Sioux and Assinneboins, have nearly the same mode of construct in.; their wigwam or lod;;e ; in which tril)es it is made of bufl'alo skins sewed togetiicr, after bein;; dressed, and made into the form of a tent ; supported within by some twenty or thirty pine poles of twenty-five feet in height, with an apex or aperture at the top, througli which the smoke escapes and the li;;ht is admitted. These lodges, or tents, are taken down in a few minutes by the stpiaws, when they wish to change tlieir location, and easily transported to any part of the country where they wish to encamp ; and they generally move some six or eight times in the course of the summer ; following the immense herds of butValoes, as they range over these vast plains, from east to west, and north to south. Tiie objects for which they do this are two-fold, — to procure and dress their skins, which are brought in, in the fall and winter, and sold to the Fur Company, for white man's luxury ; and also for the purpose of killing and drying buffalo meat (i'i-.\ rK 22), which they bring in from their hunts, packed on their horses' backs, in great (juantities ; making pemican, and preserving the marrow-fat for their winter quarters ; wliich are generally taken np in some heavy-timbered bottom, on the banks of some stream, deep imbedded within the surrounding blutl's, which break oH' the winds, and make their long and tedious winter tolerable and supportable. They then sometimes erect their skin lodges amonj;st the timber, and dwell in them during the winter months ; but more frequently cut logs and make a miserable and rude sort of log cabin, in which they can live much warmer and better protected from the assaults of their enemies, in case they are attacked ; in wbieli case a log cabin is a tolerable fort against Indian weapons. The Crows, of all the tribes in this region, or on the Continent, make the most beautiful lodge. As 1 have before mentioned, they construct them as the Sioux do, and make them of the same material ; yet they oftentinies dress the skins of which they are composed almost as white as linen, and beautifully garnish them with porcupine quills, and paint and ornament them m such a variety of ways, as renders them exceedingly picturesque and *;recable to the eye. I have procured a very beautiful one of this description 1*^-2^ 44 V < (PLATE 20), liighly-ornHnier.tcJ, and fringed witli scalp-locks, and suffi- ciently larpje for forty men to dine under. The poles which support it are about thirty in number, of pine, and all cut in the Rocky Mountains, having been some hundred years, perhaps, in use. This tent, when erected, is lii,out twenty-five feet high, and has a very pleasing effect; with the Great or Good Spirit painted on one side, and the Evil Spirit on the other. If I can ever succeed in tra;isporting it to New York and other eastern cities, it will be looked upon as a beautiful and exceedingly interesting specimen. The manner in which an encampment of Indians strike their tents and transport them is curious, and to the traveller in this country a very novc! and unexpected sight, when he first beholds it. Whilst ascending the river to this place, I saw an encampment of Sioux, consisting of six hundred of these lodges, struck, and all things packed and on the move i.; a very few minutes. The chief sends his runners or criers (for such all chiefs keep in their employment) through the village, a few hours before they are to start ; announcing his determinat" •« to move, and the hour fixed upon, and the necessary preparations are in the meantime making ; and at thti time an- nounced, the lodge of the chief is seen flapping in the wind, a part of the poles having been taken out from under it ; this is the signal, and in one minute, six hundred of them (on a level and beautiful prairie), which before had been strained tight anu fixed, were seen waving and flapping in the wind, and in one minute more all were flat upon the ground. Their horses and dogs, of whicli they had a vast .lumber, had all been secured upon the spot, in readiness ; and each one was sperdily loaded with the burthen allotted to it, and ready to fall irto the grand procession. For this strange cavalcade, preparation is made in the following manner : the poles of a lodge are divided into two bunches, and the little ends of each bunch fastened upon the shoulders or withers of a horse, leaving the butt t'uds to drag behind on the ground on either side. Just behind the horse, a brace or pole is tied across, which keeps Uie poles in their respective places; and then upon thiit and the poles i)ohind the horse, is placed the lodge or tent, which is rolled u|), and also numerous other articles of household and domestic furniture, and on the top of all, two, three, and even (sometimes) four women and children ! Each one of these horses has a conductress, who sometimes walks before and leads it, with a tremendous pack ujotii her own back ; and at others she sits astride of its back, with a child, per- haps, at her breast, and another astride of the horse's back behind her, clinging to her waist with one arm, while it allectionately embraces a sneak- ing dog-pup in the other. In this way five or six hundred wigwams, with all their furniture (pi.ati: '21), may be seen diawn out for miles, cree[)ing over the grass-covered plains tif this country ; and tln-ec times that number of men, on good horses, strolling along in front or on the (lank ; anil, in some tribes, in the rear of this heterogeneous caravan, at least live times that number of do^^s, which lb .^}m^''^^ '. (plate il plains horses, ipur of s, wliicl* •il ii I- II , I* I! I :<*[: ::! -1: ill 'w 45 fall into the rank, and follow in the train and company of the women ; and every cur of them, who is large enough, and not too cunning to be enslaved, is encumbered with a car or sled (or whatever it may be better called), on which he patiently drags his load — a part of the household goods and furniture of the lodge to which he belongs. Two poles, about fifteen feet long, are placed upon tlie dog's shoulder, in the same manner as the lodge poles are attached to the horses, leaving the larger ends to drag upon the ground behind him ; on which is placed a bundle or wallet which is allotted to him to carry, ,.r''. 'viUi which he trots off amid tiie throng of dogs and squaws ; faithfully and cheerfully dragging his load 'till night, and by the way loitering and occasionally " Catcliing at little bits of fun and glee "That's played on dogs enslaved by dog that's freo." The Crows, like the Blackfcct, are beautifully costumed, and perhaps with somewhat more of taste and elegance ; inasmuch as the skins ot which their dresses are made are more delicately and whitely dressed. The art of dressing skins belongs to the Intlinns in all countries ; and the Crows surpass the civilized world in the beauty of their skin -dressing. The art of tanning is "nknown to them, so far as civilized habits and arts have not been taught them ; yet the art of dressing skins, so far as we have it in the civilized world, has been (like hundreds of otlier orna- mental and useful customs which we are practising), borrowed from the savage ; without our ever stopping to enquire from whence they come, oi by whom invented. The usual mode of dressing the buffalo, and other skins, is by immersing them for a few days under a lye from aslies and water, until the hair can be removed ; when they are strained upon a frame or upon the ground, with stakes or pins driven throug'.i the edges into the earth ; where they remain for several days, with the brains of the buffalo or elk spread upon and over them; and at last finished by "graining," as it is termed, by the squaws; who use a sharpened bone, the shoulder-blade or other large bone of the animal, sharpened at the edge, somewhat like an adze ; with the edge of which they scrape the fleshy side of the skin ; bearing on it with the weight of their bodies, thereby drying and softening the skin, and fitting it for use. The greater part of these skins, however, go tlirongii still another opera- tion afterwards, which gives them a greater value, and renders them much more serviceable — that is, the process of smoking. For this, a small hole is dug in the ground, and a fire is built in it with rotten wood, which will pro- duce a great quantity of smoke without much blaze ; and several small poles of the proper length stuck in t!ie ground around it, and drawn and fastened together at the top, around which a skin is wrapped in form of a tent, *ud generally sewed together at the edges to secure the smoke within it ; p^ i I :! I 46 within this the skins to be smoked are placed, and in this condition the tent will stand a day or so, enclosing the heated smoke ; and by some chemical process or other, which I do not understand, the skins thus acquire a quality which enables them, after being ever so many times wet, to dry soft and pliant as they were before, which secret I have never yet seen prac- ticed in my own country ; and for the lack of which, all of our dressed skins when once wet, are, I think, chiefly ruined. An Indian's dress of deer skins, which is wet a hundred times upon his back, dries soft; and his lodge also, which stands in the rains, and even through the severity of winter, is taken down as soft and as clean as when it was first put up. A Crow is known wherever he is met by his beautiful white dress, and his tall and elegant figure ; the greater part of the men being six feet high. The Blackfoet on the other hand, are more of the Herculean make — about middling stature, with broad shoulders, and great expansion of chest ; and the skins of which their dresses are made, are chiefly dressed black, or of a dark brown colour; from which circumstance, in all probability, they having black legaings or moccasins, have got the name of Blackfeet. The Crows are very handsome and geiitlcrnanly Indians in their personal appearance: and have been always reputed, since the first acquaintance made with them, very civil and friendly. These people to be sure, have in some instances plundered and robbed trappers and travellers in their country; and for that I have sometimes heard them called rascals and thieves, and rogues of the first order, &c . ; yet tliey do not consider themselves such ; for thieving in their estimation is a high crime, and considered the most disgracefid act that a man can possibly do Thoy call this capturing, yheve they sometimes run off" a Trader's horses, and make their boast of it; considering it a kind of retaliation or sununary justice, which they think it right and honourable that tiiey should administer. And why not ? for the unlicensed trespass committed through their country from one end to the other, by mercenary white men, who are destroying the game, and catching all the beaver and other rich and valuable furs out of their country, without paying them an equivalent, or, in fact, anything at all, for it ; and this too, when they have been warned time and again of the danger they would be in, if they longer persisted in the practice. Reader, I look upon the Indian as the most honest and honourable race of people that I ever lived amongst in my life; and in their native state, I pledge you my honour they are the last of all the human family to pilfer or to steal, if you trust to their honour; and for this never-ending and boundless system of theft and plunder, and debauchery, that is practiced off" upon these right- ful owners of the soil, by accjuisitive white men, I consider the infliction, or retaliation, by driving off and appropriating a few horses, but a lenient punislinient, which those persons at least shoidd expect ; an I which, in fact, »<«nc but u very honourable and higii-mindcd people coul I inflict, instead 47 of a much severer one; which they could easily practice upon the few white men in their country, without rendering themselves amanable to any law. Mr. M'Kenzie has repeatedly told me, within the four last weeks, while in conversation relative to the Crows, that they were friendly and honourable in their dealing with the whites, and that he considered them the finest Indians of his acquaintance. I recollect whilst in St. Louis, nnd other places at the East, to have heard it often said, that the Crows were a rascally and thieving set of vagabonds, highway robbers, &c. &c.; and I have been told since, that this infonna- tion has become current in the world, from the fact that they made some depredations upon the camp of Messrs. Crooks and Hunt of the Fur Com- pany; and drove off a number of their horses, when they were passing through the Crow country, on their way to Astoria. This viras no doubt true ; and equally true, would these very Indians tell us, was the fact, that they had a good and sufficient reason for it. These gentlemen, with their party, were crossing the Crow country with a large stock of goods, of guns, and ammunition, of knives, and spears, arrow- heads, &c.; and stopped for some time and encamped in the midst c<" the Crow country (and I think wintered there), when the Crows assembled in large numbers about them, and treated them in a kind and friendly manner ; and at the same time proposed to trade with them for guns and ammunition, &c. (according to these gentlemei/s own account,) of which they were in groat want, and for which they brough'. a great many horses, and offered them repeatedly in trade ; which they refused to take, persisting in their determi- nation of carrying their goods to their destined place, acruss the mountains ; thereby disappointing these Indians, by denying them the arms and weapons which were in their possession, whilst they were living upon them, and ex- hausting the game and food of their country. No doubt, these gentlemen told the Crows, that these goods were going to Astoria, of which place they knew nothing ; and of course, it was enough for them that they were going to take them farther west ; which they would at once suppose was to the Blackfeet, their principal enemy, liavin^- eight or ten warriors to one of the Crows; where they supposed the white men could get a greater price for their weapons, and arm their enemies in such a way as would enable them to turn upon the Crows, and cut them to pieces without mercy. Under these circumstances, the Crows rode off, and to show their indignation, drove off some of the Company's horses, for which they have ever since been denominated a band of thieves and highway robbers. It is a custom, and a part of the system of jurisprudence amongst all savages, to revenge upon the person or persons who give the offence, if they can ; and if not, to let that punishment fall upon the head of the first white man who comes in their way, provided the offender was a white man. And I would not be surprised, therefore, if I get robbed of my horse ; and you too, readers, if you go into that country, for that very (supposed) offence. 49 1 liavc conversed often and mucli with Messrs. Sublette and Campbell, two gentlemen of the hic'^'ist respectability, who have traded with the Crows for several years, and they tell me they are one of the most honourable, honest, and high-minded races of people on earth ; and with Mr. TiiUock, also, a man of the strictest veracity, who is now here with a party of them ; and, he says, they never steal,— have a high sense of honour,— and bein^ fearless and proud, arc quick to punish or retaliate. So much for the character of the Crows for the present, a, subject which I shall assuredly take up again, when I shall have seen more of tltcn I ; i : «i *1^ 4» LETTEH— No. 8. Mourn OP YELLOW sroNK, UPPF.li MISSOURI. Since my last. letter, nolhinji; of great moment Iius traiispireJ at tliis place; but I have been continuully employed in painting my porduits and making notes on the character and customs of the wild folks who are about me. I have just been painting a number of the Crows, line looking and noble gentlemen. They are really a haud.some and well-formed set of men as can be seen in any part of the world. There is a sort of ease and grace adiled to their dignity of manners, which gives them the air of gentlemen at cnce. 1 observed the other day, that most of them were over sis feet high, and very many of these have cidtivated their natural hair to such an almost incredible length, that it sweeps the ground as they walk ; there are frer)uent instances of tins kind amongst them, and in some cases, a foot or more of it will drag on the grass as they walk, giving exceeding grace and beauty to their movements. They usually oil their hair with a |)rofus;on of bear's grease every morning, which is no doubt one (;ause of llie unusual length to which their hair extends ; ihouffh it cannot be the sole cause of it, for the other tribes throughout this countiy use the bear's grease in equal profusion without producing the same results. The Mandans, however, and the Sioux, of whom I shall speak in future epistles, have cultivated a very great growth of the hair, as many of them are seen whose hair reaches near to the ground. This extraordinary length of hair amongst the Crows is confined to the men alone ; for the women, though all of them with glossy and beautiful hair, and a great profusion of it, are unable to cultivate it to so great a length; or else they are not allowed to compete with their lords in a fashion so ornamental (and on which the men so highly pride themselves), and are obliged in many cases to cut it short off. The fashion of long hair amongst the men, prevails throughout all the Western and North Western tribes, after passing the Sacs and Foxes ; and tiie Pawnees of the Platte, who, witii two or three other tribes only, are in the habit of shaving nearly the whole head. The present chief of the Crows, who is called " Long-hair," and has received his name as well as his office from the circumstance of having the longest hair of any man in the nation, I have not yet seen ; but 1 hope I yet may, ere I leave this part of the country. This extraordinary man i» 'Known to several genllenien with whom I am acrjuamted, and pamcularly to Messrs. Sublette and Campbell, of whom i have before spoken, whc VOL. I. il told me they liad lived in liis liospit;il>le lud^e for months together ; and assured me that they had measured his hair by a correct means, and found it to be ten feet and seven inches in icnom, within the folds of his robe; but on any great parade or simdar occasion, his pride is to unfuld It, oil it with bear's grease and let it drag behind him, some three or four feet of it spread out upon the urass, and black and shining like a raven's wing. It is a common custom amonust most of these upper tribes, to splice or add on several lengtlis of hair, i)y fastening them with glue ; probably for the purpose of imitating the Crows, upon whom alone Nature has bestowed tnis conspicuous and signal ornament. Amongst the Crows of distinction now at this place, I have painted the portraits of several, who exhibit some striking peculiarities. Amongst whom is Cliah-ee-clioties, the four wolves (plate 24) ; a fine looknig fellow, six feet in stature, and whose natural hair swce|is the grass as he walks; he is beautifully chid, and carries liimsilf with the most graceful and manly mien — he is in mourning for a brother; and according to their custom, has cut ofl' a number of locks of his long hair, which is as much as a man can Well spare of so valued an ornament, wiiich he has 1 een for the greater part of his life cultivating ; whilst a woman who mourns for a husband of child, is obliged to crop her hair shoit to her head, and so remain till it grows out again ; ceasing grc'.dually to mourn as her hair approaches to it» former length. Uuhk-pil»-a-ho-shee, the red bear (plate 26), a distinguished wariior, and Oo-je-en-a-he-ha, the woman who lives in the bear's den (plate 25). I have also painted Pa-ris-ka-roo-pa (two crows) the younger (plate 27), one of the most extraordinary men in the Crow nation ; not only for his looks, from the form of his head, which seems to be distortion itself — and curtailed of all its fair proportions ; but from his extraordinary sagacity as a counsellor and orator, even at an early stage of his life. There is something very uncommon in this outline, and sets forth the striking peculiarity of the Crow tribe, though, laiher in an exaggerated form. The semi-lunar outline of tlie Crow head, with an exceedingly low and retreating forehead, is certainly a very peculiar and striking charac- teristic ; and tiiough not so strongly marked in most of the tribe as in the present instance, is sufficient for their detection whenever they are met ; and will be subject for further con'ment in another place. The Crow women (and Blutkfeel also) are not handsome, and I shall at :| \ik Catlin. i I >l present say tmt little of them. Tliey are, likR all other Indian womfn, tlie slaves of their lmal)an(ls : beinaj obliged to porfoim all the domestic duties and drudgeries of the triho, and not allowed to join in their religious rites or rcrcnioiiies, nor in the dance or other amusenienls. The W')UU'ii in all these upper and western trilns are decently dressed, anrl many of thenr with great beauty and taste ; tlieir dresses are all of deer or ffoat skins, extending from their chins tpiite down to the feet ; these dresses are in many instances trimmed with ermine, and ornumenled with porcupine quills and beads with exceeding ingeni'ity. The Crow and Blackfeet women, like all others I ever saw in an\ Indian tribe, divide the hair on the foreiiead, and paint the separation or crease with vermilion or red earth. For what purpose this little, but universal, custom is observed, I never have been able to learn. The men amongst the Blackfeet trilie, have a fashion ecpially simple, and piobably of as little meaning, which seems strictly to be adhered to by evciy man in the tribe ; they sefiarate the hair in two plact ~ on the forehead, leaving a lock between the two, of an inch or two in width, which is care- fully straightened down on to the bridge of the nose, and there cut stpiare ofl". It is more than probable that this is done for the purpose of distinction; that they may thereby be free from the epithet of effeminacy, which mi^jht otlierwise attach to them. These two tribes, whom I have spoken of connectedly, spe;(k two distinct and entirely dissimilar languages ; and the language of each is different, and radically so, from that of all other tribes about them. As these people are always at war, and have been, time out of mind, they do not inter- marry or hold converse with each other, by which any knowledge of each other's language could be acquired. It would be the work of a man's life-time to collect the languages of all the different tribes which I am visiting ; and I shall, from necessity, leave this subject chiefly for others, who have the time to devote to them, to explain them to the world. I have, however, procured a brief vocabulary of their words and sentences in these tribes ; and shall continue to do so ainongst the tribes I shall visit, which will answer as a specimen or sample in each; and which, in the sequel to these Letters (if they should ever be published), will probably be Arranged. The Blackfeet are, perhaps, the most powerful tribe of Indians on the Continent ; and being sensible of their strength, have stubbornly resisted the Traders in their country, who have been gradually forming an acquaint nice with them, and endeavouring to establish a permanent and profitable system of trade. Their country abounds in beaver and buffalo, and most of the fur-bearing animals of North America ; and the American Fur Company, with an unconquerable spirit of trade and enterprize, has pushed its estab- lishments into their country ; and the numerous parties of trappers are tracing up their streams and rivers, rapidly destroying the beavers which 1 IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I ISO •■■ U. ■ 40 25 2.2 2.0 (.- 1^ mm < 6" ► m ^/ # Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WIST MAM STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. MSM (716)t73-4S03 > .^ ^ '^^> c*.^." 4iP m .ii I. 'i 1 1 f (Iwoll in Ihcm. The Bhickfeot liave re|>eatedly informed the Traders of the Cnmpanv, that if their men persisted in trapping beaveis in ll>eir country, lliey should kill them whenever they met them. They have executed their Ihri'ats in many instances, and the Company lose some fifteen or twenty men annually, who fall by the hands of. these people, in defence of whut they deem their properly and their rij^hts. Trinkets and whiskey, however, will soon spread their charms amongst these, as they have amongst other tril)es; nnd while man's voracity will sweep the prairies and the streams of their wealth, to the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean ; leaving the Indians to inhabit, and at last to starve upcm, a dreary and solitary waste. The Black feet, therefore, having been less traded with, and less seen by white people than most of tho other tribes, are more imperfectly understood; and it yet remains a question to be solved — whether there are twenty, or forty or fifty thousand of them ? for no 'ue, as yet, can correctly estimate their real strength. From all I can learn, however, which is the best in- formation that can be got from the Traders, there are not far from 40,000 Indians (altogether), who range under the general denomination of iUackfeot. From our slii;ht and imperfect knowledge of them, and other tribes occupying the country about the sources of the Missouri, there is no doubt in my mind, that we are in the habit of bringing n>ore Indians into ^he ( ompntation, than are entitled justly to the apjiellation of " Blackfeot." Such, for instance, are the " Grosventres de Prairie" and Cotonnes, neither of which speak the Blackfeet language ; but hunt, and eat, and fight, and intermarry with the Blackfeet; living therefore in a state of confederacy and friendship with them, but speaking their own language, and practicing their own customs. The Blackfeet proper are divided into four bands or families, as follow: — the " Pe-a-gans," of 500 lodges; the " Blackfool" band, of 450 lodges; the " Blood" band, of 450 lodges ; and the " Small Robes," of 250 lodges. These four hands constituting about 1650 lodges, averaging ten to the lodge, nmoimt to about 16,500 souls. There are then of the other tribes above-mentioned (and whom we, per- haps, incorrectly denominate Blackfeet), Grosventres des Prairies, 430 lodges, with language entirely distinct ; Circees, of 220 lodges, and Cotonnes, of 250 lodges, with language also distinct from either.* There is in this region a ric!i and interesting field for the linguist o the antiquarian ; and stubborn factf., 1 think, if they could be well procured, thai would do away the idea which many learned gentlemen entertain, that the * Several jresm since writing the above, I held a conversation with Major Pilcher (a strictly correct and honourable man, who was then the agent tor these people, who has lived amongst thorn, and is at this time superintendent of Indian aflairaat St. Louis), who iiit'nrmed nie, much to my surprise, that the blackfeet were not far from £0,(M)0 in numbers, including all the confederacy of which 1 have just spukcii. ! I' V,1 Ituliin Inn^^ungcs of Noith America can ull be traced to two or tliree roots. The language of the Dolicc.tas is eniircly and radically distinct fruin tliat o' the Maiidans, and theirs equally so from the Ulackfout and the Crows. Ant: from the li|)s of Mr. Bra/oau, a gcnileinan of education and strict observa- tion, vho has lived several years with the Bluckfeet and Shicnncs, and who speaks the languai;e of tribes on eitlur side of them, assures me tliat these languages are radically distinct and dissimilar, as I have above stated ; ami also, that although he has been several years amongst those tribes, he has no', •wen able to trace the slightest resemblance between the Circee, Cotonne, and iilackfoot, and Shieiine, and Crow, and Mandan tongues ; and from a great deal ot corroborating information, which I have got from other persons arMpiaintefl with these tribes, I am fully convinced of the conecttiess of his statements. Besides the Blackfeet and Crows, whom I told you were assembled at this place, are also the Knistoncaux (or Crces, as they are commonly called), a very pretty and pleasing tribe of Indians, of alioiit 3000 in number, living on the north of this, and also the Assinnelwins and Ojibbeways; both of wliidi tribes also inhabit the country to the noilh and north-east of the mouth of Yellow Stone. The Knisteiieaux arc of small stature, but well-built for strength and activity conibiuc'il ; are a pco|)le of wonderful prowess for their 'lumberii and liave waged an unceasing warfare wiili the Blackfeet, who are their neighbours and .luniies on the we^st. ' From their disparity in numbers they are rapidly thinning the ranks of their warriors, who bravety sacri- fice their lives in contentions with their powerful neighbours. This tribe occupy the coimtry from the mouth of the Yellow Stone, in a north-western direction, far into the British territory, and trade principally at the British N. W. Company's Posts. The Assiinieboins of seven thousand, and the Ojibbeways of six thou- sand, occupy a vast extent of country, in a north-eastern direction from this; extending also into the British possessions as high north as Lake Winnepcg ; and trading principally with the British Company. These three tribes are in a state of nature, living as neighbours, and are also on terms of friendship with each other. Tiiis friendship, however, is prooably but a lei.;porary arrangement, brought about by the Traders amongst them ; and which, like most Indian peace establishments, will be of short duration. The Ojibbeways are, undoubtedly, a part of the tribe of Chippeways, with whom we are more familiarly acquainted, and who inhabit the south-west shore of Lake Superior. Their language is the same, though they are separated several hundred miles from any of them, and seem to have no knowledge of them, or traditions of the manner in which, or of the lime when, they became severed from each other. The Assinneboins are a part of the Dohcotas, or Sioux, undoubtedly ; for their personal appearance as well as their language is very similar. ^ .4 i' it i ^i! At Mliat time, or in what manner, these two parts of a nation got strayed away from each ottier is a mystery ; yet such cases have often occurred, of which I sliall say more in future. Larjjc parties wlio are, straying oiFin pursuit of ^amc, or in the occupation of war, are oftentimes intercepted by their enemy ; and being prevented from returning, are run off to a distant region, where they take up their residence and establish tliemselves as a nation. There is a very curious custom amon^^st tlie Assinneboins, from whicli they have taken their name ; a name given them by their neighbours, from n singular mode they liave of boihng their meat, wliich it: done in tlie fol- lowing manner: — when they kill meat, a hole is dug in the ground about the size of a co.mmon pot, and a piece of the raw hide of the animal, as taken from the back, is put over the hole, and then pressed down with I lie hands close around the sides, and filled with water. The meat to be boiled is then put in this hole or pot of water ; and in a fire, which is built near by, several large stones are heated to a red heat, wliich are successively dipped and held in the water until the meat is boiled; from which singular and peculiar custom, the Ojibbeways have given them the appellation of Assinneboins or stone boilers. This custom is a very awkward and tedious one, and used only aa an ingenious means of boiling their meat, by a tribe who was too rude and ignorant to construct a kettle or pot. The Traders have recently supplied these people with pots ; and even long before that, the Mundans had instructed them in the secret of manu- facturing very good and serviceable earthen pots ; which together have entirely done away the custom, excepting at public festivals ; where they seem, like all others of the human family, to take pleasure in cherishing; and perpetuating their ancient customs. Of these three tribes, I have also lined my painting-room with a number of very interesting portraits of the distinguished and brave men ; and also representations of their games and ceremonies, which will be found in my Indian Gallery, if 1 live, and they can be preserved until I get home. The Assinneboins, or stone boilers, are a fine and noble looking race of Indians ; bearing, both in their looks and customs, a striking resemblance to tiie Dolicotas or Sioux, from whom they have undoubtedly sprung. The men are tall, and graceful in their movements; and wear their pictured robes of the buffalo hide with great skill and pleasing effect. They "re good hunters, and tolerably supplied with horses; and living in a counuj abounding with buffaloes, are well supplied with the necessaries of Indian life, and may be said to live well. Their games and amusements are many, of which the most valued one is the ball-play ; ai:d in addition to which, tiiey have the game of the moccasin, horse-racing, and dancing ; some one of which, they seem to be almost continually practicing, and of all of which I shall hereafter give the reader (as well as of many others of their amuse- nieats) a minute account. i! 1 if JL^ at Ttieir dances, which were frequent and varied, were generally exactly the tame as those of the Sioux, of wiiich 1 liave given a faithful account in my Notes on the Sioux, and which tiie reader will soon meet with. Tlicie was one of these scenes, however, that 1 witnessed the other day, which appeared to me to be peculiar to this tribe, and exceedingly picturesque in its eifect ; which was described to me as the pijK-dance, and was as follows : — On a hard-trodden pavement in front of their village, which place is used for ail their public meetings, and many ot their amusements, the young men, who were to compose the dance, had gathered themselves around a small (ire (PLATE 32), and each one seated on a buflfalo-robe spread upon the ground. In the centre and by the (ire, was seated a dignitary, who seemed to be a chief (perhaps a doctor or medicine-man), with a long pipe in his hand, which he lighted at the (ire and smoked incessantly, grunting forth at the same time, in half-strangled guttunils, a sort of song, which 1 did not get translated to my satisfaction, and which might have been susceptible of none. While this was going on, another grim-visaged fellow in another part of the group, commenced beating on a drum or tambourine, accom- panied by his voice ; when one of the young men seated, sprang instantly on his feet, and commenced singing in time with the taps of the drum, and leaping about on one foot and the other in the most violent manner imagin- able. In this way he went several times around the circle, bowing and brandishing his Bsts in the faces of each one who was seated, until at length lie grasped one of them by the hands, and jerked him forcibly up upon his ti^et : who joined in the dance for a moment, leav'ng the one who had pulled him up, to continue his steps and his song in the centre of the ring ; whilst he danced around in a similar manner, jerking up another, and then johiing his companion in the centre : leaving the third and the (ourth, and so on to drag into the ring, each one his ntan, until all were upon their feet ; and at last joined in the most frightful gesticulations and yells that seemed almost to make the earth quake under our feet. Tliis strange manoeuvre, which 1 did but purtially understand, lasted for half or three-quarters of an hour ; to the great amusement of the gaping multitude who were assembled around, and broke up with the most piercing yells and barks like those of to many aA'righted dogs. The Assinneboins, somewhat like the Crows, cultivate their hair to a very great length, in many instances reaching down nearly to the ground ; but in most instances of this kind, I find the great length is produced by splicing or adding on several lengths, which are fastened very ingeniously by means of glue, and the joints obscured by a sort of paste of red earth and glue, with which the hair is at intervals of every two or three inches filled, and divided into locks and slabs of an inch or so in breadth, and falling straight down over the back to the heels I have painted the portrait of a very distinguished young man. and son of the chief (FLiiT£28); his dress is a very handsome one, and ni every i t ■ \ '»> ; ) I I .1(1 rrsjuTl au'wor* xvr-ll to llie (li'soii|)liiins I Imvc iiivcii altovf. The riunio (if this iiiiiii is \Vi JMii-jdii (llic |ii::('(iir-. ii(lc ot' liim (I'l.ATK -!') will 1m' seen llic piirliiiil ol' lii« wil'r, Cliiii-chii-pci; (the tin' l)ti;j that crt'i'iis), a fine lonkiiii; v(|ii.i\v, in » li,inil>s ot" llif niuniilain- Hlict>|> skin, lioldiiiLi; in licr liami i stick cniinn'^iy ruivcil, with wliich rvciy woman in iliis conntry i* sn|)|)li('(l : lor tlu> pniposo of fli^i^in^ ii|i the *' P(innn(! lilanchc" or prairit- tiiiiii|>, wliich is t'unnd in ^roat quantities in ihfse nurtlicrn praiiics, and t'nriiistic:; the Indians with an ai)iindanl and nonrishi'p^ food. The women collect these turnips hy striking the eiul ol" the stick into the ground, and pryin>; them out ; alter which they are dried and preserved in their wigwams for use dnrin;; the season. 1 have just had the satisl'action of seein;; this travelled-^ontlpman (\Vi- jini-Jon) meet iiis trihe, his wife and liis little children ; after an absence of u year or more, on his journey of (iOOO miles to Wasiiington City, and back arub.il)ly will never be justly appreciated by otlierx tban tliein> ■I'lvesi. Tbis man, at tliis^ time, iscrcalin|rn wonderful scn!«ation amonijrst liiti tribe, who arc daily and nii^btly gathered in gaping; and lititleM crowds arotUid him, whilst he is descanting upon what he has seen in the fasliionablo world ; knd which to them is unintelligible and beyond their comprehension ; fur which I find they are already setting him down as a liar and im|)ostor. What may Im the final results of his travels and initiation into tiie fuithion- able world, and to what disasters his incredible narrations may yet subject the poor fellow in this htrange land, time only will developc. lie is now in disgrace, and spurned by the leading men of the tribe, and rather to be pitied than envied, for the advantages which one might have supposed would have down from his fashionable tour. More of this curious occurrence and of this extraordinary man, I will surely give in some future epistle*. The women of this tribe are often comely, and sometimes pretty ; in PLATE 34, will be seen a fair illustration of the dresses of the women and children, which are usually made of the skins of the mountain -goat, and ornamented with porcupine's quills and rows of elk's teeth. The Knisteneaux (or Crees, as they are more familiarly called in this country) are a very numerous tribe, extending from this place as high north as the shores of Lake Winnepeg; and even much further in a north-wosterly direction, towards, and even through, a great part of the Rocky Mountains. I have before said of these, that they were about 3000 in numbers — by that, I meant hut a small part of this extensive tribe, who are in the habit of visiting the American Fur Company's Establishment, at this place, to do their trading ; and who themselves, scarcely know anything of the great extent of country over which this numerous and scattered family range. Their customs may properly be said to be primitive, as no inroads of civilized habits have been as yet successfully made amongst them. Like the other tribes in these regions, they dress in skins, and gain their food, and conduct iheir wars in a very similar manner. They are a very daring and most adventurous tribe ; roaming vast distances over the prairies and carrying war into their enemy's country. With the numerous tribe of Blackfeet, they are always waging an uncompromising warfare ; and tliough fewer in numbers and less in stature, tliey have shewn themselves equJ in sinew, and not less successful in mortal combat!>. Amongst the foremost and most renowned of their warriors, is Bro-cas-sie, the broken arm (plate 30), in a handsome dress ; and l>y *he side of him (PLATB 31), his wife, a simple and comely looking woman. In platk 33, will be seen the full length portrait of a young woman with a child on her back, shewing fairly the fashion of cutting and ornamenting the dressw »0I.. I. I TT 1' III m of Uie females in tliit tribe ; which, witliout further comment, ii ^11 I thall ■ay at thin time, of the viiluroiu tribe rf Creot or Knittencaiix. The Ojibbcways I have briefly nimcioncd in a former place, and of them should say more ; which will be U.'oc at a proper time, after I shall hav« visited other branches of this great and scattered family. The chief of that part of the Ojibbeway tribe who inhabit these northern regions (platr ',\5), and whose name is Sha-co-pay (the Six), is a man of huge size ; with dignity of manner, and pride and vanity, just about in proportion to his bulk. He sat lor hit portrait in a most beautiful dress, fringed with scalp locks in profusion ; which he had snatched, in his early life from his enemies' heads, and "ow wcpts as proud trophies and proofs of what his arm has accomplisheU in battles with his enemies. His shirt of buckskin is beautifully embroidered and painted in curious hieroglyphics, the history of his battles and charts of hit life. This, and also each and every article of his varied dress, had been manufactured by his wives, of which he had several ; and one, though not the most agreeable (plate 3d), is seen represented by his side. I have much to see of these people yet» and mocb coniequently to writ* ; ■0 for the present I close mv book. 1 / Ii I 1 m I tlmll r.n LETTER— No. 9. UOUTII OF YELLOW STONE. UI'PEU MISSOURI. SmcE ihe clntM of my other Letters from this place, I lia\e been taking •ome wild rambles about thit beautiful country of green fields ; jolted and tossed about, on horseback and on foot, where pen, ink, and paper never ihouuht of going; and of course the most that I saw and have learned, and would tell to the world, is yet to be written. It is not probaliif, however, that I shall again date a letter at this place, as I commence, in a few days, my voyage down the river in a canoe ; but yet I may give you many a retro- ■|)cctive glance at this fairy land and its amusementH. A traveller on his tour through such a country as this, has no time to write, and scarcely time enough to moralize. It is as much as he can will do to " look out for his scalp," and " for something to eat." Impressions, how- ever, of the most vivid kind, are rapidly and indelibly made by tlie flcctin;^ incidents of savage life; and for the mind that can ruminate upon tiieoi with pleasure, there are abundant materials clinging to it for i '^ endli.ss entertainment in driving the quill when he gets back. The mind susceptible of such impressions catches volumes of incidents which are easy to write it is but to unfold a web which the fascinations of this shorn country and its allurements have spun over the soul — it is but to paint the splendid pano- rama of a world entirely ditferent from anything seen or painted before , -viih its thousands of miles, and tens of thousands of grassy hills and dales, where nought but silence reigns, and where the soid of a contemplative mould is seemingly lifted up to its Creator. What man in the world, I would ask, ever ascendrd to the pinnacle of one of Missouri's gieen-car- pfted bluffs, a thousand miles severed from his own familiar land, and giddily gazed over the interminable and boundless ocean of grass-covered hills and valleys which lie beneath him, where the gloom of silence is com- plete — where not even the voice of llie sparrow or cricket is heard — without feeling a sweet melancholy come over him, which seemet! to drown his sense of everything beneath »nd on a level with him ? It is but to paint a vast country of green tields, where the men arc all red — where meat is the staff of life— liii'-l>iid— wlu-ro \v»i|\«'s .in- wliito and lu-ais ^ii/vly — wliiTf pluMsants an- Inns of llu" prairio, and iVtins liavf horns ! — wlu-rc tlio rivi'ts aiv vi'llow. and wliiti' nit-n ait- tnniod savaiji'* in looks. Thnnii;'!! tlif ttliolf ol lliis >liani;»' l.'.nd llu- doi:s arc all wolvts — wonitn all slaves — men all lords. Tlu- .<«« and nits alom- (of all tin' list til" old ari|uainlanf«'), con'd Ih- rfi-'>:;nis«-d in tins conntry ot" slraiiu'C nu'lanu>r|ilu)Sf. Tlu" foiiiu'r iihid OM'rvMlii'r*- Ins familiar rays ; and .Mons'. KaLipoii was liailcd is an olil at-i|-i.iini.niii>, uliicli it p)vt> nic pli-asiuv t^> nui't ; Ihoti^li ho had ^rown a litllf nit>rf furniir in his look. In Ir.m-rsinj; thf innucnsi- ro^ions of ihc rlnssic W'vM, llio mind of a |>liil.intlni>|>ist i.s tillctl to iho brim with ftolini^s of nihnnation : hut to roai-h this conntrv , one is ttltliiji'd lo descend tVon> lla- li^ht and ^low of civili/cd atnio>|ilH If, thioMj;h the ililliTi-nt 'grades of i-ivili/.ition, which j:railnally snik to llu- nmsl dtplorahic condition aloiii; the fxtnini- fionticr; thciicc through the ni«>st pitiahlc nnscry and wretchedness of savai;e dcjjra- dation; wheie the miiins of natural liberty and indepeiulcnce havi- bet-n blasted aiul dolrovcd l>v the conlaminalin^' vices and dissi|iations introduced by the immoral |Mit of civiliznl society. Throu^^h this d.irk and sunken vale of wretcheilness one hurries, as thr'Mii;h a |H'stileice, until he t^iadualiy rises a^ain mto the proud and chivalrous pale of sava;.;'c society, in its sf;ite of i>ri^inal nature, l)eyond the reai'li of civili/ed contamination ; here he tiiuls nuicli to fix his eiithusiasm upon, and much to admire. I''ven here, the predominant passions of the savai;e breast, «>f I'erocily and cruelty, areotlen t'onnd ; vet rrstrainai, and freipiently stilitiuiil, by the noblest traits of honour and mai;nanimitv. — a race of men who live and enjoy life and its luxuries, and practice its virtues, very far beyond the usual estimation of the world . who are apt to judjjc the savap* anil his virtues from the |Mior, tle^;rad»'il, and humbled specinu'us which alone can be seen alons;' t>ur frontiers. From the tirst settlements of our Atlantic coast to tlu- present day, the bane i-f tliis /ilaslimi f'ronlirr has regularly erowiled upon iheiu, from the northern to the southern «xtremities of »uir country ; aiul, like the tire in a prairie, which destrovs evcrythiiifj where it passes, it has blasted and sunk them, and all but their names, into oblivion, wherever it has travelled, it is to this tainted class alone that the epithet of" poor, naked, and drunken savain'," can be, with propriety, applied ; for all those nume- rous tribes which I have visited, and are yet uneorrupted by the vices of eiviliied acipiaintance. are well clad, in many instances cleanly, and in the full eiijoynient o( lite and its luxuries. It is for the character and preservation ot these noble lellows that I am an eiithusiiist ; and it is for these uucoulami- nated |H>oplc th.it I would be williu'^ to devote the energies of my life. Il is a sad and n\elancholy truth to conlemplate, that all the nuinenuis tribes who inhabited our vast .Atlantic Stales liiiir not " lied lo the West ;"— that the) ate not to bo fouml here — that they have been blasted bv llu- tire wI.kIi »^1l q t I' I ■t" ij flrf Si !« . fd K. ». I i 'I !: I i 11: ]r it ' : ■ ; ! 1 ) 1 1 Gl 4 i has passed over them — have sunk into their graves, and everything but iheii names travelled into oblivion. The distinctive character of all these Western Indians^ as well as their traditions relative to their ancient locations, prove beyond a doubt, that they have been for a very long time located on the soil which they now possess ; and in most respects, distinct and unlike those nations who formerly inhabited the Atlantic coast, and who (according to the erroneous opinion of a great part of the world), have fled to the Wesit. It is for these inoffensive and unoffending people, yet unvisited by the vices of civilized society, that I would proclaim to the world, that it is time, for the honour of our country — for the honour of every citizen of the republic — and for the sake of humanity, that our government should raise her strong arm to save the remainder of them from the pestilence which is rapidly advancing upon them. We have gotten from them territory enough, and the country which they now inhabit is most of it too barren of timber for the use of civi- lized man ; it affords them, however, the means and luxuries of savage life ; and it is to be hoped that our government will not acquiesce in the conti- nued wilful destruction of these happy people. My heart has sometimes almost bled with pity for them, while amongst them, and witnessing their innocent amusements, as I have contemplated the inevitable bane that was rapidly advancing upon them ; without that checK from the protecting arm of government, and which alone could shield tiiem from destruction. What degree of happiness these sons of Nature may attain to in the world, in their own way ; or in what proportion they may relish the pleasures of life, compared to the sum of happiness belonging to civilized society, has long been a subject of much doubt, and one which I cannot undertake to decide at this time. 1 would say thus much, however, that if the thirst for knowledge has entailed everlasting miseries on mankind from the beginning of the world ; if refined and intellectual pains increase in proportion to our intellectual pleasures, I do not see that we gain much advantage over them on that score ; and judging from the full-toned enjoyment which beams from their happy faces, I should give it as my opinion, that their lives were much more happy than ours ; that is, if the word happiness is properly applied to the enjoyments of those who have not experienced the light of the Christian religion. I have long looked with the eye of a critic, into the jovial faces of these sons of the forest, unfurrowed with cares — where the agonizing feel- ' ing of poverty had never stamped distress upon the brow. I have watched the bold, intrepid step — the proud, yet dignified deportment of Nature's man, in fearless freedom, with a soul unalloyed by mercenary lusts, too great to yield to laws or power except from God. As these mdependent fellows are all joint-tenants of the soil, they are all rich, and none of the steepings of comparative poverty can strangle their just claims to renown. Who ^i would w II 62 ask) can look without admiring, into a society where peace and harmony (ircvail — where virtue is chcrislied — where rights are protected, and wruny;* are redressed —with no laws, but tiie laws of honour, which are the supreme laws of their land. Trust tlie boasted virtues of civilized society for awhile, with all its intellectual refinements, to such a tribunal, and theti write down the degradation of the " lawless savage," and our trancendent virtues. As these people have no laws, the sovereign rijjht of summary redress lies in the breast of the party (or friends of the party) at^grieved ; and infinitely more dreaded is the certainty of cruel revenge from the licensed hands of an ofl'cnded savage, than the slow and uncertain vengeance of the law. If you think me enthusiast, be it so ; for I deny it not. It has ever been the predominant passior. of my soul to seek Nature's wildest haunts, and give my hand to Nature's men. Legends of these, and visits to those, filled the earliest page of my juvenile impressions. The tablet has stood, and I am an enthusiast for God's works as He left them. The sad tale of my native " valley,"* has been beautifully sung ; and from the tligiit of " Gertrude's" soul, my young imagination closely traced the savage to his deep retreats, and gazed upon him in dreadful horror, un- ^il pity pleaded, and admiration worked a charm. A journey of 4000 miles from the Atlantic shore, regularly receding from the centre of civilized society to the extreme wilderness of Nature's original work, and back again, opens a Itoi.k for many an interesting tale to be sketched ; and the mind which lives, but to relish the works of Nature, reaps a reward on such a tour of a much higher order than can arise from the selfish expectations of pecuniary emolument. Notwithstanding all that has been written and said, there is scarcely any subject on which the knowing people of the East, are yet less informed and instructed than on the charac- ter and amusements of tiie West : by this I mean the " Far West ;" — the country whose fascinations spread a charm over the mind almost dangerous to civilized pursuits. Few people even know the true definition of the term •' West ;" and where is its location ? — phantom-like it flies before us as we travel, and on our way is continually gilded, before us, as we approach tiie setting sun. In the commencement of my Tour, several of my travelling companions from the city of Nev.' York, found themselves at a frightful distance to the West, when we arrived at Niagara Falls; and hastened back to amuse their friends wiih tales and scenes of the West. At Buffalo a steam-boat was landing with 400 passengers, and twelve days out — " Where from ?" "From the West." In the rich state of Ohio, hundreds were selling their farms and going — to the West. In the beautiful city of Cincinnati, people said to me, *♦ Our town has passed tiie days of its most rapid growth, it is not far enougii West." — In St. louis, 1400 miles west o ' New York, my landlady assur^ • WyiJaiiug. P^i fO , harmony 11(1 wrutii^s c supreme for awhile, vrite down ;ue3. redress lies i infinitely ands of an w. I ever been aunts, and hose, filled as He left sung; and sely traced horror, un- edin< excursion. Oui, Monsr. c'est vrai. Have you been robbed this time, Ba'tiste ? Oui, Monsr. by de dam Pieds noirs — 1 am loose much ; I am loose all — rery all eh bien — pour le dernier — c'est le dernier fois, Monsr. I am go to Yel Stone — I am go le Missouri down, I am go to St. Louis. Well, Ba'tiste, I am to figure about in this part of the world a few weeks longer, and then 1 shall descend the Missouri from the mouth of Yellow Stone, to St. Louis; and I should like exceedingly to employ Just suih a man as you are as a voyageur with me — I will give you good wages, and pay all your expenses ; what say you ? Avec tout mon cour, Monsr. remercie, remercie. It's a bargain then, Ba'tiste ; I will see you at the mouth of Yellow Stone. Oui, Monsr. in de Yel Stone, bon soir, bon soir, Monsr. But stop, Ba'tiste, you told me those were Crows encamped yonder Oiii, Monsieur, oui, des Corbeaux. And I suppose you are their interpreter ? Non, Monsieur. But you speak the Crow language ? Ouis, Monsieur. Well then, turn about ; I um going to pay them a visit, and you ran render me a service.— Bien, Monsieur, allona. VOL, I. K t ' (iG LETTER— No. 10. MANDAN VILLAGK, UPPER MISSOURI. i. ^ M Iff Soon after the writing of my last Letter, wliich was dated at tht Month of Yellow Stone, I embarked on the river for this place, where I latided safely ; and have resided for a couple of weeks, a guest in tliis almost sub- terraneous city — the strangest place in the world ; when; one si-.'s in the most rapid succession, scenes which force him to mirth — to pity and com- passion — to admiration — disgust ; to fear and astonishment. But beforo I proceed to reveal them, I must give you a brief sketch of my voyage down the river from the Mouth of the Yelljw Stone river to this place, a distance of 200 miles ; and which my little note-book says, was performed somewhat in the following manner : When I had completed my rambles and my sketches in those regions, and Ba'tiste and Bogard had taken their lust spree, and fought their last battles, and forgotten them in the final and affectionate embrace and farewell (all of which are habitual with these game-fellows, when settling up their Inng-standing accounts with their fellow-trappers of the mountain streams) ; and after Mr. M'Kenzie had procured for ir.e a snug little craft, that was to waft us down the mighty torrent ; we launched off one fine morning, taking oi»r leave of the Fort, and the friends within it ; and also, for ever, of the beautiful green fields, and hills, and dales, and prairie bluffs, that encompass the enchanting shores of the Yellow Stone. Our canoe, which was made of green timber, was heavy and awkward ; but our course being with the current, promised us a fair and successful voyage. Ammunition was laid in in abundance — a good stock of dried buffalo tongues — a dozen or two of beavers' tails — and a good supply of pemican. T^ogard and Ba'tiste occupied the middle and bow, with their paddles in their hands ; and I took my seat in the stern of the boat, at the steering oar. Our larder was as I have said ; and added to that, some few pounds of fresh buffalo meat. Ecsides which, and ourselves, our little craft carried several packs of Indian dresses and other articles, which I had purchased of the Indians: and also my canvass and easel, and our culinary articles, which were few and simple ; «7 at iht Month icre I landed is almost sub- le si".'8 in t\>e pity and coni- Biit beforn I ' voyatje down ice, a distance ned somewhat those region!), gilt their last e and farewell ling up their ain streams) ; t, that was to rning, taking r ever, of the al encompass id awkward ; id successful lock of dried 3d supply of |w, with their boat, at the |iat, some few cks of Indian and also ' and simple ; consisting of three tin cups, a coffee-pot— one plate — a (rying-pan — and a tin kettle Thus fitted out and embarked, we swept off at a rapid rate under the shouts of the savages, and the cheers of our friends, who lined the banks as we gradually lost sight of them, and turned oirr eyes towards St. Louis, which was 'JOOO miles below us, with nought intervening, save the wide- sprciid and wild regions, inhabited by the roaming savage. At the end of our first day's journey, we found ourselves handily encamp- ing with several tho...^^nd Assiimebuins, who had pitched their tents upon the bank of the river, u.id received us with every mark of esteem and friendship. In the midst of this group, was ay friend Wi-jun-jon (the pigeon's egg head), still lecturing on the manners and customs of the *' pale faces." Continuing to relate without any appearance of exhaustion, the marvellous scenes which he had witnessed amongst the white people, on his tour to Washington City. Many were the gazers who seemed to be the whole time crowding around him, to hear his recitals ; and the plight which he was in rendered his appear- ance quite ridiculous. His beautiful military dross, of which I before spoke, liad been so shockingly tattered and metamorphosed, that his appearance was truly laughable. his keg of whiskey had dealt out to his friends all its charms — his frock-coat, which his wife had thought was of no earthly use below the waist, had been cut off at that place, and the nether half of it supplied her with a beautiful pair of leggings ; and his silver-laccd hat-band had been converted into a splendid pair of garters for the same. His umbrella the pour fellow still affectionately held on to, and kept spread at all times. As I before said, his theme seemed to be exhaustless, and he, in the estimation of his tribe, to be an unexampled liar. Of the village of Assinneboins we took leave on tiie following morning, and rapidly made our way down the river. The rate of the current being four or five miles per hour, through one continued series of picturei|>(h t>t'lil1i'i-ii f< it, (if It'll |iiiiiiii'i- : ttTiiiiiiiUiii^ iU Its lioltdin, in a htviT i>l' »t'\i'tal I'ltl III' si-iliiiiiiiiiiiv ili'iuisiit', wliii'li is roi'iiu'il iiitu I'lullfss imu^Io- nuMat«'!» ol I'.isallu' I'ryst.iU. I'liis sduii^k tiMlmc ill till' I'duiiliy uriests t!u' oyi' of u tiavi'llfi smUlt'iilv, iiiiil as iii>(.iiilly tiiiiii;s liiiii In tlic I'lilit'liisioii, tliat hv sItUiiU ill llii' iiiiilMt of itii' iiiiii> i>l' ail i-Miii^iii.tlii'd viili'iiiui. An will I'l- Mi-ii III llif iliii\viiit;s (I'l.A IK ;17, It iit'iir view, itnil j'l ai'k IIS, ii iliNlaiit Mi'wVllic sitli'> iif tlit'Hi' I'liiiiriil Miitls ^wliiili aii- ('iiiii|iiisi'(| of .stiii(a i>r liiirfifiil I'oliniit-il I'lays'), iiii- (■(iiiliiiiiully wasliiii^' tlnuii lt° till- iiuiin iiiiil iiu'lliiii; (if tlif fillet ; iiiid llu' siiiicniu'iiiiilii'iit iiiit>M's (if |iuiiiii-i- ttiiil IiumiU arc criiiiililiiiu; (ill', iiiul falling (Ii>\mi io iIicii- L>,isi-N ; and I'luiii tiicnci-, ii) vast (iiiantilii's, l)y tlic fnii'c of llic !;ori;f.s of «\ali'i wliii'li ale dfli'lt cutting tlicii' cliaiiiit'ls hctwi-cn (tit'iii — rained iiiUt tliL- ii\cr, i'.liuli IS iliiM- l>v ; and wal'ti'd I'lH llioiisaiids of iiiilfs, llnatiii^;' as li;;lil as a rmk uimii its surface, and l(>di;iiii;; in eveiy jule o( (liilVwoinl fimii tins |ilai-e ti> liie ueeali. the u)i|itT |iait iif tins U.ver of piiiniee is of a brilliant red; and mIu'II (lie siiii IS sliinni:; ii|ioii It, is as lii'i^lil and vivid as veiniilion. It is |iiiiiiiis and ii|ieii, and its s|ie(-ili(' gravity l»it Iriltiiii;. Tliese eiinoiis Idiill's iniist he seen as tliev aie ui nature ; or else in a i>Hintiiit;, wiiere tlieir cdloiirs are failliliillv uiveii, tir tliey lo^e tlieir iiieturesipie luaiity, wliieli Cdiisists in llie tarietv of tlieir \i\i(l lints. The stratit of elay are alternatiiii; iVoni red to yellow — uliiti — liinwii and dark liliio ; and so curiously arranged, as to loriii the iiiiisl ji'.easin^ and siiii;ular ell'ecls. l)iiiiii^ the day that 1 Imleivd ahout this stran!;e sct'iit', I lel't iiiy men stu'teheil n|Hin the ^rass, liy tlii^ caiioi^ ; and takiiit;' iiiv rillo and iikeleh-liiiuk III my hand, I wandered and elaniliercd llirotit;h the iiit;^'ed ilt-lilt'S helweeii ihe hlult's ; |iassin^ o\el and under the inmiense hlncks iif the |iiiiiiice, that had fallen to tlicil liases ; (letermilied, if |iusMlile, li; tiiid the iiater, or senree, from whence these slraiii;t> |iluiuiineiia had sprung-; luii alter clamlieriiii; and siiuccjiins; almut lor sometime, I uiil'ni ttinati'lv Ciime midii the eiuirinoiis tracks of a grizzly luiir, which, a|> jiaieiitiv, was Iran llin^ in the same direction (,|iiolialily fur a vcin dillcieiit |iiii|i(ist') luil a few mumeiils liclore me; and my ardour lor e\|ihiiiiii; was nislaiillv so eooli'd down, that I hastily retraced my steps, and was .s.itislied will: makiii.; inv diawiii^s, and collecting s|ieciincns of the la\ a and other miiui.ils III lis vicinity. Alter strollnii;- .ihout during' the day, and coiileiii|ilattni;' the heaiily of the scenes tli.il were around me, while 1 sal iijioii ihe |iiiiiiacles of these |iiiiiiice i'.i|i|i>'d niiiimds ; most of wliu'h lime, |t(it;ard and Ita'lisle laid en joynii; the |ilc.tsure of a " moii|ilaiiieer's iii>.p"--we met lo;;('thei took oiii coll'ee .Old diicd luill'alo tongues — spread our Initlalo rolus u|ion llie|;ia^s, iind eiijoved duiiii>; the iii^hl (he liiMiry nf sleep, tliiit ticloiii;s so pcciihaily '.o the tiled \o\aj;eiii in these realms of [Hire all and dcail mIcucc V* I \ II a IciytT ol' less i'iHii;lo- I'l siulili'iily, llu' mivUt of I iM A IK ;ts, i-iiinj>i>*«'*l of low II I'N the UlMU'ltllll't'lll own lo lln'ir llu- i^oiuvs of — miiiu'il iiiti> ■s, lloatm'^ ii?* if ililU wooil (1 ; uml wlu'il [t In (ioioiis IS liltitls must ii' i-oloins iuo I'tlllsiNtM ill ll>i- ; iVoin nil to lrciii>5;i'il. as ti* lie, I l> II my mv iitio ami li tlic iui;i;<'il lU-llM' liloi'k* ll' llOSNllllc, ll' li'iioiiii'iia IkuI imc, I iiiil'oi :, wliiili, i>l> viiy ililli'UMit I'SoloIlM^ Wili WilN S.lll^til'll U\.i ami otIuT llli'- iK-auly ot lu'U's of llusi- •tisli- laiil til ■ I look Olll Ijniii tlif i;i.>'»>i so jmiiliiiily .i7 ' < J."!!*; '.H i 4' ! <• i\ 1 •1 .1 1 i l-H If iiii i ( ,'■ t ! H 1:1 71 In the morning, and before sunrise, as usual, Bogard (who was a Yankee, and a " wide-awake-fellow," just retiring from a ten years' siege of hunting and trapping in the Rocky Mountains,) thrust his head out from under the robe, rubbing his eyes open, and exclaiming as he grasped for his gun, " By darn, look at old Cale ! will you ! " Ba'tistc, who was more fond of his dreams, snored away, muttering something that I could not understand, when Bogard seized him with a grip, that instantly shook off his iron slum- bers. I rose at the same time, and all eyes were turned at once upon Caleb (as the grizzly bear is familiarly called by the trappers in the Rocky Mountains — or more often " Cale," for brevity's sake), who was sitting up in the dignity and fury of her sex, within a few rods, and gazing upon us, with her two little cubs at her side ! here was a '^Jix" and a subject for the painter ; but I had no time to sketch it — I turned my eyes to the canoe which had been fastened at the shore a few paces from us ; and saw that everything had been pawed out of it, and all eatables had been without ceremony devoured. My packages of dresses and Indian curiosities had been drawn out upon the bank, and deliberately opened and inspected. Every thing had been scraped and pawed out, to the bottom of the boat ; and even the rawhide thong, with which it was tied to a stake, had been chewed, and no doubt swallowed, as there was no trace of it remaining. Nor was this peep into the secrets of our luggage enough for her insatiable curiosity — we saw by the prints of her huge paws, that were left in the ground, that she had been perambulating our humble mattresses, smelling at our toes and our noses, without choosing to molest us ; verifying a trite saying of the country, " That man lying down is medicine to the grizzly bear ;" though it is a well-known fact, that man and beast, upon their feet, are sure to be attacked when they cross the path of this grizzly and grim monster, which is the terror of all this country ; often growing to the enormous size of eight hundred or one thousand pounds. Well — whilst we sat in the dilemma which I have just described, each one was hastily preparing his weapons for defence, when I proposed the mode of attack ; by which means 1 was in hopes to destroy her — capture her young ones, and bring her skin home as a trophy. My plans, however, entirely failed, though we were well armed ; for Bogard and Ba'tiste both remonstrated with a vehemence that was irresistible; saying that the standing rule in the mountains was " never to fight Caleb, except in self-defence." I was almost induced, however, to attack her alone, with my rifle in hand, and a pair of heavy pistols ; with a tomahawk and scalping-knife in my belt ; when Ba'tiste suddenly thrust his arm over my shoulder and pointing in another direction, exclaimed in an emphatic tone, " Voila ! voila un corps de reserve — Monsr. Cataline — voila sa mari ! allons — allons ! descendons la riviere, toute de suite ! toute de suite ! Monsr." to which Bogard added, " these darned animals are too much for us, and we had better be off;" at which my courage cooled, and we packed up and re-embarked as fast as 1 5 .x I'H i ! .1 >' il If ^il 72 possible; giving each one of them the contents of our iifles as we flriftnd off in the current ; which brought the she-monster, in all her rage and fury, to the spot where we, a few moments before, had passed our most prudent resolve. During the rest of this day, we passed on rapidly, gazing upon and ad- miring the beautiful shores, which were continually changing, from the high and ragged cliffs, to the graceful and green slopes of the prairie bluffs ; and then to the wide expanded meadows, with their long waving grass, enamel- led wit. 1 myriads of wild fl-^wers. Th. ,cene was one of enchantment the whole way ; our chief conver- w-ti:: was about grizzly bears and hair's-breadth escapes ; of the histories of which my companions had volumes in store. — Our breakfast was a late one — cooked and eaten about five in the afternoon ; at which time our demolished larder was luckily replenished by the unerring rifle of Bogard, which brought down a fine antelope, as it was innocently gazing at us, from the bank of the river. We landed our boat, and took in our prize ; but there being no wood for our fire, we shoved off, and soon ran upon the head of an island, that was covered with immense quantities of raft and drift wood, where we easily kindled a huge fire and ate our delicious meal from a clean peeled log, astride of which we comfortably sat, making it answer admirably the double purpose of chairs and a table. After our meal was finished, we plied the paddles, and proceeded several miles further on our course ; leaving our fire burning, and dragging our canoe upon the shore, in the dark, in a wild and unknown spot ; and silently spreading our robes for our slumbers, which it is not generally considered prudent to do by the side of our fires, which might lead a war-party u^on us, who often are prowling about and seeking an advantage over their enemy. The scenery of this day's travel, as I have before Faid, was exceedingly beautiful ; and our canoe was often run to the shore, upon which we stepped to admire the endless variety of wild flowers, " wasting their sweetness on the desert air," and the abundance of delicious fruits that were about us. Whilst wandering through the high grass, the wild sun-flowers and volup- tuous lilies were constantly taunting us by striking our faces; whilst here and there, in every direction, there were little copses and clusters of plum trees and gooseberries, and wild currants, loaded down with their fruit ; and amongst these, to sweeten the atmosphere and add a charm to the effect, the wild rose bushes seemed planted in beds and in hedges, and everywhere were decked out in all the (f'ory of their delicate tints, and shedding sweet aroma to every breath of the air that passed over them. In addition to these, we had the luxury of service-berries, without stint ; and the buflalo bushes, which are peculiar to these northern regions, lined the banks of the river and defiles in the bluffs, sometimes for miles together; form- ing almost impassable hedges, so loaded with the weight ot their fruit, that their boughs were everywhere gracefully bending down and resting on the ground. 73 s as we rlrifted rage and fury, : most prudent :; upon and ad- , from the high rie hlufTs ; and grass, enamel- r chief conver- of the histories kfast was a late ih'ich time our ifle of Bogard, gazing at us, k in our prize ; II ran upon the ies of raft and delicious meal sat, making it ble. After our ill miles further banoe upon the r spreading our iident to do by , who often are 'as exceedingly ich we stepped r sweetness on fere about us. 3rs and volup- s; whilst here isters of phnn leir fruit ; and to the effect, nd everywhere ledding sweet without stint ; ions, lined the jgether; form- ruit, that their in the ground. ^ ■a S ■J This last shrub (.ohcpprrflia), which may bo said to be the most beautiful ornament that decks out the wild prairies, forms a strikiu'j^ contrast to the rest of the foliuirc, fmni tiie blue appearance of its leaves, by which it can be distinguished lor miles in distance. The fiiiit which it produces in such incredible profusion, han;^ing in clusters to every limb and to every twiu;, is about the size of ordinary currants, and not unlike them in colour and even in flavour ; being exceedingly acid, and almost unpalatable, until they are bitten by the frost of autumn, when they are sweetened, and their flavour delicious ; having, to the taste, much the character of grapes, and I am inclined to think, would produce excellent wine. The shrub which bears them resembles some varieties of the thorn, though (as I have said) ciiffers entire ly in the colour of its leaves. It generally grows to the height of six or seven feet, and often to ten or twelve ; and in groves or hedges, in some places, for miles in extent. While gathering the fruit, and contemplating it as capable of producing good wine, I asked my men this question, " Suppose we three had ascended the river to this point in the spring of the year, and in a titnbered bouom had pitched our little encampment ; and one of you two had been a boat-builder, and the other a cooper — the one to have got out your staves and constructed the wine casks, and the other to have built a mackinaw-boat, capable of carrying fifty or a hundred casks ; and I had been a good hunter, capable of supplying the little encampment with meat ; and we should have started off about this time, to float down the current, stopping our boat wherever we saw tlie finest groves of the buffalo bush, collecting the berries and expressing the juice, and putting it into our casks for fermentation while on the water for two thousand miles ; how many bushels of these berries could you two gather in a day, provided I watched the boat and cooked your meals ? and how many barrels of good wine do you think we could offer for sale in St. Louis when we should arrive ihere ?" This idea startled my two men exceedingly, and Ba'liste gabbled so fast in French, that i could not translate ; and I am alincst willing to believe, that but for the want of the requisite tools for the enterprizo, I should have lost the company of Bogard and Ba'tiste ; or that 1 should have been under the necessity of submitting to one of the unpleasant alternatives which are often regulated by the nuijority, in this strange and singular wilderness. I at length, however, got their opinions on tiie subject; when they mutually agreed that they could gather thirty bushels of this fruit per day ; and I gave it then, and 1 otl'er it now. as my own also, that their estimate was not out of the way, and judged so from the experiments which we made in the following manner : — We several times took a large mackinaw blanket which I had in the canoe, and spreading ii on the ground under the bushes, where they were the most abundantly loaded with fruit ; and by striking the stalk of the tree w illi a club, we received the whole contents of its branches in an instant on the blanket, which was taken up by the cornets, and not uu- VOL. (. i< 1 "^ ■1 1 'i I u g ,i 1 ! il i t 74 frequently would prodtire us, from ouc blow, the rightli part of a biislicl of this fruit ; when the boughs relieved of their burden, instantly flew up to their native position. Of this beautiful native, which I think would form one of the loveliest ornamental shrubs for a gentleman's park or pleasure grounds, I procured a number of the roots ; but wliich, from the many accidents and incidents that our unlucky bark was subjected to on our rough passage, I lost them (and almost the recollection of them) r.s well as many other curiosities I had col- lected on our way down the river. On the morning of the next day, and not long after we had stopped and taken our breakfast, and while our canoe was swiftly gliding along under the shore of a beautiful prairie, I saw in the grass, on the bank above me, what I supposed to be the back of a fine elk, busy at his grazing. I let our craft float silently by for a little distance, when I communicated the intelligence to my men, and slily ran in, to the shore. I pricked the priming of my fire- lock, and taking a bullet or two in my mouth, stepped ashore, and trailing my rifle in my hand, went back under the bank, carefully crawling up in a little ravine, quite sure of my game ; when, to my utter surprise and violent alarm, I found the elk to be no more nor less than an Indian pony, getting his breakfast ! and a little beyond him, a number of others grazing ; and nearer to me, on the left, a war-party reclining around a little fire ; and yet nearer, and within twenty paces of the muzzle of my gun, the naked shoulders jf a brawny Indian, who seemed busily engaged in cleaning his gun. From this critical di, .nma, the reader can easily imagine that I vanished with all the suddenness and secrecy that was possible, bending my course towards my canoe. Bogard and Ba'tiste correctly construing the expression of my face, and the agitation of my hurried retreat, prematurely unmoored from tho shore ; and the force of the; current carrying them around a huge pile of drift wood, threw me back for some distance upon my own resources ; though they finally got in, near the shore, and I into the boat, with the steering oar in my hand ; when n-e plied our sinews with effect and in silence, till we were wafted far from the ground which we deemed critical and dangerous to our lives ; for we had been daily in dread of meeting a war-party of tlie revengeful Riccarees, which we had been told was on the river, in search of the Mandans. From and after this exciting occurrence, the entries in my journal for the rest of the voyage to the village of the Mandans, were as follow : — Saturday, fifth day of our voyage from the rnouth of Yellow Stone, at eleven o'clock. — Landed our canoe in the Grand Detour (or Big Bend) as it is cdiled, at the base of a stately clay mouod, and ascended, all hands, to the summit level, to take a glance at the picturesque and magnificent woi-ks of Nature that were about us. Spent the remainder of the day in painting a view of this grand scene ; for which purpose Ba'tiste and Bogard carried my easel and canvass to the top of a huge mound, where tliey left me at uiy : k 75 )f a bushel of :ly Hew up to the loveliest , I procured a incidents that )st them (and ics 1 had coU 1 stopped and ong under the jove me, what I let our craft le inteUigence ing of my fire- ;, and trailing Eiwling up in a ise and violent pony, getting grazing ; and I fire ; and yet aked shoulders s gun. From nished with all se towards my on of my face, )red from tho I huge pile of irces ; though le steering oar silence, till we ind dangerous |r-party of tlie , in search of entries in my Idans, wore as {low Stone, at |tg Bend) as it all hands, to lificent works |y in painting logard carried left me at :uy ■• of fif'iy or a tlie travt'lliii^' )i> the rii;lit or «tumi>i:ii;' tlirir of llic wickuil tie and swoet- Ii often leads 111, saves liim- (liscovcietl, lie How haiidker- in the jjroiiiul, t coyness and riHe ill hand ; a sliot, which Detoiir; and 1 ever-varying :ribcd, our at- e (ri.ATK 41), g in full view gain, amongst of the Mis- mtlcss groups plains, in a e discovered of the chase ; d in paying lould render trra comiiiii- pariy wiis on ct it answers iiid the same and as tlicir rber, there is aritty of the t SU'ppcs of •)? ... ^^... ■ t. V.^fV ....:;, ■:rr^&-^^^^'B^i^^^0^^^, *'»♦¥»■■>•?'.- ^ ,,:..«.■,— ;.;^jJfiK VV ■ , -sfliSS* •>>::*'' -^■""•^^JSii^^^HMk^ ■\ -^ %ii' •.«:JC^ C Ccth., 40 /; i ' i m !«; fl f H 77 Asia. It l)ears no rcsi-inblancc to any variety of dogn, except in the toiitid oC ii!> voire, wlun excited by tlie a|)|)rciicli of (lunger, wiiieli is somethintT likt tliat of a very sniull dog, and still much more resembling the harkinij of a u;rey s{|i.irrel. The size of these curious little animals is not far from that of a very large rat, and they are not unlike in their appearance. As I have said, their burrows, are uniforndy built in a lonely desert ; and away, both from the proximity of timber and water. Kaeh individutd, or each family, dig their hole in the prairie to the depth of eight or ten feet, throwing up the dirt from each excavation, in a lilt e pile, iti the form of a cone, which forms ihu only elevation for tlicin to ascend ; where they sit, to bark and chatter when an enemy is approaching their \illage. These villages are sometimes of several miles in extent; containing (I would almost say) myriads of their excavations and little dirt hillocks, and to the cars of their visitors, the din of their barkings is too confused and too peculiar to be described. In the present instance, we made many endeavours to shoot them, but liudin,'our efforts to be entirely in vain. As we were approaching them at a •iistance, each one seemed to be perched up, on his hind feet, on his appro- pi iate domicil, with a significant jerk of his tail at every bark, positively dis- jjiiting our right of approach. I made several attempts to get near enough to " draw a bead " upon one of them ; and just before I was ready to (ire (and as if they knew the utmost limits of their safety), they sprang down into their holes, and instantly turning their bodies, shewed their ears and the ends of their noses, as they were pee[)ing out at me ; which position they would hold, until the shortness of the distance subjected their scalps to danger ai;ain, from the aim of a rifle ; when they instantly disappeared from our sight, and all was silence thereafter, about their premises, as I passed them over; until I had so far advanced by them, that their cars were again dis- covered, and at length themselves, at full length, perched on the tops of their little hillocks and threatening as before ; thus gradually sinking and rising like a wave before and behind me. The holes leading down to their burrows, are four or five inches in diameter, and run down nearly perpendicular ; where they undoubtedly communicate into something like a subterraneous city (as I have formerly learned from fruitless endeavours to dig them out), undermined and vaulted; by which means, they can travel for a great distance under the ground, without diuiirer from pursuit. Their food is simply the grass in the immediate vicinity of their burrows, whic) is cut close to the ground by their flat, shovel teeth ; and, as they sometimes live twenty miles from any water, it is to be supposed that they gel moisture enough from the dew on the grass, on which they feed chiefly at night ; or that (as is generally supposed) they sink wells from thc'r under-ground habitations, by which they descend low enough to get their supply. In the winter, they are for several months invisible ; existing, un- Iil m I V doubttMlly, in n torpid Rtato, ns tliey ocrl;iiiily lay by no food for that •eason — nor niii tlii'y jirociirc any. Tlii'sc cinioiis littK' aniniali Im'Ioi;>; to almost every lalituile in the vaxt plains of piairic in Nurtli America ; and their villai^ea, which I have sometimes cneoaiitered in my travels, have roiiipejied my party to ride several miles out of our way to get by them; for their burrows arc iroiierally within a few feet of each other, and danger- ous to the feet and the linibs of our horses. The sketch of the bluffs denominated " the Grand Dome," of which I spoke but a few moments since, is a faithful delineation of the lines and character of that wonderful scene ; and the reader lias here a just and striking; illustration of the ruin-like appearances, as I have formerly described, that are so often met with on the banks of this mi;;hty river. This is, perhaps, one of the most grand and beautiful scenes of the kind to I e met with in this country, owing to the perfect appearance of its several Iiuge domes, turrets, and towers, which were everywhere as precise and as perfect in their forms as they are represented in the illustration. These stupendous works are produced by the continual washing down of the sides of these clay-formed hills ; and although, in many instances, their sides, by exposure, have become so hardened, that their change is very slow ; yet they are mostly subjected to continual phases, more or less, until ultimately their decomposition ceases, and their sides becoming seeded and covered with a green turf, which protects and holds them (and will hold them) unal- terable : with carpets of green, and enamelled with flowers, to be gazed upon with admiration, by the hardy voyageur and the tourist, for ages and centuries to come. On Monday, the seventh day from the mouth of the Yellow Stone River, wc floated away from this noble scene ; looking back again and again upon it, tvondering at its curious and endless changes, as the swift current of the river, hurried us by, and gradually out of sight of it. We took a sort of melancholy leave of it — but at every bend and turn in the stream, we were introduced to others — and others — and yet others, almost as strange and curious. At the base of one of these, although we had passed it, we with difficulty landed oui canoe, and I ascended to its top, with some hours' labour ; having to cut a foot-hold in the clay with my hatchet for eacij step, a great part of the way up its sides. So curious was this solitary bluff, standing alone as it did, to the height of 250 feet (platk 43), with its sides washed down into hundreds of variegated forms — with large blocks of indurated clay, remaining upon pedestals and columns as it were, and with such a variety of tints ; that I looked upon it as a beautiful picture, and de- voted an hour or two with my brush, in transferring it to my canvass. In the after part of this day we passed another extraordinary scene, which is denominated " the Three Domes" (plate 44), forming an exceedingly pleasing group, though requiring no further description for the reader, who is now suthcJently acquainted with these scenes to understand them. M 'khI for that Is Im'Ioi;}; to neric n ; and ravels, liiive 3t by them ; and daiigcr- of which I le lines and a just and ly described, I of tlic kind of its several !cise and as ion. These of the sides m sides, by f slow ; yet il ultimately and covered them) uiiul- Lo be tjazt'd sr ages and tone River, again upon irrtnl of iho ok a sort of \m, we were strange and it, we with sonic hours' et for each his solitary 4;j), witii its :c blocks of e, and with re, and dc- vass. cone, winch exceedingly cader, who <•.; '■••■tr ••>■-.'" /^.. V n i^\ ,J 79 On this (lay, just before night, we landed our little boat in front of tlie Mandan village ; and amongst the hundreds and thousands who flocked to- wards the river to meet and to greet us, was Mr. Kipp, the agent of the American Fur Company, who has charge of their Establishment at"lhis place. He kindly ordered my canoe to be taken care of, and my things to be carriod to his quarters, which was at once done ; and I am at this time reaping the benefits of his genuine politeness, and gatlicring the pleasures of his aniusin>' and interesting society. " ^ I , no I.'.*-. M , w !| I!. V Ml ill 1 i ■' 'I ' ' - ! i J !) LETTER— No. 11. MANDAN VILLAGE, UPPER MISSOURI. I SAID that I was here in the midst of a strange people, which is literally true; and I find myself surrounded by subjects and scenes worthy the pens of Irving or Cooper — of the pencils of Raphael or Hogarth ; rich in legends ;iiid romances, which would require no aid of the imagination for a book or a picture. The Mandans (or 3ee-pohs-kah-nu-mah-kah-kc , ** people of the phea- sants," as they call themselves), are perhaps one of the most ancient tribes o. Indians in our country. Their origin, like that of all the other tribes is from necessity, involved in mystery and obscurity. Their traditions and peculiarities I shall casually recite in this or future epistles ; which when understood, will at once, I think, denominate them a peculiar anu distinct race. Tiiey take great pride in relating their traditions, with regard to their origin ; con- tending that they were the Jirst people created on earth. Their existence in tiiese regions has not been from a very ancient period ; and, from what I could learn of their traditions, they have, at a former period, been a very numerous and powerful n?tion ; but by tlie contmuai wars wnicn naro k' kisted between them and their neighbours, they have been reduced to then present numbers- Tiiii tribe is at present located on the west bank of the Missouri, abuul 1800 miles above St. Louis, and 200 below the Mouth of Yellow Stor.e river. They have two vilhiges only, which are about two miles distant from each other; and number in all (as near as I can learn), about 2000 souls. Their present villages are beautifully located, and judiciously also, for de- fence against the assaults of their enemies. The site of the lower (or prin- cipal) town, in particular (plate 45), is one of the most beautiful and pleasing that can be seen in the world, and even more beautiful than imagination could ever create. In the very midst of an extensive valley (embraced within a thousand graceful swells and parapets or mounds of interminable green, changing to blue, as they vanish in distance) is built the city, or principal town of the Mandans. On an extensive plain (which is covered with a green turf, as well as the hills and dales, as far as the eye can possibly range, without tree or bush to be seen) are to be seen risingf from the ground, and towards the heavens, domes — (not *♦ of gold," but) -ri 2i abuul Stone nt from souls. for de- Dr prin- ful and than valley 6. Quit.*. ,-ti| '( r'' [1 1 ' •i t ■ M •: !!. PI i m iR ■«!•'' » ; ] ! ! L LSLi:i 81 ofdirt — and tlie tlioiisiind spears (not " spires") and scalp-pules, &c. •S:c.> ()f the semi-sublLTrancous village of the hospitable and geiitlcinuMly .Mandi;ns. These people formerly (and withip tlie recollection of many ot their oldest ni(Mi) lived fifteen or twenty miles farther down the river, in ten contii;(i()us villa;^es ; the marks or ruins of which are yet plainly to lie sueu. At that peiioil, it is evident, as well from the number of loil;^es which iheir viilaues (•(-ntained, as from their traditions, that their numbers were much greater than at the present day. There are other, and very interestina:, traditions and historical facts rela- tive to a still prior location and condition of these people, of which I shall speak more fully on a future occasion. From these, when they are pro- niulj^ed, I think there may be a pretty fair deduction drawn, that they formerly occupied the lower part of the Missouri, and even the Ohio and Muskingum, and have gradually made their way up the Missouri to wliere they now are. Tl.'cre are many remains on the river below this place (and, in fact, to be seen nearly as low down as St. Louis), wliich shew clearly the jieculiar construction of Mandan lodges, and consocpientiy carry a strong proof of the above position. While descending the river, however, which I shall commence in a few weeks, in a canoe, this will be a subject of interest; and I shall give it close examination. The ground on which the Mandan village is at present built, was admi- rably selected for defence ; being on a bank forty or fifty feet above the bed of the river. The greater part of this bank is nearly perpendicular, and of solid rock. The river, suddenly changing its course to a right-angle, protects two sides of the village, which is built upon this promontory or angle ; they have therefore but one side to protect, which is effectually done by a strong piquet, and a ditch inside of it, cf three or four feet in depth. The piquet is composed of timbers of a foot or more in diameter, and eighteen feet high, set firmly in the ground at sufficient distances ftoni each other to admit of guns and other missiles to be fired between them. The ditch (unlike that of civilized modes of foi tification) is inside of the piquet, in which their warriors screen their bodies from the view and we ipons of their enemies, whilst they are reloading and discharging their weapons through the piquets. The Mandans are undoubtedly secure in their villages, from the attacks of any Indian nation, and have nothing to fear, except when they meet their enemy on th": prairie. Their village has a most novel appearance to the eye of a stranger; their lodges are closely grouped together, leaving but just room enough for walking and riding between them ; and appear from without, to be built entirely of dirt; but cue is surprised when he enters them, to see the neatness, comfort, and spacious dimensions of these earth-covered dwellings. They all have a circular form, and are from forty to sixty feet in diameter. Their foandations are prepared by digging some two feet in the ground, and forming the floor of earth, by levelling the requisite size fur VOL. I. M II < I !! 'I I i 1 $\ 82 the lodge. Tlicsc floors or foundations are all perfectly circular, and varying in size in proportion to the number of inmates, or of the quality or standing of the families which are to occupy them. The superstructure is then pro- duced, by arranging, inside of this circular excavation, firmly fixed in tlie ground and resting against the bank, a barrier or wall of timbers, some eight or nine inches in diameter, of equal height (about six feet) placed on end, and resting against each other, supported by a formidable embankment of eartii raised against them outside ; then, resting upon the tops of these timbers or piles, are others of equal size and equal in numbers, of twenty or twenty- live feet in lengtii, resting firmly against each other, and sending their upper or smaller ends towards the centre and top of the lodge ; rising at an angle of forty-five degrees to the apex or sky-light, which is about three or four feet in diameter, answering as a chimney and a sky-light at tne same time. The roof of the lodge being thus formed, is supported by beams passing around the inner part of the lodge about the middle of these poles or timbers, and themselves upheld by four or five large posts passing down to the floor of the lodge. On the top of, and over the poles forming the roof, is placed a complete n.at of willow-boughs, of half a foot or more in thickness, which protects the timbers from the dampness of the earth, with wliich the lodge is covered from bottom to top, to the depth of two or three fret; and then with a liavd or tough clay, which is impervious to water, and which with long use becomes quite hard, and a lounging place for the whole family in pleasant weather — for sage— for wooing lovers — for dogs and all; an airing place — a look-out — a place for gossip and mirth — a seat for the solitary gaze and meditations of the stern warrior, who sits and contemplates the peaceful mirth and happiness that is breathed beneath him, fruits of his hard-fought battles, on fields of desperate combat with bristling Red Men. The floors of these dwellings are of earth, but so hardened by use, and swept so clean, and tracked by bare and moccassined feet, that they have ftlniost a polish, and would scarcely soil the whitest linen. In the centre, and immediately under the sky-light (plate 46) is the fire-place — a hole of four or five feet in diameter, of a circular form, sunk a foot or more below the surface, and curbed around with stone. Over the fire-place, and sus- pended from the apex of diverging props or poles, is generally seen the pot or kettle, filled with buffalo meat; and around it are the family, reclining in all the most picturesque attitudes and grtups, resting on their buffalo-robes and beautiful mats of rushes. These cabins are so spacious, that they hold from twenty to forty persons — a family and all their connexions. They all sleep on bedsteads similar in form to ours, but generally not quite so high ; made of round poles rudely lashed together with ihongs. A bufl'alo skin, frcsli stripped from the animal, is stretched across the bottom poles, and about two t'eet from tlie floor; which, when it dries, becomes much con- tracted, and forms a perfect sacking-bottom. Thp fur side of this skin is placed uppermost, on which they lie with ^'rciit comfort, with a buffalo-robe 83 folded lip fo.- a pillow, and otiiers drawn over ilicm instead of blankets. These beds, as far as 1 liave seen them (and I have visited ahnost every ludj^'e in the 'illage), are unifurnily screened with a covering of buft'alu or elk skins, oftentimes beautifully dressed and placed over the upright pole* or frame, like a suit of curtains; leaving a hole in front, sufficiently sp.u-ious for the occupant to pass in and out, to and from his or her bed. Sonio of these coverings or curtains are exceedingly beautiful, being rut tastefully into fringe, and handsomely ornamented with porcupine's quills and picture writings or hieroglyphics. From the great number of inmates in these lodges, they are necessarily very spacious, and the number of beds considerable. It is no uncommon thing to sec these lodges fifty feet in diameter inside (which is an immense room), with a row of these curtained beds extending quite around their sides, being some ten or twelve of them, placed four or five feet apart, and the space between them occupied by a large post, fixed quite firm in the ground, and six or seven feet high, with large wooden pegs or bol's in it, on which are hung and grouped, with a wild and startling taste, the irns and armour of the respective proprietor ; consisting of his whitened shield, embossed and emblazoned with the figure of his protecting ?nedicine (or mystery), his bow and quiver, his war-club or battle-axe, his dart or javelin — his tobacco pouch and pipe — his medicine-bag — and his eagle — ermine or raven head- dress; and over all, and on the top of the post (as if placed by some conju- ror or Indian magician, to guard and protect the spell of wiklness that reigns in this strange place), stands forth and in full relief the head and horns of a buffalo, which is, by a village regulation, owned and possessed by every man in the nation, and hung at the head of his bed, which he uses as a mask when called upon by the cJiiefs, to join in the buifalo-dancc, of which I shall say more in a future opistle This arrangement of beds, of artr.s, &c., combining the most vivid display and arrangement of colours, c f furs, of trinkets — of barbed and glistening points and steel — of mysteries and hocus pocus, together with the sombre and smoked colour of the roof and sides of the lodge ; and the wild, and rude and red — the graceful (though uncivil) co::"er«ational, garrulous, story- telling and happy, though ignorant and untutored gro.'ps, that are smoking their pipes — wooing their sweethearts, and embracing their little ones about their peaceful and endeared fire-sides ; together with their pots and kettles, spoons, and other culinary articles of their own manufacture, around them ; present altogether, one of the most picturesque scenes to the eye of a stranger, that can be possibly seen , and far more wild and vivid than could ever be imagined. Reader, I said these people were garrulous, story-telling and happy ; this is true, and literally so ; and it belongs to me to establish the fact, and correct the error which seems to have gone forth to the world on this subject. As I have before observed, there is no subject that 1 know of within the M lii ' !i I.: 11 : scope and reach of human wisdom, nn wliich the civilized worKl in this en* lightened age arc mure incorrectly int'urmcd, than upon that of the true man- ners and customs, ami moral condition, rights and abuses, of the North American Indians; and that, as I have also before remarked, chiefly on account of the difliculty of our cultivating a fair and honourable accpiaintunce with them, and doing them the justice, and ourselves the credit, of a fair and impartial investigation of their true character. The present age of refine- ment and research has brought every thing else that I know of (and a vast deal more than the most enthusiastic mind ever dreamed of; within the scope and fair estimation of refined intellect and of science ; while the wild and timid savage, with his interesting customs and modes has vanished, or iiis character has become changed, at tiie approach of the enlightericd and intellectual world ; wlio follow him like a phantom for nwiiile, and in igno- rance of his true ciiaracter at last turnback to the connnou bubiness and social transactions of life. Owing to the above difficulties, which have stood in the way, the world have fallen into many egregious errors with regard to the true modes and meaning of the savage, which I am striving to set forth and correct in the course of these epistles. And amongst them all, there is none more common, nor more entirely erroneous, nor more easily refuted, than the current one, that " the Indian is a sour, morose, reserved and taciturn man." I have heard this opinion advanced a thousand times and I believed it ; but such certainly, is not uniformly nor generally the case. I have observed in all my travels amongst the Indian tribes, and more particularly amongst these unassuming people, that they are a far mure talkative and conversational race than can easily be seen in the civili/.ed world. This assertion, like many others I shall occasionally make, will some- what startle the folks at the East, yet it is true. No one can look into the wigwams of these people, or into any little momentary groupof them, without being at once struck with the conviction that small-talk, gossip, garrulity, and story-telling, are the leading passions with tliem, who have little else to do in the world, but to while away their lives in the innocent and endless amusemcni of the exercise of those talents with which Nature has liberally endowed them, for their mirth and enjoyment. One has but to walk or ride about this little town and its environs for a fiw hours in a pleasant day, and overlook the numerous games and gambols, where their notes and yelps of exultation are unceasingly vibrating in the atmosphere; or peep into their wigwams (and watch the glistening fun that's beaming from the noses, cheeks, and chins, of the crouching, cross- legged, and prostrate groups around the fire; where the pipe is passed, and jokes and anecdote, and laughter are excessive) to become convinced that it is natural to laugh and be merry. Indeed it would be strange if a race of people like these, who have little else to do or relish in life, should be cuituiled in that source of pleasure anti amusement; and it %s X (mid Iw iilso strange, if a lifu-timc of indulj^encc and practice in jo iiiiiocent and productive a mode of amusement, free from the cures and Hiixielics of business or proft^ssions, should not advance tliem in tlieir n)odo!«, .'ind enable tlieni to draw fur (j;reater pleasure from such sources, than we in the civilised and business world can possibly feel. If the uncultivated condition of their minds curtails the number of their enjoyments; yet they are free from, and independent of, a thousand cares and jealousies, which arise from mercenary motives in the civilized world; and are yet far a-head of us (in my opinion) in the real and uninterrupted enjoyment of their simple natural faculties. Tlicy live in a country and in communities, where it is not customary to look forward into the future with concern, for they live without incurring the expenses of life, which are absolutely necessary and unavoidable in the en- lijrhtened world ; and of course their inclinations and faculties are solely directed to the enjoyment of the present day, without the sober reflections on the past or apprehensions of the future. With minds tlius unexpanded and uninfluenced by the thousand passions and ambitions of civilized life, it is easy and natural to concentrate their thoughts and their conversation upon the little and trifling occurrences of their lives. They are fond of fun and good cheer, and can laugh easily and heartily at a slight joke, of which their peculiar modes of life furnish them an inexhaustible fund, and enable them to cheer their liule circle about the wifiwam fire-side with endless laughter and garrulity. It may be thought, that I am taking a great deal of pains to establish this fact, and I am dwelling longer upon it than 1 otherwise should, inasmuch as 1 am opposing an crior that soinis to have become current through the world; and which, if it be once corrocted, removes a material difliculty, which has always stood in the way of a fair and just estimation of tlie Indian character. For the purpose of placing the Indian in a proper light before the world, as I hope to do in nuiny rcspecfs, it is of importance to me — it is but justice to the savage — and justice to my readers also, that such points sliould be cleared up as I proceed ; and for the world who enquire for correct and just infoiin.ition, they must take my words for the truth, or else come to this country iind look for themselves, into these gro- tesque circles of never-ending hiuglitcr and fun, instead of going to Wash- ington City to gaze on the poor enUKirriisscd Indian who is caili^d there by his " Great Father," to contend with the sopliistry of the learnctl and acquisitive world, in bartering away his lands with the graves and the hunting grounds of his ancestors. There is not the proper place to study the Indian character ; yet it is tiio place where the sycophant and the scribbler go to gaze and frown upon him — to learn his character, and write his history ! and because he does not speak, and quaffs the delicious beverage which he receives from white mens* hands, "he's a speechless brute and a drunkard." An Indian is a beggar in Washington City, and a white man is IP:; almost cfjiially no In tlio Mandan village. An Indian in \Va»liinRton ir niuf', IS dumb and cmbannsscd ; and so is a while man (and for tlic very same reasons) in this place — lie has nobody to talk to. A wild Indian, to rcacli the civilized world, must needs travel some thou- sands of miles in vehicles of convc'-xnce, to which he is unaccustomed— throuj^h latitudes and longitudes which are new to him — living on food that he is unused to — stared and gazed at by the thousands and tens of thou- sands whom he cannot talk to — his heart grieving and his body sickening nt the exhibition of white men's wealth and luxuries, which are enjoyed on the land, and over the bones of his ancestors. And at the end of hi? journey he stands (like a caged animal) to be scanned — to be criticised — to be pitied — and heralded to the world as a tnute — as a brute, and a beggar. A white man, to reach this village, must travel by steam-boat — by canoes — on horseback and on foot; swim rivers — wade quagmires — tight mos- quitoes — patch his moccasins, and patch them again and again, and his breeches ; live on meat alone — sleep on the ground the whole way, and think and dream of his friends he has left behind ; and when he gets here, half-starved, and half-naked, and more than half sick, he finds I 'self a beggar for a place to sleep, and for something to eat ; a mute am( hou- sands who flock about him, to look and to criticise, and to laugh . for his jaded appearance, and to speak of him as they do of all white men (without distinction) as liars. These people arc in the habit of seeing no white men in their country but Traders, and know of no other; deeming us all alike, and receiving us all under the presumption that we come to trade or barter ; applying to us all, indiscriminately, the epithet of " liars" or Traders. The reader will therefore see, that we mutually suffer in each other's esti- mation from the unfortunate ignorance, which distance has chained us in ; and (as I can vouch, and the Indian also, who has visited the civilized world) that the historian who would record justly and correctly the charac- ter and customs of a people, must go and live among them. rfi LETTER— No. 12. MANDAJI VILLAOF:, UIM'ER MISSOURI. In my last, I g&vp some account of llic village, and the customs, anJ appearances of this stranjje people, — and I will now proceed to give further details on that subject. I have this morning, perched myself upon the top of one of the earth- covered lodges, which I have before detcribed, and having the whole village beneath and about me (plate 47), with its sacliums— its warriors— its dogs — and its horses in motion — its medicines (or mysteries) and scalp-polea waving over my head — its piquets— its green fields and prairies, and river in full view, with the din and bustle of the thrilling panorama tliat is about me. I shall be able, I hope, to give some sketches more to the life than I could have done from any effort of recollection. 1 said that the lodges or wigwams were covered with earth— were of forty or sixty feet in diameter, and so closely grouped that there was but jus*, room enough to walk and ride between them,— that they had a door by which to enter them, and a hole in the top for the admission of light, and for the smoke to escape, — that the inmates were at times grouped upon their tops in conversations and other amusements, &c. ; and yet you know not exactly how they look, nor whnt is the precise appearance of the strange world that is about me. There is really a newness and rudeness in every thing that is to be seen. There are several hundred houses or dwellings about me, and they are purely unique — they are all covered with dirt — the people are all red, and yet distinct from all other red folks I have seen. The horses are wild — every dog 'i a wolf — the whole moving mass are strangers to me : the living, in everything, carry an air of intractable wildness about them, and the dead are not buried, but dried upon scaffolds. The groups of lodges around me present a very curious and pleasing ap- pearance, resembling in siiape (more nearly than anything else I can com- pare tliem to) so many potash-kettles inverted. On the tops of these are to be seen groups standing and reclining, whose wild and picturesque appear- ance it would be difficult to describe. Stern warriors, like statues, standing in dignified groups, wrapped in their painted robes, with their heads decked and plumed with quills of the war-eagle ; extending their long arms to ; :i 88 'li::i|' i 11 t '' 'f' '.\ ' j . I i; ■ ' ,-■' 1 : H 1 , hi J: :i \ tlic cast or till" wi'st. tlio scoiios of tlu'ir l);\ltlos, wliicli tlioy i»ro rcounliii'^ over to f.icli otluT. Ill niiolIiiT (liicctinii, tlio wooing- loviM', softt'iiiii^ tlie lit'ail of liis I'air Taih-iiali-tai-a with tlu> notes of liis sim|)lo Into. On other lodges, anil lu'voiul ihcso, ijronps are cii'^aiiod in j;aiiios of tlio "nior 'asin," or t lie " platter." Some are to he seen mannfaetiniii;^- rolu-s ami dresses, and others, latij,neil with ainiisi iiients or oecupations, have stretched their iiiiil)S tocnjov the luxury of sleej), whilst liaskin;^ in the sun. With all this wild and varied medley of living;' l)cnii;» ai\> mixed their doLjs, which seem to be so near an Indian's heart, as almost to constitute a material link of his existi nee. In the centre of the villa;.:e is an open space, or public area, of l.OO feet in diameter, and circular in form, which is used for uU pnl)lic jitmes and festivals, shews and exhibitions; and also for their " annual relis;ioiis ceremonies," which are soon to take place, and of which 1 s-hail bereatter iiive some account. 'Ihe Iodides around this open space front in, with, their doors towards the centre; and in the middle of this circle stands an object of ureat religious veneration, as I am tolil, on account of the importance it has in the conduction of those annual ri'li^^ious rites. This obji el is in form of a larsre hoi^shead, some ci^ht or ten feet hi'^h, made of planks and licio[)s, coniainiiii;' within it some of their choicest niediciiies or mysteries, and relii;iously preserved nnhacked or scratched, as a symbol of the '• \Ms fanoe," as they call it. One of the lodges fr(iutin;j; on this circular area, and facinj;- this strange objict of their superstition, is called the " Meiliciue Lodge," or council house. It is in this sacred bnildinti; that these wonderful ceremonies, in comnunioration of the flood, take place. I am told by the Traders that the crueltiis of these scenes are friiihtfnl and abhorrent in the extreme ; and that this Ini^e wigwam, which is now closed, has been built exclusively for this i;rand celebration. I am every day reminded of the aear approach ot the si-a-^on tor this stran;:e alFair, and as 1 have not yet seen any thing of it, I --•aniiot (lesi-ribe it ; I know it only from the relations of the Traders who have witnessed parts of it; and tiieir descriptions are of so extraordinary a character, that ! would not be willing to describe until I can see for nivself, — which will, in all probability, be in a few days. In ranging the eye over the village from where I aai writing, there is |>rescnted to the view the strangest mixture and nieilley of unintelligible trash ^independ.int of the living beuigs that are in motion), that can |)nssiblv be imagined. On the roofs of the lodges, besides the groups of living, are biitialoes' skulls, skin canoes, pots and pottery ; sleds and sledges — and Buspeiuled on |)oles, erected some twenty feet abr>ve the doors of their wig- wams, are displayed in a pieasant day, the scalps of warriors, preserved as trophies ; and thus proudly exposed as evidence of their warlike deeds. In 'her parts are raised on poles the warriors' pure and whitened shields and •juivcrs, with niediciuc-ba;rs attached ; and bore and there a sacrifice of red >'•■ i'tl 48 i- Catbri. ? \ i "' P IM H^ I > ^'' 89 cloth, or other costly stuff, offered up to the Great Spirit, over the door of some benignant chief, in humble gratitude for the blessings which he is enjoying. Such is a part of the strange medley that is before and around me : and amidst them and the blue streams of smoke that are rising from the tops of these hundred " coal-pits," can be seen in distance, the green and boundless, treeless, bushless prairie ; and on it, and contiguous to the piquet v/hich encloses the village, a hundred scaffolds on which their " dead live," as they term it. These people never bury the dead, but place the bodies on slight scaffolds just above the reach of human hands, and out of the way of wolves and dogs ; and they are there left to moulder and decay. This cemetery, or place of deposite for the dead, is just back of the village, on a level prairie (plate 48); and with all its appearances, history, forms, ceremonies, &c. is one of the strangest and most interesting objects to be described in the vicinity of this peculiar race. Whenever a person dies in the Mandan village, and the customary honours and condolence are paid to his remains, and the body dressed in its best attire, painted, oiled, feasted, and supplied with bow and quiver, shield, pipe and tobacco — knife, flint and steel, and provisions enough to last him a few days on the journey which he is to perform ; a fresh buffalo's skin, just taken from the animal's back, is wrapped around the body, and tightly bound and wound with thongs of raw hide from head to foot. Then other robes are soaKed in water, till they are quite soft and elastic, which are also bandaged around the body in the same manner, and tied fast with thongs, which are wound with great care and exactness, so as to exclude the action of the air from all parts of the body. There is then a separate scaffold erected for it, constructed of four up- right posts, a little higher than human hands can reach ; and on the tops of these are small poles passing around from one post to the others ; across which a number of willow-rods just strong enough to support the body, which is laid upon them on its back, with its feet carefully presented towards the rising sun. There are a great number of these bodies resting exactly in a similar way ; excepting in some instances where a chief, or medicine-man, may be seen with a few yards of scarlet or blue cloth spread over his remains, as a mark of public respect and esteem. Some hundreds of these bodies may be seen reposing in this manner in this curious place, which the Indians call, " the village of the dead ;" and the traveller, who visits this country to study and learn, will not only be struck with the novel appearance of the scene ; but if he will give attention to the respect and devotions that are paid to this sacred place, he will draw many a moral deduction that will last him through life : he will learn, at least, that fllial, conjugal, and paternal affection are not necessarily the results of civilization ; but that the Great Spirit has given VOL. 1. them to man in his native state ; and that the h r i 1 IH 90 ■pices and improvements of the enlightened world have never refined upon them. There is not a day in the year in which one may not see in this place evidences of this fact, that will wring tears from his eyes, and kindle in his bosom a spark of respect and sympathy for the poor Indian, if he never felt it before. Fathers, mothers, wives, and children, may be seen lying under these scafTolds, prostrated upon the ground, with their faces in the dirt, howling forth incessantly the most piteous and heart-broken cries and lamentations for the misfortunes of their kindred ; tearing their hair — cut* ting their flesh with their knives, and doing other penance to appease the spirits of the dead, whose misfortunes they attribute to some sin or omission of their own, for which they sometimes inflict the most excruciating self- torture. When the scaflblds on which the bodies rest, decay and fall to the ground, the nearest relations having buried the rest of the bones, take the skulls, which are perfectly bleached and purified, and place them in circles of an hundred or more on the prairie — placed at equal distances apart (some eight or nine inches from each other), with the faces all looking to the centre ; where they are religiously protected and preserved in their precise positions from year to year, as objects of religious and aflectionate veneration (plate 48). There are several of these " Golgothas" or circles of twenty or thirty feet in diameter, and in the centre of each ring or circle is a little mound of three feet high, on which uniformly rest two bufl^alo skulls (a male and female) ; and in the centre of the little mound is erected a '* medicine pole," about twenty feet high, supporting many curious articles of mystery ;ind superstition, which they suppose have the power of guarding and protecting this sacred arrangement. Here then, to this strange place do these people again resort, to evince their further aflections for the dead— not in groans and lamentations however, for several years have cured the anguish ; but fond aflections and endearments are here renewed, and conversations are here held and cherished with the dead. Each one of these skulls is placed upon a bunch of wild sage, which has been pulled and placed under it. The wife knows (by some mark or re- semblance) the skull of her husband or her child, which lies in this group ; and there seldom passes a day that she does not visit it, with a dish of the best cooked food that her wigwam aflbrds, which she sets before the skull at night, and returns for the dish in the morning. As soon as it is dis- covered that the sage on which the skull rests is beginning to decay, the woman cuts a fresh bunch, and places the skull carefully upon it, removing that which was under it. Independent of the above-named duties, which draw the women to this spot, tiiey visit it from inclination, and linger upon it to hold converse and company with the dead There is scarcely aa hour in a pleasant day, but upon 91 more or less of these women may be seen sitting or laying by the skull of their child or husband— talking to it in the most pleasant and endearing language that they can use (as they were wont to do in former days) and seemingly getting an answer back. It is not unfrequently the case, that the woman brings her needle-work with her, spending the greater part of the day sittmg by the side of the skull of her child, chatting incessantly with it] while she is embroidering or garnishing a pair of moccasins; and perhaps' overcome with fatigue, falls asleep, with her arms encircled around it' forgettmg herself for hours ; after which she gathers up her things and returns to the villasre. There is something exceedingly interesting and impressive in these scenes, which are so strikingly dissimilar, and yet within a few rods of each other; the one is the place where they pour forth the frantic anguish of their souls— and afterwards pay their visits to the other, to jest and gossip with the dead. or The great variety of shapes and characters exhibited in these groups of crania, render them a very interesting study for the craniologist and phreno- logist; but I apprehend that it would be a matter of great difficulty (if not of impossibility) to procure them at tbii time, for the use and benefit of (at scientific world. 92 lii'ili ■'•1. !\^ ( , .i )• i "ll :i t 1 LETTER— No. 13. MANDAN VILLAGE, UPPER MISSOURI. In several of my former Letters I have given sketches of the village, and some few of the customs of these peculiar people ; and I have many more yet in store ; some of which will induce the readers to laugh, and others almost dispose them to weep. But at present, I drop them, and introduce a few of the wild and gentlemanly Mandans themselves ; and first, Ha-na- tah-nu-mauh, the wolf chief (plate 49). This man is head-chief of the nation, and familiarly known by the name of "Chef de Loup," as the French Traders call him ; a haughty, austere, and overbearing man, re- spected and feared by his people rather than loved. The tenure by which this man holds his office, is that by which the head-chiefs of most of the tribes claim, that of inheritance. It is a general, though not an infallible rule amongst the numerous tribes of North American Indians, that the office of chief belongs to the eldest son of a chief; provided he shews himself, by his conduct, to be equally worthy of it as any other in the nation : making it hereditary on a very proper condition — in default of which requisites, or others which may happen, the office is elective. The dress of this chief was one of great extravagance, and some beauty ; manufactured of skins, and a great number of quills of the raven, forming liis stylish head-dress. The next and second chief of the tribe, is Mah-to-toh-pa(the four bears;. This extraordinary man, though second in office is undoubtedly the first and most popular man in the nation. Free, generous, elegant and gentlemanly in his deportment — handsome, brave and valiant ; wearing a robe on his back, with the history of his battles emblazoned on it ; which would fill a book of themselves, if pioperly translated. This, readers, is the most extra- ordinary man, perhaps, who lives at this day, in the atmosphere of Nature's noblemen ;• and I shall certainly tell you more of him anon. After him, there are Mah-tahp-ta-ha, he who rushes through the middle (plate 50); Seehk-hee-da, the mouse-coloured feather (plate 51); San- ja-ka-ko-kah (the deceiving wolf); Mah-to-he-ha (the old bear), and others, distinguished as chiefs and warriors — and there are belles also; such as Mi-neek-e-sunk-te-ca, the mink (plate 53) ; and the little gray- i^aired Sha-ko-ka, mint (plate 52) ; and fifty others, w1m> are famous lor V iH^ anly )n liis fill a xtra- ture's liddle S;in- aiid also ; grav- is lor W S, CoM^n- I > M fi hi o3 ' i.n,l,U< < I M m . «■ l!^ • y 1 1 . > ifi^ ^ \' ; 1 88 their conquests, not witli the bow or the javelin, but with thoir small black eyes, which slioot out from under their unfledged brows, and pierce th« boldest, fiercest chieftam to the heart. The Mandana are certainly a very interesting and pleasing people in their personal appearance and manners ; differing in many respects, both in looks and customs, from all other tribes which I have seen. They are not a warlike people ; for they seldom, if ever, carry war into their enemies' country ; but when invaded, shew their valour and courage to be equal to that of any people on earth. Being a small tribe, and unable to contend on the wide prairies with the Sioux and other roaming tribes, who are ten times more numerous ; they have very judiciously located themselves in a permanent village, v\liich is strongly fortified, and ensures their preservation. By this means they have advanced further in the arts of manufacture ; have s'.ipplied their lodges more abundantly with the comforts, and even luxuries of life, than any Indian nation I know of. The consequence of this is, that this tribe have taken many steps ahead of other tribes in manners and refinements (if I may be allowed to apply the word refinement to Indian life); and arc therefore familiarly (and correctly) denominated, by the Traders and others, who have been amongst them, " the polite and friendly Mandans." There is certainly great justice in the remark ; and so forcibly have I lieen struck witii the peculiar ease and elegance of these people, together with the diversity of complexions, the various colours of their hair and eyes ; the singularity of their langunp;e, and their peculiar and unaccountable customs, that I am fully convinced that they have sprung from some other origin than that of the other North American tribes, or that they are an amalgam of natives with some civilized race. Here arises a question of very great interest and importance for dis- cussion ; and, after further familiarity with their character, customs, and traditions, if I forget it not, I will eventually give it further consideration. SufHce it then, fur the present, that their personal appearance alone, inde- pendant of their modes and customs, pronounces them at once, as more or less, than savage. A stranger in the Mandan village is first struck with the different shades of complexion, and various colours of hair which he sees in a crowd about him ; ai.H is at once almost disposed to exclaim that " these are not Indians." There are a great many of these people whose complexions appear as light as half breeds ; and amongst the women particularly, there are many whose skins are almost white, with the most pleasing symmetry and proportion of features; with hazel, with grey, and with blue eyes, — with mildness and sweetness of expression, and excessive modesty of demeanour, which render them exceedingly pleasing and beautiful. Why this diversity of complexion I cannot tell, nor can they themselves 94 I l! U' \ ;fi; !l ? I M\h\ account fur it. Their traditions, so fat as 1 have yet learned them, afford us no information of their having hud any knowlcd)^« of white men before ll>e visit of Lewis and Clarko, made to their villajje thirty-three years ago Since that time there liave been but very few visits from while men to this place, and surely not enough to have changed the complexions and the customs of a nation. And I recollect perfectly well that Governor Clarke told me, before I started for this place, that I would find the Mandans a strange people and half white. The diversity in the colour of hair is also equally as great as that in the complexion; for in a numerous group of these people (and more particularly utuongst the females, who never take pains to change its natural colour, as the men often do), there may be seen every shade and colour of hair that can be seen in our own country, with the exception of red or auburn, which is not to be found. And there is yet one more strange and unaccountable peculiarity, which can probably be seen nowhere else on earth ; nor on any rational grounds accounted for, — other than it is a freak or order of Nature, for which she has not seen fit to assign a reason. There are very many, of both sexes, and of every age, from infancy to manhood and old age, with hair of a bright silvery grey ; and in some instances almost perfectly white. This singular and eccentric appearance is much oftener seen among the women than it is with the men ; for many of the latter who have it, seem ashamed of it, and artfully conceal it, by filling their hair with glue and black and red earth. The women, on the other hand, seem proud of it, and display it often in an almost incredible profusion, which spreads over their shoulders and falls as low as the knee. I have ascertained, on a careful enquiry, that about one in t"-^. or twelve of the whole tribe are what the French call " cheveux gris,' • i greyhairs; and that this strange and un- accountable phenomenon is not the result of disease or habit ; but that it is unquestionably a hereditary character which runs in families, and indicates no inequality in disposition or intellect. And by passing this hair through my hands, as I often have, I have found it uniformly to be as coarse and harsh as a horse's mane : differing materially from the hair of other colours, which amongst the Mandan$, is generally as fine and as soft as silk. The reader will at once see, by the above facts, that there is enough upon the faces and heads of these people to stamp them peculiar, — ^when he meets them in the heart of this almost boundless wilderness, presenting such diversities of colour in the complexion and hair; when he knows from what he has seen, and what he has read, that all other primitive tribes known in America, are dark copper-coloured, with jet black hair. From these few facts alone, the reader will see that I am amongst a strange and interesting people, and know how to pardon me, if I lead him through a maze of novelty and mysteries to the knowledge of a strange, yet kind and hospitable, people, whose fate, like that of all iheir race is sealed ; — U ^>' 96 whose doom is fixed, to live juat long enough to he imperfectly known, and then to full before the fell disease or sword of civilizing devastation. The stature of the Mandans is rather below the ordinary s ze of man, with beautiful symmetry of form and proportion, and wonderful suppleness and elasticity; they are pleasingly erect and graceful, both in their walk and their attitudes ; and the hair of the men, which generally spreads over their backs, fulling down to the hams, and sometimes to the ground, is divided into plaits or slabs of two inches in width, and filled with a profusion of glue and red earth or vermillion, at intervals of an inch or two, which becoming very hard, remains in and unchanged from year to year. This mode of dressing the hair is curious, and gives to the Maaduns the must singular appearance. The li.iir of the men is uniformly all laid over from the forehead backwards; carefully kept above and resting on the eur, and thence falling down over the back, in these flattened bunches, and painted red, extending oftentimes quite on to the calf of the leg, and some- times in such profusion as almost to conceal the whole figure from the per- son walking behind them. In the portrait of San-ja-ka-ko-kah (the deceiv- ing wolf, PLATE 54), where he is represented at full length, with several others of his family around him in a group, there will be seen a fair illustra- tion of these and other customs of these people. The hair of the women is also worn as long as they can possibly cultivate it, oiled very often, which preserves on it a beautiful gloss and shows its natural colour. They often braid it in two large plaits, one falling down just back of the ear, on each side of the head ; and on any occasion which requires them to " put on their best looks," they pass their fingers through it, drawing it out of braid, and spreading it over their shoulders. The Mundan women observe strictly the same custom, which ) observed amongst the Crows and filackfeet (and, in fact, all other tribes I have seen, without a single exception), of parting the hair on the forehead, and always keeping the crease or separation filled with vermilion or other red paint. This is one of the very few Intle (and apparently trivial) customs which I have found amongst the Indians, without being able to assign any cause for it, other than that " they are Indians," and that this is an Indian fashion. In mourning, like the Crows and most other tribes, the women are oblierod to crop their hair all otf ; and the usual term of that condolence is until the hair has grown again to its former length When a man mourns for the death of a near relation the case is quite diflerent ; his long, valued tresses, are of much greater importance, and only a lock or two can be spared. Just enough to tell of his grief to his friends, without destroying his most valued ornament, is doing just reverence and respect to the dead. To repeat what I have said before, the Mandans are a pleasing and friendly race of people, of whom it is proverbial amongst the Traders and all who ever have known them that their treatment of white men in their ( '1 1 \ 1^ 11 I' I I i I ! ■ 96 t'oiinfry has boon 'ricndly and kind over since their first acquaintanre with them — tliey have ever met and received them, on the prairie or in their villages, with hospitality and honour. Tiicv are handsome, straight and elepant in their forms — not tall, but quick and 'Traceful; easy and polite in their manners, neat in their persons and beautifully clad. When I say " neat in person and beautifully clad," however, I do not intend my readers to understand that such is the case with them all, for among them and most other tribes, as with the enlightened world, there are different grades of society — tliose who care but little for their personal appearance, and those who take great pains to please them- selves and their friends. Amongst tliis cl;\ss of personages, such as chiefs and braves, or warriors of distinction, and their families, and dandies or ex- quisites (a class of beings of whom I shall take due time to speak in a future Letter), the strictest regard to dece.icy, and cleanliness and elegance of dress is observed ; and there are fevi people, perhaps, who take more pains to keep their persons neat and cleanly than they do. At the distance of half a mile or so above the village, is the customary place wher'^ the women and girls resort every morning in the svmimer months, to bathe in thj river. To this spot they repair by hundreds, every morning at sunrise, where, on a beautiful beach, they can be seen running and glisten- ing in the sun, whilst they are playing their innocent gambols ant', leaping into the scream. They all learn to swim well, and the poores* swimmer amongst tVem will dash fearlessly into the boiling and eddying current of the M'>iscuri, and cross it with perfect ease. At the distance of a quarter of a mile back from the river, extends a terrace or elevated prairie, running north from the village, and forming a kind of semicircle around this bathing- place; and on this terrace, which is some twenty or thirty feet ' :her than the meadow between it and the river, are stationed every morning several sentinels, with their bows and arrows in hand, to guard and protect this sacred ground from the approach of boys or men from any directions. At a little distance below the village, also, is the place where the men and boys go to bathe and learn to swim. After this morning ablution, they return to their village, wipe their limbs dry, and use a profusion of bear's grease through their hair and over their bodies. The art of swimming is known to all the American Indians ; and perhaps no people on earth have taken more pains to learn it, nor any who turn it to bettei account. There certainly are no people whose avocations of life more often call for the use of their limbs in this way ; as many of the tribes spend tlieir lives on the shores of our vast lakes and rivers, paddling about from their childhood in their fragile bark canoes, which aie liable to con- tinual accidents, which often throw the Indian upon his natural resources for the preservation of his lite. There are many times also, when out upon their long marches in the pro- secution cf their almost continued warfare, when it becomes necessary to ia I \ tanoc with or in their , but quick :;rsons and illy clad," is the case ■nlightcned t little Cor lease them- 1 as chiel's idles or ex- ipeak ill a d elegance take more customary ler montiis, ry morning and glisten- mc'. leaping s* swimmer current of )f a q'jartor |ie, running lis batliing- her than ling several kotect this ins. \e men and ;hey return ir's grease Id perhaps 1)0 turn it ions of life the tribes ling about pie to con- kources for In the pro- tcessary to < 1 y ( It ';^ ; III j ■f J i 97 plunge into and swim across the wildest streams and rivers, at times when they have no canoes or craft in which to cross them. I have as yet seen no tribe where tliis art is neglected. It is learned at a very early age by both sexes, and enables the strong and hardy muscles of the squaws to take their child upon the back, and successfully to pass any river that lies in their way. The mode of swimming amongst the IVlandans, as well as amongst most of the other tribes, is quite tlifferent from that practiced in those parts of the civilized world, which I have had the pleasure yet to visit. The Indian, instead of parting his hands simultaneously under the chin, and making the stroke outwai. i a horizontal direction, causing thereby a serious strain upon the chest, throws his body alternately upon the left and the right side, raising one arm entirely above the water and reaching as far forward as he can, to dip it, whilst his whole weight and force are spent upon the one that is passing under him, and like a paddle propelling him along; whilst this arm is making a half circle, and is being raised out of the water behind him, the opposite arm is describing a similar arch in the air over his head, to be dipped in the water as far as he can reach before him, with the hand turned under, forming a sort of bucket, to act most effectively as it pasiits in its turn underneath him. By this bold and powerful mode of swimming, which may want the grace that many would wish to see, 1 am quite sure, from the experience I have had, that much of the fatigue and strain upon the breast and spine are avoided, and that a man will preserve his strength and his breath much longer in this alternate and rolling motion, than he can in the usual mode of swimming, in the polished world. In addition to the modes of bathing which I have above described, the Mandans have another, which is a much greater luxury, and often resorted to by the sick, but far more often by the well and sound, as a matter of luxury only, or perhaps for t purpose of hardening their limbs and preparing them for the thousand expob es and vicissitudes of life to which they are continually liable. I allude to their vapour baths, or sudatories, of which each village has several, and which seem to be a kind of public property — accessible to all, and resorted to by all, male and female, old and young, sick and well. In every IMandan lodge is to be seen a crib or basket, much in the shape of a bathing-tub, curiously woven with willow boughs, and sufficiently large to receive any person of the family in a reclining or recumbent posture ; which, when any one is to take a bath, is carried by the squaw to the sudatory for the purpose, and brought back to the wigwam again after it has been used These sudatories are alijyt near the villavje, above or below it, on the bank of the river. They am generally built of skins (in form of a Crow or Sioux lodge which I have before described), covered with buffalo skins VOL. I. 'f il I H M^ 98 sewed tight together, with a kind of furnace in the cfentre; (r in other words, in the centre of the lodge are two walls of stone about six feet long and two and a half apart, and about three feet high; across and over this space, between the two walls, are laid a number of round sticks, on which the bathing crib is placed >ide plate 71). Contiguous to the lodge, and out- side of it, is a little turnace something similar, in the side of the bank, where the woman kindles a hot fire, and heats to a red heat a number of large stones, which are V«?pt at these places for this particular purpose; and having them all in readiness, she goes home or sends word to inform her husband or other one who is waiting, that all is ready; when he makes his ap- pearance entirely naked, though with a large buffalo robe wrapped around him. He then enters the lodge and places himself in the crib or basket, either on his back or in a sitting posture (the latter of which is gene- rally preferred), with his back towards the door of the lodge; when the squav.' brings in ?. large stone red hot, between two sticks (lashed together somewhat in the form of a pair of tongs) and, placing, it under him, throws cold water upon it, which raises a profusion of vapour about him. He is a* once enveloped in a cloud of steam, and a woman or child will sit at a little distance and continue to dash water upon the stone, whilst the matron of the lodge is out, and preparing to make her appearance with another heated stone : or he will sit and dip from a wooden bowl, with a ladle made of the mountain-sheep's horn, and throw upon the heated stones, with his own hands, the water which he is drawing through his lungs and pores, in the next moment, in the most delectable and exhilarating vapours, as it distils through the mat of wild sage and other medicinal and aromatic herbs, which he has s^-^wed over the bottom of his basket, and on which he reclines. During all this time the lodge is shut perfectly tight, and he quaffs this delicious and renovating draught to his lungs with deep drawn sighs, and with extended nostrils, until he is drenched in the most profuse degree of perspiration that can be produced ; when he makes a kind of strangled signal, at which the lodge is opened, and he darts forth with the speed of a frightened deer, and plunges headlong into the river, from which he in- stantly escapes again, wraps his robe around him and " leans" as fast as possible for home. Here his limbs are wiped dry, and wrapped close and tight within the fur of the buffalo robes, in which he takes his nap, with his feet to the fire ; then oils his limbs and hair with bear's grease, dresses and plumes himself for a visit — a feast— a parade, or a council; or slicks down his long hair, and rubs his oiled limbs to a polish, with a piece of soft buck- skin, prepared to join in games of ball or Tchung-kee. Such is the sudatorj or the vapour bath of the Maudans, and. as I before observed, it is resorted to both as an every-day luxury by those who have the time and energy or industry to indulge in it ; and also used by the sick as a remedy for nearly all the diseases which are known amongst them, k.'4 » ! 9P 1 other words, 'eet long and er this spacci on which the Ige, and out- i bank, where nber of large ; and having her husband akes his ap- tpped around the crib or hich is gene- i', when the ihed together ' him, throws n. He is at sit at a little le matron of other heated made of the ith his own id pores, in ipours, as it nd aromatic on which he Fevers are very rare, and in fact almost unknown amongst these people : but in the few cases of fever which have been known, this treatment has been applied, and without the fatal consequences which we would naturally predict. The greater part of their diseases are inflammatory rheumatisms, and other chronic diseases ; and for these, this mode of treatment, with their modes of life, does admirably well. This custom is similar amongst nearly all of these Missouri Indians, and amongst the Pawnees,Omahas, and Punchas and other tribes, who have suffered with the small-pox (the dread destroyer of the Indian race), this mode was practiced by the poor creatures, who fled by hundreds to the river's edge, and by hundreds died before they could escape from the waves, into which they had plunged in the heat and rago of a burning fever. Such will yet be the scourge, and such the misery of these poor unthinking people, and each tribe to the Rocky Mountains, as it has been with every tribe between here and the Atlantic Ocean. White wn— whiskey— tomahawks— scalping knives— guns, powder and ball— small-pox — debauchery — exteimination. e quaffs this » sighs, and e degree of >f strangled ! speed of a vhich he in- " as fast as i close and ap, with his Jresses and ilicks down soft buck- as I before e who have by the sick •ngst them, h si n 100 :. ? 11 1!: I > ! t ' \^% LETTER No. 14. MANDAN VILLAGE, UPPER MISSOURL The Mandans in many instances dress very neatly, and some of them splendidly. As they are in their native state, their dresses are all of their own manufacture ; and of course, altogether made of skins of different animals belonging to those reg^ions. There is, certainly, a reigning and striking similarity of costume amongst most of the North Western tribes ; and I cannot say that the dress of tiie Mandans is decidedly distinct from that of the Crows or the Blackfeet, the Assinneboins or the Sioux ; ynt there are modes of stitching or embroidering, in every tribe, which may at once enable the traveller, who is familiar with their modes, to detect or distinguish the dress of any tribe. These differences consist generally in the fashions of constructing the head-dress, or of garnishing their dresses with the porcupine quills, which they use in great profusion. Amongst so many different and distinct nations, always at war with each other, and knowing nothing at all of each other's languages ; and amongst whom, fiishions in dress seldom if ever change ; it may seem somewhat strange that we should find these people so nearly following, or imitating each other, in the forms and modes of their dress and ornaments. This must however, be admitted, and I think may be accounted for in a manner, w-.vhout raising the least argument in favour of the theory of their having all sprung from one stock or one family ; for in their continual warfare, when chiefs or warriors fall, their clothes and weapons usually fall into the possession of the victors, who wear them ; and the rest of the tribe would naturally rroie or less often copy from or imitate them ; and so also in their repeated councils or treaties of peace, such articles of dress and other manufactures are customarily exchanged, which are equally adopted by the other tribe ; and consequently, eventua"y lead to the similarity which we find amongst the modes of dress, &c. of the different tribes. The tunic or shirt of the Mandan men is very similar in shape to that of the Blackfeet — made of two skins of deer or mountain-sheep, strung with scalp-locks, beads, and ermine. The leggings, like those of the other tribes, of whom I have spoken, are made of deer skins, and sliaped to fit the leg, em- broidered with porcupine quills, and fringed with scalps from their enemies heads. Their moccasins are made of buckskin, and neatly ornamented lifl \\>\ 101 me of them all of their of different eigning and tern tribes; istinct from the Sioux ; ribe, which ;s, to detect 5t generally shing their psion. r with each id amongst somewhat imitating This must ler, wVihout all sprung vhen chiefs ssession of rally noie repeated nufaqtures her tribe; 1 amongst to that of Jung with ler tribes, e leg, em- r enemies lamented -I with porcupine ([uills — over their shoulders (or in other words, over one shoulder and passing under the other), they very gracefully wear a robe from the young buffalo's back, oftentimes cut down to about half its original size, to make it handy and easy for use. Many of these are also fringed on one side with scalp-locks ; and the flesh side of the skin curiously ornamented with pictured representations of the creditable events and battles of their lives. Their head-dresses are of various sorts, and many of them exceedingly picturesque and handsome ; generally made of war-eagles' or ravens quills and ermine. These are the most costly part of an Indian's dress in all this country, owing to the diliiculty of procuring the quills and the fur. The war-eagle being the " rara avis," and the ermine the rarest animal that is found in the country. The tail of a war-eagle in this village, provided it is a perfect one, containing some six or eight quills, which are denominated first-rate plumes, and suitable to arrange in a head-dress, will purchase a tolerable good horse (horses, however, are much cheaper here than they are in most other countries). I have had abundant opportunities of learning the great value which these people some- times attach to such articles of dress and ornament, as 1 have been purchasing a great many, which 1 intend to exhibit in my Gallery of Indian Paintings, that the world may examine them for themselves, and thereby be enabled to judge of the fidelity of my works, and the ingenuity of Indian manufactures. In these purchases I have often betn surprised at the prices demanded by them ; and perhaps I could not recite a better instance of the kind, than one which occurred here a few days since : — One of the chiefs, whom I had painted at full length, in a beautiful costume, with head-dress of war- eagles' quills and ermine, extending quite down to his feet ; and whom I was soliciting for the purchase of his dress complete, was willing to sell to me all but the head-dress ; saying, that " he could not part with that, as he would never be r»ble to get quills and ermine of so good a quality Ic make another like it." I agreed with him, however, for the rest of the dress, and importuned him, from day to day, for the head-dress, until he at length replied, that, if I must have it, he must have two horses for it ; the bargain was instantly struck — the horses were procured of the Traders at twenty-five dollars each, and the head-dress secured for my Collection. There is occasionally, a chief or a warrior of so extraordinary renown, that he is allowed to wear horns on his head-dress, which give to his aspect a strange and majestic etfect. These are made of about a third part of the horn of a butiiilo bull ; the horn having been split from end to end, and a third part of it taken und shaved thin and light, and highly polished. These are attached to the top of the head-dress on each side, in the same place that they rise and stand on the hc.id of a butl'alo ; rising out of a mat n 4 I. I Sf. 1 1 I ; f ■ t, 1 ., ■ 1 if f ' \ , 1 ■\ \ (1 \ i J»:: 102 of ermine skins and tails, which hang over the top of the head-dress, some- wliat in the form that the large and profuse locks of hair hang and fall over the head of a buffalo bull. See head-dress in plates 14, 64, and 91, of three different tribes. The same custom I have found observed amongst the Sioux,^the Crows — the Blackfeet and Assinneboins, and it is one of so striking a character as needs a few more words of observation. There is a peculiar meaning or importance (in their estimation) to this and many other curious and unac- countable appearances in the habits of Indians^ upon which the world generally look as things that are absurd and ridiculous, merely because they are beyond the world's comprehension, or because we do not stop to enquire or learn their uses or meaning. I find that the principal cause why we underrate and despise the savage, is generally because we do not understand him ; and the reason why we are ig- norant of him and his modes, is that we do not stop to investigate — the world have been too much in tlie habit of looking upon him as altogether inferior — as a beast, a brute ; and unworthy of more than a passing notice. If they stop long enough to form an acquaintance, it is but tu take advantage of his ignorance and credulities — to rob him of (he wealth and resources of his country ; — to make him drunk with whiskey, and visit him with abuses which in his ignorance he never thought of. Ly this method his first visitors entirely overlook and never understand the meaning of his thousand interesting and characteristic customs; and at the same time, by changing his native modes and habits of life, blot them outfrom the view of the enquiring world for ever. It is from tlie observance of a thousand little and apparently trivial modes and tricks of Indian life, that the Indian character must be learned ; and, in fact, it is just the same with us if the subject were reversed : excepting that the system of civilized life would furnish ten apparently useless and ridiculous trifles to one which is found in Indian life ; and at least twenty to one which are purely nonsensical and unmeaning. The civilized world look upon a group of Indians, in their classic dress, with their few and simple oddities, all of which have their moral or meaning, and laugh at them excessively, because they are not like ourselves — we ask, " why do the silly creatures wear such great bunches of quills on their heads? — Such loads and streaks of paint upon their bodies — and bear's grease ? abominable ! " and a thousan ^ other equally silly questions, without ever stopping to think that Nature taught them to do so — and that they all have some definite importance or meaning which an Indian could explain to us at once, if he were asked and felt disposed to do so — that each quill in his head stood, in the eyes of his whole tribe, as the symbol of an enemy who had fallen by his hand — that every streak of red paint covered a wound which he had got in honourable combat — and that the bear's grease with which he carefully anoints his body every morning, ffom T03 ?iead to foot, cleanses and purifies the body, and protects his skin from the bite of inusquitoea, and at the same time preserves him from colds and coufjhs winch are iistiaily taken tliroiigh in. pmvs of the skin. At the same time, an Inumi, ,ook^ among the civilized world, no doubt, 'vilh eaual. if not much greater, astonranment, at our apparently, as well us really, ridiculous customs and fashions ; but he laughs not, nor ridicule*, nor questions, — for his natural good sense and good manners forbid him,— until tin is reclining about the fire-side of his wigwam companions, when he vents forth his just criticisms upon the learned world, who are a rich and just tiieme fur Indian criticism and Indian gossip. An Indian will not ask a white man the reason why he does not oil his skin with bears' grease, or why he does not paint his body^-or why he wears a hat on his head, or why he has buttons on the back part of his coat, where they never can be used — or why he wears whiskers, and a shirt collar up to his eyes— or why he sleeps with his head towards the fire instead of his feet — why he walks with his toes out instead of turning them in — oi why it is that hundreds of white folks will flock and crowd round a table to see an Indian eat — but he will go home to his wigwam fire-side, and " make the welkin ring" with jokes and fun upon the ignorance and folly of the knowing world. A wild Indian thrown into the civilized atmosphere will see a man occasion- ally moving in society, wearing a cocked hat ; and another with a laced coat and gold or silver epaulettes upon his shouk'.ers, without knowing or en- quiring the meaning of them, or the obje is for which they are worn. Just so a whi^e mun travels amongst a wild and untaught tribe of Indians, and sees occasionally one of them parading about their village, with a head-dress of eagles' quills and ermine, and elevated above it a pair of beautifully polished buffalo horns ; and just as ignorant is he also, of their meaning or import- ance; and more so, for the first will admit the presumption that epaulettes and cocked hats amongst the civilized world, are made for some important purpose, — but the latter will presume that horns on an Indian's head are nothing more nor less (nor can they be in their estimation), than Indian nonsense and stupidity. This brings us to the "coined crest" again, and if the poor Indian scans epaulette." and cocked hats, without enquiring their meaning, and explaining them to his tribe, it is no reason why I sliould have associated with the noble dignitaries of these western regions, with horns and ermine on their heads, and then to have introduced the subject without giving some further clue to their importance and meaning. For me, this negligence would be doubly unpardonable, as I travel, not to trade but to herald the Indian and his dyin^ customs to posterity. This custom then, which I have before observed belongs to all the north- western tribes, is one no doubt of very ancient origin, having a purely chssic meaning. No one wears the head-dress surmounted with horns ex- i « < 1 ■' I I Hit ! I \ 1 1 1U4 ccpt the dignitaries who arc very hi^h in authority, and whose exceeding valour, worth, and power is admitted by all the nation. He may wear them, however, who is not a chief; but a brave, or warrior of such remarkablo character, that he is esteemed universally in the tribe, as a man whose " voice is as loud in councd'' as th.it oi'a chief uf the first grade, and consecjuently \i\a powrr us great. This head-dress with horns is used only on certain occasions, and thoy are- very seldom. When foreign chiefs, Indian agents, or other impor- tant personages visit a tribe; or at wur parudes, t.t the celebration of u vic- tory, at public festivals, &c. they are worn ; but on no other occasions — unless, sometimes, when a chief sees Ht to lead a war-party to battle, he decorates his ho. id with this symbol of power, to stimulate his men; and throws himself into the foremost of the battle, inviting his enemy to concen- trate their shafts upon him. Tiie horns on these head-dresses are but loosely attached at the bottom, so that they easily fall back or forward, according as the head is iiiclint d forward or backward; and by an ingenious motion of the head, which is so •slight as to be almost imporcci ' 'e — they are made to balance to and fro. and sometimes, one backward md the other forward like a horse's cars giving a vast deal of expression and force of charucter, to the appearance of the chief who is wearing them. This, reader, is a remarkable instance (like liundreds of others), for its striking similarity to Jewish customs, to tlie kerns (or keren, in Hebrew), the horns worn by the Aliysinian chicts and Hebrews, as a symbol of power and command ; worn at great parades and Celebrations of victories. "The false prophet Zedekiuli, made him horns of iron" (1 Kings xxii. 11). *♦ Lift not your horns on high; speak not with a stitV neck" (Ps. Ixxv. 5). This last citation seem* so exactly to convey to my mind the mode of raising and changing the position of the horns by a motion of the head, as I have above described, that I am irresistibly led to believe that this custom is now practiced amongst these tribes very nearly as it was amongst the Jews ; and that it has been, like many other customs of which I shall speak more in future epistles, handed down and preserved with very little innova- tion or change from that ancient people. The reader will see this custom exemplified in the portrait of Mah-to- toh-pa (plate 64). This man, although the second chief, was liie only man in the nation who was allowed to wear the iiorns ; and all, I found, looked upon him as the leader, who had the power to lead all the warriors in time of war; and that, in consequence of the extraordinary battles which lie had fought. I 1 i M > ! cxcecillnpr 106 i brave, or rsally in tlus cliief of llie s, and tlioy licr inipor- in of a vic- uccasions — > l)uttle, he men; and ' to conccn- ! bottom, so is iiu'lint'il wliicli is so to and froi lorse's ears, pcarance of stance (liive o the iierns chiefs and arades and xxii. 11). XXV. 5). mode of le head, as lis custom mongst the lall speak e innovu- Mal.-to- the only , I found, IP warriors ties which LETTER— No. 15. iMANDAN VILLAGE. UPPER MISSOURI. A WEEK or more has elapsed since the date of my last letter, and nothing as yet of the great and curious event — or the . fandan relitjions ceremony. There is evidently much preparation making lor it, however ; and from what I can learn, no one in the nation, save tlie medicine-men, have any knowledge of the exact day on which it is to commence. I am informed by the chiefs, that it takes place as soon as the willow-tree is in full leaf; for, say they, " the twig which the bird brought in was a willow bough, and had full-grown leaves on it." So it seems that this celebration has some relation to the Flood. This great occasion is close at hand, and will, undoubtedly, commence in a few days ; in the meantime I will give a few notes and memorandums, >hich I have mdde since my last. I have been continually at work with my brush, with fine and picturesque subjects before me; and from the strange, whimsical, ami superstitious notions which they have of an art so novel and unaccountable to them, I have been initiated into many of their mysteries — have witnessed many very curious incidents, and preserved several anecd'Otes, some of which I must relate. Perhaps nothing ever more completely astonished these people than the operations of my brush. The art of portrait-painting was a sunject entirely new to them, and of course, unthought of ; and my appearance here has commenced a new era in the arcana of medicine or mystery. Soon after arriving here, I commenced and finished the portraits of the two principal chiefs. This was done without having awakened the curiosity of the villagers, as they had heard nothing of what was going on, and even the chiefs themselves seemed to be ignorant of my designs, until the pictures were completed. No one else was admitted into my lodge during the operation ; and when finished, it was exceedingly amusing to see them mutually recognizing each other's likeness, and assuring ich other of the striking resemblance which they bore to the originals. Both of these pressed their hand over their mouths awhile in dead silence (a custom amongst most tribes, when anything surprises them very much) ; looking attentively upon the portraits and myself, and upon the palette and colours with which these unaccountable effects had been produced. VOL. 1. p j'f(- I i I I I 1. I I 100 Tliey tlion walked ;iip to mc in tha most gentle maniiur, taking me in turn by the hund, with ii firm grip ; with licad and oyes inclined down- wards, and in a tone a little above a whisper — pronounced the words " te-ho- pe-nee Wash-ec ! " and walked off. Readers, at that moment I was christened with a new and a great name — one by which I am now familiarly hailed, and talked of in this village ; and no doubt will be, as long as traditions last in this strange community. That moment conferred an honour on me, which you as yet do not under- stand. I took the degree (not of Doctor of Laws, nor Bachelor of Arts) of Master of Arts — of mysteries — of magic, and of hocus pocus. I was recog- nized in that short sentence as a " great medicine white man ;" and since that time, have been regularly installed medicine or mystery, which is the most honourable degree that could be conferred upon me here ; and I noo cliiefs and medicine-men toolc possession of my room, pluciu); soldiers (braves with spears in liicir iiands) at the door, admitting no one, but such as were allowed by the cliiefs, to come in. Monsr. Kipp (llie agent of the Fur Company, who has lived liere eight yeiirs, and to whom, for his politeness and hospitality, I am much indebted), at this time took u scut with the chiefs, and, speaking their language Hucntly, lie explained to them my views and the objects for which 1 was painting these portraits ; and also expounded to them the manner in whicii tlicy were made, — at which they seemed all to be very much pleased. The necessity at this time of exposing tiie portraits to the view of the crowds who were assembled around the house, became imperative, and they were held up together over the door, so that the whole village had a chance to see and recognize their chiefs. The effect upon so mixed a multitude, who as yet had heard no way of accounting for them, was novel and really laughable. The likenesses were instantly recognized, and many of the gaping multitude commenced yelping ; some were stamping off in the jarring dance — others were singing, and others again were crying — hundreds covered their mouths with their hands and were mute; others, indignant, drove their spears fright- fully into the ground, and some threw a reddened arrow at the sun, and went home to their wigwams. The pictures seen, — the next curiosity was to see the man who made thorn, and I was called forth. Readers ! if you have uny imagination, save mc ihe trouble of painting this scene. • • • • • • * I stepped forth, and was instantly hemmed in in the throng. Women were gaping and gazing — and warriors and braves were offering me their hands, — whilst Utile boys and girls, by dozens, were struggling through the crowd to touch me with the ends of their fingers ; and whilst I was engaged, from the waist upwards, in fending off the throng and shaking hands, my legs were assailed (not unlike the nibbling of little fish, when I have been standing in deep water) by children, who were creeping between the legs of the bystanders for the curiosity or honour of touching me with the end of their finger. The eager curiosity and expression of astonishment with which they gazed upon me, plainly shewed that they looked upon me as some strange and unaccountable being They pronounced me the greatest medicine-man in the world ; for they said I had made Hvinrf beings, — they said they could see their chiefs alive, in two places — those that I had made were a little alive — they could see their eyes move— could see them smile and laugh, and that if they could laugh they could certainly speak, if they should try, and they must therefore have some life in them. The squaws generally agreed, that they had discovered life enough in ihcm to render my medicine too i^vcxl for the Mandans ; saying that such an n^ rnmam I r I n 108 ■ I >\ I I ! J. operation cuiiUI not be performed without taking away from the original s()!ncthing of his existence, which I put in the picture, and they could see it move, could see it stir. This curtailing of the natural existence, for the purpose of instilling Ufa iuio the secondary one, they decided to be an useless and destructive operation, and one which was calculated to do great mischief in their happy community ; and they commenced a mournful and doleful chaunt against me, crying and weeping bitterly through the village, proclaiming me a most "dangerous man ; one who could make living persons by looking at them ; and at the same time, could, as a matter of course, destroy life in the same way, if I chose. That my medicine was dangerous to their lives, and that I must leave the village immediately. That bad luck would happen to those whom I painted — that I was to take a part of the existence of those wliom I painted, and carry it home with me amongst the white people, and Jiat when they died they wo -Id never sleep quiet in their graves." In this way the women and some old quatk medicine-men together, had succeeded in raising an opposition against me ; and the reasons they assigned were so plausible and so exactly suited for their superstitious feelings, that they completely succeeded in exciting fears and a general panic in the minds of a number of chiefs who had agreed to sit for their portraits, and my operation" were, of comse. for several days completely at a stand. A grave council was held on the subject from day to day, and tiiere seemed great difficulty in deciding what was to be done with me and the dangerous art which I was practicing; and which had far exceeded their 01 iginal expectations. I finally got admittance to their sacred conclave, and a^^sured them that I was but a man like themselves, — tliat my art had no viedicine or mystery about it, but could be learned by any of them if they would practice it as long as I had — that my intentions towards them were of the most friendly kind, and that in the country where 1 lived, brave men iiever allov cd their squaws to frighten them with their foolish whims and stories. They all immediately arose, shook me by the hand, and dressed themselves for their pictures. After this, thei\i was no further difficulty about sitting; all were ready to be painted, — the squaws were silent, and my painting-room a continual resort for the chiefs, and braves, and medioine- nien ; where they waited with impatience for the completion of each one's pictuie, — that they could decide as to the likeness as it came from under the brush ; that they could laugh, and yell, and sing a new song, and smoke a fresh pipe to the health and success of him who had just been safely delivered from the hands and the mystic operation of the "white medicine." In each of these operations, as they successfully took place, I observed that a pipe or two were well filled, and as soon as I commenced painting, tlie chiefs and braves, who sat around the sides of the lodge, commenced smoking for the success of the picture (and probably as much or more so tor the safe deliverance of the sitter from harm while under the operation); e original 3uld see it tilling lifs lestructive leir happy nt against me a most <; at them ; same way, hat I nui$t lose whom ; whom I Jiat when 2ther, had isons they iperstitioiis a general t for their npletely at ) day, and th me and : exceeded i conclave, art had no m if they Dm were of brave men vhims and id dressed r difficulty silent, and medioine- each one's 1 under the id smoke a een safely viedicine" [ observed painting, onimcnced r more so iperation); 109 and ro they continued to nass the pipe around until the portrait wm comple'ed. In this way I progressed with my portraits, stopping occasionally very suddenly as if something was wrong, and taking a tremendous putt" or two at the pipe, and streaming the smoke thrc:igh my nostrils, exhibiting in my looks and actions an evident relief; enabling me to proceed with more facility and success, — by flattering and complimenting each one on his good looks after I had got it done, and taking them according to rank, or standing, making it a matter of honour with them, which pleased them exceedirgly, and gave me and my art the stamp of respectability at once. I was then taken by the arm by the ■^i)iefs, and led to their lodges, where feasts were prepared for me in elegant style, i. e. in the best manner which this country affords ; and being led by the arm, and welccr^od to them by gentlemen of high and exalted feelings, rendered ther.i in my estimation truly elegant. I was waited upon in due form and ceremony h- the medicine-mrn, who received me upon the old adage, " Siniilis simili gaudet." I was invited to a feast, and they presented me a shc-shee-quoi, or a doctor's rattle, and also a magical wand, or a doctor's stall", strung with claws of the grizzly bear, with hoofs of the antelope — with ermine — with wild sage and bat's wings — and perfumed withal with the choice and savoury odour of the pole-cat — a dog was sacrificed and hung by the legs over my wigwam, and I was therefore and thereby initiated into (and countenanced in the practice of) the arcana of medicine or mystery, and considered a Fellow of the Ex- traordinary Society of Conjurati. Since this signal success and good fortune in my operations, things have gone on very pleasantly, and I have had a great deal of amusement. Some altercation has taken place, however, amongst the chiefs and braves, with regard to standing or rank, of which they are exceedingly jealous; and they must sit (if at all) in regular order, according to that rank ; the trouble is all settled at last, however, and I have had no want of subjects, though a great many have become again alarmed, and are unwilling to sit, for fear, as some say, that they will die prematurely if painted ; and as others say, that if they are painted, the picture will live after they are dead, and they cannot sleep quiet in their graves. 1 have had several most remarkable occurrences in my painting-room, of this kind, which have made me some everlasting enemies here ; though the miids and feelings of the chiefs and mudicine-nien have not been att'ected by them. There has been three or four instances vhere proud and aspiring young men have been in my lodge, and after gazing at the portraits of the head chief across the room (which sits looking them in the eyes), have raised their hands before their faces and walked around to the side of the lodge, on the right or left, from whence to take a long and fair side-look at the chief, injrtead of staring him full in the face (which is a most unpardonable oHence f , K! . ! ' P ¥ 110 ID all Indian tribes) ; and after having got in that position, and cast their eyes again upon the portrait wliich was yet looking them full in the face, have thrown their robes over their heads and bolted out of the wigwam, filled equally with astonishment and indignation ; averring, as they always will in a sullen mood, that they "saw the eyes move," — thatas they walked around- the room " the eyes of the portrait followed them ." With these unfortunate gentlemen, repeated efforts have been made by the Traders, and also by the chiefs and doctors, who understand the illusion, to convince them of tlieii error, by explaining the mystery ; but they will not hear to any explanation whatever ; saying, that " what they see with their eyes is always evidence enough for them ;" that they always " believe their own eyes sooner ihan a hundred tongues," and all efforts to get them a second time to my room, or ir.to my company in any place, have proved entirely unsuccessful. I had trouble brewing also the other day from another source; one of the " nKdicines" commenced howling and haranguing around my domicil, amongst the throng that was outside, proclaiming that all who were inside and being painted were fools and would soon die ; and very materially affecting thereby my popularity. I however sent for him and called him in the next morning, when I was alone, having only the interpreter with me ; telling him that I had had my eye upon him for several days, and had been 80 well pleased with his looks, that I had taken great pains to find out his history, which had been explained by all as one of a most extraordinary kind, and his character and standing in his tribe as worthy of my particular notice; and that I had several days since resolved tliat as soon as I had practiced my hand long enough upon the others, to get the stiffness out of it (after paddling my canoe so far as I had) and make it to work easily and successfully, I would begin on his portrait, which I was then prepared to commence on that day, and that I felt as if I could do him justice. He shook me by the hand, giving me the " Doctor's grip," and beckoned me to sit down, which I did, and we smoked a pipe together. After this was over, he told me, that " he had no inimical feelings towards me, although he had been telling the chiefs that they were all fools, and all would die who hud tiuir portraits painted — that although he had set the old women and chil- dren all crying, and even made some of the young warriors tremble, yet he had no unfriendly feelings towards me, nor any fear or dread of my art." " I know you are a good man (said he), I know you will do no harm to any one, your medicine is great and you are a great ' medicine-man.' I would like to see myself very well — and so would all of the chiefs ; but they have all been many days in this medicinc-liouse, and they all know me well, and they have not asked mc to come in and be made alive with paints — my friend, I am glad that my people have told you who I am — my heart is glad — I will go to my wigwam and cat, and in a little while I will jmc, and you may go to work ;" —another pipe was lit and ciiiokcd, auc' he got up and went off. I prepared my canvass and pa* i'l".: ! \ H :u) I'i'i III ^;*l; Ihi Ml ;Hi iii I o.i Cadm BMW i nuwmiT ii lii r.r .; mmm I ' I f \ i ( i .' t, iiti, I i Riil I' I. 'V i^*i Ill lette, and whistled away the time until twelve o'clock, before he made his appearance ; having used thu whole of the fore-pirt of the day at his toilette, arranging his dress and ornamenting his body for his picture. At tliat hour then, bedaubed and streaked with paints of various colours, with bear's grease and charcoal, with medicine-pipes in his hands and foxes tails attached to his heels, entered Mah-to-he-hah (the old bear. PLATE 55), with a train of his own profession, who seated themselves around him ; and also a number of boys, whom it was requested should remain with him, and whom I supposed it possible might have been pupils, whom he was instructing in the mysteries of materia medica and koca poca. He took his position in the middle of the room, waving his eagle calumets in eacii hand, and singing his medicine-song which he sings over his dying patient, looking me full in the face until I completed his picture, which I painted at full length. His vanity has been completely gratified in the operation ; he lies for hours together, day after day, in my room, in front of his picture, gazing intensely upon it; lights my pipe for me while I am painting — shakes hands with me a dozen times on each day, and talks of me, and enlarges upon my medicine virtues and my talents, wherever he goes ; so that this new difficulty is now removed, and instead of preaching against me, he is one of my strongest and most enthusiastic friend i and aids in the country. There is yet to be described another sort of personage, that is often sc^en stalking about in all Indian comn\unities, a kind of nondescript, with whom I have been somewhat annoyed, and still more amused, since I came to this village, of whom (or of which) I sliall give some account in my nexteputle. '"A Si h 1 1 . * •' <' ( 112 m I if! !i .( \ ^ .4'* -'^ LETTER— No. 16. J I ' . & t !(:■ MANDAN VILLAGE, UPPER MISSOURI. Besides chiefs, and braves and doctors, of whom I have heretofore spoken, tliere is yet anollier character of whom I must say a few words before I proceed to other topics. The person I allude to, is the one mentioned at the close of my last Letter, and familiarly known and countenanced in every tribe as an Indian beau or dandy. Such personages may be seen on every pleasant day, strutting and parading around the village in the most beautiful and unsoiled dresses, without the honourable trophies however of scalp locks and claws of the grizzly bear, attacher' j their costume, for with such thmgs they deal not. They are not peculiarly anxious to hazard their lives in equal and honourable combat with the one, or disposed to cross the path of the other ; but generally remain about the village, to lake care of the women, and attire themselves in the skins of such animals as they can easily kill, without seeking the rugged cliffs for the war-eagle, or visiting the haunts of the grizzly bear. They plume themselves with swan's-down and quills of ducks, with braids and plaits of sweet-scented grass and other harmless and unmeaning ornaments, which have no other merit than they themselves have, that of looking pretty and ornamental. These clean and elegant gentlemen, who are very few in each tribe, are held in very little estimation by the chiefs and brp.ves ; inasmuch as it is known by all, that they have a most horrible aversior to arms, and are deno- minated " faint hearts" or " old women" by the wh jle tribe, and are there- fore but little respected. The- seem, however, to be tolerably well contented with the appellation, togetl.r >vith the celebrity they have acquired amongst the women and children for the beauty and elegance of their personal iippearance; and most of them seem to take and enjoy their share of the world's pleasures, although they are looked upon as drones in society. These gay and tinselled bucks may be seen in a pleasant day in all their plumes, astride of their pied or dappled ponies, with a fan in the right hand, made of a turkey's tail — with whip and a fly-brush attached to the wrist of the same hand, and underneath them a whiie and beautiful and soft pleasure- saddle, ornamented with porcupine quills and* ermine, parading through and lounging about the village for an hour or so, when they will cautiously bend their course to the suburbs of the town, where they will sit 113 01 recline upon their horses for an hour or two, overloolcing the beautiful games wliere the braves and the young aspirants are contending in manly and athletic amusements ; — when they are fatigued with this severe eflFort, they wend their way back again, lift off their fine white saddle of doe's-skin, which is wadded with buffalo's hair, turn out their pony — take a little re- freshment, smoke a pipe, fan themselves to sleep, and doze away the rest of the day. Whilst I have been painting, from day to day, there have been two or three of these fops continually strutting and taking their attitudes in front of my door ; decked out in all their finery, without receiving other benefit or other information, than such as they could discover through the cracks and seams of my cabin. The chiefs, I observed, passed them by without notice, and of course, without inviting them in ; and they seemed to figure about my door from day to day in their best dresses and best attitudes, as if in hopes that I would select them as models, for my canvass. It was natural that 1 should do so, for their costume and personal appearance was entirely more beautiful than anything else to be seen in the village. My plans were laid, and one day when I had got through with all of the head men, who were willing to sit to he painted, and there were two or three of the chiefs loung- ing in my room, I stepped to the door and tapped one of these fellows "on the shoulder, who took the hint, and stepped in, well-pleased and delighted with the signal and honourable notice I had at length taken of him and liis beautiful dress. Readers, you cannot imagine what was the expression of gratitude which beamed forth in this poor fellow's face, and how high his heart beat with joy and pride at liie idea of my selecting him to be immortal, alongside of the chiefs and worthies whose portraits he saw arranged around the room ; and by which honour he, undoubtedly, con sidered himself well paid for two or three weeks of regular painting, and greasing, and dressing, and standing alternately on one leg and the other at the door of my premises. Well, I placed him before me, and a canvass on my easel, and " chalked him out" at full length. He was truly a beautiful subject for the brush, and I was filled with enthusiasm — his dress from head to foot was of the skins of the mountain-goat, and dressed so neatly, that they were almost as soft and as white as Canton crape — around the bottom and the sides it was trimmed with ermine, and porcupine quills of beautiful dyes garnished it in a hundred parts; — his hair which was long, and spread over his back and should', rs, extending nearly to the ground, was all combed back and parted on his forehead like that of a woman. He was a tall and fine figure, with ease and grace in his movements, that were well worthy of a man of better caste. In his left hand he held a beautiful pipe — and in his right hand he plied his fan, and on his wrist was still attached his whip of elk's horn, and his fly-brush, made of the bufi'alo's tail. There was nought about him tfl tlie terrible, and noujjht to shock the finest, chastest intellect. VOL I. a I Hi iU ■V i ^tl . 5 i ^T^ / M' ' i '•1 1 '^'1 ^t 114 I had thus far progressed, with high-wrought feelings of pleasure, when the two or three chiefs, who had been seated around the lodge, and whose portraits I had before painted, arose suddenly, and wrapping themselves tightly in their robes, crossed my room with a quick and heavy step, and (aok an informal leave of my cabin. I was apprehensive of their displeasure, though I continued my work ; and in a few moments the interpreter came furiously into my room, addressing me thus :— " My God, Sir ! this never will do ; you have given great offence to the chiefs — they have made com- plaint of your conduct to me— they tell me this is a worthless fellow — a man of no account in the nation, and if you paint his picture, you must instantly destroy theirs ; you have no alternative, my dear Sir— and the quicker this chap is out of your lodge the better." The same matter was explained to my sitter by the interpreter, when he picked up his robe, wrapped himself in it, plied his fan nimbly about his face, and walked out of the lodge in silence, but with quite a consequential smile, taking his old position in front of the door for awhile, after which he drew himself quietly off without further exhibition. So highly do Man- dan braves and worthies value the honour of being painted ; and so littlt* do they value a man, however lavishly Nature may have bestowed her master touches upon him, who has not the pride and noble bearing of a warrior. I spoke in a former Letter of Mah-to-loh-pa (the four bears), the secona chief of the nation, and the most popular man of tiie Mandans — a high- minded and gallant warrior, as well as a polite and polished gentleman. Since I painted his portrait, as I before described, I have received at his hands many marked and signal attentions ; some of which I must name to you, as the very relation of them will put you in possession of many little forms and modes of Indian life, that otherwise might not have been noted. About a week since, this noble fellow stepped into my painting-room about twelve o'clock in the day, in full and splendid dress, and passing his arm through mine, pointed the way, and led me in the most gentlemanly manner, through the village and into his own lodge, where a feast was pre- pared in a careful manner and waiting our arrival. The lodge in which he dweh was a room of immense she, some forty or fifty feet in diameter, in a circular form, and about twenty feet high — with a sunken curb of stone in the centre, of five or six feet in diameter and one foot deep, which contained the fire over which the pot was boiling. I was led near the edge of this curb, and seated on a very handsome robe, most ingeniously garnished and painted with hieroglyphics ; and he seated himself gracefully on another one at a little distance from me ; with the feast prepared in several dishes, resting on a beautiful rush mat, which was placed between us (plate 62). The simple feast which was spread before us consisted of three dishes only, two of which were served in wooden bowls, and the third in an earthen ▼essel of their own manufacture, somewhat in shape of a bread-tray in our own country. This last contained a quantity oipem-i-can and marroW' '■f, i .' m\ I ; i \ :r C'l: i lU .11 "ill h'i fat i and one of the former held n fine brace of buffulo ribs, delightfully roasted ; and the other was filled with a kind of paste or piiddinj^, made of the flour of the " pomme blanche," as the French call it, a delicious turnip of the prairie, finely flavoured with the buffalo berries, which are collected in great quantities in this country, and used with divers dishes in cooking, as wu in civilized countries use dried currants, which they very much re- semble. A handsome pipe and a tobacco-pouch made of the otter skin, filled with k'nick-k'neck (Indian tobacco), laid by the side of the feast; and when we were seated, mine host took up his pipe, and deliberately rilled it ; and instead of lighting it by the fire, which he could easily have done, he dr "W from his pouch liis flint and steel, and raised a spark with which he kindled it. He drew a few strong whiffs through it, and presented the stem of it to my mouth, through which I drew a whiff or two while beheld the ntcin in his hands. This done, he laid down the pipe, and drawing his knife from his belt, cut off a very small piece of the meat from the ribs, and pronouncing the words *' Ho-pe-ne-chee wa-pa-shee" (meaning a medicine sacrifice), threw it into the fire. He then (by signals) requested me to eat, and I commenced, after draw- ing out from my belt my knife (which it is supposed that every man in this country carries about him, for at an Indian feast a knife is never offered to a guest). Reader, be not astonished that 1 sat and ate my dinner alone, for such is the custom of this strange land. In all tribes in these western regions it is an invariable rule that a chief never eats with his guests invited to a feast ; but while they eat, he sits by, at their service, and ready to wait upon them ; deliberately charging and lighting the pipe which is to be passed around after the feast is over. Such was the case in the present instance, and while I was eating, Mah-totoh-pa sat cross-legged before me, cleaning his pipe and preparing it for a cheerful smoke when I had finished my meal. For this ceremony I observed be was making unusual preparation, and I observed as I ^to, that after he had taken enough of the k'nick-k'neck or bark of the red willow, from his pouch, he rolled out of it also a piece of the " etutor," which it h customary amongst these folks to carry in their tobacco-sack to give it a flavour; and, shaving off a small quantity of it, mixed it with the bark, with which he charged his pipe. This done, he drew also from his sack a small parcel containing a fine powder, which was made of dried buffalo dung, a little of which he spread over the top, (according also to custom,) which was like tinder, having no other effect than that of lighting the pipe with ease and satisfaction. My appetite satiated, I straightened up, and with a whiff the pipe was lit, and we enjoyed together for a quarter of an hour the most delightful exchange of good feelings, amid clouds of smoke and pantomimic signs and gesticulations. The dish of "pemican and marrow-fat," of which I spoke, was thus : — ^The first, an article of food used throughout this country, as familiarly »s we UM ^ •'^.'^* IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 11.25 1^128 |25 US liU 12.2 IE ^1^ t" — Hiotographic Sciences Corporaticn 23 WIST MAIN STRlit WEBSTH.M.Y. I4SM (716)t72-4S03 r ^^>,^ .^ f'l 1 i i ' / i !i,ii M II i ; I '\ 116 bread in Uie civilized world. It is made of buffalo meat dried very hard* and afterwards pounded in a large wooden mortar until it is made nearly as fine as sawdust, then packed in this dry state in bladders or sacks of skin, and is easily carried to any part of the world in good order. " Marrow-fut" is collected by the Indians from the buffalo bones which they break to pieces, yielding a prodigious quantity of marrow, which is boiled out and put into buffalo bladders which have been distended ; and after it cools, becomes quite hard like tallow, and has the appearance, and very nearly the flavour, of the richest yellow butter. At a feast, chunks of this marrow- fat are cut off and placed in a tray or bowl, with the pemican, and eaten together ; which we civilized folks in these regions consider a very good substitute for (and indeed we generally so denominate it) " bread and butter." In this dish laid a spoon made of the buffalo's horn, which was black as jet, and beautifully polished ; in one of the others there was another of still more ingenious and beautiful workmanship, made of the horn of the mountain-sheep, or " Gros corn," as the French trappers call them ; it was large enough to hold of itself two or three pints, and was almost entirely transparent. I spoke also of the earthen dishes or bowls in which these viands were served out ; they are a familiar part of the culinary furniture of every Mandan lodge, and are manufactured by the women of this tribe in great quantities, and modelled into a thousand forms and tastes. They are m»'^: by the hands of the women, from a tougii black clay, and baked in kiius which are made for the purpose, and are nearly equal in hardness to our own manufacture of pottery ; though they have not yet got the art of glnzing, which would be to them a most valuable secret. They make them so strong and serviceable, however, that they hang them over the tire as we do our iron pots, and boil their meat in them with perftiCt success. I have seen some few specimens of such manufacture, which have been dug up in Indian mounds and tombs in the southern and middle states, placed in our Eastern Museums and looked upon as a great wonder, when here this novelty is at once done away with, and the whole mystery ; where women can be seen handling and using them by hundreds, and they can be seen every day in the summer also, moulding them into many fanciful forms, and passmg them through the kiln where they are hardened. Whilst sitting at this feast the wigwam was as silent as death, although we were not alone in it. This chief, like most others, had a plurality of wives, and all of them (some six or seven) were seated around the sides of the lodge, upon robes or n Hts placed upon the ground, and not allowed to speak, though they were it readiness to obey his orders ot commands, which were imifornily given by signs manual, and executed in the neatest and most silent manner. When I arose to return, the pipe through which we had smoked was presented to me ; and the robe on which I had sat, he gracefully raised by the corners and tendered it to me, explaining by signs that the paintings M 4.- 117 which were on it were the rcpre«cni)ttic:i8 of the battles of his Hfe, wheie he had fought and Idlled with his own hand fourteen of his enemies ; that Im had been two weeks engaged in painting it for me, and that he had invited me here on this occasion to present it to me. The robe, readers, which 1 ■hall describe in a future epistle, I touk upon my shoulder, and he took mc by the arm and led me back to my painting-room. } ^rrmrr III ! < J' I'll ''■■' ,1 'ill', ' n^ \ f ' ' ' LETTER— No. 17. MANDAN VILLAGE, UPPER MISSOURI. I MENTIONED in the foregoing epistle, that the chieiii of the Mandans frequently have a plurality of wives. Such is the custom amonirst all oi these North Western tribes, and a few general remarks on this subject will apply to them all, and save the trouble of repeating them. Polygamy is countenanced amongst all of the North American Indians, so far as I have visited them ; and it is no uncommon thing to find a chief with six, eight, or ten, and some with twelve or fourteen wives in his lodge. Such is an ancient custom, and in their estimation is right as well as necessary. Women in a savage state, I believe, are always held in a rink inferior to that of the men, in relation to whom in many respects they stand rather in the light of menials and slaves tlian otherwise ; and as they are the " hewers of wood and drawets of water," it becomes a matter of necessity for a chief (who must be liberal, keep open doors, and entertain, for the support of his popularity) to have in his wigwam a suflicient number of such handmaids or menials to perform the numerous duties and drudgeries of so large and ex- pensive an establishment. There are two other reasons for this custom which operate with equal, if not with greater force than the one above assigned. In the first place, these people, though far behind the civilized world in acquisitiveness, have still more or less passion for the accumulation of wealth, or, in other words, for the luxuries of life ; and a chief, excited by a desire of this kind, together with a wish to be able to furnish his lodge with something more than ordinary for the entertainment of his own people, as well as strangers who fall upon his hospitality, sees fit to marry a number of wives, who are kept at hard labour during most of the year ; and the hv> i'^ of that labour enable him to procure those luxuries, and give to his ii^ige the appearance of respectability which is not ordinarily seen. Amongst those tribes who trade with the Fur Companies, this system is carried out to a great extent, and the women are kept for the greater part of the year, dressing buffalo robes and other skins for the market ; and the brave or chief, who has the greatest number of wives, is considered the most affluent and envied man in the tribe; for his table is most bountifully •upplied, and his lodge the most abundantly furnished with the hixurici 119 of civilized manuractiirc, who has at the year's end tlie greatest niintbpr of robes to vend to the Fur Company. The manual labour amongst savages is all done by the women ; and M there are no daily labourers or persons who will "hire out" to labour for another, it becomes necessary for him who requires more tlian the labour or services of one, to add to the number by legalizing and compromising by the ceremony of marriage, his stock of labourers ; who can thus, and thus alone, be easily enslaved, and the results of their labour turned to good account. Ihere is yet the other inducement, which probably is more effective than either ; the natural inclination which belongs to man, who stands high in the estimation of his people and wields the sceptre of (rawer — surrounded by temptations which he considers it would be unnatural to resist, where no law or regulation of society stands in the way of his enjoyment. Such a custom amongsi savage nations can easily be excused too, and we are bound to excuse it, when we behold man in a state of nature, as he was made, following a natural inclination, which is sanctioned by ancient rustom and by their religion, without a law or regulation of their society to discountenance it; and when, at the same time, such an accu- mulation of a man's household, instead of quadrupling his expenses (as would be the case in the civilized world), actually becomes his wealth, as the results of their labour abundantly secure to him all tiie necessaries and luxuries of life. There are other and very rational grounds on •\vhich the propriety of such a custom may be urged, one of which h as follows: — us all nations of Indians in their natural condition are unceasingly at war with the tribes that are about them, for the adjustment of ancient and never-ending feuds, as well as from a love of glory, to which in Indian life tlie battle-field is almost the only road, their warriors are killed otT to that extent, that in many instances two and sometimes three women to a man are found in a tribe. In such instances I have found that the custom of polygamy has kindly helped the community to an evident relief from a cruel and prodigious calamity. The instances of which I have above spoken, are generally confined to the chiefs and medicine-men ; though there is no regulation prohibiting a poof or obscure individual from mgirrying several wives, other than the personal difficulties which lie between him and the hand which he wishes in vain to get, for want of sufficient celebrity in society, or from a still more frequent objection, that of his inability (from want of worldly goods) to deal in the customary way with the fathers of the girls whom he would appropriate to his own household. There are very few instances indeed, to be seen in these regions, where i poor or ordinary citizen has more than one wife ; but amongst chiefs anc braves of great reputation, and doctors, it is common to see some six oi I t I t I .1 H 1^ I ^ M P:1.i I '! I ;i ^1 120 eight living und-jrone roor.and all apparently quiet and contented; seemingly Imnnonizing, and enjoying the modes of life and treatment tliat fall* to their loi.. Wives in this country are mostly treated for with the father, as in all instances they are regularly bought and sold. In many cases the bargain » made with the father alone, without ever consulting the inclinations of the girl, and seems to be conducted on his part as a mercenary contract entirely, where he stands out for the highest price he can possibly command for her. There are other instances to be sure, where the parties approach each other, and from the expression of a mutual fondness, make their own arrangements, and pass their own mutual vows, which are quite as sacred and inviolable as similar assurances when made in the civilized world. Yet even in such cases, the marriage is never consummated without the necessary form of making presents to the father of the girl. It becomes a matter of policy and almost of absolute necessity, for the white men who are Traders in these regions to connect themselves in this way, to one or more of the most influential families in the tribe, which in a measure identifies their interest with that of the nation, and enables them, with the influence of their new family connexions, to carry on successfully their business transactions with them. Tiie young women of the best families only can aspire to such an elevation ; and the most of them are exceedingly ambitious for such a connexion, inasmuch as they are certain of a delightitil exemption from the slavish duties that devolve upon them when married under other circumstani-es : and expect to be. as they generally are, allowed to lead a life of ease and idleness, covered with mantles of blue and scarlet cloth — with beads and iiiiikets, and ribbons, in which they flounce and flirt about, the envied and tinselled belles of every tribe. These connexions, however, can scarcely be called marriages, for I believe they are generally entered into without the form or solemnizing ceremony of a marriage, and on the part of the father of the girls, conducted purely as a mercenary or business transaction ; in which they are very expert, and practice a deal of shrewdness in exacting an adequate price from a purchaser whom they consider possessed of so large and so rich a stock of the world's goods ; and who they deem abundantly able to pay liberally for so delightful a commodity. Almost every Trader and every clerk who commences in the business of this country, speedily enters into such an arrangement, which is done with as little ceremony as he would bargain for a horse, and just as unceremoni- ously do they annul and abolish this connexion when they wish to leave the country, or change their positions from one tribe to another ; at which time the woman is left, a fair and proper candidate for matrimony or speculation, when another applicant comes along, and her father equally desirous for another horse or gun, &c, which he can easily command at her second espousal. falls to Is in all bargain |is of the entirely, for her. Ih otiicr, ^emcntst 3lublc as J:h cases, makings 121 From tiie enslaved and degraded condition in wliich the women are heH in the Indian country, the world would naturally think that theirs must be a community formed of incon);ruous and unharmonizinjj materials ; and con- sequently destitute of the fine, Djciprocal feelings and attachments which flow from the domestic relations in the civilized world ; yet it would be untrue, and doing injustice to the Indians, to say that they were in the least behind us in conjugal, iu filial, and in paternal aflecliun. There is no trait in the hunnn character which is more universal than the attachments which flow from these relations, and there is no part of the human 8|wcics who have a stronger aflfection and a higher regard for thcui than the Nortli American Indians. There is no subject in the Indian character of more importance to be rightly understood than this, and none either that has furnished me more numerous instances and more striking proofs, of which I shall make use on a future occasion, when I shall say a vast deal more of marriage— of divorce —of polygamy — and of Indian domestic relations. For the present I am scribbling about the looks and usages of the Indians who are about me and under my eye ; and I must not digress too much into general remarks, lest 1 lose sight of tliose who are near me, and the first to be heralded. Such, then, are the Mandans— their women arc beautiful and modest,— and amongst the respectable families, virtue is as highly cherished and as in- approachable, as in any society whatever ; yet at the same time a chief may marry u dozen wives if he pleases, and so may a white man ; and if either wishes to marry the most beautiful and modest girl in the tribe, slie is valued only equal, perhaps, to two horses, a gun with powder and ball fur a year, five or six pounds of beads, a couple of gallons of whiskey, and a liandful of awU. The girls of this tribe, like those of most of these north-western tribes, marry at the age of twelve or fourteen, and some at the age of eleven years : and their beauty, from this fact, as wed as from the slavish life they lead, soon after marriage vanishes. Their occupations are almost continual, and thev sec'n to go industriously at them, as if from choice or inclination, without a r.iurmur. The principal occupations of the women in this village, consist in procuring; wooil and water, in cooking, dressing robes and other skins, in drying meat and wild fruit, and raising corn (maize). The Mandans are somewhat of agriculturists, as they raise a great deal of corn and some pumpkins and squashes. This is all done by the women, who make their hoes of tlie shoulder-blade of the buflalo or the elk, and dig the ground over instead of ploughing it, which is consequently done with a vast deal of labour. They raise a very small sort of corn, the ears of which are not longer than a man's thumb. This variety is well adapted to their climate, as it ripens sooner than other varieties, which would not mature in so cold a latitude. Tlie green corn season is one of great festivity with them, and one of much importance. The greater part of their crop is eaten during these festivals, VOL I. M u ' n I m m pi n'^] Ml ! I' I I II n M I 1 1 132 and the remainilor is (jatlnTed nnd dried on tlic cnh, before it hai ripenod, and |mciuw and fore-arm, wliicli arc nndor tlicin. The dinhe!* (rou, whi< h ihi y i.il arc iiivarial>ly on tlie (ground or ftuor oi° the lod^e, and the |;iuii|. n-sluig on biidalo rol)es or mats ofvarious structure and maniifaeturc. 'I'lie |>osition in which the women sit at their meals and on other occasionA is different from that of tlic men, anuns in MltJefcucc, or struggle fur tlie prize in their manly games. I 4\ h M^j! It: t 1 . ( ■ «'■« t i! ; t ' ■■ ' " V ' j i'- k < . ^^ ^ ^ 1 ' 1 f (• ' 'I 124 Ah I before obsorvod, llicsc men pencrally cat but twice a tl.»y, anc salt in any qnantity whatfvir. The itidiani cook their meat more than the civili/cd |)eo[ile do, and I have Ion;; since h-armd, from noccssily, tlial meat thus cooked can eaitily be eaten and reli>hcd too, with- out salt or other condiment. The fact above asserted applies exclusively to those tribes of Indiana which I have found iu their primitive state, living entirely on meat ; but everywhere uloni; our Frontier, where tiie ^amc of the country lias long: since iicen chicHy destroyed, and these people have become semi-civili/.ed, raisin;; and eatiiii;, as we do, u variety of vegetable food, tliey use (and no doubt require), a great deal of salt; and in many instances use it even to destruc* live «aotM. T' W^ f ■ I I } I i 1 IJti • I li MLTTKIl No. IH. IMAND.W VIM.Ani;, riMM.Il MISSOI'UI. I :l ll ■i' ! t ;. , ■ i 1 ! ' i ' .-. t M :f :■* ( •^ 5 1 [ : n ' L i ■ Till' Miinihiti!*, like i,i; oiicr trilics, lead lives of idlcncs.i and ■"jsiirc; 1111(1 of course, devote ii ^rcat deal of lime In their sports and amiiseiiienfii, of wliieli tliey have u treat variety. Of these, daiuiiii.' it one of the princi- pal, and may he seen in a variety of forms : such as the buti'alo dance, the hoastin^j dance, the bcpninu; dance, the scalp dance, and u do/,cn olher kinds o( dances, all of which have their |ieculiar cUurueturs and nieunin;;a or ohjecls. Them' exercises are exceedingly grotesque in their appearance, nnd to tlu) eye of a travelltr who knows not their meaning or importance, they arc an uncouth and frightful display of starts, and jumps, and yelps, and jarring jMittiirals, which are sometimes truly terrifying. But when one given them a little attention, and has been lucky enough to be initiated into their mys- terious meaninir, tiiey become a sui)joct of the most intense and exciting interest. Every dance has its peculiar step, and eery step has its meaning ; every dance also has its peculiar song, and that is so intricate and mys- terious oftentimes, that not one in ten of the young men who are dancing and singing it, know the meaning of the song which they arc chanting over. None but the medicine-men are allowed to understand them ; and even tliey uru ^^encrally only initiated into these secret arcana, on the payment of a liberal stipend f(;r their tuition, which re(|uires much application and study. Tiiero is evidently a set song and sentiment for every dance, for the songs ar« perfectly measured, and sung in exact time with the beat of the drum ; an(( always with an uniform and invariable set of sounds «ind expressions, whieli clearly indicate certain sentiments, which are expressed by the voici-, thouy;h sometimes not given in any known language whatever. They have other dances and songs which are not so mystified, but which arc sung and understood by every person in the tribe, being sung in tiieir own language, with much poetry in them, and perfectly melred, but without rhyme. On tiiese subjects I shall take another occasion to say more ; and will for the present turn your attention to the style and modes in which some of these curious transactions are conducted. My cars have been almost continually ringing since I came here, with the din of yelping and beating of the drums ; but I have for several dayi U7 pn»t l» on poniliiirly rnproinpd, nnri mv «cny lliin uilmiis, nioKl nn- I'tTi inonionsly left uilliout nnv tliin;; to fat ; and lu'int; u stniall triln-, ami unwilling to risk tlit'ir li'fA liy uoinir ff lii in readiness for thist occasion ; and Iheii connneiiccs the hutl'alo dance, of which I have ahuvc jipoken, which in lu'ld for the |>ur|H)>.(! of inakinfj; " huH'alu come" (us tliey term it), of inducint; the butl'aio herdit to change the direction of tlieir wiinderinon him and hits him with a blunt arrow, and he fulls like a buifalo — is seized by the bye-standers, who drag him out of the ring by the heels, brandishing their knives about him ; and having gone through the motions of skinning and cutting him up, they let him off, and Uiz place is at once sup|)lied by another, who dances into the ring with his mask on ; and by this taking of places, the scene is easily kept up night and day, until the desired cti'ect has been produced, that of " making butl'alo come." The day before yesterday however, readers, which, though it commenced ■i f ■iihMMWaiifiMHaHWMMWIM V > !• i'f ... »l f .ji , i I 11 ■' 1 '\^l t 1 ■ : W' H ,;! 1* ' ' , . 1 '1 li 1 Jf ISO boasting, whilst bows were twanging and spears were polisliinp; by runiiing tlieir blades into the ground — every face and every eye was lilicil witli joy and gladness — horses were pawing and snufting in fury for tiie outset, when Louison I'reiiie, an interpreter of the Fur Company, galloped through the village with his rifle in his hand and his powder-horn at his side ; his head and waist were h indaged with handkerchiefs, and iiis shirt sleeves rolled up to his shoulders — the hunter's yell issued from his lips and was repeated through the vi!laij;e ; he flew ti) the bhifVs, and behind him and over the graceful swells of the prairie, galloped the emulous youths, whose hearts were beating hii;h and quick for the onset. In the village, where hunger had reigned, and starvation was almost ready to look tliem in the face, all was instantly turned to joy and ghulness. The chiefs and doctors who had been for some days dialiiiir out minimum rations to the community from the public crib, now spread before their subjects the contents of their own private caches, and the last of every thing that could be mustered, that they might eat a thanksgiving to the Great Spirit for his goodness in sending them a supply of buH'alo meat. A general carouse of bancpieting ensued, which occupied the greater part of the day ; and their hidden stores which might have fed an emergency for several weeks, were pretty nearly used up on the occasion — bones were half picked, and dishes half emptied and then handed to the dogs, / was not forgotten neither, in the general surfeit ; several large and generous wooden bowls of pemican and other palatable food were sent to my painting-room, and I received them in this time of scarcity with great pleasure. After this general indulgence was over, and the dogs had licked the dishes, their usual games and amusements ensued — and hilarity and mirth, and joy took possession of, and reigned in, every nook and corner of the village ; and in the midst of this, screams and shrieks were heard ! and echoed everywhere. Women and children scrambled to the tops of their wigwams, with their eyes and their hands stretched in agonizing earnest- ness to the prairie, whilst blackened warriors ran furiously through every windiag maze of the village, and issuing their jarring gutturals of vengeance, as they snatched their deadly weapons from their lodges, and struck the reddened post as they furiously passed it by ! Two of their hunters were bending their course down the siiles of the bluff tow:;. ds the village, and an- other broke suddenly out of a deep ravine, and yet another was seen dashing over and down the green hills, and all were goading on their horses at full speed ! and then came another, and another, and all entered the village amid shouts and groans of the villagers wiio crowded around tliem ; the story was told in their looks, for one was bleeding, and the blood that flowed from his naked breast had crimsoned his milk white steed as it had dripped over him ; another grasped in his left hand a scalp that was recking in blood — and in the other his whip — another grasped nothing, save the reins in one hand and the mane of the horse in the other, having thrown his bow and his arrows VOL. I. a i\ aci i I I r f I > .1 . i ' t i ■• 1 , ; 1 . ! } 1,1 III 11 : > I 1 130 away, and trusted to tlie fleetness of his horse for his safety ; yet the iitory was audibly told, and the fatal tragedy recited in irregular and almost suffo- cating ejaculations — the names of the dead were in turns pronounced and screams and shrieks burst forth at their recital — murmurs and groans ran through the village, and this happy little community were in a moment smitten with sorrow and distraction. Their proud band of hunters who had started full of g'.ee and mirth in the morning, had been surrounded by tlieir enemy, the Sioux, and eight of them killed. The Sioux, who had probably reconnoitred their village during the night, and ascertained that they were dancing for buffaloes, laid a stratagem to entrap them in the following manner : — Some six or eight of them appeared the next morning (on a distant bluff, in sight of their sentinel) under the skins of buffaloes, imitating the movements of those animals whilst grazing ; and being discovered by the sentinel, the intelligence was telegraphed to the village, which brought out their hunters as I have described. The masked buffaloes were seen grazin<; on the top of a high bluff, and when the hunters had approached within half a mile or so of them, they suddenly disappeared over the hill. Louison Frenie, who was leading the little band of hunters, became at that moment suspicious of so strange a movement, and came to a halt • • • * " Look"! (said a Mandan, pointing to a little ravine to the right, and at the foot of the hill, from which suddenly broke some forty or fifty furious Sioux, on fleet horses and under full whip, who were rushing upon them) ; they wheeled, and in front of them came another band more furious from the other side of the hill ! they started for home (poor fellows), and strained every nerve ; but the Sioux were too fleet for them ; and every now and then, the whizzing arrow and the lance were herd to rip the flesh of their naked backs, and a grunt and a groan, as they tumbled from liieir horses. Several miles were run in this desperate race ; and Frenie got home, and several of the Maudans, though eight of them were killed and scalped by the way. So ended that day and the hunt ; but many a day and sad, will last the grief of those whose hearts were broken on that unlucky occasion. This day, though, my readers, has been one of a more joyful kind, for the Great Spirit, who was indignant at so flagrant an inju.->tice, has sent the Mandans an abundance of buffaloes ; and all hearts have joined in a general tlianksgiving to Him for his goodness and justice. 1;^^ X^ii- I H f I ! I i 31 ' li ^ i 1 1< Bit lit hh % 1! li l\ ' 181 LETTEll— No. 19. M.WDAN VILLAGK, f/Pi'L/t MlSiOUlK. In Biy last Letter I ijave an account of the biiir.ilo dance, and in future epistles may <;ive some descriptions of a dozen oilier kinds of dance, wiiicli thtse people have in conii. )n with other tribes; but in the present LettLr I shall make an endeavour to confine my observations to several other customs and forms, which are very curious and peculiar to the Mandans. Of these one of the most pleasiii;^ is xha ahain-Jiijht and sliam scalp-dance of the Mandan boys, which is a part of their re;^ular exercise, and consti- tutes- a material branch of their education. Durinij the pleasant morninjs of the sununer, the little boys between the age of seven and fifteen iwi called out, to the number of several hundred, and beiiii;- divided into two companies, each of wiiich is headed by some experienced warrior, who leads iheni on, in the character of a teacher ; they are led out into the prairie at sunrise, where this curious discipline is reijularly taught them (i-la te 57). Their bodies are naked, and each one has a little bow in his left hand and a number of arrows made of large spears of grass, which are harmless in their eH'ects. Eac'i one has also a little belt or girdle around his waist, in which he carries a knife made of a piece of wood and equally harmless — on the tops of their heads are slightly attached small tufts of grass, which answer as scalps, and in this plight, they follow the dictates of their experienced leaders, who lead them through lie judicious evolutions of Indian warfare^ of feints — of retreats — of attacks — and at last to a general fight. Many manoeuvres are gone through, and eventually they are brought up face to face, within fifteen or twenty teet of each other, with their leaders at their head stimulating them on. Their bows are bent upon each other and Uieir missiles flying, whilst they are doilging and fending them oH". If any one is struck with an arrow on any vital part of his body, he is obliged to fall, and his adversary rushes up to him, places his foot upon him, and snatching from his belt his wooden knife, grasps hold of his vic- tim's scalp-lock of grass, and making a feint at it with his wooden knife, twitches it off and puts it into his belt, and enters again into the ranks aud front of battle. This mode of training generally lasts an hour or more in the morning, It »; It Ir '. 1 lil i !i I il h I i I 132 and is performed on an empty stomarh, aflbrdin*; them a riirience of war. Some five or six miles of ijround are run over during these evo! jtions. (riving suppleness to their limbs and streni;t!i to their muscles, wliicli lust uiul benefit them tlirouj;i» life. After this excitinij cxhihition is ended, they all return to their viihiire, where the cliiels ami ijruvt;s pay profound attention to their vauntin.;, and ai)i)laud them for their artifice and valour. Tliose who have taken scalps then step forward, brandishinir them and nuikiiig their boast as they enter into the svulp-ihince (in wliich they iire also instructed by their leaders or teachers), jumpiutr and yelling' — brandishinu: their scalps, and reciting their saninnnary deeds, to the great astonishment of their tender aged sweethearts, who are ga/ing with wonder upon them. The games and amusements of these people are in most respects like those of the other tribes, consisting of ball plays — game of the moccasin, of the platter — feats of archery horse-racing, &c. ; and they have yet another, which may be said to be their favourite amusement, and unknown to the other tribes about them. The game of Tchung-kee, a lieautifid athletic exercise, which they seem to be almost unceasingly practicing whilst the weather is fair, and they have nothing else of moment to demand their attention. Tiiisi game is decidedly their favourite amusement, and is played near to the village on a pavement of clay, which has been c-ed for that purpose until it has become as smooth and liard as a floor. For this game two chauipions form their respective parties, by clioosing alternately the most famous players, until their requisite numbers are made up.- Their bettings are then made, and their stakes are held by some of the chiefs or others present The play commences (plate 59) with two (one from each party), who start off upon a trot, abreast of each other, and one of them rolls in advance of them, on the pavement, a little ring of two or three inches in diameter, cul out of a stone ; and each one follows it up with his " tchung-kee" (a stick of six feet in length, with little bits of leather projecting from its sides of an inch or more in length), which he throws before him as he runs, sliding it along upon the ground after the ring, endeavouring to place it in such a position when it stops, that the ring may fall upon ii, and receive one of the little projections of leather through it, which counts for game, one, or two, or four, according to the position of the leather on which the ring is lodged. The last winner always has the rolling of the ring, and both start and throw the tchung-kee together ; if either fails to receive the ring or to lie in a certain position, it is a forfeiture of the amount of the number he was nearest to, and he loses his throw ; when another steps into his place. This game is a very difficult one to describe, so as to give an exact idea of it, unless one can see it played — it is a game of great beauty and fine bodily exercise, and these people be. .ih these people, and is performed in many diti'erent modes, and on numerous occasions. Of this custom I •hall also speak more fully herealt'r, merely noticing at present, some few of the hundred modes in which these otTerings are made to the Good and Evil Spirits. Human sacrifices have never been made by the Mandans, nor by any of the north western tribes (so far as I can learn), excepting the Pawnees of the Platte ; who have, undoubtedly, observed such an iiihum.in practice in former times, though they have relinijuished it ol late. The Mandans sacrifice their fingers to the Great Spirit, and of their worldly goods, the best and the most costly; if a horse or a dog, it must be (he favourite one ; if it is an arrow from their quiver, they will select the most perfect one as the most effective gift ; if it is meat, it is the choicest piece cut from the buffalo or other animal ; if it is anything from the stores of the Traders, it is the most costly — it is blue or scarlet cloth, which costs them in this country an enormous price, and is chiefly used for the purpose of hanging over their wigwams to decay, or to cover the scalTolds where rest the bones of their departed relations. Of these kinds of sacrifices there are three of an interesting nature, erected over the great medicine-lodge in the centre of the village — they consist of ten or fifteen yards of blue and black cloth each, purchased from the Fur Company at fifteen or twenty dollars per yard, which are folded up so as to resemble human figures, with quills in their heads and masks on their faces. These singular-looking figures, like "scare crows" (plate 47), are erected on poles about thirty feet high, over the door of the mystery-lodge, and there are left to deca; . There hangs now by the side of them another, which was added to the number a few days since, oi the skin of a while buffalo, which will remain there until it decays and falls to pieces. This beautiful and costly skin, when its history is known, will furnish a striking proof of the importance which they attach to these propitiatory offerings. But a few weeks since, a party of Mandans returned from the Mouth of the Yellow Stone, two hundred miles above, with information that a party of Blackfeet were visiting that place on business with the American Fur Company ; and that they had with them a white buffalo robe for sale. This was looked upon as a subject of great importance by the chiefs, and one worthy of public consideration. A white buffalo robe is a ^t^ 134 I . M . I « i :!' I'i ii I I i : i' ' U i:i I t 'I 1 great curiosity, ivcn in llie country nl" luitfilots, and will always comninr.d an ulinost incredible price, from its extreme scarcity ; and then, (rom its l>ein^ tiie most costly article of tratlic in these reijions, it is usually convertid into a s«cr;/tre, Ix'in^- otlereil to iIk; (ireat Spirit, as the most acceptalde Hift that can be prorured. Amongst the vast herds of buti.tloes which ^rai.e on these boundless prairies, there is not one in an hundred thousand, per- haps, that is white; and when such an one is obtained, it is considered great medicine or mystery. On the reeei|)t of the intelligence above-mentioned, the chiefs convened in council, and deliberated on the expediency of |)roeurinj the white rolKS from the rjlackfeel ; and also of appropriatini; the reipiisite means, and devisin;^ the proper mode of procedure for ettectiiiif the purchase. At the close of their deliberalioii-;, ei'^ht men were lilted out on ei.;ht of their best horsi'>, who took fium the I'ur t'ompanv's store, on the credit of the chiefs, u;(itKla cxceedinj; even the value of their eiL;ht horses ; anil they started for the Mouth of tiie Yellow Stone, where they arrive' the top of a Iouj: pole over the medicinc-lorl'/e ; where it now stanils in a u;roup with the others, and will stand as an otierinjj to the Great Spirit, until it ileeays and falls to the ground. 'riiis Letter, as I i)romised in its commencement, beins; devoted to some of the customs peculiar to the IMandans, anil all of which will be new to the world, I shall close, after recording in it an account of a laughable farce, which was enacted in this village when I was on my journey up the river, and had stopped on the way to spend a day or two in the Mandaii village. Readers, did you ever hear of " Rain Makers?" If not, sit still, and read on ; but laugh not — keep cool and sober, or else you may laugh in the beyinninij, and cry at the end of my 2tory. Well, 1 introduce to you a new character — not a doctor or a hitjh-pricst, yet a mediciuc-mun. und one of the ii'.ghest and most respectable order, a " Jiaiu Maker I" Such dignitaries live in ilie ^landan nation, aye, and " rain sloj>pirs" too; and even those also amongst their conjnrati, who, like Joshua of old, have even essayed to stop the sun in his course ; but from the inetficiency of their medicine or mystery, have long since descended into insignificance. Well, the story begins thus : — The Mandans, as I have said in a former Letter, raise a great deal of corn ; and sometimes a most disastrous drought will be visited on the land, deslrucuve to their promiseii harvij^t. Such .58 59 } < I ■ ii M 136 wai tho caie wlipn I arrived nt the Mandan villnf^e on the itoam-hout, Yi'llow-Stnnc. Rain had not fallen for many a day, and tlit- dear little pirls and the ugly old Rqiiawji, nllo(!;otlier (all of whom had fx^lds uf rorn), were frroa'iini; and cryini^ to their lords, and imploriiij;; them to intercede for rain, that their little respertive patches, which were now turning pale and yellow, might not be withered, and they be deprived of the pleasure of (heir customary annual festivity, and the joyful occasion of the " roasting ears," and the " green corn dance." The chiefs and doctors sympathized with the plaints of the women, and recommended patience. (Jreat deliberation, they said, was necessary in these cases; and though they resolved on making the attempt to produce rain for the benefit of the corn ; yet they very wisely resolved that to begin too soon might ensure their entire defeat in the endeavour ; and that the longer they put it oflT, the more certain they would feel of ultimate success. So, after a few days of further iagi, who were involved in mysteries beneath him, and invoking the spirits of darkness and light to send rain, to gladden the hearts of the Mandans. It happened on this memorable day about noon, that the steam-boat 137 corn wai Yellow Sfonc, on her first trip iip tlie Missouri River, approiiclietl and landed at the Mandan Village, at I liave described in a former epistle. ( was lucky enough to he a passenger on this boat, and helped to fire a salute of twenty guns of twelve pounds calibre, when we first came in sight of the village, some three or foin- miles below. These guns introduced a new soitiid into this strange country, which the Mandans at first supposed to be thunder ; and the young man upoii the lodge, who turned it to good account, was gathering fame in rounds of applause, which were repeated and echoed through the whole village ; all eyes were centred upon Inm — cliiefs envied him — mothers' hearts were beating high whilst they were decorating and leading up their fair daughters to offer him in marriage, on his signal success. The medicine-men had left the lodge, and came out to bestow upon him the envied title of" medicine-man," or " doctor," which he had so deservedly won — wreaths were prepared to decorate his brows, and eagle's plumes and calumets were in readiness for him ; his friends were all rejoiced — his enemies wore on their faces a silent gloom and hatred ; and his old sweethearts, who had formerly cast him off, gazed intensely upon him, as they glowed with the burning fever of repentance. During all this excitement, Wak-a-dah-ha-hee kept his position, assuming the most commanding and threatening attitudes ; brandishing his shield in the direction of the thunder (plate 58), although there was not a cloud to be seen, until he (poor fellow), being elevated above the rest of the village, espied, to his inexpressible amazement, the steam-boat ploughing its way up the windings of the river below ; puffing her steam from her pipes, and sending forth the thunder from a twelve-pounder on her deck i * * • The White Buffalo's Hair stood motionless and turned pale, he looked awhile, and turned to the chief and to the multitude, and addressed tin ni with a trembling lip — " My friends, we will get no rain ! — there are, you see, no clouds ; but my medicine is great — I have brought a thunder boat '. look and tee it ! the thunder you hear is out of her mouth, and the lightning which you see is on the waters !" At this intelligence, the whole village flew to the tops of their wigwams, or to the bank of the river, from whence the steamer was in full view, and ploughing along, to their utter dismay and confusion. In this promiscuous throng of chiefs, doctors, women, children and dogs, was mingled Wak-a-dah-ha-hce (the white buffalo's hair), having descended from his high place to mingle with the frightened tiirong. Dismayed at the approach of so strange and unaccountable an oliject, the Mandans stood their ground but a few moments ; when, by an order of the chiefs, all hands were ensconced within the piquets of their village, and all the warriors armed for desperate defence. A few moments brought the boat in front of the village, and all was still and quiet as death ; iidt u Mandan was to be seen upon the banks. The steamer was moored, and thrte or four of the chiefs soon after, walked boldly do\wn the bank and on to her VOL. I. T I f n«^ If I ? •-! ;■: I ileck, witli a spear in one liiin-.l nnd tlie calumet or pipe of peace in the other. The moment they stepped on board they met (to tlieir };reat surprise and joy) their old friend. Major Sanford, their afjent, wiiich cireimistance put an instant end to ail their fears. The villagers were soon apprized of the fart, and the whole race of the beantifid and friendly Manda.is .vas paraded on the bank of the river, in front of the steamer. The " rain maker," whose apprehensions of a public calamity brought upon tlie nation by his extraordinary medicine, had, for tiie better security of his person from apprehended vengeance, secreted himself in some secure place, and was the last to come forward, and the last to be convinced that this visitation was a friendly one from the white people ; and that his medicine had not in the least been instrumental in bringing it about. This information, though received by him with much caution and suspicion, at length gave him great relief, and quieted his mind as to his danger. Yet still in Jiis breast there was a rankling thorn, though he escaped tlie dreaded vengeance which he had a few moments before apprehended as at hand ; as he had the mortification and disgrace of having failed in his mysterious operations. He set up, however (during the day, in his conversation about the strange arrival), his viedicines, as the cause of its approach ; asserting everywhere and to everybody, that he knew of its coming, and that he had by his magic brought the occurrence about. This plea, however, did not get him much audience ; and in fact, everything else was pretty much swallowed up in the guttural talk, and bustle, and gossip about the mysteries of the "thunder-boat;" and so passed the day, until just at the approach of evenin-, when the "White Buffalo's Hair" (more watchful of such matters on this occasion than most others) observed that a black cloud had been jutting up in the horizon, and was almost directly over the village ! In an instant his shield was on his arm, and his bow in his hand, and he again upon the lodge ! stiffened and braced to the last sinew, he stood, with his face and his shield presented to the cloud, and his bow drawn. He drew the eyes of the whole village upon him as he vaunted forth his super-human powers, and at the same time commanding the cloud to come nearer, that he might draw down its contents upon the hoads and the corn-fields of the Mandans ! In this wise he stood, waving his shield over his head, stamping his foot and frowning as he drew his bow and threatened the lieavens, com- manding it to rain — his bow was bent, and the arrow drawn to its head, was sent to the cloud, and he exclaimed, " My friends, it is done ! Wok-a-dah- lia-hce's arrow has entered that black cloud, and the Mandans will be wet with the water of the skies !" His predictions were true ; — in a few moments the cloud was over the village, and the rain fell in torrents. He stood for some time wielding his weapons and presenting his shield to the tiky, while he boasted of his power and the efficacy of his medicine, to those w!io had been about him, but were now driven to the shelter of their wig- wams. He, at length, finished his vaunts and his threats, and descended 't ' i 139 In irom liis high place (in whicli he had benn pi'rfectly droiulied), prepared fo receive the honours and tiie honia^e tiiat were due to one so potent jn Ins mysteries; and to receive tiie style and title of " mcdidiK-imin." 'Ihis is one of a hundred dillerent modes in which a man in Indi.in countries actpiires the honourable appellation. This man had " made it rain," and of course was to receive more than usual honours, as he had done much more than ordinary nun could do. All eyes were upon him, and all were ready to admit that he was skilled in tlie mastic art ; and must be so nearly allied to the Great or Evil Spirit, that he must needs be a man of great and powerful influence in the nation, and well entitled to the style of doctor or iiiedirine-mun. ileaiiers, there are two facts relative to these strange transactions, whicii are infallibly true, and should iwn\» be made known. The first is, that when the Mandans undertake to make it rain, ihcij ntirr Jail to succctd, for their ceremonies never stop, until rain begins to f.ill. The secotid is ('(jually true, and is this : — that he who has once " 7iitidc it rain," never at- tempts it again ; his medicine is undoubted — and on future occasions of tlie kind, he stands alouf, who has once clone it in presence of the whole village giving an opportunity to other young men who are ambitious to signali/.e themselves in the same way. During the memorable night of which I have just spoken, the steam-boat remained by the side of the ]\Iaudan village, and tlie rain that had cciii- menced falling continued to pour down its torrents until midnight; black thunder roared, and livid lightning flished until the heavens appeared to be lit up with one unceasing and appalling glare. In this frightful inoinent ot consternation, a Hash of lightning buried itsulf in one of the earth-coveied lodges of the Mandans, and kilhd a beautiful girl. Here was food and fuel fresh for their superstitions ; and a night of vast tumult and excitement ensued. The ilreains of the new-made niedieiiie-man were troubled, and he had dreadl'ul a|)[)reliensions lor the coming day — lor he knew that ho was subject to the irrevocable decree of the chiefs and doctors, who canvass every strange and unaccountable event, with close and superstitious seiutiny, and let their vengeance fall without mercy upon its iininedidte cause. He looked upon his well-earned fame as likelv to be withheld from him ; and also considered that his lite might perhaps be demanded as the fdileit tor this girl's death, which would eerlanily be charged upon liiin. He hooked upon himself as culpable, antl su[)[)used the accident to have'bcen occasioned by his crimiiuil desertion of his post, when the sleam-boat was approaching li.e village. IMorning came, and he soon learned from some of his Irieiuls, the opinions of the wise men ; and aUo the n.ilure of tiie tribunal that was preparing for him ; he sent to the [irairie for his three horses, which weru brought in, and he mounted the mcdidue-ludijc, around which, in a few moments, the villagers were all assembled. "My friends! (said lie) I see you i)ll around me, and 1 am before you ; my medicine, you see, is great — it is |i4 Jl 1 140 too great — I am young, and I was too fast— I knew not when to stop. The wigwam of Mah-sish is laid low, and many are the eyes that weep for Ko-k.i (the antelope ;) Wak-a-dah-lia-hee gives three horses to gladden the hearts of those who weep for Ko-ka; his medicine was great— his arrow pierced the black cloud, and the lightning came, and the !'l' iii ! 1'^ Wi ; ■•! mi 142 of llicm to get as many as eight arrows up before llie first one readies the ground. For the successful use of the bow, as it is used tiirou^jii all this rcioii of country on horseback, and that invariably at full spued, liie |4rcat olijuct of practice is to enable the bowman to draw the bow with sud » T r I'll \ " iA if 'i 1^ if! I'- t < ' lllil! ^' ■i i t tt i \ » II I i !^t jilt I;! V' '<- |;ll I ii 1 1 1 1 m TIio Indians nio linrd and cnicl ni;ist(>rs ; and, nddcd to tlmir ciiicllics. i^ llie sin tliut is fainili.ir in tin- (liiistian world, of sportin'^- with tin' |in:l)s nnd tlip iivos of llusc nohlc luiinnils, Ilorac-rdriiifj here, us in all more enli;j;Iitcnc(l ('oinniMnilii.s, is oiiii of tin- most cxcitin;; amusements, and one of the most extravaijant modes of liamhliiiu. I liav<' been tliis day a spcct.itnr to scciu'S of tliis kind, wliicli Iiavo liien enacted in ai)iin;" and " coming out," which vary a little from the customs of the kuouiii;/ world ; but in other respects, I believe, a !ior.-e-race is the same all the world over. Besides these, many have been the amuseniints of this day, to which I have been an eye-witness ; and since writing the above, I have learned the cause of this unusual expression of hilarity and mirth ; which was no more nor less than the safe return of a small war-party, who had been so lon,^ out without any tidinys having been received of them — that they had lonir since been looked upon as sacrificed to the fates of war and lost. This party was made up of the most distinj^uished and desperate young men of the tribe, who had sallied out against the Riccarees, and taken the most solemn oath amongst themselves never to return without achieving a victory. They had wandered long and faithfully about the country, fol- lowing the trails of tl'eir enemy; when they were attacked by a numerous party, and lost several of their men and all their horses. In this condition, to evade the scrutiny of their enemy, who were closely investing the natural route to their village ; they look a circuitous range of the country, to enable them to return with their lives, to their village. In this plight, it seems, I had dropped my little canoe alongside of them, while descending from the Mouth of Y'ellow Stone to this place, not many weeks since; where they had bivouacked or halted, to smoke and consult on the best and safest mode of procedure. At the time of meeting them, not knowing anything of their language, they were unable to communicate their condition to me, and more probably were afraid to do so even if they could have done it, from apprehension that we might have given some ac- count of them to their enemies. I rested my canoe an hour or so with them during which lime they treated us with an inditl'erent reserve, yet respectfully ; and we passed on our way, without further information of them or iheir plans than the sketch that I there made (im.ate ti\i), and which 1 shall preserve and value as one of the most pleasing groups 1 ever have had the pleasure to see. Seated on their buflalo robes, which were spread upon the grass, witli their respective weapons laying about them, and lighting their pipes at a I I i i 'J < i 'h IH iiflk' (ii(! wliic'li wns kindlod in llii! contrc— (ho cliici' or loader of tlir piirtv, uitli Ills arms stacked Ixliiiid liim, ntul his loii<; lieud-drcss dI' wiir-iiigltV iiuills 'iiid crniiiic falliiii; down over liis liiick, whilst \u; .^ut in a cunt('ni|iliiti\o aixl ahnosl dL'spundin^ mood, was surely out: uf thu most titrikin^ ami beaiitiftd illustrations of u natural hero that I ever looked upon. These [gallant fellows got safely home to tluir vill.i;,'e, and (he numerous ex|)ressions of joy for (heir return, whieh I have this day witnessed, huvc no much fatij^ued me that 1 write brief, uiid clv>sc my Letter here. lit 11 ill 1 ' 1 y h i < m i f > 4 i ; i hi ^, 1 1 1 1^ l 3' i 1 ■ 5 ! " ■ y i 1 m \\i 145 LETTER— No. 21. MANDAN VILLAGE, UPPER MISSOURI. In a former Letter I gfve some account of Mah-to-toh-pa (the four bears), second chief of the Mandans, whom I said I had painted at full length, in a splendid costume. I therein said, also, that " this extraordinary man, though second in office, is undoubtedly the first and most popular man in the nation. Free, generous, elegant, and gentlemanly in his deportment — handsome, brave and valiant; wearing a robe on his back, with the history of all his battles painted on it, which would fill a book of themselves if they were properly enlarged and translated." 1 gave you also, in another epistle, an account of the manner in which he invited me to a feast in his hospitable wigwam, at the same time presenting me a beautifully garnished robe ; anci I promised to say more of him on a future occasion. My reader^will therefore pardon me for devoting a Let- ter or two at this time, to a sketch of this extraordinary man, which 1 will give in as brief a manner as possible, by describing the costume in which I puinted his portrait ; and afterwards reciting the most remarkable incidents of his life, as I had them from the Traders and the Lidian agents, and after- wards corroborated by his own words, translated to me as he spoke, whilst I was writing them down. The dress of Mah-to-toh-pa then, the greater part of which I have repre- s^ented in his full-length portrait, and which I shall now describe, was pur- chased of him after I had painted his picture ; and every article of it can be seen in my Indian Gallery by the side of the portrait, provided I succeed in getting them home to the civilized world without injury. Mah-to-toh-pa had agreed to stand before me for his portrait at an early liour of the next morning, and on that day I sat with my palette of colours prepared, and waited till twelve o'clock, before he could leave his toilette V ith feelings of satisfaction as to the propriety of his looks and the arrange- n.ent of his equipments; and at that time it was announced, that " Mali-to- loh-pa was coming in full dress ! " I looked out of the door of the wig- Nvam, and saw him approaching with a firm and elastic step, accompanied by a great crowd of women and children, who were gazing on him with admiration, and escorting him to my room. No tragedian ever trod the stage, nor gladiator ever entered the Roman Forum, with more grace and manly dignity than did Mah-to-toh-pa enter the wigwam, where I was in readiness to receive him. He took his attitude before me (plate 64), and with the sternness of a Brutus and the stillness of a statue, he stood until the dark- VOL. I. « V I 7 ' :' l> :| !i i. i 1 ' 1 ' \ n. n 1 1 1 .1 ■■I'l M ^, ItG nfss of niglit broke upon the solitary stillness. His dress, which was a very s|)l(!ndid one, was complete in all its parts, and consisted of a shirt or tunic, leggings, moccasins, head-dress, necklace, shield, bow and quiver, lance, tobacco-sack, and pipe; robe, belt, and knife; medicine-bag, tomahawk, and war-club, or po-ko-mo-kon. The shirt, of which I have spoken, was made of two skins of the mountain- sheep, beautifully dressed, and sewed together by seams which rested upon the arms ; one skin hanging in front, upon the breast, and the other falling down upon the back ; the head being passed between them, and they falling over and resting on the shoulders. Across each shoulder, and somewhat in the form of an epaulette, was a beautiful band ; and down each arm from the neck to the hand was a similar one, of two inches in width (and crossing the other at right angles on the shoulder) beautifully embroidered with por- cupine quills worked on the dress, and covering the seams. To the lower edge of these bands the whole way, at intervals of half an inch, were attached long locks of black hair, which he had taken with his own hand <'rom the heads of his enemies whom he had slain in battle, and which he thus wore as a trophy, and also as an ornament to his dress. The front and back of the shirt were curiously garnished in several parts with porcupine quills and paintings of the battles he had fought, and also with representations of the victims that had fallen by his hand. The bottom of the dress was bound or hemmed v^ith ermine skini, and tassels of ermines' tails were suspended from the arms and the shoulders. The Leggings, which were made of deer skins, beautifully dressed, and iltting tight to the leg, extended from the feet to the hips, and were fastened to a belt which was passed around the waist. These, like the shirt, had a similar band, worked with porcupine quills of richest dyes, passing down the seam o'.i the outer part of the leg, and fringed aiso the whole length of the leg, with the scalp-locks taken from his enemies' heads. The Moccasins were of buckskin, and covered in almost every part with the beautiful embroidery of porcupines' quills. The Head-dress, which was superb and truly magnificent, consisted of a crest of war-eagles' quills, gracefully falling back from the forehead ov^r tl c back part of the head, and extending quite down to his feet; set the wholti way in a profusion of ermine, and surmounted on the top of the head, '■vilii the horns of the buffalo, shaved thin and highly polished. The Necklicc was made of fifty hu^e claws or nails of the grizzly bear, ingeniously arranged on the skin of an otter, and worn, like the scalp-locks, as a trophy — as an evidence unquestionable, that he had contended with and overcome that desperate enemy in open combat. llh Shield was made of the hide of the buffalo's neck, and hardened with the glue that was taken from its hoofs ; its boss was the skin of a pole-cat, and its edges were fringed with rows of eagles' quills and hoofs of the antelope His Bow was of bone, and as white and beautiful as ivory ; over its back J8 ! m^^rm* Ff i i ■ 1 V ; 1 ii Ij li'!'. 147 was laid, and firmly attached to it, a coating of deere' sinews, which gave it its elasticity, and of course death to all that stood ininiically before it. Its string was three stranded and twisted of sinews, which many a time had twanged and sent the whizzing death to animal and to human victims. The Quiver was made of a panther's skin and hung upon his back, charged with its deadly arrows ; some were poisoned and some were not ; they were feathered with hawks' and eagles' quills ; some were clean and innocent, and pure, and others were stained all over, with animal ami human blood that was dried upon them. Their blades or points were of flints, and some of steel ; and altogether were a deadly magazine. The Lance or spear was held in his left hand ; its blade was two-ed°-ed and of polished steel, and the blood of several human victims was seen dried upon it, one over the other; its shaft was of the toughest ash, and orna- mented at intervals with tufls of war-easles' quills. His Tobacco-sack was made of the skin of an otter, and tastefully gar- nished with quills of the porcupine ; in it was carried his k'nick-k'yieck, (the bark of the red willow, which is smoked as a substitute for tobacco), it contained also his flint and steel, and spunk for lighting His Pipe, which was ingeniously carved out of the red steatite (or pipe- stone), the stem of which was three feet long and two inches wide, made from the stalk of the young ash ; about half its length was wound v itii delicate braids of the porcupine's quills, so ingeniously wrought as to represent figures of men and animals upon it. (t was also ornamented with the skins and beaks of wood-peckers* heads, and the hair of the white buffalo's tail. The lower half of the stem was painted red, and on its edges it bore the notches he iiud recorded for the snows (or years) of his life. His Robe was made of the skin of a young buffalo bull, with the fur on one side, and the other finely and delicately dressed ; with all the battles- uf his life emblazoned on it by his own hand. His Belt, which was of a substantial piece of buckskin, was firmly girded around his waist; and in it were worn his tomahawk and scalping-knil'e. His Medicine-bag was the skin of a beaver, curiously ornamented with hawks' bills and ermine. It was held in his right hand, and his po-ko-mo- kon (or war-club) which was made of a round stone, tied up in a piece of rawhide, and attached to the end of a stick, somewhat in the form of a sling, was laid with others of his weapons at his feet. Such was the dress of Mah-to-toii-pa when he entered my wigwam to stand for his picture ; but such I have not entirely represented it in his por- trait ; having rejected such trappings and ornaments as interfered with the grace and simplicity of the figure. He was beautttully and extravagantly dressed ; and in this he was not alone, for hundreds of others are equally elegant. In plumes, and arms, and ornaments, he is not singular ; but in laurels and wreaths he stands unparalleled. His breast has been bared and scarred in defence of bis country, and his brows crowned with honours ^ ■WW l^ t i l>i ! i ''i I I i I i I » i If '.i It i- 1i! 1 i! 148 tliat elevate him conspicuous above all nf his nation. There is no man amongst the Mdndans so generally loved, nor any one who wears a robe so justly famed and honourable as that of Mah-to-toh-pa. I said his robe was of the skin of a young buifalo bull, and that the battles of I'lis life were emblazoned on it ; and on a former occasion, that he presented me a beautiful robe, containing all the battles of his life, which he had spent two weeks' time in copying from his original one, which he wore on his shoulders. This robe, with his tracings on it, is the chart of his military life ; and when explained, will tell more of Mah-to-toh-pa. Some days after this robe was presented, he called upon me with Mr. Kipp, the trader and interpreter for the Mandans, and gave me of each battle there pourtrayed the following history, which was interpreted by Mr. Kipp, from his own lips, and written down by me, as we three sat upon the robe. Mr. Kipp, who is a gentleman of respectability and truth ; and who has lived with these people ten years, assured me, that nearly every one of these narrations were of events that had happened whilst he had lived with them, and had been familiarly known to him ; and that every word that he asserted was true And again, reader, in this country where, of all countries I ever was in, men are the most jealous of rank and of standing ; and in a community so small also, that every man's deeds of honour and chivalry are familiarly known to all ; it would not be reputable, or even safe to life, for a warrior to wear upon his back the representations of battles he never had fought ; professing to have done what every child in the village would know he never had done. So then I take the records of battles on the robe of Mah-to-tohpa to be matter of historical fact ; and I proceed to give them as I wrote them down from his own lips. Twelve battle-scenes are there represented, where he has contended with his enemy, and in which he has taken fourteen of their scalps. The groups are drawn according to his own rude ideas of the arts ; and I proceed to describe them in turn, as they were explained to me. ROBE OF MAH-TO-TOH-PA (Plati 65). 1. Mah-to-toh-pa kills a Sioux chief — the three heads represent the three Riccarees, whom the Sioux chief had previously killed. The Sioux chief is seen with war-paint black on his face. Mah-to-toh-pa is seen with the scalp of the Sioux in one hand, and his knife in the other, with his bow and quiver lying behind him.* 2. A Sliienne chief, who sent word to Mah-to-toh-pjt that he wished to fight him — was killed by Mah-to-toh-pa with a lance, in presence of a large " T!ie reader will see in plate 6!i, an accurate drawing of this curious robe, which now hangs in the Indian Gallery, and on the following pages, each group numbered, and delineated on a larger scalo, which are fuC'similes of the drawings on the robe ) M ; and f: f'f 1 1 i 1 t 'V 1 \ i I ■ i 'I' : '^i 11 i 1 \ ',j. ^ !j ; !■ |if " ll|:M ill i:i <<< w i' * '■:1 « I It 1 if 1= ' ir i; 11 r ii f i!» r i .1 1 , 1 J 1 i ' i i i ' i j '■■; ( '> III 1 i 1 ! \ 1 hi Ji "I: 1 i! i * i; (■ I-.' '' hi i 4| if i i 1!^ V h\ 149 party of Mandnns and Sliicnncs. Mali-to-tol. pa is here known by liis Innce with f nglos' quills on it. .'t, A Shiennc killed by Mah-to-toh-pa after Mali-to-toh-pa had Ix-cn led by his party, badly wounded and bleeding: the twenty-five or thirty fout- tracks around, represent the number of Shienncs, who were present when the buttle took place ; and the bullets from their guns represented us Hying all around the head of Mah-to-toh-pa. 4. tShienne chief with war-euglc head-dress, and a beautiful shield, ornamented with eagles' quills, killed by Mah-to-toh-pa. In this battle the wife of the Shiennc rushed forward in a desperate manner to his assistance ; but arriving too late, fell a victim. In this battle Mah-to-toh-pa obtained two scalps. 5. Mah-to-toh-pa, with a party of Riccarnes, fired at by a party of Sioux; the Riccarees fled — Muh-to-toh-pa dismounted and drove his horse back, facing the enemy alone and killing one of them. Mah-to-toh-pa is here represented with a beautiful head-dress of war-eagles' quills, and one on his horse's head of equal beauty ; his shield is on his arm, and the party o( Sioux is represented in front of him by the number of horse tracks. 6. The brother of Muh-to-toh-pa killed by a Riccaree, who shot him with an arrow, and then running a lance through his body, left it there. Mah-to-toh-pa was the first to find his brother's body with the lance in it : he drew the lance from the body, kept it four years with the blood dried ou its blade, and then, according to his oath, killed the same Riccaree with the same lance ; the dead body of his brother is here seen with the arrow and lance remaining in it, and the tracks of the Riccaree's horses in front. The following was, perhaps, one of the most extraordinary exploits of this remarkable man's life, and is well attested by Mr. Kipp, and several while men, who were living in the Mandan village at the time of its occurrence. In a skirmish, near the Mandan village, when they were set upon by their enemies, the Riccarees, the brother of Mah-to-toh-pa was missing for several days, when Mah-to-toh-pa found the body shockingly mangled, and a handsome spear left piercing the body through the heart. The spear was by him brought into the Mandan village, where it was recognized by many as a famous weapon belonging to a noted brave of the Riccarees, by the name of Won-ga-tap. This spear was brandished through the Mandan village by Mah-to-toh-pa (with tlie blood of his brother dried on its blade), crying most piteously, and swearing that he would some day revenge the death of his brother with the same weapon. It is almost an incredible fact, that he kept this spear with great care in his wigwam for the space of four years, in the fruitless expectation jf an opportunity to use it upon the breast of its owner; when his indignant soul, impatient of further delay, buist forth in the most uncontroulable frenzy and fury ; he again brandished it through the village, and said, that the blood of his brother's heart which was seen on its blade wis yet fresh, A '1 i: i. M' ;- <■>. FJ '! 4i F ■ * 1 150 nrul called loudly for revenge. " Let every Mandan (said he) be silent, and let 110 one sound the name of Mah-to-toli-pa — let no one ask for him, nor where he has gone, until you lieur him sound the war-cry in front of the vilhiro, when he will enter it and shew you the blood of Won-ga-tap. Thi< blade of this lance shall drink the heart's blood of Won-ga-tap, or Muh-to-toh-pa mingles his shadow with that of his brother." With this he sallied forth from the village, and over the plains, with the lanee in his hand ; his direction was towards the Riccaree village, and all ryes were upon him, though none dared to speak till he disappeared over tiie distant grassy blufts. He travelled the distance of two hundred miles entirely alone, with a little parched corn In his pouch, making his marches by night, and laying secreted by days, until he reached the Riccaree village; where (being acquainted with its shapes and its habits, and knowing the position of the wigwam of his doomed enemy) he loitered about in disguise, mingling himself in the obscure throng; and at last, silently and alone, observed through the rents of the wigwam, the last motions and movements of his victim, as he retired to bed with his wife : he saw him light his last pipe and smoke it " to its end" — he saw the last whiff, and saw the last curl of blue smoke that faintly steeped from its bowl — he saw the village awhile in darkness and silence, and the embers that were covered in the middle of the wigwam gone nearly out, and the last flickering light which had been gently playing over them ; when he walked softly, but not slyly, into the wigwam and seated himself by the fire, over which was hanging a large pot, with a quantity of cooked meat remaining in it ; and by the side of the firo, the pipe and tobacco-pouch which had just been used ; and knowing that the twilight of the wigwam was not sufficient to disclose the features of his face to his enemy, he very deliberately turned to the pot and completely satiated the desperate appetite, which he had got In a journey of six or seven days, with little or nothing to eat ; and thei, as deliberately, charged and lighted the pipe, and sent (no doubt, In every whiff that he drew through its stem) a prayer to the Great Spirit for a moment longer for the consummation of his design. Whilst eating and smoking, the wife of his victim, while 'aying in bed, several times enquired of her husband, what man It was who was eating in their lodge ? to which, he as many times replied, " It's no matter ; let him eat, for he is probably hungry." Mah-to-toh-pa knew full well that his appearance would cause no other reply than this, from the dignitary of the nation ; for, from an invariable custom amongst these Northern Indians, any one who is hungry is allowed to walk into any man's lodge and eat. Whilst smoking his last gentle and tremulous whiffs on the pipe, Mah-to-toh-pa (leaning back, and turning gradually on his side, to get a better view of the position of his enemy, and to see a little more distinctly the shapes of things) stirred the embers with his toes (readers, 1 had every word of this from his own lips, and every attitude and gesture acted out with his own limbs),, until he saw his Pi¥ ■^r Tf '..///// ■•i-z rf U ! (■; V''^% Pi'1 t« M way was clear ; at which moment, with his lance I'a his hands, he rose and drove it through the body of his enemy, and snatchmg the scalp from his head, he darted from the lodge — and quick as lightning, with the lance in one hand, and the scalp in the other, made his way to the prairie ! The village was in an uproar, but he was off, and no one knew the enemy who had struck the blow. Mah-to-toh-pa ran all night, and lay close during the days ; thanking the Great Spirit for strengthening his heart and his arm to this noble revenge ; and prayed fervently for a continuance of his aid and protection till he should get back to his own village. His prayers were heard ; and on the sixth morning, at sunrise, Mah-to-toh-pa descended the bluiTs, and entered the village amidst deafening shouts of applause, while he brandished and shewed to his people the blade of his lance, with the blood of his victim dried upon it, over that of his brother ; and tha scalp of Won-ga-tap suspended from its handle Such was the feat represented by Mah-to-toh-pa on his robe — and the lance, of which I have just spoken, is seen in the hand of his portrait, which will stand in my Gallery, and of which I have thus formerly spoken : — " The lance or spear of Mah-to-toh-pa, when he stood for his portrait, was held in his left hand ; its blade was two-edged, and of polished steel, and the blood of several human victims was seen dried upon its surface, one over the other ; its shaft was of the toughest ash, and ornamented at intervals with tufts of war-eagle's quills." In the portrait, of which I am speaking, there will be seen an eagle's quill balanced on the hilt of the lance, severed from its original position, and loose from the weapon. Wh ^n I painted his portrait, he brought that quill to my wigwam in his left hand, and carefully balancing it on the lance, as seen in the painting ; he desirec me to be very exact with it, to have it appear as separate from, and unconnected with, the lance ; and to represent a spot of blood which was visible upon it. I indulged him in his request, and then got from him the following explanation : — "That quill (said he) is great medicine I it belongs to the Great Spirit, and not to me — when I was running out of the lodge of Won-ga-tap, I looked back and saw that quill hanging to the wound in his side ; I ran back, and pulling it out, brought it home in my left hand, and I have kept it for the Great Spirit to this day !" " Why do you not then tie it on to the lance again, where it came off?" " Hush-sh (said he), if the Great Spirit had wished it to be tied on in that place, it never would have come off; he has been kind to me, and I will not offend him." 7. A Riccaree killed by Mah-to-toh-pa in revenge of the death of a white man killed by a Riccaree in the Fur Traders' Fort, a short time previous. 8. Mah-to-toh-pa, or four bears, kills a Shienne chief, who challenged him to single combat, in presence of the two war-parties ; they fought on horse- back with guns, until Mah-to-toli-pa's powder-horn was shot away ; they then fought with bows and arrows, until their quivers were emptied, when they m flit f I' ' li I, ; 152 dismounted and fougtit single-handed. Tlie Shienne drew his knife, and Mah-to-toh-pa had left his; they struggled for the knife, which Mah-to-toh-pa wr(^sted from the Shienne, and killed him with it; in the struggle, the blade of the knife was several times drawn through the hand of Mah-to-toh- pa. and the blood is seen running from the wound. This extraordinary occurrence also, was one which admits of, and deserves a more elaborate description, which I will here give as it was translated from his own lips, while he sat upon the robe, pointing to his painting of it; and at the same time brandishing the identical knife which he drew front his belt, as he was snewing how the fatal blow was given ; and exhibit- ing the wounds inflicted in his hand, as the blade of the knife was several times drawn through it before he wrested it from his antagonist. A party of about 150 Shienne warriors had made an assault upon the Mandan village at an early hour in the morning, and driven off a consider- able number of horses, and taken one scalp. Mah-to-toh-pa, who was then a young man, but famed as one of the most valiant of the Mandans, took the lead of a party of fifty warriors, all he could at that time muster, and went in pursuit of the enemy ; about noon of the second day, they came in sight of the Shiennes; and the Mandans seeing their enemy much more numerous than they had expected, were generally disposed to turn about and return without attacking them. They started to go back, when Mah-to-toh-pa galloped out in front upon the prairie, and plunged his lance into the ground ; the blade was driven into the earth to its hilt — he made another circuit around, and in that circuit tore from his breast his reddened sash, which he hung upon its handle as a flag, calling out to the Mandans, " What! have we come to this? we have doggid our enemy two days, and now when we have found them, are we to turn about and go back like cowards? Mah-to-toh-pa's lauce", which is red with the blood of brave men, has led you to the sight of your enemy, and you have followed it; it now stands firm in the ground, where the earth will drink the blood of Mah- to-toh-pa ! you may all go back, and Mah-to-toh-pa will fight them alone!" During this manoeuvre, the Shiennes, who had discovered the Mandans behind them, had turned about and were gradually approaching, in order to give them battle ; the chief of the Shienne war-party seeing and under- standing the difficulty, and admiring the gallant conduct of Mah-to-toh-pa, galloped his horse forward within hailing distance, in front of the Mandans, and called out to know " who he was who had stuck down his lance and defied the whole enemy alone ?" " I am Mah-to-toh-pa, second in command of the brave and valiant Mandans." " 1 have heard often of Mah-to-toh-pa, he is a great warrior — dares Mah-to-toh-pa to come forward and fight this battle with me alone, and our warriors will look on ? " " Is he a chief who speaks to Mah-to-toh-pa'" i i: i ri'M A^l i A 1: f 1 1 1 U'-\ 1 ■ 1 1 ) '' ' • '■ ; i 1; I- ) ■ ,1 ii r I III {' '[ I >d< M It • I 153 " My scalps you see hanging^ to my horse's bits, and licre is my lanca with the ermine skins and the war-eagle's tail ! " •* You have said enough." The Shienne c:iief made a circuit or two at full gallop on a beautiful white horse, when he struck his lance into the ground, and left it standing by tho side of the lance of Mah-to-toh-pa, both of which were waving together their little red flags, tokens of blood and defiance. The two parties then drew nearer, on a beautiful prairie, and the two full- plumed chiefs, at full speed, drove furiously upon earh other ! both firing their guns at the same moment. They passed each other a little distance and wheeled, when Mah-to-toh-pa drew off his powder-horn, and by hold- ing it up, shewed his adversary that the bullet had shattered it to pieces and destroyed his ammunition ; he then threw it from him, and his gun also— drew his bow from his quiver, and an arrow, and his shield upon his left arm ! The Shienne instantly did the same ; his horn was thrown off, and his gun was thrown into the lir — his shield was balanced on his arm — his bow drawn, and quick as lightning, they were both on the wing for a deadly combat ! Like two soaring eagles in the open air, they made their circuits around, and the twangs of their sinewy bows were heard, and the war-whoop, as they dashed by each other, parrying off the whizzing arrows with their shields ! Some lodged in their legs and others in their arms ; but both protected their bodies with their bucklers of bull's hide. Deadly and many were the shafts that fled from their murderous bows. At length the horse of Mah-to-toh-pa fell to the ground with an arrow in his heart ! his rMer sprang upon his feet prepared to renew the combat ; but the Shienne, seeing his adversary dismounted, sprang from his. horse, and driving liim back, presented the face of his shield towards his enemy, inviting him to come on ! — a few shots more were exchanged thus, when the Shienne, having discharged all his arrows, held up his empty quiver and dashing it furiously to the ground, with his bow and his shield ; drew and brandished his naked knife ! "Yes!" said Mah-to-toh-pa, as he threw his shield and quiver to the earth, and was rushing up — he grasped for his knife, but his belt had it not ; he had left it at home ! his bow was in his hand, with which he parried his antagonist's blow and felled him to the ground ! A desperate struggle now ensued for the knife— the blade of it was several times drawn through the right hand of Mah-to-toh-pa, inflicting the most frightful wounds,while he was severely wounded in several parts of the body. He at length succeeded how- ever, in wresting it from his adversary's hand, and plunged it to his heart. By this time the two parties had drawn up in close view of each other, and at the close of the battle, Mah-to-toh-pa held up, and claimed in deadly silence, the knife and scalp of the noble Siiienne chief.* • This celebrated weapon with the blood of several victims dried upon its blade, now VOL. I. * i! (.; 9. Several hundred Minatarrees and Ma;idan8 attacked by a party of Assinneboins — all fled but Mah-to-toli-pa, who stooti his ground, fired, and killed one of the enemy, putting the rest of them to flight, and driving off* sixty horses ! He is here seen with his lance and shield — foot-tracks of his enemy in front, and his own party's horse-tracks behind him, and a shower of bullets flying around his head ; here he got the name of ** the four bears," as the Assinneboins said he rushed on like four bears. 10. Mah-to-toli-pa gets from his horse and kills two Ojibbeway women, and takes their scalps ; done by the side of an Ojibbeway village, where they went to the river for water. He is here seen with his lance in one hand and his knife in the other — an eagle's plume head-dress on his horse, and his shield left on his horse's back. I incurred his ill-will for awhile by asking him, whether it was manly to boast of taking the scalps of women ? and hi« pride prevented him from giving me any explanation or apology. The interpreter, however, explained to me that he had secreted himself in the most daring manner, in full sight of the Ojibbeway village, seeking to revenge a murder, where he remained six days without sustenance, and then killed the two women in full view of thn tribe, and made his escape, which entitled him to the credit of a victory, though his victims were women. 1 1 . A large party of Assinneboins entrenched near the Mandan village attacked by the Mandans and Minatarrees, who were driven back — Mah- to-toh-pa rushes into the entrenchment alone — an Indian iires at him and burns his face with the muzzle of his gun, which burst — the Indian retreats, leaving his exploded gun, and Mah-to-toh-pa shoots him through the shoulders as he runs, and kills him with his tomahawk ; the gun of the Assinneboin is seen falling to the ground, and in front of him the heads or* the Assinneboins in the entrenchment ; the horse of Mah-to-toh-pa is seet.' behind him. 12. Mah-to-toh-pa between his enemy the Sioux, and his own people., with an arrow shot through him, after standing the Are of the Sioux for a long time alone. In this battle he took no scalps, yet his valour was so ex- traordinary that the chiefs and braves awarded him the honour of a victory. This feat is seen ia the centre of the robe — head-dress of war-eagles' quills on his own and his horse's head— the tracks ofhis enemies' horses are seen in front of him, and bullets flying both ways all around him. With his whip in his hand, he is seen urging his horse forward, and an arrow is seen Hying, and bloody, as it has passed through his body. For this wound, and the several others mentioned above, he bears the honourable scars on his body, which he generally keeps covered with red paint. Such are the battles traced upon the robe of Mah-to-toh-pa or four bears, interpreted by J. Kipp from the words of the hero while sitting upon the robe, explaining each battle as represented. hangs in the Indian Gallery, with satisfactory certificates of its identity and its remark- able history, and an exact drawing of it and its scabbard can be seen in flate 99, u. I , 166 LETTER— No. 22. MAND/^N VILLAGE, UPPER MISSOURI. Oil ! "horribile visu — et mirabile dictul" Thank God, it is over, that I have seen it, and am able to tell it to the world. The annual religious ceremony, of four days, of which I have so often spoken, and which I have so long been wishing to see, has at last been en- acted in this village ; and I have, fortunately, been able to see and to under- stand it in most of its bearings, which was more than I had reason to expect; for no white man, in all probability, has ever been before admitted to the medicine- lodye during these most remarkable and appalling scenes. Well and truly has it been said, that the Mandans are a strange and peculiar people ; and most correctly had I been informed, that this was an important and interesting scene, by those who had, on former occasions, witnessed such parts of it .as are transacted out of doors, and in front of the medicine-lodge. Since the date of my last Letter, I was lucky enough to have painted the medicine-man, who was high-priest on this grand occasion, or conductor of the ceremonies, who had me regularly installed doctor or " medicine;" and who, on the morning when these grand refinements in mysteries com- menced, took me by the arm, and led me into the medicine-lodge, where the Fur Trader, Mr. Kipp, and his two clerks accompanied m i in close atten- dance for four days ; all of us going to our own quarters at sun-down, and returning again at sun-rise the next morning. I took my sketch-book with me, and have made many and faithful drawings of what we saw, and full notes of everything as translated to me by the interpreter; and since the close of that horrid and frightful scene, which was a week ago or more, 1 have been closely ensconced in an earth- covered wigwam, wi»h a fine sky-light over my head, with my palette and brushes, endeavouring faithfully to put the whole of what we saw upon canvass, which my companions all gree to be critically correct, and of the fidelity of whi .a they have attached their certificates to the backs of the paintings. 1 have made four paintings of these strange scenes, containing several hundred figures, representing the transactions of each day ; and if I live to get them home, they will be found to be exceedingly curious and interesting. I shudder at the relation, or even at the thought o( these barbarous and ^Mm 1.06 1.1 i f '! criirl scenes, and am almost ready to Hhrink from the task of reciting lliom nrter I have so long promised some account of them. I entered th*' medi' cine-house of these scenes, as I would have entered a church, and expected to see something extraordinary and strange, but yet in the form of worship or devotion ; but alas ! little did I expect to see the interior of their holy temple turned into a slaughter-house, and its floor strewed with the blood of its fanatic devotees. Little did I think that I was entering a house of God, where His blinded worshippers were to pollute its sacred interior with their blood, and propitiatory suffering and tortures — surpassing, if possible, the cruelty of the rack or the inquisition ; but such the scene has been, and as such I will endeavour to describe it. The "Mandan religious ceremony" then, as I Iwlieveitis very justly deno- minated, is an annual transaction, held in their medicine-lodge once a year, as a great religious anniversary, and for several distinct objects, as I shall in a few minutes describe; during and after which, they look with implicit reliance for the justificdtion and approval of the Great Spirit. AH of the Indian tribes, as I have before observed, are religious — are worshipful — and many of them go to almost incredible lengths (as will be seen in the present instance, and many others I may recite) in worshipping the Great Spirit; denying and humbling themselves before Him for the siime purpose, and in the same hope as we do, perhaps m a more rational and acceptable way. The tribes, so far as I have visited them, all distinctly believe in the existence of a Great (or Good) Spirit, an Evil (or Bad) Spirit, and also in a future existence and future accountability, according to their virtues and vices in this world. So far the North American Indians would seem to be one family, and such an unbroken theory amongst them ; yet with regard to the manner and form, and time and place of that accountability — to tht; constructions of virtues and vices, and the modes of appeasing and propitia- tino: the Good and Evil Spirits, they are found with all the changes and variety which fortuitous circumstances, and fictions, and fables have wrought upon them. If from their superstitions and their ignorance, there are oftentimes ob- scurities and mysteries thrown over and around their system, yet these affect not the theory itself, which is everywhere essentially the same — and which, if it be not correct, has this much to command the admiration of the en- lightened world, that they worship with great sincerity, and all according to one creed. Tiie Mandans believe in the existence of a Great (or Good) Spirit, and also of an Evil Spirit, who they say existed long before the Good Spirit, and is far superior in power. They all believe also in a future state of existence, and a fulure administrat'on of rewards and punishmenU, and (so do all father tribes that I have yet visited) they believe those punishments are not ctoriMl, but commensurate with their sins. 157 These people living in a climate wlicrc tliey sufler from cold in the gcverity of tlicir winters, have very naturally reversed our ideas of Heaven and Hell. Tlie latter tliey describe to be a country very far to the north, of barren and hideous aspect, and covered with eternal snows and ice. The torments of this free/ing place they describe as most excruciating ; whiUt Heaven they suppose to be in a warmer and delightful latitude, where nothing is felt but the keenest enjoyment, and where the country abounds in buffaloes and other luxuries of life. The Great or Good Spirit they believe dwells in the former place fur the purpose of there mcetini; those who have offended him ; increas- ing the apony of their sufferings, by being himself present, administering the penalties. The Bad or Evil Spirit they at the same time suppose to reside in Paradise, still tempting the happy; and those who have gone to the regions of punishment they believe to be tortured for a time proportioned to the amoimt of their transgressions, and that they are then to be transferred to the land of the happy, where they are again liable to the temptations of the Evil Spirit, and answerable again at a future period for their new offences. Such is the religious creed of the Mandans, and for the purpose of ap- peasing the Good and Evil Spirits, and to secure their entrance into those " fields Elysian," or beautiful hunting grounds, do the young men subject themselves to the horrid and sickening cruelties to be described in the fol- lowing pages. There are other three distinct objects (yet to be named) for which these religious ceremonies are held, which are as follow : — Firsty they are held annually as a celebration of the event of the subsid- ing of the Flood, which they call Mee-nec-ro-ka-ha-sha, (sinking down or settling of the waters.) Secondly, for the purpose of dancing what they call, Bel-lohck-na-pic (the bull-dance) ; to the strict observance of which they attribute the coming of buffaloes to supply them with food during the season ; and Thitdly and lastly, for the purpose of conducting all the young men of the tribe, as they annually arrive to the age of manhood, through an ordeal of privation and torture, which, while it is supposed to harden their muscles and prepare them for extreme endurance, enables the chiefs who are specta- tors to the scene, to decide upon their comparative bodily strength and abll'tv to endure the extreme privations and sufferings that often fall to the lots of Indian warriors ; and that they may decide who is the most hardy and best able to lead a war-party in case of extreme exigency. This part of the ceremony, as I have just witnessed it, is truly shocking to behold, and will almost stagger the belief of the world when they read o it. The scene is too terrible and too revolting to be seen or to be told . were it not an essential part of a whole, which will be new to the civilized world, and therefore worth their knowing. The bull-dance, and many other parts of these ceremonies are exceed- : • I ! V i; 'I 'mWM I f i ii ■ )'» ' ' ingly grotesque and amusinp:, and tliut part of ihcnt wliiuh has a relation to the Dehige ia harmless and full of interest. In the centre of the Mandan village is an open, circular area of 1/jO feet diameter, kept always clear, as a public ground, for the display of all their public foHsts, parades, &c. and around it are their wigwams placed as near to each other as they can well stand, their doors facing the centre of thia public area. In the middle of tliis ground, which is trodden like a hard pav«ment, is a curb (somewhat like a large hogshead standing on its end) made of planks (and bound with hoops), some eight or nine feet high, which they religiously preserve and protect from year to year, free from mark or scratch, and which they call tlie " big canoe" — it is undoubtedly a symbolic representa- tion of a part of their traditional history of the Flood ; which it is very evident, from this and numerous other features of this grand ceremony, they have in some way or other received, and are here endeavouring to perpetuate by vividly impressing it on the minds of the whole nation. This object of superstition, from its position, as the very centre of the village is the rallying point of the whole nation. To it their devotions are paid on various occasions of feasts and religious exercises during the year ; and in this extraordinary scene it was often the nucleus of their mysteries and cruelties, as I shall shortly describe them, and becomes an object worth bearing in mind, and worthy of being understood. This exciting and appalling scene, then, which is familiarly (and no doubt correctly) called the " Mandan religious ceremony," commences, not on a particular day of the year, (for these people keep no record of days or weeks), but at a particular season, which is designated by the full expansion of the willow leaves under ;: 5 bank of the river; for according to their tradition, " the twig that the bird brought home was a willow bough, and had full- grown leaves on it," and the bird to which they allude, is the mourning or tur- tle-dove, which they took great pains to point out to me, as it is often to be seen feeding on the sides of their earth-covered lodges, and which, being, as they call it, a medicine-bird, is not to be destroyed or harmed by any one, and even their dogs are instructed not to do it injury. On the morning on which this strange transaction commenced, I was sitting at breakfast in the house of the Trader, Mr. Kipp, when at sun-rise, we were suddenly startled by the shrieking and screaming of the women, and bark- ing and howling of dogs, as if an enemy were actually storming their village. " Now we have it !" (exclaimed mine host, as he sprang from the table,) the grand ceremony has commenced! — drop your knife and fork, Monsi. and get your sketch-book as soon as possible, that you may lose nothing, for the very moment of commencing is as curious as anything else of this sfrange affair." I seized my sketch-book, and all hands of us were in an instant in front of the medicine-lodge, ready to see and to hear all that was to tuke place. Groups of women and children were gathered on the tops of their earth-coverpd wigwams, and all were screaminq^, and dogs were howling;, and all eyes directed to the prairies ki the West, where was beheld at a mile distant, a solitary individual descending a prairie bluff, and makin<; his way in a direct line towards the village ! The whole community joined in the general expiession of great alarm, as if they were in danger of instant destruction ; bows were strung and thrumed to test their elasticity — their horses were caught upon the prairie and run into the village —warriors were blackening their faces, and dogs were muzzled, and every preparation made, as if for instant combat During this deafening din and confusion within the piquets of the village of the Mandans, the figure discovered on the prairie continued to approacii with a dignified step and in a right line towards the village; all eyes were upon him, and he at length made hist appearance (without opposition) within the pi(|uets, and proceeded towards the centre of the village, where all the chiefs and braves stood ready to receive him, which they did in a cordial manner, by shaking hands with him, recognizing him as an old acquaintance, and pronouncing his name Nu-mohk-muck-a-nah (the first or only man). The body of this strange personage, which was chiefly raked, was painted with white clay, so as to resemble at a little distance, a white man ; he wore a robe of four white wolf skins falling back over his shoulders ; on his head he had a splendid head-dress made of two ravens' skins, and in his left hand he cautiously carried a large pipe, which he seemed to watch and guard as something of great importance. After passing the chiefs and braves n^ described, he approached the medicine or mystery lodge, which he had the means of opening, and which had been religiously closed during the year except for the performance of these religious rites. Having opened and entered it, he called in four men whom he appointed to I'lean it out, and put it in readiness for the ceremonies, by sweeping it and strewing a profusion of green willow-boughs over its floor, and with them decorating its sides. Wild sage also, and many other aronniatic herbs they gathered from the prairies, and scattered over its floor ; and over these were arranged a curious group of buffalo and human skulls, and otlier articles, which were to be used during this strange and unaccountable trans- action. During the whole of this day, and while these preparations were making in the medicine-lodge, Nu-mohk-muck-a-nah (the first or only man) travel- led through the village, stopping in front of every man's lodge, and crying until the owner of the lodge came out, and asked who he was, and what was the matter ? to which he replied by relating the sad catastrophe which had happened on the earth's surface by the overflowing of the waters, saying that "he was the only person saved from the universal calamity : that he landed his big canoe on a high mountain in the west, where he now resides ; that he had come to open the medicine-lodge, which must needs receive a present of some edged-tool from the owner of every wigwam, that IfiO t.i f it may be sacrificed to the water ; for he says, " if this is not t!onc, there will be another flood, and no one will be saved, as it was with such tools that the big canoe was made." Having- visited every lodge or wigwam in the village, during the day, and having received such a present at each, as a hatchet, a knife, &c. (which is undoubtedly always prepared and ready for the occasion), he returned at evening and deposited tliem in the medicine- lodye, where they remained until the afternoon of the last day of the ceremony, when, as the final or closing scene, they were thrown into the river in a deep place, from a bank thirty feet high, and in presence of the whole village ; from whence they can never be recovered, and where they were, undoubtedly, sacrificed to the Spirit of the Water. Dnri>>g tlie first night of this strange character in the village, no one could tell where he slept ; and every person, both old and young, and dogs, an 1 all living things were kept within doors, and dead silence reigned every where. On the next morning at sunrise, however, he made his appearance again, and entered the medicine-lodge ; and at his heels (in " Indian Jile," i. e. single file, one following in another's tracks) all the young men who were candidates for the self-tortures which were to be inflicted, and for the honours that were to be bestowed by the chiefs on those who could most manfully endure them. There were on this occasion about fifty young men who entered the lists, and as they went into the sacred lod^^e, each one's body was chiefly naked, and covered with clay of differen' colours ; some werfj red, others were yellow, and some were covered with white clay, giving them the appearance of white men. Each one of them carried in his right hand his medicine-bag — on his left arm, his shield of the bull's hide — in his left hand, his bow and arrows, with his quiver slung on his back. When all had entered the lodge, they placed ihemselve; in reclining pos- tures around its sides, and each one had suspended over his head his respective weapons and medicine, presenting altogether, one of the most wild and picturesque scenes imaginable. Nu-mohk-muck-a-nah (the first or only man) was in the midst of them, and having lit and smoked his medicine-pipe for their success ; and having addressed them in a short speech, stimulating and encouraging them *o trust to the Great Spirit for His protection during the severe ordeal they were about to pass through ; he called into the lodge an old medicine or iiystery-man, whose body was painted yellow, and whom he appointed master of ceremonies during this occasion, whom they denominated in their language 0-kee-pah Ka-se-kah (keeper or conductor of the ceremonies). He was appointed, and the authority passed by the presentation of the medicine-pipe, on which they considei hangs all the power of holding and conducting all thesf* r' iS, After this delegated authority had thus passed over to the medicine- man ; Nu-mohk-muck-a-nah shook hands with him, and bade him good 1 1 ' 161 bye, saying " that he was going back to the mountains in the west, from whence he should assuredly return in just a year from that time, to open the lodge again." He then went out of the lodge, and passing through the village, took formal leave of the chiefs in the same manner, and soon dis- appeared over the bluffs from whence he came. No more was seen of this surprising ciiaractcr during the occasion ; but I shall have something yet to say of him atid his strange office before I get through the Letter. To return to the lodge, — the medicine or mystery-man just appointed, and who had received his injunctions from Nu-mohk-muck-a-nah, was left sole conductor and keeper; and according to those injunctions, it was his duty to lie by a small fire in the centre of the lodge, with his medicine-pipe in his hand, crying to the Great Spirit incessantly, watching the young men, and preventing entirely their escape from the lodge, and all commu- nication whatever with people outside, for the space of four days and nights, during which time they were not a' ved to eat, to drink, or to sleep, preparatory to the excruciating self-tortures which they were to endure on the fourth day. I mentioned that I had made four paintings of these strange scenes, and the first one exhibits the interior of the medicine-loilg" at this moment ; with the young men all reclining around its sides, and the conductor or ir.ystery-man lying by the fire, crying to the Great Spirit (plate 66). It was just at this juncture that I was ushered into this sacred temple of tJieir worship, with my companions, which was, undoubtedly, the first time that their devotions had ever been trespassed upon by the presence of pale faces ; and in this instance had been brought about in the following strange and unexpected manner. I had most luckily for myself, painted a full-length portrait of this great magician or high-priest, but a day previous to the commencement of the ceremonies (in which I had represented him in the performance of some of his mysteries), with which he had been so exceedingly pleased as well as astonished (as " he could see its eyes move"), that I must needs he, in his opinion, deeply skilled in magic and mysteries, and well-entitled to a respectable rank in the craft, to which I had been at once elevated by the unanimous voice of the doctors, and regularly initiated, and styled Te-ho- pee-nee-wash-ee-waska-pooska, the white medicine (or Spirit) painter. With this very honourable degree which had just been conferred upon me, I was standing in front of the medicine-lodge early in the morning, with my companions by my side, end^-avouring to get a peep, if possible, into its sacred interior ; when this masttr of ceremonies, guarding and con- ducting its secrets, as I before dpscribed, came out of the door and taking me with a firm professional affection by the arm, led me into this sanctum sanctorum, which was strictly guarded from, even a peep or a gaze from the vulgar, by a vestibule of eight or ten feet in length, guarded with a double screen or door, and two or three dark and frowning centinels with spears vol.. I. V !l i! 1, m .1 « I ■ « M 111 imin /i , IG'2 or war-clubs in their Iiaiuls. 1 gave the wink to my companions as I was oassinp: in, and the potency of my medicine was such as to gain them a quiet \dmission, and all of ns were comfortably placed on elevated seats, which our conductor soon prepared for us. We were then in full view of cverythini; that transpired in the lod£:e, having before us the scene exactly, wltich is represented in the first of the four pictures. To this seat we returned every morning sit sunrise, and re- mained until sun-down for four days, the whole time which these strange scenes occupied. In addition to the preparations and arrangements of the interior of this sanctuary, as above described, there was a curious, though a very strict arrangement of buffalo and human skulls placed on the floor of the lodge, and between them (which were divided into two parcels), and in front of the reclining group of young candidates, was a small and very delicate scaHTold, elevated about five feet from the ground, made of four posts or crotches, not larger than a gun-rod, and placed some four or five feet apart, supporting four equally delicate rods, resting in the crotches ; tluis forming the frame of the scaflTold, which was completed by a number of still smaller and more delicate sticks, transversely resting upon them. On the centre of tliis little frame rested some small object, which I could not exactly under- stand from the distance of twenty or thirty feet which intervened between it and my eye. I started several times from my seat to approach it, but all eyes were instantly upon me, and every mouth in the assembly sent forth a liush — sh — ! which brought me back to my seat again ; and I at length quieted my stifled curiosity as well as I could, upon learning the fact, that 80 sacred was that object, and so important its secrets or mysteries, that not / alone, but even the young men, who were passing the ordeal, and all the village, save the conductor of the mysteries, were stopped from approaching it, or knowing what it was. This little mystery-thing, whatever it was, had the appearance from where I sat, of a small tortoise or frog lying on its back, with its head and legs quite extended, and wound and tasselled oflT with exceedingly delicate red and blue, and yellow ribbons or tassels, and other bright coloured orna- ments ; and seemed, from the devotions paid to it, to be the very nucleus of their mysteries — the snnctissimus sanctorum, from which seemed to emanate all the sanctity of their proceedings, and to which, all seemed to be paying the highest devotional respect. This strange, yet important essence of their mysteries, I made every enquiry about ; but got no further information of, than what I could learn by my eyes, at the distance at which I saw it, and from the silent respeot which I saw paid to it. I tried with the doctors, and all of the Jraterti ly answered me, that that was ''great medicine," assuring me that it "could not be told." So I quieted my curiosity as well as I could, by the full conviction that I had a degree or two yet to take before I could fathom all K M ' I I i ,! 1* ' ■1 F l^ I: • 1' P^ ■ ! ';. ■• ■ ti" i * rr i rriij • ■ ■ " ' . L!,-. . 1 . , 163 ll e nrcana of Indian superstitions ; and tliat tliij little, seeiniii|,Hy woiideifiil, relic of antiquity, symbol of some grand event, or " secret too valuable to be told," might have been at last nothing but a silly bunch of strings and toys, to which they pay some great peculiar regard ; giving thereby to some favourite Spirit or essence an ideal existence, and which, when called upon to describe, they refuse to do so, calling it *' Great Medicine," for the very reason that there is nothing in it to reveal or dtscribe. Immediately under the little frame or scaffold described, and on the floor of the lodge svas placed a knife, and by the side of it a bundle of splints or skewers, which were kept in readiness for the infliction of the cruelties directly to be explained. There were seen also, in this stage of the aff'air, a number of cords of rawhide hanging down from the top of the lodge, and passing through its roof, with which the young men were to be suspended by the splints passed through their flesh, and drav.n up by men placed on the top of the lodge for the purpose, as will be described in a f' tv n.J- ments. There were also four articles of great veneration and importance lying on the floor of the lodge, which were sacks, containing in each some three i r four gallons of water. These also were objects of superstitious regard, and made with great labour and much ingenuity ; each one of them being con- structed of the skin of the buffalo's neck, and most elaborately sewed to- gttlur in the form of a large tortoise lying on its back, with a bunch of eagle's quills appended to it as a tail ; and each of them having a stick, shaped like a drum-stick, lying on them, with which, in a subsequent stage of these ceremonies, as will be seen, they are beaten upon by several of their mystery-men, as a part of the music for their strange dances and mys- terii* Hy the side of these sacks which they call E'li-teeh-ka, are two other articles of equal importance, which they call Eeh-na-dee (rattles), in the form of a gourd-shell made also of dried skins, and used at the same time as the others, in the music (or rather noise and din) for their dances, &c. These four sackb of water have the appearance of very great antiquity ; and by enquiring of my very ingenious friend and patron, the medicine-man, after the ceremonies were over, he very gravely told me, that " those four tortoises contained the waters from the four quarters of the world — that these waters had been contained therein ever since the settling down of the waters ! " I did not think it best to advance any argument against so ridiculous a theory, and therefore could not even enquire or learn, at what period they had been instituted, or how often, or on what occasions, th^j water in them had been changed or replenished. I made several propositions, through my friend Mr. Ki|)p, the trader and interpreter, to purchase one of these strange things by offering them a very liberal price; to which I received in answer that these, and all the very numerous articles used in these ceremonies, being a society property were ■w r 'W t t 1 1 , 1 »■■ ' .1 f "'* IM > 1 \l- :l li'i ^! ! . I'll- ■i ^11 ; 1:1 ' ,■ I II. < I 164 medicine, and could not be sold for any consideration ; so I abandoned all tlioiighls of obtaininij anytliinir, except wliat I have done by tiie medicine operation of my pencil, which was applied to everything, and even upon that tliey looked witii decided distrust and appreiiension, as a sort of theft or sacrilege. Siidi then was the group, and such the appearance of the interior of the medicine-lodge during the three first, and part of the fourtli day also, of the Mandan religious ceremonies. The medicine-man with a group about him, of young aspirants who were under his sole controul, as was every article and implement to be used, and the sanctity of this solitary and gloomy looking place, which could not be trespassed upon by any man's presence without his most sovereign permission. During the three first days of this solemn conclave, there were many very curious forms and amusements enacted in the open area in the middle of the village, and in front of th- medicine-lodge, by other members of the com- munity, one of which formed a material part or link of these strange cere- monials. This very curious and exceedingly grotesque part of their perform- ance, which they denominated Bel-lohck vuh-pick (the bull-dance) of which 1 have before spoken, as one of the avowed objects for which they held this annual fete ; and to the strictest observance of which they attribute the coming of buffaloes to supply them with food during the season — is repeated four times during the first day, eight times on the second day, twelve times 0.1 the third day, and sixteen times on the fourth day ; and always around llie curb, or " Ing canoe," of which I have before spoken. This subject I have selected for my second picture, and the principal actors in it were eight men, with the entire skins of buffaloes thrown over their backs, with the horns and hoofs and tails remaining on ; their bodies in a horizontal position, enabling them to imitate the actions of the buffalo, whilst they were looking out of its eyes as through a mask (plate 67). The bodies of these men were chiefly naked and all painted in the most extraordinary manner, with the nicest adherence to exact similarity ; their limbs, bodies and faces, being in every part covered, either with black, red, or white paint. Each one of these strange characters had also a lock of buffalo's hair tied around his ancles — in his right hand a rattle, and a slen- der white rod or staff, six feet long, in the other ; and carried on his back, a bunch of green willow boughs about the usual size of a bundle of straw. Tliese eight men, b^ing divided into four pairs, took their positions on the four different sides of the curb or big canoe, representing thereby the four cardinal points; and between each group of them, with the back turned to the big canoe, was another figure, engaged in the same dance, keeping step with them, with a similar staff or wand in one hand and a rattle in the other, and (being four in number) answering again to the four cardinal points. The bodies of these four young men were chiefly naked, with no other dress upon t'^cin than a beautiful krlt (or iiuartz-quaw), around th.; waist, made of eagles i*'|: li 'It Ml 11 !' ,i ,A.\ l! ' ' 165 quiiis and ermine, nnd very splendid heud-dresses made ol the same materiaU. Two of these fissures were painted entirely bl.ick with pounded charcoal and grease, whom they called the " firmament or night," and the numerous white spots which were dotted all over their bodies, they called " stars." The other two were painted from head to foot as red as vermilion could make them ; these they said represented the day, and the white streaks which were painted up and down over their bodes, were " ghosts which the morning rays were chasiitg away." These twelve are the only persons actually engaged in this strange dance, which is each time repeated in the same form, without the slightest variation. There are, however, a great number of characters engaged in giving the whole effect and wildness to this strange and laughable scene, each one acting well his part, and whose offices, strange and inexplicable as they arc, 1 will endeavour to point out and explain as well as I can, from what I saw, elucidated by their own descriptions. This most remarkable scene, then, which is witnessed more or less often on each day, takes place in presence of the whole nation, who are generally gathered around, on the tops of the wigwams or otherwise, as spectators, whilst the young men are reclining and fasting in the lodge as above de- scribed. On the first day, this *' bull-dance" is given ohcc to each of the cardinal points, and the medicine-man smokes his pipe in those directions. On the second day, twice to each ; three times to each on the third day, wnA four times to each on the fourth. As a signal for the dancers and other characters (as well as the public) to assemble, the old man, master of ceremonies, with the medicine-t>ipe in hand, dances out of the lodge, singing (or rather crying) forth a most pitiful lament, until he approaches the big canoe, against which he leans, with the pipe in his hand, and continues to cry. At this instant, four very aged and patriarchal looking men, whose bodies are painted red, and who have been guarding the four sides of the lodge, enter it and bring out the four sacks of water, which they place near the big canoe, where they seat themselves by the side of them and commence thumping on them with the mallets or drumsticks which have been lying on them ; and anotlier brandishes and shakes the eeh-nu-dees or rattles, and all unite to them their voices, raised to the highest pitch possible, as the music for the bull-dunce, which is then commenced and continued for fifteen minutes or more in perfect time, and without cessation or intermis- sion. When the music and dancing stop, which are always perfectly simul- taneous, the whole nation raise the huzza! and a deafening shout of ap- probation ; the master of ceremonies dances back to the medicine- lodge, and the old men return to their former place ; the sacks of water, and all rest as before, until by the same method, they are again called into a similar action. The supernumeraries or other characters who pi ly their parts in this grand spectacle, are numerous and well worth description. By the side of the 166 Mm big canoe arc seen two men with ihe skins of grizzly boars thrown over them, using the skins a- a mask, over their heads. These r.ivcnous animals are continually growling and threatening to devour everything before them and interfering with I lie forms of their religious ceremony. To appease ihem, the women are conlinuull y bringing and placing before them disiies of nieat, which are as often snatched up and carried to the prairie, by two men whose bodies are painted black and their heads while, whom they call bald eagles, who are darting by thern and grasping their food from before them as they pass. These are again chased upo-i the plaiire by a hundred or more small lioys, who are naked, with their bodies painted yellow and their heads white, whom they call Cubris or antelopes ; who at length get the food away from them and devour it; thereby inculcating (perhaps) the beautifid moral, that by the dispensations of Providence, his bountiful gifts will fail at last to the hands of the innocent. During the intervals between these dances, all these characters, except those from the medicine-lodge, retire to a wigwam close by, which thev use on the occasion also as a sacred place, being occupied exclusively by them while they are at rest, and n' • for the purpose of painting and ornamenting their bodies for the occasioi. During each and every one of these dances, the old men who beat upon the sacks and sing, are earnestly chanting forth their supplications to the Great Spirit, for the continuation of hit influence in sending them buffaloes to supply them with food during the year ; they are administering,' courage and fortitude to the young men in the lodge, by telling them, that " the Great Spirit has opened his ears in their behalf — that the very atmosphere all about them is peace — that tlieir women and children can hold the mouth of the grizzly bear — that they have invoked from day to day O-ke-hee-de (the Evil Sjjirit) — that they are still challenging him to come, and yet he has not dared to make his appearance ! " But alas! in the last of these dances, (.n the fourth day, in the midst of all theii mirth and joy, and about noon, and in the height of all these exulta- tions, an instant scream burst forth from the tops of the lodges ! — men, women, dogs and all, seemed actually to howl and shudder with alarm, as they fixed their glaring eye-balls upon the prairie bluff, abtrnt a mile in the west, down the side of which a man was seen descending at full speed towards the village ! This strange character darted about in a zig-zag course in all directions on the prairie, like a boy in pursuit of a butterfly, until he approached the piquets of the village, when it was discovered that his body was entirely naked, and painted as black as a negro, with pounded charcoal and bear's grease; his body was therefore everywhere of a shining black, except occasionally white rings of an inch or more in diameter, which were marked here and there all over him ; and frightful indentures of white around his mouth, resembling canine teeth. Added to his hideous appearance, he gave the most frightful shrieks and screams as he dashed through the village 107 and entered the terrified group, which was composed (in that quarter) chiefly of females, who had assembled to wiiticss tlie ainustemeuts which were tran- spiring around the " big canoe." Thisunearti y looking creature carried in histwohands a wand orstaffof eight or nine feet in Kngth, with a red ball at tin,' end of i(, which he con- tinually slid on the <|round u-head of hint as he ran. All ch'H in the viMage, ave those of the persons engaged in the damp, were centred upon him, and he made a desperate rush towards the women, who screamed for pro- tection as they were endeavouring to retreat; and falling iit groups upon each other us they were struggling to t;et out of his reacli. In thi> moment of general terror and alarm there was an instant check ! and all for a few moments were as silent as death. The old master of ceremonies, who had run from his position at tlie big oanoe, had met this monster of fiends, and hiiving thrust the medicine-inpe before him, held him still and immoveable under its charm ! This check gave the females an opportunity to get out of his reach, and when they were free from their danger, though all hearts beat yet with the instant excite- ment, their alarm soon cooled down into the most exorl)itant laughter and shouts of applause at his sudden defeat, and the awkward and ridiculous posture in which he was stopped and held. The old man was braced slilf by his side, with his eye-balls glaring him in the face, whilst the medicim- pipe held in its mystic chains his Satanic Majesty, annulling all the powers of his magical wand, and also depriving him of the powers of locomotion! Surely no two human beings ever presented a more striking group th,/n these two individuals did for a few moments, with their eye-balls set in direst mutual hatred upon each other ; both struggling for the supremacy, relying on the potency of their medicine or mystery. The one held in check, with his body painted black, representing (c: rather assuming to be) his sable majesty, 0-kec-hee-de (the Evil Spirit), frowning everlasting ven- geance on the other, who sternly gazed him back with a look of exultation and contempt, as he held him in check and disarmed under the charm of his sacred mystery-pipe. When the superior powers of the medicine-pipe (on which hang all these annual mysteries) had been thus fully tested and acknowledged, and the vomen had had requisite time to withdraw from the reach of this fiendish monster, the pipe was very gradually withdrawn from before him, and he seemed delighted to recover the use of his limbs again, and power of chang- ing his position from the exceedingly unpleasant and really ridiculous one he appeared in, and was compelled to maintain, u few moments before ; rendered more superlatively ridiculous and laughable, from the further information, which I am constrained to give, of the plight in which this demon of terror and vulgarity made his entree into the midst of the Mandan village, and to the centre and nucleus of their first and greatest religious ceremony. f ^^m^^i^ I ! « I PHI! 1 1 m Then, to procned : I saiil tliat tliis stranRfi pprsonacjo's body wns niilvcd— was painted jet black with <-hnrc(ial mid bear's grea«(<, with a wiitid in lit: hands of eight feet in li'ii'j;th with u red ball at tlie end of it, wliich he was rubbing about on the ground in front Of him as he ran. In addition to this ho had — unrf gee ah waheta nolrhj nhrk.i tclin, un;; ijee an ung liiitrh tow a low ah ches mennij, Ung gee ah to to wun nee, uhhst to ivan te eigh' s la w. In this plight, in which I have not (iaitd fully to represent him in the picture, he pursued the groups of females, spreading dismay and alarm wherever he went, and consequently producing the awkward and exetcdii)<;ly laughable predicament in which he was placed by the sudden check from the medicine-pipe, as I have aliovn stited, when all eyes were intently fix'.J upon him, and all joined in rounds of applause for the success of the nagicr spell that was placed upon him ; all voices were raised in shouts of sati.t'ic- tion at his defeat, and all eyes gazed upon him ; of chiefs and of warriors — matrons and even of their tender-a'jod and timid daughters, whose education h id taught them to receive the moral of these scenes without the shock of impropriety, thn» ^ould have startled a more fastidious and consequently si'usim' tMuKing people. After repeated attempts thus made, and thus defeated in sever.d parts of the crowd, this blackened monster was retreating over the ground win re the buffalo-dance was going on, and having (apparently, par accident) swag- gered against one of the men placed under the skin of a buffalo and engaged in the " bull dance," he started back, and placing himself in the attitude of a buffalo, — hi ung ee a zenhkstin, chee a nahks tammee ung s towa ; te ting ee aht gwaht ec o nnnghths tcha ho a, fummee oxt no ah, ughstono ah hi en en ah nahxl gwi aht gahtch gun ne, Gwee en on doatcht chee en aht gunne how how en ahxst tchu ! After this he paid his visits to three others of the eight, in succession, receiving as before the deafening shouts of approbation which pealed fro.n every mouth in the multitude, who were all praying to the Great Spirit to send them buffaloes to supply them with food during the season, an t^ srk ?i n 11 171 The unflinching fortitude, with which every one of them bore this pari of the torture surpassed credulity ; each one as the knife was passed through his flesh sustained an unchangeable countenance ; and several of them, seeing me making sketches, beckoned me to look at their faces, which I watched through all this horrid operation, without being able to detect anything but the pleasantest smiles as they looked me in the eye, while I could hear the knife rip through the flesh, and feel enough of it myself, to start involuntary and uncontrouUable tears over my cheeks. When raised to the condition above described, and completely suspended by t''e cords, the sanguinary hands, through which he had just passed, turned back to perform a similar operation on another who was ready, and each one in his tiirn passed into the charge of others, who instantly introduced him to a new and improved stage of their refinements in cruelty. Surrounded by imps and demons as they appear, a dozen or more, who seem to be concerting and devising means for his exquisite agony, gather around him, when one of the nutiioer advances towards him in a sneering manner, and commences turning him around with a pole which he brings in his hand for the purpose. This is done in a gentle manner at first ; but gradually increased, when the brave fellow, whose proud spirit can controul its agony no longer, burst out in the most lamentable and heart-rending cries that thp human voice is capable of producing, crying forth a prayer to ihe Great Spirit to support and protect him in this dreadful trial ; and con- tinually repeating his confidence in his protection. In this condition he is continued to be turned, faster and faster — and there is no hope of escape from it, nor chance for the slightest relief, until by fainting, his. voice falters, and his struggling ceases, and he hangs, apparently, a still and lifelesi corpse ! When he is, by turning, gradually brought to this condition, which is generally done within ten or fifteen minutes, there is a close scru- tiny passed upon him among his tormentors, who are checking and liolding each other back as long as the least struggling or tremour can be discovered, lest he should be removed before he is (as they term it) " entirely dead." When brought to this alarming and most frightful condition, and the turning has gradually ceased, as his voice and his strength have given out, leaving him to hang entirely still, and apparently lifeless ; when his tongue is distended from his mouth, and his medicine-bay, which he has affection- ately and superstitiously clung to with his left hand, has dropped to the ground ; the signal is given to the men on top of the lodge, by gently striking the cord with the pole below, when they very gradually and care- fully lower him to the ground. In this helpless condition he lies, like a loathsome corpse to look at, though in the keeping (as they call it) of the Great Spirit, whom he trusts will protect him, and enable him to get up and walk away. As soon as lie is lowered to the ground thus, one of the bystanders advances, and pulls out tiif two splints or pins from tiie breasts and shoulders, thereby disengaging i> m ^ > Mil *' 173 him from the cords by whicli he has been hmig up; but leaving all the others with their weights, &c. hanging to liis flesh. In this condition he lies foi' six or eight minutes, until lie gets strength to rise and move himself, for no one is allowed to assist or offer him aid, as he is hero enjoying the most valued privilege which a Mandan can boast of, that of " trusting his life to the keeping of the Great Spirit," in this time of extreme peril. As soon as he is seen to get strength enough to rise on his hands and feet, and drag his body around the lodge, he crawls with the weights still hanging to his body, to another part of the lodge, where there is another Indian sitting with a hatchet in his hand, and a dried buffalo skull before him ; and here, in the most earnest and humble manner, by liolding up the little finger of his left hand to the Great Spirit, he expresses to Him, in a speech of a few words, his willingness to give it as a sacrifice ; when he !;iys it on the dried buffalo skull, where the other chops it off near the hand, v.'ith a blow of the hatchet ! Nearly all of the young men whom I saw passing this horrid ordeal, gave in the above manner, the little tinker of the left hand ; and I saw also several, who immediately afterwards (and apparently with very little concern or emotion), with a similar speech, extended in the same way, the /ore- finger of the same hand, and that too was struck off; leaving on the left hand only the two middle fingers and the thumb ; all which they deem absolutely essential for holding the bow, the only weapon for the left hand. One would think that this mutilation had thus been carried quite far enough ; but I have since examined several of the head chiefs and digni- taries of the tribe, who have also given, in this manner, the little finger ot the right hand, which is considered by them to be a much greater sacrifice than both of the others; and I have found also a number of their most famous men, who furnish me incontestible proof, by five, or six correspon- ding scars on each arm, and each breast, and each leg, that they had sc many times in their lives submitted to this almost incredible operation, which seems to be optional with them ; and the oftener they volunteer to go through it, the more famous they become in the estimation of their tribe. No bandages are applied to the fingers which have been amputated, nor any arteries taken up ; nor is any attention whatever, paid to them or the other wounds ; but they are left (as they say) " for the Great Spirit to cure, who will surely take good care of them." It is a remarkable fact (which I learned from a close inspection of their wounds from day to day) that the bleeding is but very slight and soon ceases, probably from the fact of their extreme exhaustion and debility, caused by want of sustenance and sleep, which checks the natural circulation, and admirably at the same time pre- pares them to meet the severity of these tortures without the same degree of sensibility and pain, which, under other circumstances, might result in inflammation and death. mn 1 1 ] \ \\ :■. '.. ' h i 4^1 173 all il le During the whole of the time of this cruel part of these most extraordi- nary inflictions, the chiefs and dignitaries of the tribe are looking on, to decide who are the hardiest and " stoutest hearted" — who can hang the longest by liis flesh before he faints, and who will be soonest up, after he has been down ; tliat tlicy may know whom to appoint to lead a war- party, or place at the most honourable and desperate post. The four old men are incessantly beating upon the sacks of water and singing the whole time, with their voices strained to the highest key, vaunting forth, for tlie encouragement of the young men, the power and efficacy of the medicine- jnpe, which has disarmed the monster 0-kee-hee-de (or Evil Spirit), and driven him from the village, and will be sure to protect them and watch over them through their present severe trial. As scon as six or eight had passed the ordeal as above described, they were led out of the lodge, with their weights hanging to their flesh, and dragging on the ground, to undergo another, and a still more appalling mode of suffering in the centre of the village, and in presence of the whole nation, in the manner as follows : — The signal for the commencement of this part of the cruelties was given by the old master of ceremonies, who again ran out as in the buffalo- dance, and leaning against the big canoe, with his medicine-pipe in his hand, began to cry. This was done several times in the afternoon, as often as there were six or eight who had passed the ordeal just r'.escribed within the lodge, who were then taken out in the open area, in the presence of the whole village, with the buffalo s'culls and other weights attached to their flesh, and dragging on the ground ! There were then in readiness, and prepared for the purpose, about twenty young men, selected of equal height and equal age; with their bodies chiefly naked, with beautiful (and similar) head-dresses of war-eagles' quills, on their heads, and a wreath made ot willow boughs held in the hands between them, connecting them in a chuiii or circle in which they ran around the bUj canoe, with all possible speed raising their voices in screams and yelps to the highest pitch that was pos- sible, and keeping the curb or big canoe in the centre, as their nucleus. Then were led forward the young men who were further to suffer, and being placed at equal distances apart, and outside of the ring just described, each one was taken in charge of two athletic young men, fresh and strong, who stepped up to him, one on each side, and by wrapping a broad leather strap around his wrists, without tying it, grasped it firm underneath the hand, and stood prepared for what they call Ek-ke-nah-ka-nah-pick (the last race, PLATE 69). This, the spectator looking on would supjjose was most correctly named, for he would think it was the last race tliey could possibly run in this world. In this condition they stand, pale and ghastly, from abstinence and loss of blood, until all are prepared, and the word is given, when all start and run around, outside of the other ring ; and each poor fellow, -vitli Iits weights Il lit I ' i IM* i i .i I ^ ii' I'- i m} 174 dragging an tlie ground, and his furious conductors by his side, who hurry him forward by the wrists, struggles in the desperate emulation to run longer without •' dying " ^ps they call it) than his comrades, who are fainting around him and sinking down, like himself, where their bodies are dragged with all possible speed, and often with their faces in the dirt. In the com- mencement of tliis dance or race they all start at a moderate pace, and their speed being gradually increased, the pain becomes so excruciating that their languid and exhausted frames give out, and they are dragged by their wrists until they are disengaged from the weights that were attached to tiieir flesii, and this must be done by such violent force as to tear the flesh out with the splint, which (as they say) can never be pulled out endwise, without greatly offending the Great Spirit and defeating the object for which they have tlius far suffered. The splints or skewers which are put through the breast and the shoulders, take up a part of the pectoral or trapezius muscle, which is necessary for the support of the great weight of their bodies, and which, as I have before mentioned, are withdrawn as soon as he is lowered down- but all the others, on the legs and arms, seem to be very ingeniously passed through the flesh and integuments without taking up the muscle, and even these, to be broken out, require so strong and so violent a force that most of the poor fellows fainted • ,;der the operation, and when they were freed from the last of the buffalo skulls and other weights, (which was often done by some of the bystanders throwing the weight of their bodies on to thorn as they were dragging on the ground) they were in every instance dropped by the persons who dragged them, and their bodies were left, appearing like nothing but a mangled and a loathsome corpse! At this strange and fright- ful juncture, the two men who had dragged them, fled through the crowd and away upon the prairie, as if they were guilty of some enormous crime, and were fleeing from summary vengeance. Each poor fellow, having thus patiently and manfully endured the priva- tions and tortures devised for him, and (in this last struggle with the most appalling eftbrt) torn himself loose from them and his tormentors, he lies the second time, in the " keeping (as he terms it) of the Great Spirit," to whom he issues his lepeated prayers, and entrusts his life : and in whom ha reposes the most i;r licit conndence for his preservation and recovery. As an evidence of this, aiid of the higli value which these youths set upon this privilege, there is no person, not a relation or a chief of the tribe, who is allowed, or who would dare, to step forward to offer an aiding hand, even ♦o save his life ; foi not only the rigid customs of the nation, and the pride ol the individual who has entrusted his life to the keeping of the Great Spirit, would sternly reject such a tender; but their superstition, which »s the strongest of all arguments in an Indian conununity, would alone, hold all the tribe in fear and dread of interfering, when they consider they have so good a reason to believe that the Great Spirit has undertaken the special «are and protection of his devoted worshippers. In this *' last race," which was tlie slrupglc that finally closed their suffer- ings, ea<'h one was dragsjed until he fainted, and was thus 'eft, looking more like the dead than the living: and thus each one laid, until, by the aid of the Great Spirit, he was in a few minutes seen gradually rising, and at last reeling and staggering, like a drunken man, through the crowd (which made way for him) to his wigwam, where his friends and relatives stood ready to take him into hand and restore him. In this frightful scene, as in the buffalo-dance, the whole nation was assembled as spectators, and all raised the most piercing and violent yells and screams they could possibly jiroduce, to drown the cries of the suffering ones, that no heart could even be touched with sympathy for them. I have mentioned before, that six or eiirlit of the young men were brought from the medicine-lodge at a time, and when tliey were thus passed through this shocking ordeal, the medicine-men and the chiefs returned to the inte- rior, where as many more were soon prepared, and underwent a similar treat- ment ; and after that another batch, and another, and so on, until the whole number, some forty-five or fifty had run in this sickening circle, and, by leaving their weights, had opened the flesh for honourable scars. I said all, but there was one poor fellow though (and 1 shudder to tell it), who was dragged around and around the circle, with the skull of an elk hanging to the flesh on one of his legs, — several had jumped upon it, but to no effect, for the splint was under the sinew, which could not be broken, 'i'lie dragging became every instant more and more furious, and the apprehen- sions for the poor fellow's life, apparent by the piteous howl which was set up for him by the multitude around ; and at last the medicine-man ran, with his medicine-pipe in his hand, and held them in check, when the body was dropped, and left upon the ground, with the skull yet hanging to it. The boy, who was an extremely interesting and fine-looking youth, soou recovered his senses and his strength, looking deliberately at his torn and bleeding limbs ; and also with the most pleasant smile of defiance, upon the misfortune which had now fallen to his peculiar lot, crawled through the crowd (instead of walking, which they are never again at liberty to do until the flesh is torn out, and the article left) to the prairie, and over which, for the distance of half a mile, to a sequestered spot, without any attendant, where he laid three days and three nights, yet longer, without food, and praying to the Great Spirit, until suppuration took place in the wound, and by the decaying of the flesh the weight was dropped, and the splint also, which he dare not extricate in another way. At the end of this, he crawled back to the village on his hands and knees, being too much emaciated to walk, and begged for son-ething to eat, which was at once given him, and he was soon restored to health. These extreme and difficult cases often occur, and I learn that in such instances the youth has it at his option to get rid of the weight that is thus left upon him, in such way as he may choose, and some of those modes ar« 1 ! i ll ^ '* f ■ ' III I rii:^ ^r^am^vmimm li. !! i 4 1 i| tl! ; f i J' ■ i 1 • » i 173 far more exlraonlinary ihaii the one wliich I have just named. Several of the Traders, who have betn tor a number of years in the habit of seeing this part of tlie ceremony, have tokl me that two years since, when tiiey were looking on, there was one whose flesii on llie arms was so strong that the weights could not be left, and he dragged them with his body to the river by the side of the village, where he set a stake fast in the ground on the top of the bank, and fastening curds to it, he let himself half-way down a perpendicular wall of rock, of twenty-five or tliirty feet, whore the weight of his body was suspended by the two cords attached to the Hesh of his arms. In this awful condition he hung for several days, equi-distant from the top of the rock and the deep water below, into which he at last dropped and saved himself by swimming asliore ! I need record no more of these shocking and (lisgtjsting instances, of which I have already given enough to convince the world of the correct- ness of the established fact of the Indian's superior stoicism and power of endurance, although some recent writers have, from motives of envy, from ignorance, or something else, taken great pains to cut the poor Indian siiort in evcrythinc^, and in tins, even as if it were a virtue. I am ready to accord to them in this particular, the palm; the credit of outdoing anything and everybody, and of enduring more than civilized man ever aspired to or ever thought of. My heart has sickened also with disgust for so abominable and ignorant a custom, and still I stand ready with all my heart, to excuse and forgive them for adhering so strictly to an ancient celebration, founded in superstitions and mysteries, of wliich they know not the origin, and constituting a material part and feature in the code and forms of their religion. Reader, I will return with you a moment to the medicine-lodge, which is just to be closed, and then we will indulge in some general reflections upon what has passed, and in what, and for what purposes this strange batch oi •iiysteries has been instituted and perpetuated. After these young men, who had for tlie last four days occupied the me- dicine-lodge, had been operated on, in the manner above described, and taken out of it, the old medicine-man, master of ceremonies, returned, (still crying to the GreatSpirit) sole tenant of that sacred place, and brought out the " edged tools," which I before said had been collected at the door of every man's wigwam, to be given as a sacrifice to the water, and leaving the lodge securely fastened, he approached the bank of the river, when all the medicine-men attended him, and all the nation were spectators ; and in their presence he threw them from a high bank into very deep water, from which they cannot be recovered, and where tiiey are, correctly ttpcaking, made a sacrifice to the water. This part of the affair took place just exactly at sun-down, and closed the scene, being the end or finale of the, Mmdan religious ceremony. H\ "ft / o II •* •:• li 177 TiXii reader will forffiie nir for here inserting the Ctrlijirates which I have juft received from Mr Kipp, of the city of New York, and two others, who were with me ; uhich 1 offer for the satis/action oj' the luorldt tcho read the above account. '• We hereby certify, that we witnessed, in company with Mr. Catlin, iti the Mandan Viilaye, the ceremonies represented in the four paintings, and described in his Notes, to which this Certificate refers ; and that he has therein fuithfnlbj represented those scenes u.^ we saw them transacted without any addition or exaggeration. " J. Kwv, Agent Am fr. Fur Company. L. CuAUFOKD, Clerk. " Mandan Village, July 20, 1833. Abraham Booakd." The strange country that I am in — its excitements — its accidents and wild incidents which startle me at almost every nunuent, prevent me from any very elaborate disquisition upon the above remarkable events at present ; and even had I all the time and leisure of a country gentleman, and all the additional information which I am daily procuring, and daily expect to pro- cure hereafter in explanation of these unaccountable mysteries, yet do I fear that there would be that inexplicable difRculty that hangs over most of the customs and traditions of these simple people, who have no history to save facts and systems from falling into the most absurd and disjointed fable and ignorant fiction. What few plausible inferences I have as yet been able to draw from the above strange and peculiar transactions I will set forth, but with some diffi< dencc, hoping and trusting that by further intimacy and familiarity with these people I may yet arrive at more satisfactory and important results. That these people should have a tradition of the Flood is by no means surprising ; as I have learned from every mbe I have visited, that they all have some high mountain in their vicinity, where they insist upon it the big ca.ioe landed ; but that these people should hold an annual celebration of the event, and the season of that decided by such circumstances as the full leaf of the willow, and the medicine-lodge opened by such a man as Nu-mohk-muck-a-nah (who appears to be a white man), and making his appearance "from the high-mountains in the West;" and some other cir- cumstances, is surely a very remarkable thing, and requires some extraor- dinary attention. Tliis Nu-mohk-muck-a-nah (first or only man) is undoubtedly some mystery or medicine-man of the tribe, who has gone out on the prairie on the evening previous, and having dressed and painted himself for the occasion, comes into the village iu the morning, endeavouring to keep up the semblance of reality ; for their tradition says, that at a very ancient period such a man did actually come from the West — that his body was of the white colour, as VOL. I. A A n K AU. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 1.1 *^M2& 12.5 US ^^ WBi ■^ lii 12.2 «. — ■2.0 I IL25 III 1.4 "^J^ v: ^5. '/ Photographic Sdences Corporation ^\ \ ^ 3>^ <^ Fx 23 WIST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. USSO (716)872-4503 ^^^ ^ ^ ^ \ my 173 V I i I tliis man's body is rcprosontcd — titat lie wore a robe oiToiir wliilc wolfskins — his head-dress was made of two raven's skins — and in his left hand was a huge pipe. He said, " he was at one time the only man — he told them of the destruction of every tiling on the earth's surface by water — that he stopped in his bi(j canoe on a liij^h n.ountain in the West, where he landed and was saved." "That the Mandans, and .ill other people were bound to make yearly sacrifices of some edged-tools to the water, for of such things the big canoe was made. That he instructed the Mandans how to build their medicine- lody;e, and taui,'ht them also the forms of these annual ceremonies ; and told them that as long as they made those sacrifices, and performed their rites to the full letter, they nii^ht be assured of the fact, that they would be the favourite people of the Almighty, and would always have enough to eat and drink ; and that so soon as they slio\dd depart in one tittle from these forms, tliey might be assured, that their race -.vould decrease, and finally run out ; and that they might date their nation's calamity to that omiision or neglect." These people have, no doubt, been long living under the dread of such an injunction, and in the fear of departing from it ; and while they are living in total ignorance of its origin, the world must remain equally ignorant of much of its meaning, as they needs must be of all Indian customs resting on ancient traditions, which soon run into fables- having lost all their sys- tem, by which they might have been construed. This strange and unaccountable custom, is undoubtedly pecul' ' to the Mandans ; although, amongst the Minatarees, and some others of the neighbouring tribes, they liave seasons of abstinence and self-torture, some- what similar, but bearing no other resemblance to this than a mere feeble effort or form of imitation. It would seem from their tradition of the willow branch, and the dove, that these people must have had some proximity to some part of the civilized world ; or that missionaries or others have been formerly among them, inculcating the Christian religion and the Mosaic account of the Flood ; w hich is, m this and some other respects, decidedly different from the theory which most natural people have distinctly established of that event. There arc other strong, and almost decisive proofs in my opinion, in support of the assertion, which are to be drawn from the diversity of colour in their hair and complexions, as I have before described, as well as from their tra- dition just related, of the ^^ first or only man," whose body was white, and who came from the West, telling them of the destruction of the earth by water, and instructing them in the forms of these mysteries ; and, in addition to ti.e above, I will add the two following very curious stories, which I had from several of their old and dignified chiefs, and which are, no doubt, standing and credited traditions of the tribe. " The Mandans (people of the pheasants) were the first people created in Uie world, and they originally lived inside of the earth ; they raised many fer 17S vines, and one of them had grown up through a hole in the earth, over head, and one of their young men climbed up it until he came out on tiie top of the ground, on the bank of the river, where the Mandan village stands. He looked around, and admired the boaiitifiil country and prairies about him — saw many buffaloes — killed one with his bow and arro>ks, and found that its meat was good to eat, He returned, and related what he had seen ; when a number of others went up the vine with him, and wit- nessed the same things. Amongst those who went up, were two very pretty young women, who were favourites of the chiefs, because they were virgins ; and amongst those who were trying to get up, was a very large and fat woman, who was ordered by the chiefs not to go up, but whose curiosity led her to try it as soon as she got a secret opportunity, when there was no one present. When she got part of the way up, the vine broke under the great weight of her body, and let her down. She was very much hurt by the fall, but did not die. The Mandans were very sorry about this; and she was disgraced for l)eing the cause of a very great calamity, which she had brought upon them, and which could never be averted ; for no more could ever ascend, nor could those descend who had got up ; but they built the Mandan village, where it formerly stood, a great ways below on the river ; and the remainder of the people live under ground to this day." The above tradition is told with gieat gravity by their chiefs and doctors or mystery-men ; and the latter profess to hear their friends talk through the earth at certain times and places, and even consult them for their opinionii ai.d advice on many important occasions The next tradition runs thus : — " At a very ancient period, 0-kee-hee-de (the Evil Spirit, the black fel- low mentioned in the religious ceremonies) came to the Mandan village with Nu-mohk-muck-a-nah (the first or only man) from the West, and sat down by a woman who had but one eye, and was hoeing corn. Her daugh- ter, who was very pretty came up to her, and the Evil Spirit desired her to go and bring some water ; but wished that before she started, she would come to him and eat some buffalo meat. He told her to take a piece out of his side, which she did and ate it, which proved to be bufl'alo-fat. She then went for the water, which she brought, and met them in the village where they had walked, and they both drank of it — nothing more was done. " The friends of the girl soon after endeavoured to disgrace her, by telling her that she was enciente, which she did not deny. She declared her in- nocence at the same time, and boldly defied any man in the village to come forward and accuse her. This raised a great excitement in the village, and as no one could stand forth to accuse her, she was looked upon as great medicine. She soon after went off secretly to the upper Mandan village, where the child was born. " Great search was made for her before she was found ; as it was expected 180 M i Ui V . I ;ti m "i/T that tlie child would also be great medicine or mystery, and of proat impor- tance to the existence and welfare of the tribe. They were iiulured to this belief from the very strange manner of its conception and birth, and were soon confirmed in it from the wonderful things which it did at an early age. They say, that amongst other miracles which he performed, when the Mandans were like to starve, he gave them four buffalo bulls, which tilktl the whole village — leaving as much meat as there was before they had eaten ; saying that these four bulls would supply them for ever. Nu-mohk-muck- a-nah (the first or only man) was bent on the destruction of the child, and afler making many fruitless searches for it, found it hidden in a dark place, and put it to death by throwing it into the river, " When O-kee-hee-dc (the Evil Spirit) heard of the death of this child, he sought for Nu-mohk-muck-a-nah with intent to kill him. He traced him a long distance, and at length found him at Heart River, about seventy miles below the village, with the big medicine-pipe in his hand, the charm or mystery of which protects him from all of his enemies. They soon agreed, however, to become friends, smoked the big pipe together, and re- turned to the Mandan village. The Evil Spirit was satisfied ; and Nu- mohk-muck-a-na told the Mandans never to pass Heart River to live, for it was the centre of the world, and to live beyond it would be destruction to them ; and he named it Nat-com-pa-sa-hah (he trt or centre of the world)." Sue!) are a few of the principal traditions of these people, which I have thought proper to give in this place, and I have given them in their own way, with all the imperfections and absurd inconsistencies wliicli should be expected to characterize the history of all ignorant and super- stitious people who live in a Ktatc of simple and untaught n 'ture, with no other means of perpetuating historical events, than by oral traditions. 1 advance these vague stories then, as I have done, and shall do in other instances, not in support of any theory, but merely as I have heard them related by the Indians; and preserved them, as I have everything else that I could meet in the Indian habits and character, for the information of the world, who may get more time to theorize than I have at present ; and who may consider better than I can, how fur such traditions should be taken as evidence of the facts, that these people have for a long period preserved and perpetuated an imperfect knowledge of the Deluge — of the appearance and death of a Saviour — and of the transgressions of mother Evl I am not yet able to learn from these people whether they have any dis- tinct theory of the creation ; as they seem to date nothing further buck than their own existence as a people ; saying (as I have before mentioned), that they were the first people createu ; involving the glaring absurdities that they were the only people on earth before the Flood, and the only one saved was a white man ; or that they were created inside of the earth, as their tradition says ; and that they did not make theu appearance on its pro!»t impor- ired to this th, and wtTc at an carlv d, when tlif which Hlli'd I had eaten ; lohk-miick- '■ child, and dark place, this child, traced him uut seventy , tlie charm They soon ler, and re- ; und Nu- to live, for destruction tre of the lich T have n in their ies which ind super- c, with no >ns. o in other card them f else that on or the and who taken as jrved and ance and : any dis- ler back ntioned), jsurdilies only one earth, us cc on its 181 outer surface until after the Deluge. When an Indian story is told, it ia like all other gifts, " to be taken for what it is worth," and for any seemirg inconsistency in their traditions there is no remedy ; for as far as I have tried to reconcile them by --easoning with, or questioning them, I have been entirely defeated ; and more than that, have generally incurred their distrust and ill-will. One of the Mandan doctors told me very gravely a few days since, that the earth was a large tortoise, that it carried the dirt on its back — that a tribe of people, who are now dead, and whose faces were white, used to dig down very deep in this ground to catch badgers ; and that one day they stuck a knife through the tortoise-shell, and it sunk down so that the water ran over its back, and drowned all but one man. And on the next day while 1 was painting his portrait, he told me there were year tortoises, — one in the North — one in the East — one in the South, and one in the West ; that each one of these rained ten days, and the water covered over the earth. These ignorant and conflicting accounts, and both from the same man, give as good a demonstration, perhaps, of what I have above mentioned, as to the inefficiency of Indian traditions as anything I could at present mention. They might, perhaps, have been in this instance however the creeds of different sects, or of different priests amongst them, who often advance diametrically opposite theories and traditions relative to history and mythology. And however ignorant and ridicdous they may seem, they are yet worthy of a little further consideration, as relating to a number of curious circum- stances connected with the unaccountable religious ceremonies which I have just described The Mandan chiefs and doctors, in all their feasts, where the pipe is lit and about to be passed around, deliberately propitiate the good-will and favour of the Great Spirit, by extending the stem of the {)ipe upwards be- fore they smoke it themselves ; and also as deliberately and as strictly oiTering the stem to the four cardinal points in succession, and then drawing a whiff through it, passing it around amongst the group. The annual religious ceriviony invariably lasts four days, and the othei following circumstances attending these strange forms, and seeming to have some allusion to the four cardinal points, or tbe " four tortoises," seem to me to be worthy of further notice. Four men are selected by Nu-mohk- muck-a-nah (as I have before said), to cleanse out and prepare the medicine- lodge for the occasion — one he calls from the north part of the village- one from the east — one from the south, and one from the west. The four sacks of water, in form of large tortoises, resting on the floor of the lodge and before described, would seem to be typical of the same thing; iind also the /our buffalo, and the/oMr human skulls resting on the floor of the same lodge— the /oMr couples of dancers in the " bull-dance," as before desoi ibed , aud also the ybur intervening dancers in the same dance, and also described 183 \ i y ■ i. ■ i ; ■ M ■ t 1 1 ft : Tlie bull-dance in front of the medicinc-loflpp, irpenled on xhe/our dayf, i> danred /«ur times on llic first day, eif)ht timtsoti tlie second, Iwelee lime* on the third; and sixteen times on thc/o«recn witnessing, and such my brief iiislory of tiic Mandans. I might write mut-li more on them, giving yet a volume on tli?ir stories and traditions ; but it would be a volume of fibles, and scarce worth recording. A natioTi of Imlians in their primitive condition, where there are no historians, have but ;i temporary historical existence, for the reasons above advanced, and their history, what can be certainly learned of it, may be written in a very small compass. I have dwelt longer on the history and customs of these people than I have or shall on any other tribe, in all probability, and that from the fact that 1 have found them a very peculiar people, as will have been seen by my notes. From these very numerous and striking peculiarities in their personal ap- pi-arance — their customs — trtditions and language, 1 have been It^ conclu- sively to believe that they are a people of decidedly a diti'ereiit origin from that of any other tribe in these regions. From these reasons, as well as from the fact that they arc a small and feeble tribe, against whom the powerful tribe of Sioux are waging a deadly war with the prospect of their extermination ; and who with their limited numl)ers, are not likely to hold out long in their struggle for existence, I have taken more pains to pourtray their whole character, than my limited means will allow me to bestow upon other tribes. From the ignorant and barbarous and disgusting customs just recited, the world would naturally infer, that these people must be the most cruel and inhuman beings in the world — yet, such is not the case, and it becomes my duty to say it ; a better, more honest, hospitable and kind people, as a com- munity, arc not to be found in the world. No set of men that ever I assof^iated v,!»h have bettei hearts than the Mandans, and none are quicker to embrace and welcome a white man than they are — none will press him closer to his bosom, that the pulsation of his heart may be felt, than a Mandan ; and no man in any country will keep his word aad guard his honour more closclv. The shocking and disgusting custom that I have just described, sickens 183 llic heart and oven llie stomach of a travcMor in the country, am! lie weepi for their ignoruncc — he pities them with all his heart for their blindness, and laments that the liglit of civili/.ation, of a^;rieiilture and religion cannot be extended to them, and that tlieir hearts which arc good enough, could not be turned to embrace sumetiiing more rational and conducive to their true h!)))pines:4. Many would doubtless ask, whether such a barbarous custom oould be eradicated from tliese people ? and whether their thoughts and tastes, being turned to agriculture and religion, could be made to abandon the dark and random channel in which they are drudging, and made to flow in the light and life of civilization ? To this query I answer yes. Although this is a custom of long standing, being a part of their religion ; and probably valued as one of their dearest rights; and notwithstanding the difficulty of inuking inroads upon tlic religion of a people in whose country there is no severence of opinions, and conRe(|uently no division into difierent sects, with different creeds to shake 'heir faith ; 1 still believe, and I Anow, that by a judicious and persevering effort, this abominable custom, and others, might be extinguished, and the beautiful green fields about the Mandan village might be turned into ^ 'o- ductive gardens, and the waving green bluffs that are spread in the surround- ing distance, might be spotted with lowing kinc, instead of the sneaking wolves and the hobbled war-hordes that are now stalking about them. All ignorant and superstitious people, it is a well-known fact, are the most fixed and stubborn in their religious opinions, and perhaps the most difficult to divert from their established belief, from the very fact that they are the most difficult to reason with. Here is an ignorant race of human beings, who have from time immemorial been in the habit of worshipping in their own way, and of enjoying their religious opinions without ever having heard any one to question their correctness; and in those opinions they are quiet and satisfied, and it requires a patient, gradual, and untiring efibrt to con- vince such a people that they are wrong, and to work the desired change in then belief, and conse({uently in their actions. It is decidedly my opinion, however, that such a thing can be done, and I do not believe there is a race of wild people on earth where the expeiiuient could be more successfully made than amongst the kind and hospitable Mandans, nor any place where the Missionary labours of pious and indus- trious men would be fnore sure to succeeil, or more certain to be rewarded in the world to come. i deem such a trial of patience and perseverance with these people of great importance, and well worth the experiment. One which I shall hope soon to see accomplished, and which, if properly conducted, I am sure will result in success. Severed as they are from *.he contaminating and counteracting vices vhich oppose and thwart most of the best efforts of ihe Missionaries along the frontier, and free from the almost fatal prejudices which they have 184 there to contend with ; tlioy present n belter Heltl for the liilmiirs of juieh benevolent teachers tlian they h»vc yet worked in, nnd a far better chance than tliey liavc yet had of proving; to the worhl that ihe |)oor Indian is not a brute — that he is a human and humane l)ein(r. that he is capable of improvement — and that liis mind is a beautiful blank on which anylhin;; can be written if the proper means be taken. The Mundans bein<; but a small tribe, of two thousand only, and livinp; all in two villages, in 8i&;ht of each other, and ocrupyinc: these perma- ncntlvt without roaming about like other neighbouring tril)es, ofl'er im- doid)tedly, the best opportunity for such an experiment of any tribe in the country. The land about their villages is of the best (|uality for pinup-hing and grazing, and the water just such as would be desired. Their villages are fortified with piquets or stockades, which protect them from the assaults of their enemies at home; and the introduction of agriculture (which would supply them with the necessaries and luxuries of life, without the necessity of continually exposing their lives to their more numerous ene- mies on the plains, when they are seeking in the chase the means of their subsistence) would save them from the continual wastes of life, to which, in their wars and the chase they arc continually exposed, and which are calculated soon to result in their extinction. I deem it not folly nor idle to say that these people can be saved, nor officious to suggest to some of the very many excellent and pious men, who arc almost throwing away the best energies of their lives along the debased frontier, that if they would introduce the ploughshare and their prayers amongiit these people, who are so far separated from the taints and con- taminating vices of the frontier, they would soon see their most ardent desires accomplished and be able to solve to the world the perplexing enigma, by presenting a nation of savages, civilized and christianized (and coiiiequently saved), in the heart of the American wilderness. '»' 186 LETTER— No. 23. MINATAREE VILLAGE, UPPER MISSOURI. Soon aHlcr witnessing the curious scenes described in the former Li-tlerf, I changed my position to tlie place from whence I am now writing — to the village of the Minatarees, which is also located on the west bank of the Missouri river, and only eight miles above the Mandans. On my way down the river in my canoe, I passed this village without attending to their earnest and clamorous invitations for me to come ashore, and it will thus be seen that I am retrograding a little, to see all that is to be seen in this singular country. I have been residing here some weeks, and am able already to say of these people as follows : — The Minatarees (people of the willows) are a small tribe of about 1500 souls, residing in three villages of earth-covered lodges, on the banks of Knife river; a small stream, so called, meandering through a beautiful and extensive prairie, and uniting its waters with the Missouri. This small community is undoubtedly a part of the tribe of Crows, of whom I have already spoken, living at the base of the Rocky Mountains, who have at some remote period, either in their war or hunting excursions, been run off* by their enemy, and their retreat having been prevented, have thrown themselves upon the hospitality of the Mandans, to whom they have looked for protection, and under whose wing they are now living in a sort of confederacy, ready to intermarry and also to join, as they often have done, in the common defence of their country. In language and personal appearance, as well as in many of their customs, they are types of the Crows; yet having adopted and so long lived under its influence, the system of the Mandans, they are much like them in many rrspects, and continually assimilating to the modes of their patrons and pro- tpctors. Amongst their vague and various traditions they have evidently Kome disjointed authority for the manner in which they came here ; but no account of the time. They say, that they came poor — without wigwams or hors*"* — were nearly all women, as their warriors had been killed off* in their fliijht ; that the Mandans would not take them into their village, nor let them come nearer than where they are now living, and there assisted them to build their villages. From these circumstances their wigwams have been constructed exactly in the same manner as tiiose of the Mandans, which I VOL. 1 . B a ! mi\ 'ii !ii wdndcrful character of their military exploits. This is an amusement, of which llicy aiu excessively fond ; and great preparations are invariably made for these occasional shows. No tribe of Indians on the Continent arc better able to produce a pleasing and thrilling effect in these scenes, nor any more vain, and consequently hrttt'r prepared to draw pleasure and satisfaction from them, than the Crows. They may be justly said to be the most beautifully clad of all the Indians iu these regions, and bringing from the base of the Rocky Mountains a Kne and spirited breed of the wild horses, have been able to create great sen- saliun amongst the Minatarees, who have been paying them all attention and all honours for some days past. I'^om amongst these showy fellows who have been entertaining us and I>lea!«ing themselves with their extraordinary feats of horsemanship, 1 have selected one of the most conspicuous, and transferred him and his horse, with arms and '.rappings, as faithfully as I could to the canvatts, for thu information of the world, who will learn vastly more from lines and colours than they could from oral or written delineations. I have painted him as he sat for me, balanced on his leaping wild horse (flate 76) with his shield and quiver slung on his back, and his long lance decorated with the eagle's quills, trailed in his right hand. His shirt and his leggings, and morcasins, were of the mountain-goat skins, beauti- i'lilly dressed; and their scams everywhere fringed with a profusion of scalp-locks taken from the heads of his enemies slain in battle. His long hair, which reached almost to the ground whilst he was standing on his feet, wri now lifted in the air, and floating in black waves over the hips of his leaping charger. On his head, and over his shining black locks, he wore a magnificent crest or head-dress, made of the quills of the war-eagle and ermine skins ; and on his horse's head also was another of equal beauty and precisely the same in pattern and material. Added to these ornaments there were yet many others which contributed to his picturesque appearance, and amongst them a beautiful netting of various colours, that completely covered and almost obscured the horse's head and neck, and extended over its back and its hips, teriiiinating in a most extravagant and magnificent crupper, embossed and fringed with rows of beautiful sheila and porcupine quills of various colours. With all these picturesque ornaments and trappings upon and about him, with a noble figure, and the bold stamp of a wild gentleman on his face, .^dded to the rage and spirit of his wild horse, in time with whnte leaps he issued his startling (though smothered) yelps, as he gracefully leaned to and fro, leaving his plumes and his plumage, his long locks and his fringes, to float in the wind, he galloped about ; and felt exceeding pleasure in display- ing the extraordinary skill which a lifetime of practice and experiment had furnished him in the beautiful art of riding and managing his horse, as well as in displaying to advantage his weapons and ornaments of dress, by giving li I* 11 hv :ii m Ji '/' i 1 i Ui ^immm ~T7X V I! r, »'t ■ i ! I h s i I in itel'M 1 "II I f f i'l nii f I nil . 193 tliem the grace of motion, as llicy were brandished in the air and floating in the wind. I have also secured llie portraits of Re-iie-a-duck-chee-a (he who ties his hair before, pi.ate 78), mu\ Pu-ris-iva roo-pa (the two Crows, pi.atf, 77); tine and fair specimens of this tribe, in botli of wliich are exhibited the ex- traordinary instances of the natural hair reaciiing to the ground, peculiarities bcloiiirinir almost exclusivclv to this tribe, and of which 1 have in a former Letter p;iven some account. In prescntinj;^ such instances as these, I cHei tlieni, (and the reader will take llicm of course) as extraordinary and rare occurrences amon;j;st the tribe, who generally fall short of these in this peculiarity, and also in elegance of dress and ornament; although many others from their numbers might be selected of equal extravagance. The Crows are generally luiudson\e, and comfortably clad ; every man in the nation oils his hair with a profusion of bear's grease, and promotes its growth t-) the utmost of his ability ; and the greater part of them cultivate it down on to the calf of the leg, whilst a few are able to make it sweep the ground. In a former Letter 1 gave some account of the form of the head pecidiar to this tribe which may well be recorded as a national characteristic, and worthy of further attention, which I shall give it on a future occasion. This striking peculiarity is quite conspicuous in the two portraits of which I have just spoken, exhibiting fairly, as they are both in profile, the stfmi-/(t«ar outline of the face of which I have before spoken, and which strongly characterizes thent as distinct from any relationship or resemblance to, the Ulackfeet, Shiennies, Knistencaiix, Mandans, or other tribes now existing in these regions. The peculiar character of which I am speaking, like all other na- tional characteristics, is of course met by many cxce[)tions in the tribe, though the greater part of the men are thus strongly marked with a bolil and prominent anti-angular nose, with a clear and rounded arch, and a low and receding forehead ; the frontal bone oftentimes appearing to have been compressed by some effort of art, in a certain degree approaching to the horrid distortion thus produced amongst the Flalheads beyond the llocky Mountains. 1 learned however from repeated inquiries, that no such custom is practiced amongst thorn, but their heads, s\ich as they are, are the results of a natural growth, and therefore may well be offered as the b.isis of a na- uonal or tribal character. I recollect to have seen in several publications on the antiquities of Mexico, many rude drawings made by the ancient Mexicans, of which the singular pru- tiles of these people forcibly remind me, almost bringing me to the conclusion that these people may be the descendants of the race who have l)equeathed those curious and inexplicable remains to the world, and whose scattered rem- nants, from dire and unknown necessities of those dark and veiled ages that have gone by, have been jostled and thrown along through the hideous and almost impenetrable labyrinths of the Rocky Mountains to the place of their VOL. 1. C C 194 M I ■ 1 • t! . »■ * ,!:■ destination where tlicy now live. I am stopped, however, from advancing such as a theory, and irmch pretcr to leave it to other hands, who may more easily get over difficulties which I should be afraid to encounter in the very outset, from the very important questions riiiscd in my mind, as to the cor- rectness of those rude and ignoiant outlines, in truly establishing the looks and character of a people. Amongst a people so ignorant and so little ad- vanced in the arts as the ancient Mexicans were, from whose tracings those very numerous drawings are co|^ied, i think it would be assuming a great deal too much for satisfnclory argument, to claim that such records were to set up to the world the looks and character of a people who have sunk into oblivion, when the heads of horses and other animals, drawn by the same hands, are so rude and so much out of drawing as scarcely to be dis- tinguished, one from the other. I feel as if such rude outlines should bi3 received with great caution and distrust, in estublisliing the character of a people ; and for a fair illustration of the objection I am raising, I would refer the reader to a number of /ac simile drawings which 1 have copied from some of tlie paintings of the Mandans (on the three plates following i'lai k f>5), where most of the figures have the forehead and nose answering exactly to tliese Mexican outlines, and strikingly rescnililing tlie lit:ing Crows, also, when they have certainly borrowed nothing from citiier, nor have they any living outlines like them in their own tribe to have copied from. Since writing the above I have passed through many vicissitudes, and w it- nessed many curious scenes worthy of relating, some of which I will scribble now, and leave the rest for a more leisure occasion. 1 have witnessed many of tl, valued games and amusements of this tribe, and made sketches of them ; and also have painted a number of portraits of distinguished warriors and braves which will be found in my collection. I have just been exceedingly amused with a formal and grave meeting which was called around me, formed by a number of young men, and even chiefs and doctors of the tribe, who, having heard that I was (jreaf viedf cine, and a great chief, took it upon themselves to suppose that I might (or perhaps must) be, a man of influence amoni^st the " pale faces," and capable of rendering them some relief in a case of very great grievance, under which they represented that .they were sutFering. Several most pro- found speeches were made to me, setting forth these grievances, somewiiat in the following manner : — They represented, that about five or six years ago, an unknown, small animal — not far differing in size from a ground squirrel, but with a long, round tail, shewed himself slily about one of the chief's wigwams, peeping out from under the pots and kettles, and other such things ; which they looked upon as great medicine — and no one dared to kill it; but hundreds came to watch and look at it. On one of these occasions, one of the spectators saw this strange animal catching and de- vouring a small " deer mouse," of which little and very destructive animals (heir lodges contained many. It was then at once determined that this had V i\ I'J. advancing may more ill the very to the cor- : llie looks so little ad- icings tiiose n^ a great scords were have sunk awn by the y to be dis- should bii racter of a would refer 3|)it'd from ini; I'LATK ing exactly 'rows, also, s they any s, and wit- 'iil scribble ssed many ketches of ed warriors e meeting , and even ''eat mei/t' it I might ices," and grievance, most pro- somewhat six years a ground ne of the iiid other >ne dared of these and de- unimals this had been an act of the Great Spirit, as a means of putting a stop to the spolia tions committed by these little sappers, who were cutting their clothing, and other manufactures to pieces in a lamentable manner. Councils had been called and solemn decrees issued for the countenance and protection of this welcome visitor and its progeny, which were soon ascertained to be rapidly increasing, and calculated soon to rid them of tiiese thousands of little depre- diitors. It was soon, however, learned from one of the Fur Traders, that this distinguished object of their superstition (which my man Ba'tiste fami- liarly calls " Monsr. Ratapon") had, a short time before, landed himself from one of their keel boats, which had ascended the Missouri river for the distance of 1800 miles; and had taken up its residence, without introduction or in- vitation, in one of their earth-covered wigwams. This information, for a while, curtailed the extraordinary respect they had for some time been paying to it ; but its continual war upon these little mice, which it was using for its food, in the absence of all other nutriment, continued to command their respect, in spite of the manner in which it had been introduced ; being unwilling to believe that it had come from that source, even, without the agency i.i some way of the Great Spirit. Having been thus introduced and nurtured, and their numbers having been so wonderfully increased in the few last years, that every wigwam was in- fested with them, — that their caches, where they bury their corn and other provisions, were robbed and sacked ; and the very pavements under their wigwams were so vaulted and sapped, that they were actually falling to the ground; they were now looked upon as a most disastrous nuisance, and a public calamity, to which it was the object of tiiis meeting to call my atten- tion, evidently in hopes that I might be able to designate some successful mode of relieving them from this real misfortune. I got rid of them at last, by assuring them of my deep regret for their situation, which was, to be sure, a very unpleasant one ; and told them, that tiiere was really a great deal of medicine in the thing, and that I should therefore be cjuite unwilling to have anything to do with it. Ba'tiste and Bogard, who are yet my daily and almost hourly companions, took to themselves a great deal of fun and amusement at the end of this interview, by suggesting many remedies for the evil, and enjoying many hearty laughs; after which, Ba'tiste, Bogard and I, took our hats; and i took my sketch-book in hand, and we started on a visit to the upper town of the Minatarees, which is half a mile or more distant, and on the other bank of the Knife River, which we crossed in the following manner: — ^The old chief, having learned that we were to cross the river, gave direction to one of the women of his numerous household, who took upon her head a skin-canoe (more familiarly called in this country, a bidl-bout), made in the form of a large tub, of a buffalo's skin, stretched on a frame of willow boughs, which she carried to the water's edge ; and placing it in the water, made signs for us three to get into it. When we were in, and $eatcd Hat uu its bottom, with scarce room in any way to ad* ^ II ', I 'M IH 106 just our legs and our feet (as we sat necessarily facing each other), she step- ped before the boat, and pulling it along, waded towards the deeper water, with her back towards us, carefully with the other hand attending to her dress, which seemed to be but a light slip, and floating upon the surface until the water was above her waist, when it was instantly turned off, over her head, and thrown ashore; and she boldly plunged forward, swimming and drawing the boat with one hand, which she did with apparent ease. In this manner we were conveyed to the middle of the stream, where we were soon surrounded by a dozen or more beautiful girls, from twelve to fifteen and eighteen years of age, who were at that time bathing on the op- posite shore. They all swam in a bold and graceful manner, and as confidently as so many otters or beavers ; and gathering around us, with their long blacic hair floating about on the water, whilst their faces were glowing with jokes and fun, wiiich they were cracking about us, and whiih we could not understand. In the niiiist of this delightful little aquatic group, we tlaee s;it in our little skin-bound tub (like the " three wise men of Golhani, who went to sea in a bowl," &c.), floating along down the current, losing sight, and iill thoughts, of the shore, which was equi-distant from us on either side ; w liilst we were amusing ourselves with the playfulness of these dear little creatures who were floating about under the clear blue water, catching their hands on to the sides of our boat ; occasionally raising one-half of their bodies out of the water, and sinking again, like so many mermaids. In the midst of this bewildering and tantalizing entertainment, in which poor Bd'tiste and Bogard, as well as myself, were all taking infinite pleasure, and which we supposed was ail intended for our especial amusement ; we found ourselves suddenly in the delightlul dilemma of floating down the cur- rent in the middle of the river ; and of bcmg turned round and round to the excessive amusement of the villagers, who wore laughing at us from the shore, as well as these little tyros, whose delicate hands were besetting our tub on all sides; and for an escape from whom, or for fending oiF, we had neither an oar, or anything else, that we could wield in self-defence, or for self-preservation In this awkward predicament, our feelings of exces- sive admiration were immediately changed, to those of exceeding vexation, as we now learned that they had peremptorily discharged from her occupa- tion our fair conductress, who had undertaken to ferry us safely across the river ; and had also very ingeniously laid their plans, of which we had been ignorant until t'.o present moment, to extort from us in this way, some little evidences of our liberality, which, in fact, it was impossible to refuse them, after so liberal and bewitching an exhibition on their part, as well as from the imperative obligation which the awkwardness of our situation had laid us under. I had some awls in my pockets, which I presented to them, and also a few strings of beautiful beads, which I placed over their delicate 197 necks as they raised them out of the water by the side of our boat : after which they all joined in conducting our craft to the stiore, by swimming by the sides of, and behind it, pushing it along in tiie direction wliere they designed to land it, until the water became so shallow, that their feet were upon the bottom, when they waded along with great coyness, dragging us towards tlie shore, as long as their bodies, in a trouching position, could possibly be half concealed under the water, when they gave our boat the last push for the shore, and raising a loud and exulting laugh, plunged back again into the river ; leaving us the only alternative of sitting still where we were, or of stepping out into the water at half leg deep, and of wading to the shore, which we at once did, and soon escaped from the view of our little tormentors, and the numerous lookers-on, on our way to the upper village, which I Lave before mentioned. Here I was very politely treated by the Yellow Moccasin, quite an old man, and who seemed to be chief of this band or family, constituting theii little community of thirty or forty lodges, averaging, perhaps, twenty persons to each. I was feasted in this man's lodge — and afterwards invited to ac- company him and several others to a beautiful prairie, a mile or so above the village, where the young men and young women of this town, and many from the village below, had assembled for their amusements ; the chief of which seemedto be that of racing their horses. In tlie midst of these scenes, after I had been for some time a looker-on, and had felt seme considerable degree of sympathy for a fine-looking young fellow, whose horse had been twice beaten on the course, and whose losses had been considerable ; for which, his sister, a very modest and pretty girl, was most piteously howling and crying. I selected and brought forward an ordinary-looking pony, tli.it was evidently too fat and too sleek to run against his fine-limbed little horse that had disappointed his high hopes; and I began to comment e.\- travagantly upon its muscle, &c., when I discovered him evidently cheering up with the ho|.'j of getting me and my pony on to the turf with him ; for which he soon made me a proposition ; and I, having lauded the limbs of my little nag too much to '' back out," agreed to run a short race with hiin of half a mile, for three yards of scarlet cloth, a knife, and half a dozen strings of beads, which I was willing to stake against a handsome pair of leggings, which he was wearing at the time. Tlie greatest imaginable ex- citement was now raised amongst the crowd by this arrangement : to see a white man preparing to run with an Indian jockey, and that with a scrub of a pony, in whose powers of running no Imiian had the least confidence. Yet, there was no one in the crowd, who dared to take up the several other little bets I was willing to tender (merely for their amusement, and for their final exultation) ; owing, undoubtedly, to the bold and confident manner in which I had ventured on the merits of this little horse, which the tribe had all overlooked ; and needs must have some medicine about it. So far was this panic carried, that even my champion was ready to wit'i- ■«iwm 198 Ui'i, , ■ : I'l ' t, i draw ; but his friends eiicourap^ed him at length, and we o:allopcd our horses off to the other end of the course, where we were to start ; and where we were accompanied by a number of horsemen, who were to witness the " set off." Some considerable delay here took place, from a condition, which was tlien named to me, and which I had not observed before, that in all the races of this day, every rider was to run entirely denuded, and ride a naked horse ! Here 1 was completely balked, and having no one by me to inter- pret a word, I was quite at a loss to decide what was best to do. I found however, that remonstrance was of little avail ; and as I had volunteered in this thing to gratify and flatter them, I thought it best not positively to displease them in this ; so 1 laid off my clothes, and straddled the naked back of my round and glossy little pony, by the side of my competitor, who was also mounted and stripped to the skin, and panting with a restless anxiety for the start. Reader ! did you ever imagine that in the middle of a mans liff. '.here could be a thought or a feeling so new to him, as to throw him instantly back to infancy ; with a new world and ;i new genius before him — started afresh, to navigate and breathe the elements of naked and untasted liberty, which clothe him in their cool and silken robes that float about him ; and wafting their life-inspiring folds to his inmost lungs? If you never have been inspired with such a feeling, and have been in the habit of believing tliat you have thought of, and imagined a little of every thing, try for a moment, to disrobe your mind and your body, and help me through feelings 1 j which I cannot give utterance. Imagine yourselves as I was, with my trembling little horse underneath me, and the cool atmosphere that was floating about, and ready, more closely and familiarly to embrace me, as it did, at the next moment, when we " were off," and struggling for the goal and the prize. Though r.iy little Pegasus seemed to dart through the clouds, and I to be wafted on the wings of Mercury, yet my red adversary was leaving me too far behind for further competition ; and I wheeled to the left, making a circuit on the prairie, and came in at the starting point, much to the satis- faction and exultation of the jockeys ; but greatly to the murmuring disap- pomtment of the women and children, who had assembled in a dense throng to witness the " coming out" of the " white medicine-man." 1 clothed myself instantly, and came back, acknowledging my defeat, and the superior skill of my competitor, as well as the wonderful muscle of his little charger, which pleased him much ; and his sisters' lamentations were soon turned to joy, bj the receipt of a beautiful scarlet robe, and a profusion of vari-coloured beads, which were speedily paraded on her copper-coloured neck. After I had seen enough of these amusements, I succeeded with some dif- ficulty, in pulling Ba'tiste and Bogard from amongst the groups of women and girls, where they seemed to be successfully ingratiating themselves ; and we trudged back to he little village of earth-covered lodges, which wcr« \i , f 199 I our horses d where we ss the " set , which was t in all the lie a naked ne to intcr- >. I found volunteered positively to 1 the naked petitor, who h a restless i'» lij>. ".here im instantly ^\m — started isted liberty, ut him ; and u never have of believing ng, try for a jugh feelings las, with my ere that was ace me, as it "or the goal ids, and I to leaving me ft, making a to the satis- uring disap- in a dense ne-man." I defeat, and iiuscle of his itations were I profusion of oloured neck, ith some dif- ps of women nselves ; and , which wcr* hemmed in, and almost obscured from the eye, by the fulds of corn and luxuriiint giowlh of wild sun-flowers, and other vegetable productions of the soil, whose spontaneous growth had reared their heads in such profusion, as to appear all but like a dense and formidable forest. V\ e loitered about this little village awhile, looking into most of its; lodges, and tracing its winding avenues, after which we recrossed the river and wended our way back a^ain to head-cjuarters, from whence we started in llie morning, and where I am now writing. This day's rumble shewed to us M the inhabitants of tiiis little tribe, except a portion of their warriors who ai u out on a war excursion against the Iliccarees ; and I have be:n exceedingly pleased with their general behaviour and looks, as well as with tiieir nume- rous games and amusements, in many of which I have given them great pleasure by taking a part. The Minatarees, as I have before said, are a bold, daring, and warlike tribe; quite different in these respects from their neii^hbours the iMandun-*, carrying war continually in their enemies' coui»try, thereby exposing their lives and diminishing the number of their warriors to that degree that 1 find two or three women to a man, through the tribe. They are bold and fearless in the chase also, and in tlicir eager pursuits of the bison, or buffaloes, their feats are such as to excite the astonishment and admiration of all who behold them. Of these scenes I have witnessed many since 1 came into this country, and amongit them all, nothing have I seen to compare with one to which I was an eye-witness a few mornings since, and well worthy of being described. The Minatarees, as well as the Mandans, had suffered for some months past for want of meat, and had indulged in the most alarming fears, that the lierds of buffaloes were emigrating so far off from them, that there was great danger of their actual starvation, when it was suddenly amiounced through the village one morning at an early hour, that a herd of buffaloes was 'm sight, when an hundred or more young men mounted their horses with wea- pons in baud and steered their course to the prairies. The chief informed me that one of his horses was in readiness for me at the door of his wigwam, and that I had better go and see the curious affair. I accepted his polite otfer, ,md mounting the steed, galloped off with the hunters to the prairies, where we soon descried at a distance, a fine herd of buffaloes grazing, when a halt and a council were ordered, and the mode of attack was agreed upon. I had armed myself with my pencil and my sketch-book only, and conse- quently took my position generally in the rear, where I could see and appre- ciate every manoeuvre. The plan ot attack, which in this country is familiarly called a " surround," was explicitly agreed upon, and the hunters who were all mounted on their •' buffalo horses" and aimed with bows and arrows or long lances, divided into two columns, taking opposite directions, and drew themselves gradually around the herd at a mile or more distance from them ; thus forming a i! I hi I *' ♦I I!' r'H' -; ^ •r; !•- 1 '1 M' >ii ,''1 200 circle of horsemen at equal distances apart, wlio gradjally closed in npon fliem with a moderate pace, at a signal given. The unsuspecting herd at length " got the wind " of the ap])roaching enemy and fled in a mass in the greatest confusion. To the ])oint where they were aiming to cmss liic line, the horsemen were seen at full speed, gathering and forming in ii column, brandishing their weapons and yelling in the most frightful manner, hy which means they turned the black and rushing mass which moved off in an opposite direction where they were again met and foiled in a similar niiuiner, and wheeled back in utter confusion ; by which time the horsemen had closed in from all directions, forming a continuous line around tlicni, whilst the poor affrighted animals were eddying about in a crowded and confused mass, hooking and climbing upon each ether ; when the work of death couimcnced. I hud rode up in the reat aiid occupied an elevated position at a few rods distance, from which 1 could (like the general of a l)aitle field) survey from my horse's back, tie nature and the progress of tlie gruiid melee ; but (unlike him) without the power of issuing a command or in any way directing its issue. In this grand turmoil ( j'late 79), a cloud of dust was soon raised, which in parts obscured the throng where the hunters were galloping their horses around and driving the whizzing arrows or their long lances to the hearts of these noble animals ; which in many instances becoming infuriated with deadly wounds in their sides, erected their shagj,-y manes over their blood-shot eyes and furiously plunged forwards at the sides of their assailants' horses, sometimes goring them to death at a lunge, and putting their dismounted riders to flight for their lives ; sometimes their dense crowd was opened, and the blinded liorsemen, too intent on their prey amidst the cloud of dust, were hemmed and wedged in amidst the crowding beasts, over whose backs they were obliged to leap for security, leaving their horse? to the fate that might await them in the results of this wild and desperate ^/ar. Many were the bulls that turned upon their assailants and met them ^ ith desperate resistance ; and many were the warriors who were dismounte'J, and saved themselves by the superior muscles of their legs ; some who were closely pursued by the bulls, wheeled suddenly around and snatching the part of a buffalo robe from around their waists, threw it over the horns and the eyes of the infuriated beast, and darting by its side drove the arrow or the lane? to its heart. Others suddenly dashed off upon the prairies by the side of tne affrighted animals which had escaped from the throng, and closely escorting them for a few rods, brought down their hearts blood in streams, and their huge car- casses upon the green and enamelled turf. Jn this way this grand hunt soon resolved itself into a desperate battle ; and in the space of fifteen minutes, resulted in tlie total destruction of the whole herd, which in all their strength and fury were doomed, like every beast and living thing else, to fall before the destroying hands of mighty ninn. !(1 ill upon ig lierd at in a mass ;; to cniss )rniing in a ill manner, oved off in n a similar horsemen und tliPH), owded and 1)8 work of m elevated Dneial of a ;ress of the )mmand or d, wliicli in rses around tliese noble lly wounds t eyes and sometimes irs to flight Lhe liiinded e hemmed tliey were night await i bulls that ance ; and Ives by the r the bulls, robe from infuriated ) its heart. affrighted g them for huge car- ite battle ; ion of the like every of mighty f ' i! \t *• III' •:; ill, VrU : t III ' i: 14 1 II 1 1;f:' i |;: V 201 I had tat in trembling; silence upon my liorsc, and witnessed ti\i ■i I irli if h: ' ' Ir ^if 204 except by the mercy of their enemies. I think it probable, therefore, that he IB ingeniously endeavouring; thus to ingratiate himself in my affections, and consequently to insure my guardianship and influence for his protection. Be this as it may, he is rendering me many kind services, and I have in return traced him on my canvass for immortality (plate 83). By the side of him (plate 84), I have painted a beautiful little girl of tiie same tribe, wiiose name is Pshan-shaw (the sweet-scented grass), giving a very pretty specimen of the dress and fashion of the women in this tribe. Tlie inner garment, which is like a slip or a frock, is entire in one piece, and beautifully ornamented with embroidery and beads, with a row of A\:i teeth passing across the breast, and a robe of the young bui'alo's skin, tastefully and elaborately embroidered, gracefully thrown over her shoulders, and hanging down to the ground behind her. Plate 8'> gives a portrait of one of the chiefs of this tribe by the name of Stan-au-pat (the blootly hand), and (plate 81) of Kah-beck-a (the twin), a good-looking matron, who was painted a few weeks since in tiie prin- cipal Mandan village. The dresses in both of these portraits are very beautiful, and I have pro- cured them, as well as the one before spoken of, for my collection. Plate 80, gives a view of the Riccarec village, which is beautifully situated on the west bank of the river, 200 miles below the Mandans ; and built very much in the same manner; being constituted of 150 earth- covered lodges, which are in part surrounded by an imperfect and open barrier of piquets set firmly in the ground, and of ten or twelve feet in height. This village is built upon an open prairie, and the gracefully undulating liills thai rise in distance behind it are e erywhere covered with a verdant green turf, without a tree or a bush anywhere to be seen. This view was taken from the deck of the steamer when I was on my way up the river ; and probably it was well that I took it then, for so hostile and deadly are the feelincrs of these people towards the pale faces, at this time, that it may be dc°mv.'d most prudept for me to pass them on my way down the river, without stopping to make them a visit. They certainly are hn.rbouring the most resentful feelings at this time towards the Traders, and others passing on the river ; and no doubt, that there is great danger of the lives of any white men, who unluckily fall into their hands. They have recently sworn death and destruction to every white man, who comes in their way ; and there is no doubt, that they are ready to execute their threats. When Lewis and Clarke first visited these people thirty years since, it will be found by a reference to their history, that the Riccarees received and treated them with great kindness and hospitality ; but owing to the system of trade, and the manner in which it has been conducted in this country, I hey have been inflicted with real or imaginary abuses, of which they arc themselves, and the Fur Traders, the best judtf;es ; and for which they are efore, that he ffections, and )tection. Be lave in return tie girl of the ss), giving a in this tribe, rie piece, and row of ,-!i'.;3' m'aio's skin, er siioulders, the name of a (the twin), in the prin- I have pro- )n. 5 beautifully indans ; and 150 earth- :t and open reive feet in r undulating :h a verdant his view was p the river ; i deadly are that it may vn the river, rbouring the tiers passing ives of any :ently sworn r way ; and since, it will !ceived and < the system lis country, ch they arc ch they are smm 1 ( ■ i ' ■ : l^ll ^ it ^:- ' 1 r\ I ' t, p I I i I (I I T -?-.4 .'Yiii-lli • t— UIUJIlI. !^ ill m u m^^ ! I i'^ f I V > ! 'V m I. ' B ii I 'ft , It' t;' ■^' .1 . !i now harbouring the most inveterate feelings towards the whole tivilized race. The Riccarees are unquestionably a part of tlie tribe of Pawnees, living on the Platte River, some hundreds of miles below this, inasmuch as their ianguage is nearly or quite the same ; and their personal appearance and customs as similar as could be reasonably expected amongst a people so lon» since separated from their parent tribe, and continually subjected to inno- vations from the neighbouring tribes around them; amongst whom, in their erratic wanderings in search of a location, they have been jostled about in the character, alternately, of friends and of foes. I shall resume my voyage down the river in a few days in my canoe ; and I may, perhaps, stop and pay these people a visit, and consequently, be able to say more of them ; or, I may be hauled in, to the shore, and my boat plundered, and my " scalp danced," as they have dealt quite recently with the last trader, who has dared for several years past, to continue his resi- dence with them, after they had laid fatal hands on each one of his com- rades before him, and divided and shared their goods. Of the Mandans, who are about me in this little village, I need say nothing, except that they are in every respect, the same as those I have de- scribed in the lower village — and in fact, 1 believe this little town is rather a summer residence for a few of the noted families, than anything else ; as I am told that none of their wigwams are tenanted through the winter. I shall leave them in the morning, and take up my residence a few days longer with my hospitable friends Mr. Kipp, Mah-to-toh-pa, &c. in the large village ; and then with my canvass and easel, and paint-pots in my canoe ; with Ba'tiste and Bogard to paddle, and my own oar to steer, wend my way again on the mighty Missouri towards my native land, bidding everlasting farewell to the kind and hospitable Mandans. In taking this final leave of them, which will be done with some decided feelings of regret, and in receding from their country, I shall look back and reflect upon them and their curious and peculiar modes with no small degree of pleasure, as well as surprise ; inasmuch as their hospitality and friendly treatment have full; corroborated my fixed belief that the North American Indian in his primitive state is a high-minded, hospitable and honourable being — and their singular and peculiar customs have raised an irresistible belief in my mind that they have had a different origin, or are of a difi'erent compound of character from any other tribe that I have yet seen, or that can be probably seen in North America. In coming to such a conclusion as this, the mind is at once filled with a flood of enquiries as to the source from which they have sprung, and eagerly seeking for the evidence which is to lead it to the most probable and correct conclusion. Amongst these evidences of which there are many, and forcible ones to be met with amongst these people, and many of which I have named in my former epistles, the most striking ones are those which go, I think, de- =8^ ■RWMMHMI :} i h i ■■< : \ Hi. 'f* ! if^ 1 ' u M i . m i I'l 206 cidedly to suggest the existence of looks and of c ustoms amongst them, bear- ing incontestible proofs of an amalgam of civilized and savage ; and that in the absence of all proof of any recent proximity of a civilized stock that could in any way have been engrafted upon them. These facts then, with the host of their peculiarities which stare a travellej in the face, lead tlie mind back in search of some more remote and ratlona cause for such striking singularities ; and in this dilemma, I have been almost disposed (not to advance it as a theory, but) to enquire whether here may not be found, yet existing, the remains of tlie Welsh colony — the fol- lowers of Madoc ; who history tells us, if I recollect right, started with ten ships, to colonize a country which he had discovered in the Western Ocean ; whose expedition 1 think has been pretty clearly traced to the mouth of the Mississippi, or the coast of Florida, and whose fv ,e further than this. seems sealed in unsearchable mystery. I am travelling in this country as 1 have before said, not to advance or to prove theories, but to see all that I am able to sec, and to tell it in the sim- plest and most intelligible manner I can to the world, for their own conclu- sions, or for theories I may feel disposed to advance, and be better able to defend after I get out of this singular country; where all the powers of ones faculties are required, and much better employed I consider, in lielping him along and in gathering materials, than in stopping to draw too nice and delicate conclusions by the way. If my indefinite recollections of the fate of that colony, however, as re- corded in history be correct, I see no harm in suggesting the inquiry, whether they did not sail up the Mississippi river in their ten ships, or such number of them as might have arrived safe in its mouth ; and having advanced up the Ohio from its junction, (as they naturally would, it being the widest and most gentle current) to a rich and fertile country, planted themselves as agriculturalists on its rich banks, where they lived and flourished, and in- creased in numbers, until they were attacked, and at last besieged by the numerous hordes of savages who were jealous of their growing condition ; and as a protection against their assaults, built those numerous civilized fortifications, the ruins of which are now to be seen on the Ohio and the Muskingum, in which they v.ere at last all destroyed, except some few fami- lies who had intermarried with the Indians, and whose offspring, being half- breeds, were in such a manner allied to them that their lives were spared ; and foiming themselves into a small and separate community, took up their residence on the banks of the Missouri ; on which, for the want of a pernisv- nent location, being on the lands of their more powerful enemies, were obliged repeatedly to remove ; and continuing their course up the river, have in time migrated to the place where they are now living, and con- sequently found with the numerous and almost unaccountable peculiarities of which I have before spoken, so inconsonant with the general character vf the North American Indians; with complexions of every shade; with hair iver, as re- iry, whether jch number need up the widest and lemselves as ed, and in- aged by the condition ; us civilized iio and the le few fami- being halt- ;re spared ; )ok up tiieir )f a perm»- lemies, were p the river, g, and con- peculiarities d character ;: with hair J- hem, bear- and that in that couUl 5 a travcllei nd ratlona have been hether here y — the fol- ;d with ten ern Ocean ; outh of the t this. seems vance or to in the sim- iwn conclu- ;ter able to vers of ones lelping him a nice and 207 of all the colours in civilized society, and many with hazel, with grey, and with blue eyes. The above is a suggestion of a moment ; and I wish the reader to bear it in mind, that if I ever advance such as a theory, it will be after I have col- lected other proofs, which I shall take great pains to do ; after I have taken a vocabulary of their language, and also in my transit down the river in my canoe, I may be able from my own examinations of the ground, to ascertain whether the sliores of the Missouri bear evidences of their former locations ; or whether amongst the tribes who inhabit the country below, theie remain any satisfactory traditions of their residences in, and transit through their countries. I close here my book (and probably for some time, my remarks), on the friendly and hospitable Mandans. Note — Several years haviog elapsed since the above account of the Mandans was written, I open the book to convey to the reader the melancholy intelligence of tho destruction of this interesting tribe, which happened a short time after I left their country ; and the manner and causes of their misfortune I have explained in the Appen- dix to the Second Volume of tliis Work ; as well as some further considerations of the subject just above-named, relative to their early history, and tlie probable fate of the followers of Mudoc, to which I respectfully refer tba reader before he goes further in the body of the Work. See Appendix A. 7~^ ^mm PfWP ! 208 letter-No. 26. m 11 i I: wv 'f *J Si < MOUTH OF TETON RIVER, UPPER MISSOURI. SiNcr, writing tlic above Letter I have descended the Missouri, a distance of six or seven hundred miles, in my little bark, with Ba'tiste and Bogardt my old " coinpaifhons da roymje," and iiave nuich to say of what we three dill and what we saw on our way, which will be given anon. I am now in the heart of the country bulongisig to the numerous tribe of Sioux or Dahcotas, and have Indian face?; and Indian customs in abun- dance around me. This tribe is one of the most numerous in North America, and also one of the most vigorous and warlike tribes to be found, number- ing some forty or fifty thousand, and able undoubtedly to muster, if the tribe could be moved simultaneously, at least eight or ten thousand warriors, well mounted and well armed. This tribe take vast numbers of the wild horses on the plains towards the Rocky Mountains, and many of them have been supplied with guns ; but the greater part of them hunt with their bows and arrows and long lances, killing their game from their horses' backs while at full speed. The name Sioux (pronounced see-oo) by which they are familiarly called, is one that has been given to them by the French traders, the meaning of which I never have learned; their own name being, in their language, Dah-co-ta. The personal appearance of these people is very fine and prepossessing, their persons tall and straight, and their movements elastic and graceful. Their stature is considerably above that of the Mandans and Riccarees, or Black- feet; but about equal to that of the Crows, Assinneboins and Minatarees, furnishing at least one half of their warriors of six feet or more in height. I am here living with, and enjoying the hospitality of a gentleman by the name of Laidlaw, a Scotchman, who is attached to the American Fur Com- pany, and who, in company with Mr. M'Kenzie (of whom I have before spoken) and Lamont, has the whole agency of the Fur Company's transac- tions in the regions of Uie Upper Missouri and the Rocky Mountains. This gentleman has a finely-built Fort here, of two or three hundred feet square, enclosing eight or ten of their factories, houses and stores, in the midst of which he occupies spacious and comfortable apartments, which are well supplied with the comforts and luxuries of life and neatly and respectably conducted by a fine looking, modest, and dignified Sioux 58 i, a distance and Bogardi hat we three rous tribe of ns in abiin- rth America, nd, nuinber- uster, if the jnd warriors, 8 of the wild bf them have th their bows ' backs while irly called, is ing of which Dah-co-ta. Jessing, their eful. Their s, or Black- Minatarees, a height. ;man by the a Fur Com- have before y's transac- itains. le hundred and stores, apartments, and neatly iified Sioux HG I ; hkV ■ I'f '■ tHM 209 womnn, llie kind and nflcctionatc mnllicr of liis litilr fTntk of pretty and in- tcrcgtin^ cliilUren. This Fort is iindoiibiedlj one of tlic most im|«)rlunt and proiliictivt! of tlic American Fur Company's posts, boini; in llic cenlii! of the jjumI Sioux count./, drawint^ from all (piarturs an immense uiul almost iucrt.Mlilile nuniU-r of buffalo robis, wliicli are carried to tlu; New York and other ICas- tern markets, and sold at u great profit. This post is thirteen hundred miles above St. Louis, on the west bunk of the Missouri, on a beautiful plain near tlic mouth of the Teton river which empties into the Missouri Irom the West, and the Fort has received the name of Fort Pierre, in compliment to Monsr. Pierre Clioutea\i, who is one of the partners in the Fur Company, residina: in St. Louis ; and to whose politeness I am indebted, as I have before mentioned, for my passage in the Company's stes'iuer, on her first voyage to the Yellow Stone ; and whose urbane and gentlemanly society, I have before said, I had during my passage. The country about this Fort is almost entirely prairie, producing along the banks of the river and streams only, slight skirtings of timber. No site could have been selected more pleasing or more advantageous than this; the Fort is in the centre of one I the Missouri's most beautiful plains, and hem- med in by a series of gracefully undulating, grass-covered hills, on all sides ; rising like a scries of terraces, to the summit level of the prairies, some three or four hundred feet in elevation, which then stretches off in an apparently boundless ocean of gracefully swelling waves and fields of green. On my way up the river I made a painting of this lovely spot, taken from the summit of the bluffs, a mile or two distant (tlate 85j, shewing an encamp- ment of Sioux, of six hundred tents or skin lodges, around the Fort, where they had concentrated to make their spring trade ; exchanging their furs and peltries for articles and luxuries of civilized manufactures. The great family of Sioux who occupy so vast a tract of country, extend- ing from the banks of the Mississippi river to the base of the Rocky Moun- tains, are everywhere a migratory or roaming tribe, divided into forty-two bands or families, each having a chief who all acknowledge a superior or head chief, to whom they all are held subordinate. This subordination, however, I should rather record as their former and nutive regulation, of which there exists no doubt, than an existing one, since the numerous inno- vations made amongst these people by the Fur Traders, as well as by the proximity of civilization along a great deal of their frontier, which soon upset and change many native regulations, and particularly those relating to their government and religion. Tiiere is one principal and familiar division of this tribe into what are called tlie Mississi])pi and Missouri Sioux. Those bordering on the banks of the Mississippi, concentrating at Prairie du Chien and Fort Snelling, for tho purposes of trade, &c., are called the Mississippi Sioux. These are some- what advanced towards civilization, and familiar with white people, with VOL. I. K £ i^p .* M ' I ' i ?' 210 wlmni tliey nd fearlessly roam "k the vast plains intervening between it and the Rocky Mountains, and are still living entirely in their primitive ootidition. There is no tribe on the Continent, perhaps, of finer looking men than the Sioux ; and few tribes who are better and more comfortably clad, and sup- plied with the necessaries of life. There are no parts of the great plains of America which are more abundantly stocked with buffaloes and wild horses, nor any people ivore bold in destroying the one for food, and appropriating tlie other to their use. There has gone abroad, from the many histories which have been written of these people, an opinion which is too current in the world, that the Indian is necessarily a pcov. drunken, murderous wretch; which account is certainly unjust as regards the savage, and d'ing less than justice to the world for whom such histories have been prepared. I have travelled several years already amongst these people and I have not had my scalp taken, nor a blow struck me ; nor had occasion to raise my hand against an Indian ; nor has my property been stolen, as yet to my knowledge, to the value of a shilling ; and that in a country where no man is punishable by law for the crime of stealing ; still some of them steal, and murder too; and if white men did not do the same, and that in defiance of the laws of God and man, I might take satisfaction in stigmatizing the Indian character as thievish and murderous. That the Indians in their native state are "drunken," is false ; for they are the only temperance people, lite- rally speaking, that ever I saw in my travels, or ever expect to see. If the civilized woild are startled at this, it is the Jacl that they must battle witii, not with me ; for these people manufacture no spirituous liquor tlmmstlves, and know nothing of it until it is brought int-j their country and tendered to them by Christians. That these people art; ''naked" is equally untrue, and as easily disproved ; for I am sure that -.vith the paintings I have made amongst the Mandans and Crows, and otlur tribes ; and with their beautifid costumes which I have procured and shall bring home, I shall be able to establish the fact that many of these people dress, not only with clothes comfortable for any latitude, but that they also dress with some consider- able taste and elegance. Nor am I quite sure that they are entitled to the name o("poor" who live in a boundless country of green fields, with good horses to ride ; where they are all joint tenants of the soil, together; where the Great Spirit has supplied them with an abundance of food to eat — where they are all indulging in the pleasures and amusements of a lifetime of idle- ness and ease, with no business hours to attend to, or professions to learn — where they have no notes in bank or other debts to pay — no taxes, no tithes, no rents, nor beggars to touch and tax the sympathy of their souls at every step they go. Such might be poverty in the Christian world, but CO cC CO 1 ¥ 1 5 ,11 :- i ;' '', i 1 1. i,: • -I vl; h\ ■■ ! t. ilM' ,!f t JH 211 is sure to be a blessing where the pride and insolence of comparative wealth are unknown. I mentioned that this is the nucleus or place of concentration of the nu- merous tribe of the Sioux, who often congregate here in great masses to make their trades with the American Fur Company ; and that on my way up the river, some months since, I found here encamped, six hundred fami- lies of Sioux, living in tents covered with buffalo hides. Amongst these there were twenty or more of the different bands, each one with their chief at their head, over whom was a superior chief and leader, a middle-aged man, oi middling stature, widi a noble countenance, and a figure almost equalling the Apollo, and I painted his portrait (plate 86). The name of this chief is Ha-won-je-tah (the one horn) of the Mee-ne-cow-e-gee band, who has risen rapidly to the highest honours in the tribe, from his own extraordinary merits, even at so early an age. He told me that he took the name of " One Horn" (or shell) from a simple small shell that was hanging on his neck, which descended to him from his father, and which, he said, he valued more than anything he possessed ; affording a striking instance of the living affec- tion which these people often cherish for the dead, inasmuch as he chose to carry this name through life in preference to many others and more lioiiourable ones he had a right to have taken, from different battles and exploits of his extraordinary life. He treated me with great kindness and iittention, considering himself highly complimented by the signal and unpre- cedented honour 1 had conferred upon him by painting his portrait, and" that before I had invited any other. His costume was a very handsome one, and will have a place in my Indian Gallery by the side of his picture. It is made of elk skins beautilnlly dressed, and fringed with a profusion ot porcupine quills and scalp-locks ; and his hair, which is very long and pro- fuse, divided into two parts, and lifted up and crossed, over the top of his head, with a simple tie, giving it somewhat the appearance of a Turkish turl)an. This extraordinary man, Iiefore he was raised to the dignity of chief, was the renowned of his tribe for his athletic achievements. In the chase he was foremost ; he could run down a buffalo, which he often had done, on his own legs, and drive his arrow to the heart. He was the fleetest in the tribe ; and in the races he had run, he had always taken the prize. It was proverbial in his tribe, that Ha-wan-je-tah's bow never was drawn in vain, and his wigwam was abundantly furnished with scalps that he had taken from his enemies' heads in battle. Having descended the river thus far, then, and having hauled out my canoe, and taken up my quarters for awhile, with mine hosf itabie host, Mr. Laidlaw, as I have before said ; and having introduced my readers to the country and the people, and more particularly to the chief dignitary of the Sioux ; and having promised in the beginning of this Letter also, that I should give them sonic amusing and curious inlbiniation that we picked up. [ '■' . •' %r 212 ans to make a " holt; in the ballad," though I promise my readers they are written, and will ap|)ear in the book in a proper and appropriate place. Taking it for granted then, that I will he indulged in this freak, I am taking the liberty of presuming on my readers' patience in pro|»osing another, which is to offer them here an extract from my Notes, which were maile on my journey of 1300 miles from St. Louis to this place, where I stopped, as I have said, amongst several thousands of Sioux ; v/here I remained for some time, and painted my numerous portraits of their chiefs, &c. ; one of whom was the head and leader of the Sioux, whom I have already intro- duced. On the long and tedious route that lies between St. Louis and this place, I passed the Sacs and loways — the Konzas — the Omahaws, and the Ottoes (making notes on them all, which are reserved for another place), and landed at the Puncahs, a small tribe residing in one village, on the west bank of the river, 300 miles below this, and 1000 from St. Louis. The Puncahs are all contained in seventy-five or eighty lodges, made of bufl'alo skins, in the form of tents ; the frames for which are poles of fifteen or twenty feet in length, with the butt ends standing on the ground, and the small ends meeting at the top, forming a cone, which sheds off the rain and wind with perfect success. This small remnant of a tribe are not more than four or five hundred in numbers; and I should think, at least, two-thirds of those are women. This disparity in numbers having been pro- •luced by the continual losses which their men sufl'er, who are |>enetrating the buffalo country for meat, for which they are now obliged to travel a great way (as the bufl'alocs have recently left their country), exposing their lives to their more numerous enemies about them. The chief of this tribe, whose name is Shoo-de-ga-cha (smoke), I painted at full length (plate 87), and his wife also, a young and very pretty woman (plate 88), whose name is Hee-la'h-dee (the pure fountain); her neck and arms were curiously tattooed, which is a very frequent mode of orna- inonting the body amongst this and some other tribes, which is done by pricking into the skin, gunpowder and vermilion. The chief, who was wrapped in a buffalo robe, is a noble specimen of native dignity and philosophy. I conversed much with him ; ancf from his Signified manners, as well as from the soundness of his reasoning, 1 became fully convinced that he deserved to be the sachem of a more numerous and prosperous tribe. He related to me with great coolness and frankness, the poverty and distress of his nation ; and with the method of a philosopher, predicted the certain and rapid extinction of his tribe, which he had not the power to avert. Poor, noble chief; who was equal to, and worthy of a greater cnqiire ! He sal upon the deck of the steamer, overlooking the little 1 lans to tliis oldinj:^ from t iiiiportHiit ke a " holi! will appear Freak, I am lii'j; anollicr, !re iiiaenetrating o travel a osing their I painted tty woman iier neck c of orna- is done by jecimen of cf from his , 1 became leroiis and kness, the lildsopher, ad not the irtliy of a the tittle ■c h:!, TiM'.'f: f ;i:' 1^ ous;il. In Iter leading aughter, of horses, and ice, and all d, when he Lt tlie time r hand that his young . He took n his other as standing nd of your The father liiUl ; when which were r daughters 11 as by the t each one 1 siLnce was public your f. to perform I to do the I, and deli- leii — taking of life; re- veral times, i all seemed itering very ne of them the bending young buf- much grace gent for the th of these ik, felt dis- ler. twelve and vM country '■■Cattui. !:! 1*1 !|{ l! < lih i i ut 915 It \» a surprising fuct, that women mature in these rf^ions at tliat early npe, and tliere liave been some instances where niarriaj^e has taken phice, even at eleven ; and the juvenile mother has been blest with her Hrst oH- S|)rin<^ at tlie age of twelve ! These faets are calculated to create surpri^te and almost incredulity in tho mind of the reader, but there arc circumstances for his consideration yet to be known, which will in a manner account for these extraordinary facts. There is nut a doubt but there is a more early approach to maturity amongst the females of this country than in civili/ed communities, owing either to a natural and constitutional difference, or to the exposed and active life they lead. Yet there is another and more general cause of early mar- riages (and conscpiently apparent maturity), whicli arises out of the modes and forms uf the country, where most of the marriages are contracted with the parents, hurried on by the impatience of the applicant, and prematurely ac- ce|)ted and consummated on the part of the parents, who are olleu impatient to be in receipt of the presents they are to receive as the price of their daughters. There is also the facility of dissolving the marriage contract in this country, which does away with one of the most serious difficulties which lies in the way in the civilized world, and calculated greatly to retard its consummation, which is not an equal objection in Indian communities. Edu« cation and accomplishments, again, in the fashionable world, and also a time and a season to flourish and show them oflP, necessarily engross that paj-t of a young lady's life, when the poor Indian girl, who finds herself weaned from the familiar embrace of her parents, with her mind and her body ma- tutiiig, and her thoughts and her passions straying away in the world for some theme or some pleasure to cling to, easily follows their juvenile and ardent dictates, prematurely entering on that system of life, consisting in reciprocal dependence and protection. In the instance above describeil, the young man was in no way censured by his people, but most loudly applauded ; for in this coimtry polygamy is allowed ; and in this tribe, where there are two or three times the number of women that there are of men, such an arrangement answers a good purpose, whereby so many of the females are proviiieil lor and taken care of ; and particularly so, and to the great satisfaction of the tribe, as well as of the the parties and families concerned, when so many fall to the lot of a chief, or the son of a chief, into whose wigwam it is considered an honour to be adopted, and where they are the most sure of protection. 2iU LETTER— No. 2/. MOUTFI OF TIVrO>f RIVF.Tl, UPPFR MISSOURI. i :^'l WiiF.N we were about to start on our way up the river from the village of the Puuoahs, we found that they were packinj; uj) all tlieir ^ootls and pre- pariiit;- to slart for tiie prairies, farther to the West, in pursuit of baffaloes,to liry nitiit for their winter's supplies. Tliey took down their wigwams of skins to carry with them, and all were flat to the ground and everything packing up ready for the start. My attention was directed by Major Sanford, the Indian Agent, to one of the most miserable and lielpless looking objects that I ever had seen in my life, a very aged and emaciated man of the tribe, who he told me was to be exposed. The tribe were going where hunger and dire necessity compelled them to go, ond this pitiable object, who had once been a chief, and a man of distinction in his tribe, who was now too old to travel, being reduced to mere skin and bones, was to be left to starve, or meet with such death as might fall to his lot, and his bones to be picked by the wolves ! I lingered around this poor old forsaken TT'.triarch for hours before we started, to induly,e the tears of sympatliy wh. • were flowing for the sake of this poor benighted and de- crepit old man, whose worn-out limbs were no longer able to support him ; their kind and faithful ofiices having long since been performed, and his body and his mind doomed to linger into the withering agony of decay, and gradual solitary death. I wept, and it was a pleasure to weep, for the pain- ful looks, and the dreary prospects of this old veteran, whose eyes were dimmed, whose venerable locks were whitened by an hundred years, whoso limbs Were almost naked, and trembling as he sat by a small fire which liis friends had left him, with a few sticks of wood within Ifis reach and a buf- falo's skin stretched upon some crotches over his head. Such was to be his only dwelling, and such the chances for his life, with only a few half-picked bones that were laid within his reach, and a dish of water, without weapons or nil uns of any kind to replenish them, or strcngtii to move his body from its fatal locality. In this s.id plight I mournfully contemplated this miserable remnant of existence, who had unluckily outlived the fates and accidents of wars to die alone, at death's leisure. Mis friends and his children had all left liim, and were prcpiuing in a little time to be on the march. He had told lie vil]a<:(e of ;ls and pre- baflPaloi's, to ams of skins lin^ packing »antbrd, the objects that if the tribe, I them to go, f distinction ::re skin and It fall to his nd this poor tiie tears of ed and de- jpport him ; ed, and his decay, and or the pain- eyes were ears, whose 'c wiiich his and a buf- ras to be liis half-picked )ut weapons body from lis miserable accidents of had all left e had told 217 them to leave him, " he was old," he said, "and too feeble to m.irrh." "My children," said he, "otir nation is poor, and it is necessary that yon slionid all ^o to the country where yon can get n\eat, — my eyes arc diniintd and my strength is no more ; my days are nearly all numlnved, and I am a burthen to my children — I c.innot go, and I wish to die. Keep yonr hearts stunt, and think not of me ; 1 am no longer good for anything." In this way they had tinished the ceremony <>( c.rjiosiiKj him, and taken their tinal leiive of him. I advanced to the old man, and w.ts undonbtedly the last htininn being who held converse with him. I sat by the side of him, and thonL;li lie crmid not distinctly see nic, he shook me heartily by the hand and smiled, evidently aware that I was a white man, and that I sympathized with his inevitable misfortune, 1 shook hands again with him, and left him, steering my course towards the stt anier which was a mile or more from me, and ready to resume her voyage up the Missouri.* This cruel custom of exposing their aged people, belongs, I think, to all the tribes who roam about the prairies, making severe marches, when sncli dcciepit persons arc totally unable to go, unable to ride or to walk, — when they have no means of carrying them. It often becomes absolutely neces- sary in such cases that they should be left ; and they uniformly insist upon it, saying as this old man did, that they arc old and of no further use — that they left their fathers in the same manner — that they wish to die, and their children must not mourn for them. From the Puncah village, our steamer made regular progress from day to day towards the mouth of the Teton, from where 1 am now writing ; passing the whole way a country of green tields, that come sloping down to the river on cither side, forming the loveliest scenes in the world. From day to day we advanced, opening our eyes to someliiing new and more beautiful every hour that wc progressed, until at last our boat was aground ; and a day's work of sounding told us at last, that there was no possibility of advancing further, nntil there should be a rise in the river, to enable the boat to get over the bar. After laying in the middle of the river about a week, in this unpromising dilemma, Mr. Chouteau started off twenty men on foot, to cross the plains for a distance of 200 miles to Laid- law's Fort, at the month of Teton river. To this expedition, I immediately attached myself; and having heard that a numerous party of Sioux were there encamped, and waiting to see the steamer, I packed on the backs, and in the hands of several of the men, such articles for painting, as I might want ; canvass, paints, and brushes, with my sketch-book slung on my back, and my rifle in my hand, and I started oft" with them. • When passing bj the site of the Puncah vilhigo a hw months after this, in my canoe, I went ashore with my men, and found the poles and tlie bufl'alo skin, standing as tbey » eio left, over the old man's head. The firebrands were lying nearly as I had left tliein, and I found at a few yards distant the skull, and others of his bones, which had been [licked uiid cleaned bv the wolves ; which is probably all that any human being am ever know of his final and melancholy fate. VOL. 1. I- J.' ;! wfmtmmmtmmmm 7 '^mmmm ^^W ;, ^1, It •' "il ;! i ! I f I'l 218 We took leave of our friends on tlie boat, and mounting tlie green bliiffs, steered our course from day to day over a level prairie, without a tree or a biisli in sight, to relieve the painful monotony, filling our canteens at the occasional little streams that we pas&ea, kindling our fires with dried btiflalo dung, which we collected on the piaiiie, and stretching our tired limbs on the level turf whenever we were ovctaken by night. We were six or seven days i.i performing this march ; and it gave me a p,ood opportunity of testing tlie muscles of my legs, with a number of half-breeds and Frenchmen, whose lives are mostly spent in this way, leading a novice, a cruel, and almost killing journey. Every rod of our way was over a continuous prairie, with a verdant green tin f of wild grass of six or eight inches in heigiit ; and most of the way enamelled with wild Howcrs, and filled with a profusion of strawberries. For two or three of the first days, the scenery was monotonous, and be- came exceedingly painfu' from the fact, that we were (to use a phrase of the ooimtry) " out of sight of land," i. e. out of sight of anything rising above the horizon, which was a perfect straight line around us, like that of the blue and boundless ocean. The pedestrian over such a discouraging sea of green, without a landmark before or ucbind him ; without a beacon to lead him on, or define his progress, feels weak and overcome when night falls; and he stretches his exhausted limbs, apparently on the same spot where he has slept the ni^ilit l)ofore, with the same prospect before and behind him ; the same grass, and tlie same wild flowers beneatii and about him ; the same canopy over his head, and the same cheerless sea of green to start upon in the morning. It is difficult to describe the simple beauty and seitnity of these scenes of solitude, or the feelings of feeble man, whose limbs arj toil- ing to carry him through them — without a hill or tree to mark his prjgiess, and convince him that he is not, like a squirrel ni his cage, after all his toil, standing still. One commences on peregrinations like these, with a light heart, and a nimble foot, and spirits as buoyant as the very air that floats along by the side of him ; but his spirit soon tires, and he lags on the way that is rendered more tedious and intolerable by the tantalizing mirafjc that opens before him beautiful lakes, and lawns, and copses ; or by the looming 01 the prairie ahcuJ of hiir, that seems to rise in a parapet, and decked with its varied flowers, phantom-like, flies and moves along before him. I got on for a couple of days in tolerable condition, and with some con- siderable applause ; but my half-bred, companions took the lead at length, and left me with several other novices far behind, which gave me additional pangs ; and I at length felt like giving up the journey, and throwing my- self upon the ground in hopeless despair. I was not alone in i.,y misery, however, but was cheered and encouraged by looking back and beholding several of our party half a mile or more in the rear of me, jogging along, and siiffering more agony in their new experiment than I was sufl'ering my- self. Their loitering and my murmurs, at length, brought our leaders to a I>, jrcen bluffs, a tree or a eem at the Irieil buffalo ed liuibs on it gave me I a number n tin's way, rod ol' our ' wild grass d with wild us, and be- irase of the •isinp: above of the blue ca of green, to lead him , falls; and )t where he lehind him ; ; the same art upon in serenity of lbs arj toil- is prjg'.ess, all his toil, vith a light ' that floats on the way mirage that the looming leaked with I some con- 1 at length, ? additional rowing uiy- t.;y misery, 1 beholding ging along, tiering iny- leaders to a 219 halt, and we held a sort of council, in which 1 explained that the pain in my feet was so intolerable, that I felt as if I could go no further ; when one of our half-breed leaders stepped up to me, and addressing me in French, told me that I must " turn my toes in" as the Indians do, and that I could then go on very well. We halted a half-hour, and took a little refreshment, whilst the little Frenchman was teaching his lesson to the rest of my fellow- novices, when we took up our march again ; and I soon found upon trial, that by turning my toes in, my feet went more easily through the grass ; and by turning the weight of my body more equally on the toes (enabling each one to support its proportionable part of the load, instead of throwing it all on to the joints of the big toes, which is done when the toes are turned out) ; I soon got relief, and made my onward progress very well. I rigidly adhered to this mode, and found no difficulty on the third and fourth days, of taking the lead of the whole party, which I constantly led until our jour- ney was completed.* On this journey we saw immense herds of buffaloes ; and although we had no horses to run them, we successfully approached them on foot, and supplied ourselves abundantly with fresh meat. After travelling for several days, we came in sight of a high range of blue hills in distance on our left, which rose to the height of several hundred feet above the level of the prairies. These hills were a conspicuous landmark at last, and some relief to us. I was told by our guide, that they were called the Bijou Hills, from a Fur Trader of that name, who had had his trading-house at the foot of them on the bunks of the Missouri river, where he was at last destroyed by the Sioux Indians. Not many miles back of this range of hills, we came in contact with an immense saline, or " salt meadow," as they axe termed in this country, which turned us out of our path, and compelled us to travel several miles out of our way, to get by it ; we came suddenly upon a great depression of the prairie, which extended for several miles, and as we stood upon its green banks, which were gracefully sloping down, we could overlook some hun- dreds of acres of the prairie which were covered with an incrustation of sail, that appeared the same as if the ground was everywhere covered with snow. These scenes, I am told are frequently to be met with in these regions, and certainly pnsent the most singular and startling effect, by the sudden • Ou this march we were all triivelling in moccasins, wliicli bein^ made without nny Boles, accordi''.g to 'he Indian custom, had but little support for the foot underneath ; and consequently, soon /ubjected u^ to excruciating pain, whilst walking accordin;^- (o tlia civilixed mode, with the toes turimd out. From this very painful experience I learned to my complete satisfaction, that man m a state of nature who walks ou his naked feet, mint walk with his toes turned in, that each may jierform tlie duties assigned to it in proportioa to its size and stren^fth ; and that civilized man ('(iii walk with his toes turned out if he chooses, if he will use a stiff sole under his feet, and will he content at last to put up wiih an ac<|uired deformity of the big toe Joint >vtuch too many know to be a fruijueul and punl'ul occurruucti. \. ;! : :!:« If 'i 0V f i It ' /'if; I' i l! ffl' iti:i« -f m 1* « f '■ J ! i ! ,. '^ il' ;i;, I'll '.I '■ i ■■ ; 1 ill 1 iifl 220 and unexpected contrast between their snow-white appearai.ce, and the green fields that" hem tliem in on all sides. Through each of these meadow's tliere is a meandering small stream wiiich arises ftom salt springs, throwing' o)it in the spring of the year great ()uantities of water, which flood over these meadows to the. depth of three or four feet ; and during the heat of summer, being exposed to the rays of the sun, entirely evaporates, leaving the incrustation of muriate on the surface, to the depth of one or two inches. These places are the constant resort of buffaloes, which congregate in thou- sands about them, to lick up the salt ; and on approaching the banks of this place we stood amazed at the almost incredible numbers of these ani- mals, which were in sight on the opposite bank*, at the distance of a mile or two from us, where they were lying in countless numbers, on the level prairie above, and stretching down by hundreds, to lick at the salt, forming in distance, large masses of black, most pleasingly to contrast with the snow white, and the vivid green, which I have before mentioned. After several days toil in the manner above-mentioned, all the way over soft and green fields, and amused with many pleasing incidents and acci- dents of the chase, we arrived, pretty well jaded, at Fort Pierre, month of Teton River, from whence I am now writing ; where for the first time I was introduced to Mr. M'Kenzie (of whom I have before spoken), to Mr. Liiid- law, mine host, and Mr. Halsey, a chief clerk in the establishment; and after, to the head chief and dignitaries of the great Sioux nation, who were here encamped about the Fort, in six or seven hundred skin lodges, and waiting for the arrival of the steamer, which they had heard, was on its way up the river, and which they had great curiosity to see. After resting a few days, and recovering from the fatigues of my journey, having taken a fair survey of the Sioux village, and explained my views to the Indians, as well as to the gentlemen whom I have above named ; I commenced my operations with the brush, and first of all painted the por- trait of the head-chief of the Sioux (the one horn), whom I have before spoken of. This truly noble fellow sat for his portrait, and it was finished before any one of the tribe knew anything of it ; several of tlie chiefs and doc- tors were allowed to sec it, and at last it was talked of through the village ; and of course, the greater part of their numbers were at once gathered around me. Nothing short of hanging it out of doors on the side of my wig- wam, would in any way answer tliem ; and here 1 had the peculiar satisfaction of beholding, tlirough a small hole I had made in my wigwam, the high admi- ration and respect they all felt for their chief, as well as the very great esti- mation in which they held me as a painter and a magician, conferring upon me at once the very distinguisiicd appellation of Ee-cha-zoo-kah-sa-wa-kon me at once tUe very Uistniguislica appelh (the medicine painter). After the exhibition of this chief's picture, there was much excitement in the village about it ; the doctors generally took a decided and noisy stand ■gainst the operations of my brush ; haranguing the populace, and predict- ■M« :e, and the se meado^-s ;s, throwing' flood over the heat of tes, leaving- two inches, ate in tliou- e banks of i" these ani- 2 of a mile )n the level \\t, forming th the snow le way over 3 and acci- e, mouth of time I was ) Mr. Luid- ment ; and I, who were lodges, and on its way ly journey, ly views to named ; I d the por- lave before as finished "s and doc- he village ; e gathered of my wig- atisfaction ligh admi- grcat esti- rring upon ca-wa- kon ixcitement oisy stand d prcdict- 221 ing bad luck, and premature death, to all who submitted to so strange and unaccountable an operation ! My business for some days was entirely at a stand for want of sitters; for the doctors were opposing me with al! their force ; and the women and children were crying, with their hands over their mouths, making the most pitiful and doleful laments, which I never can ex- plain to my readers; but for some just account of which, I must refer them to my friends M'Kenzie and Halsey, who overlooked with infinite amuse- ment, these curious scenes and are able, no doubt, to give them with truth and effect to the world. In this sad and perplexing dilemma, this noble cluef stepped forward, and ii' ssing himself to the chiefs and the doctors, to the braves and to the wo- mci and children, he told them to be quiet, and to treat me with friendship ; that I had boen travelling a great way to see them, and smoke with them ; that I was great medicine, to be sure ; that I was a great chief, and that I was the friend of Mr. Laidlaw and Mr. M'Kenzie, who had prevailed upon hmi to sit for his picture, and fully assured him that there was no harm in it. His speech had the desired effect, and I was shaken hands with by hundreds of their worthies, many of whom were soon dressed and ornamented, prepared to sit for thei portraits.* • Several years after I painted tlie portrait of tliis extraordinary man, una whilst I was deliverinf; ray Lectures in tlie City of New Vork, I first received intelligence of liia death, in the followinaf singular manner: — I was on the platform in my Lecture-room, iu the Stuyvesant Institute, with an audience of twelve or fourteen hundred persons, in the midst of whom were seated a delegation of thirty or forty Sioux Lidians under the cliarge of JNIaJor Pilcher, their agent ; and 1 was succoiislully passing before their eyes the j'or- traits of a number of Sioux chiefs, and making my remarks upon them. The Sioux in- stantly recognized each one as it was exhibited, wliich tliey instantly liailed by a sharp and startling yelp. But ..hen the portrait of tliis chief was placed before them, instead of the usual recognition, each one placed liis hand over his moutli, and gave a "aush — sh — " and liun,; dcwu their heads, their usual expressions of grief in case of a death. From tli ■ suddr.i emotion, 1 knew instantly, that tlie chief must be Orad, and so expressed my b. tr rhe audience. I stopped my Lecture a few moments to convtase with Major Pilcli. r who was by my side, and who gave me the following extraordinary account of his death, vhich I immediately related to tlie audience ; and which being trans- lated to thj Sioux Indians, their chief arose and addressed liimself to the audience, say- ing that the account was true, and tliat Ila-wan-je-tuli was killed but a few days bei'ore they left I ome. The atcount which Major Pilcher gave was nearly as follows : — " But a tew weeks before I left the Sioux country with the delegation, Ila-wan-je-tah (tlie one horn) had in some way been the accidental cause of the death of his only son, a very fine youth ; and so great was the anguish of his mind at times, that he became frantic and in.sane. In one of these moods he mounted liis favourite war-horse with his bow and his arrows in his hand, and dashed off at full sjjeed upon the prairies, repeating the most solemn oath, ' that he would slay the first living thing that fell in his way, bb .{ man or beast, or friend or foe.' " No one liatpm to follow hiin, and after he had been absent an hour or two, his horse came back tuiiil* village with two arrows in its body, and coveied with blood I i'ears of the must bermmb kind were now entertuineJ for the fute of the chief, and a party of ' 'I MMJ" >'rf r 1 in! I ;, 4fr I" 111 m 222 Tlie first who then strppod forward for liis portrait was F.e-ali-sa-pa (llic niiirk Rock) chief of the Nee-caw-wee-gec band (pi.ate 91), a tall and fine looking man, of six feet or more in stature; in a splendid dress, with his lance in his hand ; with his pictured robe thrown gracefully over l;is shoul- ders, and his head-dress made of war-eagles' quills and ermine skins, falling in a I antiful crest over his back, quite down to his feet, and surn\oiinted on tiic top with a pair of horns denoting him (as 1 have explained in former instances) head leader or war-chief of his band. ~'\is man has been a constant and faithful friend of Mr. ^M'Ken/.ie and others of the Fur Traders, who held him in high estimation, both as an honourable and valiant man, and an estimable companion. The next who sat to me was Tclian-dee, tobacco (pi.atr 92), a desperate warrior, and represented to me by the traders, as one of the most respectable and famous chiefs of the tril)e. After him sat Toh-ki-ee-to, the stone with horns (plate 93), cliief of the Yanc-ton band, and reputed the jirincipal and most eloquent om/or ol' the nation. The neck, and breast, and shoulders of this man, were curiously tattooed, by pricking in gunpowder and vermilion, which in this extraordinary instance, was put on in such elaborate profusion as to appear at a little distance like a beautifully embroidered dress. In his hand he held a handsome pipe, the stem of which was several feet long, and all the way wound with ornamented braids of the porcupine quills. Around his body was wrapped a valued robe, made of the skin of the grizzly l)ear, and on his neck several strings of wampum, an ornament seldom seen amouirst the Indians in the Far West and the North I was much amused with the excessive vanity and egotism of this notorious man, who, whilst sitting for his picture, took occasion to have the interpreter constantly ex- |)hiin.iig to me the wonderful eifects which his oratory had at different times produced on the minds of the chiefs and people of his tribe. J I: wiiniors imiiRHliiitply mounted tlieir horses, and retraced tlin anim;il's tracks to llip ]ilace ■of the tragedy, where they I'ouiid the hody ot' their chief horni)ly ni;ui,L'led tiiid ;;(ired hy u hiirt'alo Imll, whose carcass was stretched hy the siilo ofliiin. " A close examination of tlie ground was tlieii nuide hy tlie Indians, wlio ascertained hy the trucks, that tlieir unfortunate chief, under his unlucky resolve, had met a hulfalo bull in the season when they are very stul)horn, and unwillin'; to run from any one ; and had incensed the animal hy shooting a nuniher of arrows into him, which had hrought him into furious combat. The chief had then dismounted, and turned his horse loose, having given it a cou]de of arrows from his how, which sent it home at full sjieed, and then had thrown away his liow and (juiver, encountering the infuriated animal wiih his knife alone, and the desjierato battle resulted as I have before-mentioned, in the death of both. JMany of the bones of the chief were broken, as he was gored and stamjied id «eatb, and his huge antagonist had laid his hody by the side of him, weltering in blond (rom an hundred wounds made hy the chief's long and two-edged knife." So died this elegant anil higli-minded nobleman of the wilderness, whom I confidently had hoped to meet and admire again ;it some future i)eriod of my life. ( Vide rLAii. Bo ). • H'ampuvi is the Indian mime of ornaments manufactured hy the Indians from vari- coloured shells, which they get on the shores of tlie fresh water streums, and tile or cut ♦ 1 J H " ill IB i-sa-pa (llic tuU und fine CSS, with Ills er his shotil- skins, fitiliii}^ rmouiitcd on icd ill fnrincr 'Kenzic and , bolli as ati , a desperate it respectable lie stone witii the jiriiicipal ind slioiililer.s nd vcriiiilion, iVte profusion d dress. In ral teet long, :upine quills, of the grizzly seldom seen nuch amused , who, whilst )nstiintly ex- ifcrent times ks to tlie pliice !\lirtaiiu'(l iiif t a buffiilo iiiiv one ; and 1 liM(l hrou^'lit is liorso loosi', at full siiceil, (I aiiiiiiul will) il, ill tlie ilt'iiih ml .sl;ini]><'> can now but very rarely be found in any part of the country. T ii if »l! I i' . 1 V *!': Ili^l' I ' , '• ^'1' 1; f 224 (I'LATE 94), Is the (laughter of the fiimous chief calK'd Blark Hock, of whom I have spoken, and whose portrait has been pivtii (pt.AiF. 91). She is an unmarried girl, and much estetiiied by the whole tribe, for her modesty, as well as beauty. She was be;iiiliriilly dressed in skins, ornamented pro- fusely with brass Imttons and i.ciids. Her hair was plaited, her ears sup- ported a great prufusion of curious beatis — and over her other dress she wore a handsomely garnished buffalo robe. So hiyhly was the Black Rock esteemed (as I have before mentioned), and bis beautiful d..uyhter admii.d and respected by the Trailers, that Mr. M'Ken/ie employed me to make him copies of their two portraits, which he has huii'jf up in Mr. Laidlaw's trading-house, as valued ornaments and keepsakes.* The second of these women (plate 95) was very richly dressed, the u|iper part of her garment bein>j almost literally eovered with brass but- tons ; and her hair, which was inimitably beautiful and soft, ami glossy us silk, fell over her shoulders in great profusion, and in beautiful waves, pro- duced by the condition in which it is generally kejit in braids, giving to it, when combed cit, a waving form, adding much to its native appearance, which is invai. iy straight and graceless. This woman is at present the wife of a white man by the name of Char- don, a Frem hman, who has been many years in the employment of tlie American Fur Company, in the ciiaracter of a Trader and Interpreter; and who by his bold and daring nature, has not only caried dread and constei- nation amongst the Indian tribes wherever he has goiie ; but has commanded much respect, and rendered essential service to the Company in the prose- cution of their dangerous and critical dealings witii the Iruiian tiibes. I have said something of this extraordinary man heretofore, and shall take future occasion to say more of him. For the present, suffice it to say, that • Several years after I left ll '' Sioux country, I saw Messrs. Cliardon and Piquof, two of the Traders from that coiintrv, "ho recently had l«it it.and told me in St. Louis, whilst Icioking at the portrait of this girl, that while stnyiuff in Mr. Laidlaw's Fort, the diief. Black Rock, entered the room suddenly where the portrait of his dau^'hter was hantrinjj an the wall, and pointing to it with a heavy heart, told Mr Laidlaw, that whilst his bund was out on tlie prairies, where thev hud been ir,r several months "making meat," his dau{;liter had died, and was there buried. " My heart is glad a^ain," said lie, " when I see her here alive ; and I want the one the meilicine-man made of her, which is now before me, that 1 can see her, and talk to her. My band are all in mourning for ber, and at the gate of your Fort, which 1 have just |iassend conster- conmiandcd n the prose- in tribes. I 1 shuil take to say, that altlioiiRh from his contmnal interroursc with the difT.TPnt tribes for twenty- five or thirty years, where he had alwavs been put forward in tjie front of danfrer— sent as a sarrifice, or forlorn hopr : still his cut and hacked limbs Imvo witlistood all 'he blows that have been aim.d at them; and his unfaltcrin;,' courage leads him to " 1), ,rd the lion in his LETTER— No. 28. 'l ,. I- ^fl UOVni OF TETON RIVER, UPPER MISSOURI. WitiLHT painting tlie portraits of the chiefs and braves of the Sioux, M described in my hist epistle, my painting-room was tlie continni'.i rendezvous of the worthies of the tiibe; and I, the " lion of the day," and my art, the summtim and nc plus ultra of mysteries, whicli engaged t>''c wiiole conver- sation of chiefs and sachems, as well as of women and children. I men- tioned that I have been obliged to paint them according to rank, as they looited upon the operation as a very great honour, which I, as '* a great (jht, which is soon given them by some bullying fisticuff-fellow, who steps forward and settles the matter in h ring, which is made and strictly preserved for/air />/«»/, until hard raps, ami bloody noses, and blind eyes '* settle the hash," and satisfy 'lis trapper ship to lay in bed a week or two, and then graduate, a sober and a civil man. Amongst the Indians we have had numerous sights and amusements to entertain and some to shock ns. Shows of dances — ball-plays — iiorse- racing — foot-racing, and wrestling in abundance. Feasting — fasting, and prayers we have also had ; and penance and tortures, and almost every thing short of self-immolation. Some few days after the steamer had arrived, it was announced that a •jrand fepst was to be given to the great white chiefs, who were visitors amongst th n ; and preparations were made accordingly for it. The two chiefs, Ha-wan-je-tah and Tchan-dee, of whom I have before sj)oken, brought their two tents togetlier, forming the two into a semi-circle (plate W), enclosing a space sufliciently large to acconmiodate 150 men ; and sat down with that number of the principal chiefs and warriors of the Sioux nation ; with Mr. Chouteau, Major Sanford, the Indian agent, Mr M'Ken/ie, and myself, whom they had invited in due time^ and placed on elevated seats ir. the centre of the crescent ; while the rest of the company all sat upon the ground, and mostly cross-legged, preparatory to the feast being dealt out. In the centre of the semi-circle was erected a flag-staff, on which wai waving a white flag, and to which also was tied the calumet, both expres- sive of their friendly feelings towards us. Near the foot of the flag-stuH were placed in a row on the ground, six or eight kettles, with iron covers on them, shutting them tight, in which were prepared the viands for our volup- tuous feast. Near the kettles, and on the ground also, bottomside upwards, were a number of wooden lowls, in which the meat was to be served out. And in front, two or three men, who were there placed as waiters, to light the pipes for smoking, and also to deal out the food. In these positions things stood, and ail sat, with thousands climbing and crowding around, for a peep at the grand pageant; when at length, Ha- wan-je-tah (the one horn), head chief of the nation, rose in front of the Indian agent, in a very handsome costume, and addressed him thus : — •' My father, I am glad to see you here to-day — my heart is always glad to see my father when he conies — our Great Father, who sends him here is very rich, and we are poor. Our friend Mr. M'Kenzie, who is here, we are also (ilad to see: we know him well, and we shall be sorry when he is gone Our friend who is on your right-hand we all know is very rich ; >. ^» 229 liavc heard that he owns the gjreat mcaiciuv-canoe ; he is a i:;ood man, and a friend to the red men. Our friend the If'hitc Medicine, wlio sits with yoH, we did not know — he came amongst us a stranger, aad he has made me very well — all the women know it, and think it very good ; he has done many curious things, and we have all been pleased with him — he has made us much amusement — and we know he is great medicine. *' My father, I hope you will have pity on us, we are very poor — wc ofl'er you to-(.'ay, not the best that we have got ; for wc have a plenty of good buffalo hump and marrow — but we give you our hearts in this feast — we have killed our faithful dogs to feed you — and the Great Spirit will seal our friendship. I have no more to say." After these words he took off his beautifu'i war-eagle head-dress — his shirt and leggnigs — his necklace of grizzly bears' claws and !iis moccasins ; and tying them together, laid them gracefully down at the feet of the agent as a present ; and laying a handsome pipe on top of them, he walked around into an adjoining lodge, wiiere he got a buffalo robe to cover his shoulders, and returned to the feast, taking his seat which he had before occupied. Major San ford then rose and made a short speech in reply, thanking him for the valuable present whicii he had made him, and for the very polite and imp._jsive manner in which it had been done ; and sent to the steamer for a quantity of tobacco and other presents, wiiich were given to him id return. After this, and after several others of the chiefs had addressed him in a similar manner; and, like the tirst, disrol)ed themi,,.lves, and tlirown their beautiful costumes at his feet, one of the three men in front deliber- ately lit a handsome pipe, and brought it to Ha-wan-jc-tah to smoke. Ho took it, and after presenting tlie stem to the North— to tiie South — to tlie h.ast, and the West — and then to the Sun that was over his head, and [ud- nounced the words "How — how— how!" drew a whiff or two of smoke through it, and holding the bowl of it in one hand, and its stem in tlie otiier, lie then held it to each of our mouths, as we successively smoked it ; afto which it was passed around through the whole group, who all smoked through it, or as far as its contents lasted, when another of the three waiters was ready with a second, and at lengtii a third one, in the same way, which lasted through the hands of the whole number of guests. This sui(/king was cDuducted with the strictest adherence to exact and established furui, and the feast the whole way, to the nu)st positive silence. After the pipe is I'harged, and is bu.ng lit, until the lime that the chief has drawn the smoke through it, it is considered an evil omen for any one to speak ; and if any one break silence in that time, even in a whisper, the pipe is instantly drop- ped by the chief, and their superstition is such, that they would not dare to use it on this occasion ; but another one is called for and used in its stead. If there is no accident of the kind during the smoking, the waiters then pro- ceed to distribute the meat, which is socn devoured in the feast. » T ! i; F ?! '^\ ll :.'i'! ll • 1 1 I jii ■If;; i' >i 1 ! B ^ t| ' }^r 230 In his case the lids were raised fiom the kettles, which were all filled ■vith dogs' meat alone. It being well-cooked, and made into a sort of a slew, sent forth a very savoury and pleasing smell, promising to be an ac- ceptable and palatable food. Each of us civilized guests had a large wooden bowl placed before us, with a huge quantity of dogs' flesh floating in a profusion of soup, or rich gravy, with a large spoon resting in the dish, made of the buffalo's horn. In this most difficult and painfid dilemma we sat ; all of us knowing the solemnity and good feeling in which it was given, and the absolute necessity of falling to, and devouring a little of it. We all tasted it a few times, and resigned our dishes, wliich were quite willingly taken, and passed around with others, to every part of the group, who all ate heartily of the delicious viands, which were soon dipped out of the kettles, and entirely devoured ; after which each one arose as he felt dis- posed, and walked off without uttering a word. In this way the feast ended, and all retired silently, etnd gradually, until the ground was left vacant to the charge of the waiters or officers, who seemed to have charge of it during the whole occasion. This feast was u.iquestionably given to ns, as the most undoubted evi- dence they could give us of their friendship ; and we, who knew the spirit and feeling in which it was given, could not but treat it respectfully, and receive it as a very high and marked compliment. Since I witnessed it on this occasion, I have been honoured with numer- ous entertainments of the kind amongst the other tribes, which I have visited towards the sources of the Missouri, and all conducted in the same solemn and impressive manner ; from which I feel authorized to pronounce the dog- feast a truly religious ceremony, wherein the poor Indian sees fit to sacrifice his faithful companion to bear testimony to the sacredness of his vows of friendship, and invite his friend to partake of its Hesh, to remind him for- cibly of the reality of the sacrifice, and the solemnity of his professions. The dog, amongst all Indian tribes, is more esteemed and more valued than amongst any part of the civilized world ; the Indian who has more time to devoie to his company, and whose untutored mind more nearly assimilates to that of his faithful servant, keeps him closer company, and draws him nearer to his heart ; they hunt together, and are equal sharers in the chase — their bed is one ; and on the recks, and on their coats of arms they carve his image as the symbol of fidelity. Yet, vith all of these he will end his affection witli this faithful follower, and with tears in his eyes, offer h'i'i as a sacrifice to SLal the pledge he has made to man ; because a feast of venison, or of buflalo meat, is what is due to every one wiio enters an Indian's wig- wam; and of course, conveys but a passive or neutral evidence, that gene- rally goes for nothing. 1 have sat at many of these feasts, and never could but appreciate the moral and solemnity of them. I have seen the master take from tlie bowl llie head of his victim, and descant on its former afl'cclion and fidelity with MJ!'' t 2'31 fears in his eyes. And I liave seen guests at the same tin.e by tlie side of me, jesting and sneering at the pot'/ Indian's folly and stupidity ; and I have said in my heart, that they never deserved a name so good or so honourable as that of the poor animal whose bones they were picking. At the feast which I have been above describing, each of us tasted a little of the meat, and passed the dishes on to the Indians, who soon demolished everything they contained. We all agreed that the meat was well cooked, and seemed to be a well-Havoured and palatable food ; and no doubt, could have been eaten with a good relish, if we had been hungry, and ignorant of the nature of the food we were eating. The flesh of these dogs, though apparently relished by the Indians, is, undoubtedly, inferior to the venison and buffalo's meat, of which feasts are constantly made wliern friends are invited, as they are in civilized society, to a pleasant and convivial party ; from which fact-alone, it would seem clear, that they have some extraordinary motive, at all events, for feasting on the flesh of that useful and faithful animal ; even when, as in the instance i have been describing, their village is well supplied with fresh and dried meat of the buflTalo. The dog-feast is given, I believe, by all tribes in North America ; and by them all, 1 think, this faithful animal as well as the horse, is sacrificed in several different ways, to appease offended Spirits or Deities, whom it is considered necessary that they should conciliate in this way ; and when done, is invariably done by giving the best in the herd or the keuuel. M I «' 232 LETTER— No. 29. MOUTH OF TETON RIVER, UPPEll MISSOURI. 'J II 1 '"-If iill. f i' 1 '. (■*., ■•I Anotiif.r curious ond disgustinj scene I witnessed in tlie after pnrt o. tiie day on wliidi we were honoured witli the dog feast. In this I took no part, but was sufficiently near to it, wlien standing some rods off, and wit- nessintr the cruel operation. I was called upon by one of the clerks in the Establishment to ride up a mile or so, near the banks of the Teton River, in a little plain at the base of the bluffs, where were grouped some fifteen or twenty lodges of the Ting-ta-to-ah band, to see a man (as they said) " look- ing at the sun!" We found him naked, except his breech-cloth, with splints or skewers run through the flesh on both breasts, leaning back and hanging with th.' weight of his body to the top of a pole which was fastened ill the ground, and to the upper end of which he was fastened by a cord whic'i was tied to the splints. In this position he was leaning back, with nearly the whole weight of his body hanging to the pole, the top of which was bent for- ward, allowing his body to sink about half-way to the ground (plate 97). His feet were still upon the jiround, supporting a small part of his weight ; and he held in his left hand his favourite bow, and in his right, with a desp.?rate grip, his medicine-bag. In this condition, with the blood trickling down over his body, which was covered with white and yellow clay, and amidst a great crowd who were looking on, sympathizing with and encouraging him, he was hanging and " looking at the sun," without paying the least attention fo any one about him. In the group that was reclining around him, were seve- ral mystery-men beating their drums and shaking their raf'des, and singing as loud as they could yell, to encourage him and strengthen his heart to stand an ' look at the sun, from its rising in the morning 'till its setting at night ; ai which time, if his heart and his strength have not failed him, he is " cut down," receives the liberal donation of presents (which have been thrown into a pile before him during the day), and also the name and the style of a doctor, or medicine-man, which lasts him, and ensures him respect, through life. This most extraordinary aiul cruel custom I never heard of amongst any other tribe, and never saw an instance of it before or after the one I have just named. It is a sort of worship, or penance, of great cruelty ; disgust- iiio; and painful to behold, with only one palliating circumstance about 't, which is, that it is a voluntary torture and of very rare occurrence. The "r1! 233 poor and ignorant, misguided and superstitious man who iindorlakes it, puta his everlasting reputation at staivc upon the issue ; for when he tni^in to pay less strict attention to them than the Mandans do, which may perhaps be owing in a great measure to the wandering and predatory modes of life which they pursue, rendering it difficult to adhere so rigidly to the strict fcyrm and letter of their customs. There had been, a few days before I arrived at this place, a great medicine operation held on the prairie, a mile or so back of the Fort, and which, of course, I was not lucky enough to see. The poles were still standing, and the whole transaction was described to me by my friend Mr. Ilalsey, one of the clerks in the Establishment. From the account given of it, it seems to bear some slight resemblance to that of the Mandun reliijlous ceremohtj, but no nearer to it than a feeble eHbrtby so ignorant and superstitious a people, to copy a custom which tlicy most probably have had no opportunity to see themselves, but have endeavoured to imitate fiom hearsay. They had an awning of immense size erected on the prairie which is yet standing, made of willow bushes supported by posts, with poles and willow boughs laid over; under the centre of which there was a pole set firmly in the ground, from which many of the young men had suspended their bodies by splints run through the flesh in different parts, the numerous scars of which were yet seen bleeding afresh from day to day, amongst the crowds that were about me. During my stay amongst the Sioux, as I was considered by them to be great medicine, I received many pipes and other little things from them as presents, given to me in token of respect lor me, and as assurances of their friendship ; and I, being desirous to collect and bring from their country every variety of their manufactures, of their costumes, their weapons, their pipes, and their mystery-lhings, purchased a great many others, for which, as I was " medicine" and a " great white chief!" I was necessarily obliged to pay very liberal prices. Of the various costumes (of this, as well as of other tribes), that I have col- lected, there will be seen fair and faithful representations in the numerous portraits; and of their war-clubs, pipes, &c. I have set forth in the follow- ing illustrations, a few of the most interesting of the very great numbers of those things which I have collected in this and other tribes which I have visited. VOL. I. II H ' i 034 ■' !^^i! Jin U !, !(. The luxury of smoking is known to all the Noith American Indians, in their primitive state, and that belore they have any knowledge of to- bacco ; which is only introduced amongst them by civilized adventurers, who teacli them the use and luxury of whiskey at the same time. In their native state they are excessive smokers, and many of them (1 would almost venture the assertion), would seem to \>^ smoking one- half of their lives. There may be two good reasons for this, the first of which is, that the idle and leisure life that the Indian leads, (who has no trade or business to follow — no office hours to attend to, or profes- sion to learn), induces him to look for occupation and amusement in so innocent a luxury, which again further tempts him to its excessive use, from its feeble and harmless efFects on the system. There are many weeils and leaves, and barks of trees, which are narcotics, and of spontaneous growth in their countries, which tiie Indians dry and pulverize, and carry in pouches and smoke to great excess — and which in several of the lan- guages, wh(!n thus prepared, is called k'nick k'ncck. As smoking is a luxury so highly valued by the Indians, they have bestowed much pains, and not a little ingenuity, to the consiruction of their pipes. Of these I have procured a colluction of several hundreds, and in plate 98, have given fac-simile outlines of a number of the most curious. The bowls of these are generally made of tlie red steatite, or " pipe-stone" (as it is more I'amiliarly called in this country), and many of them designed and carved with much taste and skill, with figures and groups in alto relievo, standing or reclining upon them. The red stone of which these pipe bowls are made, is, in my estima- tion, a great curiosity ; inasmuch as I am sure it is a variety of steatite (if it be steatite), differing from that of any known European locality, and also from any locality known in America, other than the one from which all tliese pipes come ; and which are all traceable I have found to one source ; and that source as yet unvisited except by the red man who describes it, everywhere, as a place of vast importance to the Indians — as given to them by the Great Spirit, for their pipes, and strictly for- bidden to be used for anytliing else. The source from whence all these pipes come, is, imdoubtedly, somewhere between this place and the Mississippi River; and as the Indians all speak of it as a great medici7ie-p\ace, I shall certainly lay my course to it, ere long, and be able to give the world some account of it and its mysteries. The Indians shape out the bowls of these pipes from the .solid stone, which is not quite as hard as marble, with nothing but a knife. The stone which is of a cherry red, admits of a beautiful polish, and the Indian makes the hole in the bowl of tlie pipe, by drilling into it a hard stick, shaped to the desired size, with a quantity of sharp sand and water kept constantly in the hole, subjecting him therefore to a very great labour and tho necessitv of much naticnce. my w '■jllm m ! •■t'/ " ^ 'llie shafts or slcms of these pipes, us will lu' ^tcn in n.A i k 9^, iire front two to four fcft long, sometimes round, hut most i^i neriilly flat ; of ;\n iiicli or two in lueailth, anil wound half their length or more with l)raid» of por- cupines' quills ; and often ornamented with the beaks and tufts from the wood-jieeker's head, with ermine skins and long red hair, dyed from while horse hair or the white butlalo's tail. The stems of these pipes will be found to be carved in many iu^ctiious forms, and in ail eases they are perforated lhrnii.;h the eentro, rpiitc stagger- ing the wits of the enlightened world to t/ncss how liie holes have been fmrcd through them ; until it is simply and brieHy explainel, that the stems are uniformly made of the stalk of the young ash, wliirh generally grows strai'^lit, and has a small pith through the centre, which is easily burned out with a hot wire or a piece of hard wood, by a much slower process. In PLATK 9S, the pipes marked b are ordinary pipes, made and used for the luxury only of smoking; and for this pur()Ose, every Indian designs and construils his own pipe. The ralumtt, or pipe of peace (pi.\te 98 a), ornamented with the war-eagle's quills, is a sacred pipe, and never allowed to be used on any other occasion than that of peace- makinfj ; when the chief brings it into treaty, and unfolding the many bandages which are carefully kept around it — has it ready to be mutually smoked by the chiefs, after the terms of the treaty are agreed upon, as the means of solcmnizinq or sitjning, by an illiterate people, who cannot draw tip an instrimicnt, and sign their names to it, as it ts done in the civilized world. The mode of solemnizing is by passing the sacred stem to each chief, wiio draws one breath of smoke only through it, thereby passing the most inviolable pledge that they can possibly give, for the keeping of the peace. This sacred pipe is then carefully folded up, and stowed away in the chief's lodge, until a similar occasion calls it out to be used in a similar manner. There is no custom more uniformly in constant use amongst the poor Indians than that of smoking, nor any other more highly valued. His pipe is iiis constant companion through life — his messenger of peace ; he pledges Iiis friends through its stem and its bowl — and when its care-drowning fumes cease to flow, it takes a place v\ith him in his solitary grave, with his toma- hawk and war-club, companions to his long fancied,, " mild and beautiful hunting-grounds." The weapons of these people, like their pipes, are numerous, and mostly manufactured by themselves. In a former place (plate 18) I have de- scribed a part of these, such as the bows and arrows, lances, &c., and they have yet many others, specimens of which I have collected from every tribe; and a number of which 1 have grouped together in pi. ate 99 ; consisting of knives, war-clubs, and tomahawks. I have here introduced the most gene- ral and established forms that are in use amongst the different tribes, which are all strictly copied from amongst the great variety of these articles to b» ''ouud in my Collection. ^, ^. .^/^ '^■V^, IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) :^' ^>>^ % v: ^^. V Photographic Sciences Corporation 33 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. MS 80 (716)873-4303 V 4 # ?^ <^ 6^ <> :, i 23o Tlic sralpinp-knivrs a and A, and tomalia aIcs etce are of civilized nianufacture, made expressly for Indian use, and earricd into the Indian country by thousands and tcn« of tliousands, and sold at an enormous price. Tlic scabb'iirds of the knives and handles for the tomahawks, the Indians eonstruct themselves, accordinp to their own taste, and oftentimes ornanniit them very handsomely. In his rude and unapproached condition, the In- dian is a stranger to such weapons as these — he works not in the metals ; and his untutored mind has not been ingenious enough to design or execulu anything so savage or destructive as these civilized rrjincments on Indian hurharity. In his native simplicity he shapes out his rude hatchet from a piece of stone, as in letter /, heads his arrows and spears with flints ; and his knife is a sharpened bone, or the edge of a broken siiex. The war-clul» c is also another civilized relinement, with a blade of steel, of eight or ten inches in length, and set in a club, studded around and ornamented witii some hundreds of brasb nails. Their primitive clubs d are curiously carved in wood, and fashioned out w ith some considerable picturesque form and grace ; are admirably fitted tu the hand, and calculated to deal a deadly blow with the spike of iron or bone which is imbedded in the ball or bulb at the end. Two of the tomahawks that I have named, marked e, are what are deno- minated " pipp-tomahawks," as the heads of them are formed into bowl', like a pipe, in which thtir tobacco is put, und they smoke through the handle. These are the most valued of an Indian's wf ,.ons, inasmuch as they arc a mutter of luxury, and useful for cutting his fire-wood, &c. in time of peace ; and deadly weapons in time of war, which they use in the hand, or throw with unerring and deadly aim. Tiie ocalping-knife b in a beautifiil scabbard, which is carried under the belt, is the form of knife most generally used in all parts of the Indian coun- try, where knives have been introduced. It is a connnon and cheap but- cher knife with one edge, manufactured at SlitlHcId, m England, perlia;)s, lor sixpence; and sold to the poor Indian in these wild regions for a horse. If I should live to get home, and should ever cross tiie Atlantic with my (Collec- tion, a curious enigma would be solved for the English people, who ni:>y enquire for a scalpiiig-knil'e, when tliey find that every one in my Coilecluiu (and hear also, tiiul nearly every one that is to be seen in the Indian country, to the Uocky Mountains and the Pacific Ucean) bears on its blade tiie impress of (}.Il., which they will doubtless understand. Tl«e huge two-edged knife, with its scabbard of a part of the skin of a grizzly Lear's head, letter a, is one belonging to the famous chief of the Manuans, of whom 1 have before said mucii. The manufacture of this knife IS undoubtedly American; and its shape difiers allogclhtr from those which mre in general use.* • This celebrated knife is now in my Indian Musri'M, and llipre i« no doubt, from i«» tutkciitic liistory, that il lia.-. been several umi;, i>liiugi!d to llie luiurta of iiu eoemivk by (1-. o o ill 1 237 The above weapons, as well as the bow and lance, of which 1 have before h]K)ken, are all carried and used on horseback rvith great effect. Tlie In- dians in this country of green fields, all ride for their enemies, and also for their game, which a almost invariably killed whilst thejr horses are at ftdl- speed. They are all cruel masters for their horses ; and in war or the chase goad them on with a heavy and cruel whip (plate 99 g), the handle of which is generally made of a large prong of the elk's horn or of wood, and the lashes of rawliide are very heavy ; being braided, or twisted, or cut into wide straps. These are invariably attached to the wrist of the right arm by a tough thong, so that they can be taken up and used at any moment, and dropped the next, without being lost. During the time that I was engaged in painting my portraits, I was oc- casionally inducing the young men to give me their dances, a great variety of which they gave me by being slightly paid ; which I was glad to do, in order to enable me to study their character and expression thoroughly, which I am sure I have done ; and I shall take pleasure in shewing them to the world when I get back. The dancing is generally done by the young men, and considered undignified for the chiefs or doctors to join in. Yet so great was my medicine, that chiefs and medicine-men turned out and agreed to compliment me with a dance (plate 100). I looked on with great satis- faction ; having been assured by the Interpreters and Traders, that this was the highest honour they had ever known them to pay to any stranger amongst them. In this dance, which I have called " the dance of the chiefs," for want of a more significant title, was ^iven by fifteen or twenty chiefs and doctors ; many of whom were very old and venerable men. All of them came out in their head-dresses of war-eagle quills, with a spear or staff in the left hand, and a rattle in the right. It was given in the midst of the Sioux village, in front of the head chiefs lodge ; and beside the medicine-man who beat on the drum, and sang for the dance, there were four young women standing in a row, and chanting a sort of chorus for the dancers ; forming one of the very few instances that I ever have met, where the women are allowed to take any part in the dancing, or other game or amusement, with the men. This dance was a very spirited thing, and pleased me much, as well as all the village, who were assembled around to witness what most of them never before had seen, their aged and venerable chiefs united in giving a dance. tk* hud of Mah-to-toh-p«, who wielded it. Several yean after I left that country, and one year after the destruction of the Mandans, I received the following letter from Mr. M'Keniie, accompanying the knife and other things sent to me by him from that country : EaTRACT — " The poor Alandans are gone, and amongst them your uld friend, Mah-to- toh-pa. I hare been able to send you but a very few things, ns the Kiccnree* immediately took possession of everything tber had. Amongst the articles 1 have bee i able to procure, 1 send you the war-knife of Mah-to- toh-pa, which is now looked upoi at the greatest mtdiein* in this country; and as y l > ■ , lOJ 11 ^0 lifhl :M si''- Ml r^' li am ^' 230 whiili wp linvf fri'ijiiert occurrcncoH on onr Western frontiers. Tin- scalp iiiiisl hv. from llic head of an rnrwij also, or it »ul)jirts ha posstssur to (lis;;race ami infainy who carries it. Tlu're may bi many instances where uii Indian is justilied in the estimation of his tril>e in taking the life of one of his own people ; and their laws are such, as oflentnncs make it his imperative duty : and yet no circumstances, however v;t;ravating, will justify him or release him from tlie disgrace of taking the scalp. There is no custom practised by the Indians, for wliicii they are more universally condenmed, than that of taking the scalp ; and, at the same time, I think there is some excuse for them, inasmueli as it is a general custom of the country, and founded, like many other apparently absurd and ridiculous customs of these people, in one of the occessities of Indian life, which necessities we are free from in the civilized world, and which customs, of course, we need not and do not practice. From an ancient custom, " time out of mind," the warriors of these tribes have been in the habit of going to war, expecting to take the scalps of their enemies whom they ni:iy slay in battle, and all eyes of the tribe are upon them, making it their duty to do it ; so from custom it is every man's right, and his duty also, to continue and keep up a regulation of his society, which it is not in his power as an individual, to abolish or correct, if he saw fit to do it. One of the principal denunciations against the custom of taking the scalp, is on account of its alleged cruelly, which it certainly has not ; as the cruelty would be in the killiny,and not in the act of cutting the skin from a man's head after he is dead. To say the most of it, it is a disgusting custom, and I wish I could be (juile sure that the civili/.ed and Christian world (who kill hundreds, to where the poor Indians kill one), do not often treat their enemies I'lud, in equally as indecent and disgusting a manner, as the Indian does by taking tite scalp. If the reader thinks that I am taking too much pains to defend the Indians for this, and others of their seemingly abominable customs, he will bear it in mind, that I have lived with these people, until 1 have learned the necessities of Indian life in which these customs are founded ; and also, that 1 have met with so many acts of kindness and hospitality at the hands of the poor Indian, that 1 feel bound, when I can do it, to render what cxf use I can for a people, who are dying with broken hearts, and never can speaic in the civilized world in their own defence. And even yet, reader, if your education, and your reading of Indian cruel- ties and Indian barbarities — of scalps, and scalping-knives, and scalping, should have ossified a corner of your heart against these unfortunate people, and would shut out their advocate, I will annoy you no longer on this sub- ject, but withdraw, and leave you to cherish the very beautiful, humane and parental moral that was carried out by the United States and British Govern- ments during the last, and the revolutionary wars, when they mutually em- ployed thousands of their " Red children," to aid and to bleed, in fighting /' !■ ■ i :\ . I ' I '* I i e-io llioir lmttl('«, nn(J piiid (liom, n«rorilini; tnrnntrart, »omnny poiiniN, sliilliinj^ and pnirc or «o many dollar* and rents for every " sculp" of h " red" or a " I'Inc coat" tliey could brine: ■" ' In r i.ATF. 101 , llierc will he srcn tlic principal motles in which the Kcnlps nre prcparens and ullirr inaiiu- factual of tliesu wilil folks ; and us this hus U-vn » ion,) into a ring, to dance and sing around it, and solicit the Great Spirit to instil into it the power to protect him harmless against his enemies, he spreads over it the glue, which is rubbed and dried in, as the skin is heated ; and a second busily drives other and other pegs, inside of those in the ground, as they are gradually giving way and being pulled up by the contraction of the skin. By this curious process, which is most dexterously done, the skin is kept tight whil&t it contracts to one-half of its size, taking up the glue and increasing in thick- ness until it is rendered as thick and hard as required (and his friends have pleaded long enough to make it arrow, and almost ball proof), when the dance ceases, and the tire is put out. When it is cooled and cut into the shape that he desires, it is often painted witli his medicine or totem upon it, the figure of an eagle, an owl, a buffalo or other animal, as the case may be, which he trusts will guard and protect him from harm *. it is then fringed with eagles' quills, or other ornaments he may have chosen, and slung with a broad leather strap that crosses his breast These shields are carried by all the warriors in these regions, for their protection in battles, which are almost mvariably fought from their horses' backs. Jl VOL. I. I I 242 0( pipes, and the custom ofiimoking, I have already spoken ; and I then siiid, that the Indians use several substitutes for tobacco, which they call K'liick K'neck. For tiie carrying of this delicious weed or bark, and pre- serving its flavour, the v/oaien construct very curious pouches of otter, or beaver, or other skins (letters c, c, c,), which are ingeniously ornamented with porcupine quills and beads, and generally carried hanging across the left am, containing a quantity of the precious narcotic, with flint and steel, and spunk, for lighting the pipe. The musical instruments used amongst these people are few, and exceed- iouly rude and imperfect, consisting chiefly of rattles, drums, whistles, and hiti'S, all of which are used in the different tribes. Ill PLATE 101 J (letters d, d,) will be seen the rattles (ov She-she-quois) most generally used, made of rawhide, which becomes very hard when dry, and charged with pebbles or something of the kind, which produce a shrill noise to mark the time in their dances nnd songs. Their drums (letters e, e,) are made in a very rude manner, oftentimes with a mere piece of rawhide stietcITed over a hoop, very much in the shape of a tamboiirin ; and at other times are made in the form of a keg, with a head of rawhide at each end ; on these they beat with a drum-stick, which oftentimes itself is a rattle, the bulb or head of it being made of rawhide and Klled with pebbles. In other instances the stick has, at its end, a little hoop wound and covered with buck- skin, to soften the sound ; with which they beat on the drum with great violence, as the chief and heel-inspiring sound for all their dances, and also as an accompaniment for their numerous and never-ending songs of amuse- nient, of thanksgiving, and medicine or metai. The mystery wkistle, (letter /,) is another instrument of their invention, and very ingeniously made, the sound being produced on a principle entirely difierent from that of any wind instrument known in civilized inventions; and the notes produced on it, by the 7>lcight or trick of an Indian boy, in so simple and successful a manner, as to baffle entirely all civilized ingenuity, even when it is seen to be played. An Indian boy would stand and blow his notes on this repeatedly, fur hundreds of white men who might be lookers-on, not one of whom could make the least noise on it, even by practising with it for hours. When 1 first saw this curious exhibition, I was charmed with the peculiar sweetness of its harmonic sounds, and completely perplexed, (as hundreds of white men have no doubt been before nie, to the great amusement and satisfaction of the women and children,) as to the mode in which the sound was produced, even though it was repeatedly played immediately before my eyes, and banded to me for my vain and amusing endeavours. The sounds of this little simple toy are liquid and sweet beyond description ; and, though here only given in harmonics, I am inclined to think, might, by some ingeniou« musician or musical iistrument-maker, be modulated and converted into something very pleasing. The War-whislle (letter h,) is a well known and valued little instrument, i 4 i : ;l i'H ilv d'l !(, i l«;"'' -! '^^1 1 1|[ i !' ; '■ is 243 of six or nine inches in length, invariably made of ^he bone of tlie deer or turkey's leg, and generally ornamented with porcupine quills of different colours which are wound around it. A chief or leader carries this to battle with him, suspended generally from his neck, and worn under his dress. This little instrument has but two notes, which are produced by blowin, was given, not by a set of beggars though, literally speaking, but by the first and most independent young men in the tribe, beautifully dressed, (i.e. not dressed at all, except with their breech clouts or kelts, made of eagles' and ravens* quills,) with their lances, and pipes, and rattles in their hands, and a mcdicme-man beating the drum, and joining in the song at the highest key of his voice. In this dance every one sings as loud as he can ha'ioo; uniting his voice with the others, in an appeal to the Great Spirit, to open the hearts of the bystanders to give to the poor, and not to themselves ; assuring them that the Great Spirit will be kind to those who are kind to the helpless and poor. Of scalps, and of the modes and objects of scalping, I have before spoken ; and I therein stated, " that most of the scalps were stretched on little hoops for the purpose of being used in the scalp-dance, of which I shall say more at a future time." The Scal/i-dance (plate 104) is given as a celebration of a victory ; and amongst this tribe, as 1 learned whilst residing with them, danced in the night, by the light of their torches, and just before retiring to bed. When a war party returns from a war excursion, bringing home with them the scalps o ' their enemies, they generally " dance ihcm" for fifteen nights in succeijion, ff : i mm 216 vaunting forth the most extravagant boasts of their womUrfiil piowpss )n war, whilmt they brandish their war weapon:) in tiieir iianda. A number of young women are selected to aid (tiiou|;h they do lot uctuully join in the dance), by stepping into the centre of the ring, and holding up the scalps that have been recently taken, whilst the warriors dance (or rather jump), around in a circle, brandishing their weapons, and barking and yelping in the most frightful manner, all jumping on both feet at a time, with a simulta- neous stamp, and blow, and thrust of their weapons ; with which it would seem as if they were actually cutting and carving each other to pieces. During these frantic leaps, and yelps, and thrusts, every man distorts his face to the utmostof his muscles, darting about his glaring eye-t>alls and snapping his teeth, as if he were in the heat (and actually breathing through his iuHated nostrils the very hissing death) of battle ! No description that can be written, could ever convey more than a feeble outline of the frightful effects of these scenes enacted in the dead and darkness of night, under llie glaring light of their blazing flambeaux ; nor could all the years allotted to mortal man, in the least obliterate or deface the vivid impress that one scene of this kind would leave upon his memory. The precise object for which the scalp is taken, is one which is definitely understood, and has already been explained ; but the motive (or motives), for which this strict ceremony is so scrupulously held by all the American tribes, over the scalp of an enemy, is a subject, as yet not satisfactorily set- tled in my mind. There is no doubt, but one great object In these exhibitions is public exultation ; yet there are several conclusive evidences, that there are other and essential motives for thus formally and strictly displaying the scalp. Amongst some of the tribes, it is the custom to bury the scalps after they have gone through this series of public exhibitions ; which may in a measure have been held for the purpose of giving them notoriety, and of award- ing public credit to the persons who obtained them, and now, from a custom of the tribe, are obliged to part with them. The great respect which seems to be paid to them whilst they use them, as well as the pitying and mournful song which they howl to the manes of their unfortunate victims; as well as ihe precise care and solemnity with which they afterwards bury the scalps, sufficiently convince me that they have a superstitious dread of the spirits of their slain enemies, and many conciliatory offices to perform, to ensure theii own peace ; one of which is the cercnony above described. ;! ■ ) I( kvi'ss In war, iiuiiilicr of join in the > the sculps tlur Jump), IpinK- in the a siniultu- li it would to pieces, iris his face snapping lirongh Ills on that can lie fiiglitfiil , under the allotted tu t one sciiic is definitely )r motives), E American ictorily set- exhibitions , that there playin^)^ the scalps after I may in a d of award- a custom of :h seems to J mournful as well as the scalps, e spirits of nsure theii I: •r til i!' ' 1 1 ' I! 947 LETTER— No. 31. MUUTH OF TETON RIVER, UPPER MISSOURI. In fon .er Letlors I have given iome account of the Bisons, or (as they are more familiarly denominated in this country) Buffaloes, which inhabit these regions in numerous herds ; and of which I must say yet a little more. These noble animals of the ox species, and which have been so well de- scribed in our books on Natural History, are a subject of curious interest and great importance in this vast wilderness ; rendered peculiarly so at this time, like the history of the poor savage ; and from the same consideration, that they are rapidly wasting away at the approach of civilized man— ^nd like him and his character, in a very few years, to live only in books or on canvass. The word buffalo is undoubtedly most incorrectly applied to these ani- mals, and I can scarcely tell why they have been so called ; for th..y bear just about as much resemblance to the Eastern buffalo, as they do to a zebra or to a common ox. How nearly they may approach to the bison of Europe, which I never have had an opportunity to see, and which, I am inclined to think, is now nearly extinct, I am unable to say ; yet if I were to judge from the numerous engravings I have seen of those animals, and descriptions I have read of them, I should be inclined to think, there was yet a wide difference between the bison of the American prairies, and those in the North of Europe and Asia. The American bison, or (as I shall here- after call it) buffalo, is the largest of the ruminating animals that is now living in America ; and seems to have been spread over the plains of this vast country, by the Great Spirit, for the use and subsistence of the red men, who live almost exclusively on their flesh, and clothe themselves with their skins. The reader, by referring back to plates 7 and 8, in the beginning of this Work, will see faithful traces of the male and female of this huge animal, in their proud and free state of nature, grazing on the plains of the country to which they appropriately belong. Their colour is a dark brown, but changhig very much as the season varies from warm to cold ; their hair or fur, from its great length in the winter and spring, and exposure to the weather, turning quite light, and almost to a jet black, when the winter coat is shed off, and a new growth is shooting out. The buffalo bull often grows to the enormous weight of 2000 pounds, and shakes a long and shaggy black mane, that falls in great profusion and con- } V !,t ■ I 1 '•■ ' 'i ! Hi III 24S fusion, over liiit liend nnd RlioulderH ; niul ortcntiniPK falllni; ilown quite Ic the ground. The horns arc sliort, but vrry hir|;o, and liuvc hut one turn. I.e. they arc a limple iirch, without iIig IouM approach lo u spiral form, like those of the common ox, or of llie uoat species. The female is much smaller than the male, and always (ii^tinpiishahle liy the peculiar shape of the horns, which are much smaller and more crooked, turning their points more in towards the centre of the forehead. One of the most remarkable characteristics of the buH'alo, is the peculiar formation and ex|)ression of tiie eye, the ball of which is very large and white, and the iris jet black. The lids of the eye seem always to be strained (piilo o|>en, and the ball rolling forward and down ; so that u considerable pun of the iris is hidden behind the lower lid, while the pure white of the eyeball glares out over it in an arch, in the sliapc of a moon at the end oi its first quarter. These animals are, truly speaking, grega'ious, but not migratory — they gra^e ill immense and almost incredible numbers at times, and roam alM)ut and over vast tracts of country, from East to West, and from West to East, as often as from North to South ; which has often been supposed they natu- rally and habitually did to accommodate themselves to the temperature of *.he climate in the different latitudes. The limits within which they are found in America, are from the 30th to the 55th degrees of North latitude ; and their extent from East to West, which is from the border of our extreme Western frontier limits, to the Western verge of the Rocky Mountains, is defined by quite difTerent causes, than those which the degrees of tempera- ture have prescribed to them on the North and the South. Within these 25 degrees of latitude, the buffaloes seem to flourish, and get their living without the necessity of evading the rigour of the climate, for which Nature seems most wisely to have prepared them by the greater or less profusion of fur, with which she has clothed them. It is very evident that, as high North as Lake Winnepeg, seven or eight hundred miles North of this, the buf)alo subsists itself through the severest winters ; getting its food chiefly by browsing amongst the timber, and by pawing through the snow, for a bite at the grass, which in those regions is frozen up very suddenly in the beginning of the winter, with all its juices in it, and consequently furnishes very nutritious and efficient food ; and often, if not genera' /, supporting the animal in better flesh during these difficult seasons of their lives, than they are found to be in, in the 30lh degree of latitude, upon the borders of Mexico, where the severity of winter is not known , but during a long and tedious autumn, the herbage, under the in- fluence of a burning sun, is gradually dried away to a mere husk, and its nutriment gone, leaving these poor creatures, even iu the dead of winter, to bask in the warmth of a genial sun, without the benefit of a green or juicy thing to bite at. The place from which I am now writing, may be said to be the very heart or 349 rn quitp Ic t one turn, il form, like iii.tliahlp liy re rrookfij. lie peculiar ^ and white, iiined (|iiite able pan of the eyeball of its first -they fjrazo alKtiit and tn East, as they natu- perature of h they are h latitude ; lur extreme luntains, is if tempeni- ^ithin these their living icli Nature I profusion in or eight he severest er, and by regions is ts juices in bod ; and iiring these Olh degree inter is not der the in- sk, and it3 of winter, 1 green c>r ry heart or nucleus of the buffalo country, about eijui-distiint Wiwccn the two exlicmrs; and of cour«e, the most oon^eiiiid tein|Hraiuri' for tluni to tl()uri<«li in. The finoHt aiiiinuU tliiit ^ruzt; oh (lie pr.iiiiis are to be found in tins latitude; and I am sure I mvcr could Hcnd iron) a lictU'r source, some further account *if the death niid destruction that it dealt among these noble animals, and hurr\iiig on tlicir final extinction. Tlic Sioux are a bold and desperate set of horsemen, and great hunters ; and in (he heart of their country is one of the most extensive assortments of };()0(ls, of vvliiskiy, and other saleaiile commodities, as well as u party of tho most indefutigal)le nun, who are constantly calling for every robe that can be stripped from these animals' i)acks. These are the causes wliieh load so directly to their rapid destruction ; and which open to the view of the traveller so freshly, so vividly, and so familiarly, the scenes of archery — of lancing, and of death-dealing, that belong peculiarly to this wild and slionr country The almost countless herds of these animals that arc sometimes met with on uicse prairies, have been often spoken of by other writers, and may yet be seen by any traveller who will take the pains to visit these re- nioiis. The " running season," which is in August and September, is the time when they congregate into such masses in some places, as literally to blacken the prairies for miles together. It is no uncommon thing at this season, at tliose gatherings, to see cevcral thousands in u mass, eddying and wheeling about under a cloud of dust, which is raised by the bulls as they are pawing in the dirt, or engaged iii desperate combats, us they constantly are, plunging and butting at each other in the most furious manner (platk 105). In these scenes, the males are continually following the females, and the whole mass arc in constant motion ; and all bellowing (or " roaring") in deep and hollow sounds ; which, miiit^led altogether, appear, at the dis- tance of a mile or two, like the sound of distant thunder. During the season whilst they are congregated together in these dense and confused masses, the remainder of the country around for many miles, becomes entirely vacated ; and the traveller may spend many a toilsome day, and many a hungry night, without being cheered by the sight of one ; where, if he retraces his steps a few weeks after, he will find them dispersed, and grazing quietly in little families and flocks, and equally stocking the whole country. Of these quiet little herds, a fair representation will le seen in plate 106, where some are grazing, others at play, or lying down, and others indulging in their " wallows." •' A bull in his wallow" is a fre- quent saying in this country ; and has a very significant meaning with those who have ever seen a buffalo bull performing ablution, or rather endeavour- ing to cool his heated sides, by tumbling about in a mud puddle. In the heat of summer, these huge animals, which, no doubt, suffer very much with the great profusion of their long and shaggy hair or fur, ol'itn gra/.e on the low grounds in the prairies, where there is a little siagnatit VOL. I. K K b 11^ h h. t I ■ :rl U' 2r>o wator lyii'ij; nmon^jst tlu^ u,r;xss, mil llie JroiimJ mult'riioath lu-iiis; s.itundtl witli it, is soft, into wliicli tin- t'liminoiis Uiill, lowcivd down upon one knee, will |>Uinu;(' liis liorns, luul at lust his lu'ad, drivini; (i|) the earth, and soon making an ox'avalion in the (jionnd, into whioh the wator tiltois iVoni anionj;st the orass, I'oiininji Cor him in a few moments, a cool and eomlbit- able bath, into which he idnnu'.s like a \\o\x in his mire. In this delvctublf laver, he throws hinisilf flat upon his side, and foreiuj;; himself violently around, with his horns and his lnii;e hnm|> on liis shoulders presented to the sides, he ploui;hs up the •jround by his rotary motion, sinking' himself doepi'r and deeper in llu! ground, eontinnally enlarging his pool, in wliieh l>e at length beeomes nearly immersed ; and the water and j'.uid about him mixed intt> a eoinplete mortar, which changes his colour, and drips in streams from every part of him as he rises up upon his feet, a hideous monster of nmd and ugliness, too frightful and too cceentrie to be described ! It is generally the leader of tiie herd tha. takes upon him to make this excavation ; and if not (but ant)ther one opens the ground), liie h ader (who is contjueror) marches forward, an*! driving the other fron\ it plunges him- self into it ; ami having cooled his sides, and changed his coIo(m° to a walking mass of mud and mortar ; he staiuls in the pool until inclination induces him to step out, and give place to the next in connuaiul, who stands ready ; anil another, and another, who advance forward in their turns, lo enjoy the luxury of the wallow; until the whole baml (sometimes an hu i- dred or more) will pass through it in turn ; each one throwing liis body around in a similar manner ; ami each one adding a little to the dimensions of the pool, while he carries away in his hair an ecpial share of the clav, which dries to a grey or whitish colour, ami gradually falls otl". Hy this operation, which is done, perhaps, in the space of half an hour, a circular excavatioi> of (ifteen or twenty feet in diameter, and ♦.«•() feet in depth, is completeii, and left for the water to run into, which soon tills it to the level of the groimd. To these sinks, the waters lying- on the surface of the prairies, are con- tinually draining, and in them lodging their vegetable deposits; which, after a lajise of years, till them up to the surface with a rich soil, which throws up dii unusual growth of grass and herbage ; forming conspicuous circles which arrest the eye of the traveller, anil are caleulaied to ixeilc li's smpiise for ages to come. Many travellers who liave penetrated not ipn'te far enough into the Western country to see the habits of these animals, and the manner in which these rnyslaious circles are made; but who have seen the prairies strewed with their bleached bones, and have beheld these strange . i cles, which often occur in groups, and of diU'erent sizes — have come home with beautiful and ingenious tiieories (which jimst tictds be made), (or the origin of tliise omgular and unaccountable ap|)i'arance-, which, for want of a rational -^ +«>»•»< l.'ptv' '• >. - ,«A-*«»^- ri. ..^JB- .r^-^- ;v:;> ^ i^jL.'^'«^-=^^ ■'tifc.^ :i ■■■•■IP li 1, I i 'f '! 1 ,V '' ( ; i § H. ' ( ' w w m l\ *!! if 1 't u -»'1 1,. 1 251 theory, have generally bcrn aitributed to /airij feet, and gained the appel- lation of "fairy circles." Many travellers, again, have supposed that these rings were produced by the dances of the Indians, which are oftentimes (and in fact most generally) performed in a circle ; yet a moment's consideration disproves such a pro- bability, inasmuch as the Indians always select the ground for their dancing near the sites of their villages, and that always on a dry and hard founda- tion ; when these " fairy circles" are uniformly found to be on low and wet ground. As my visit to these parts of the " Great Far West" has brought me into the heart of tne buffalo country, where I have had abundant opportunities of seeing this noble animal in all its phases — its habits of life, and every mode of its death ; I shall take the liberty of being yet a little more particular, and of rendering some further accounts of scenes which I have witnessed in following out my sporting propensities in these singular regions. The chief hunting amusement of the Indians in these parts consists in the chase of the buf{\ilo, which is almost invariably done on horseback, with bow and lance. In this exercise, which is highly p.ized by them, as urio of their most valued amusements, as well as for the principal mode of pro- curing meat for their subsistence, they become exceedingly expert ; and are able to slay these huge animals with apparent ease. The Indians in these parts are all mounted on small, but serviceable horses, which are caught by them on the prairies, where they are often run- ning wild in numerous bands. The Indian, then, mounted on his little wild horse, which has been through some years of training, dashes oft' at full speed amongst the herds of buffaloes, elks, or even antelopes, and deals his deadly arrows to their hearts from his horse's back. The horse is the fleetest animal of the prairie, and easily brings his rider alongside of his game, which falls a certain prey to his deadly shafts, at the distance of a few paces. In the chase of the buffalo, or other animal, the Indian generally " strips" himself and his horse, by throwing off his' shield atid quiver, and every part of his dress, which might be an encumbrauce to him in running ; grasping his bow in his left hand, with five' or six arrows drawn from his quiver, and ready for instant use. In his right hand (or attached t.i the wrist) is u heavy whip, which he uses without mercy, and forces his horse alongside of his game at the swiftest speed. These horses are so trained, that the Indian has little use for ihc rein, which hangs on the neck, whilst the iiorse approaches the animal on the right side (hi.ate 107), giving his rider the chance to throw his arrow to the left ; which he does at the instant when the horse is passing — bringing hint opposite to the heart, which receives the deadly weapon " to the feather." When pursuing a large herd, the Indian generally rides close in the rear, until he selects the animal he wishes to kill, which he separates ''oni tlie ! :*;i S!f m I ■' 1 "I 252 thronj as soon as he can, by dashint; his horse between it ami the herd, and forcing it off by itself; where he can approach it without the danger of beinq; trampled to death, to which he is often liable by too closely escorting the multitude. In pi,A rE 1C7, I have fairly represented the mode of ipproaching, at the instant the arrow is to be thrown ; and the striking disparity between the size of a huge bull of 2000 pounds weight, and the Indian horse, which, it will be borne in mind, is but a pony. No bridle whatever is used in this country by the Indians, as they have no knowledge of a bit. A short halter, however, which answers in place of a bridle, is in general use ; of which they usually form a noose around the under jaw of the horse, by which they get great power over the animal ; and which they use generally to stop rather than ^uide the horse. This halter is called by the French Traders in the country, I'arrtt, the stop, and has great power in arresting the speed of a horse ; though it is extremely dangerous to use too freely as a guide, interfering too much with the free- dom of his limbs, for the certainty of his feet and security of his rider. When the Indian then has directed the course of his steed to the animal which he has selected, the training of the horse is such, that it knows the object of its rider's selection, and exerts every muscle to give it close c in- pany ; while the halter lies loose and untouched upon its neck, and the rider leans quite forward, and off from the side of his horse, with his bow drawn, and ready for the deadly shot, which is given at the instant he is opposite to the animal's body. The horse being instinctively afraid of the animal (though he generally brings his rider within the reach of the end of his bow), keeps his eye strained upon the furious enemy he is so closely en- countering ; and the moment he nas approached to the nearest distance required, and has passed the animal, whether the sho*^ !s given or not, he gradually sheers off, to prevent co.ning on to the horns of the infuriated beast, which often are instantly turned, and presented for the fatal reception of its too familiar attendant. These frighttnl collisions often take place, notwithstanding the sagacity of the horse, and the caution of its rider ; for in these extraordinary (and inexpressible) exhilarations of chase, which seem to drown the prudence alike, of inslinctand reason, both horse and rider often •eem rushing on to destruction, as if it were mere pastime and amusement.* I have always counted myself a prudent man, yet I have often toaked (as it were) out of the delirium of the chase (into which I had fallen, as into an agitated sleep, and through which I had passed as through a delightful dream), where to have died would have been but to have remained, riding on, without a struggle or a pang. In some of these, too, I have arisen from the prairie, covered with dirt and u \ I • The reader will be further instructed on this subject, by referring back to plats '■', in the beginning of (he honl. 108 w ^ f- i!i( '( i i I i ! . \-\ I* i i; 1' ; H' il !rr 'I H it \m .1 . ,.: m ' '^ . fr.:i i Jl I •2J3 blood, Iiavin;; severed company witli gun and liorsc, tlio one l\in^r some twenty or thirty feet from mo witli u broken stalk, and the other coolly brousing on the grass at half a mile distance, without man, and without other beast remaining in siglit. For the novice in these scenes there is much danger of his limbs and his life, and he finds it a hard and a desperate struggle that brings him in at the death of these huge monsters, except where it has been "produced by hands that have acquired more sleight and tact than his own. With tlie Indian, who has made tliis tlie every day sport and amusement of his life, there is less difficulty and less danger.; he rides without " losin" his breatli," and his unagitated hand deals certainty in its deadly blows. In pi.ATii 108, 1 have represented a party of Indians in chase of a herd some of whom are pursuing with lance and others with bows and arrows. The group in the foreground shews the attitude at the instant after the arrow has been thrown and driven to the heart ; the Indian at full speed, and the luso dragging l»ehind his horse's heels. The laso is a long thong of rawhide, often or fifteen yards in lengtli,niade of-several braids or twists, and used chiefly to catch the wild horse, which is done by throwing over their necks a noose which is made at the end of the laso, with which they are " choked down." In running the buffaloes, or in time of war, the laso drag:; on the ground at the horse s feet, and sometimes several rods behind, 80 that if a man is dismounted, which is often the case, by the tripping or stumbling of the horse, he has the power of grasping to the laso, and by stubbornly holding on to it, of stopping andseciiiin^; his liorse, on whose back he is instantly replaced, and continuing on in the chase. In the dead of the winters, which are very long and severely cold in this country, where horses cannot be brought into the chase with any avaii, the Indian runs upon the surface of the snow by the aid of his snow shoes, which buoy him up, while the great weight of the buffaloes, sinks them dowJ to the middle of their sides, and completely stopping their progress, ensures them certain and easy victims to the bow or lance of their pursuers, as \n PLATE 109. The snow in these regions often lies during the winter, to Wic depth of three and four feet, being blown away from the tops and sides of the hills in many places, which are left bare for the buffaloes to graze upon, whilst it is drifted in the hollows i.nd ravines to a very great depth, ami rendered almost entirely impassable to these huge animals, which, when closely pursued by their enemies, endeavour to plunge through it, but ato soon wedged in and almost unable to move, where they fall an easy prey to the Indian, who runs up lightly upon his snow shoes and drives his lance to their hearts. The skins are then stripped off, to be sold to the Fur Traders, and the carcasses left to be devoured by t'.ie wolves. This is the season in which the greatest number of these animals are destroyed kn their robes— they are most easily killed at this time, and their hair or fur being longer and more abundar.t, gives greater value to the robe. h- 254 If 'I ^- ^1 The Indians generally kill and dry meat enough in the fail, when it is fat and juicy, to last tlicm through the winter ; so that they have little other object for this unlimited slaughter, amid the drifts of snow, than that of procuring their robes for traffic with their Traders. The snow shoes are made in a great many forms, of two and three feet m length, and one foot or more in width, of a hoop or hoops bent around for the frame, with a netting or web woven across with strings of rawhide, on which the feet rest, and tn which they are fastened with straps somewhat like a skate.* With these the Indian will glide over the snow with as- tonishing quickness, without sinking down, or scarcely leaving his track where he has gone. The poor b'jituloes have their enemy man, besetting and bcseiging them at ".!i times of the year, and in all the modes that man in his superior wisdom has been able to devise for their destruction. They struggle in vain to evade his deadly shafts, when he dashes amongst them over the plains on his wild horse — they plunge into the snow-drifts where they yield themselves an easy prey to their destroyers, and they also stand un- wittingly and behold him, unsuspected under the skin of a white wolf, insinuating himself and his fatal weapons into close company, when they are peaceably grazing on the level prairies, and shot down before they are aware of their danger (plate 110). There are several varieties of the wolf species in this country, the most formidable and most numerous of which are white, often sneaking about iu gangs or families of fifty or sixty in numbers, appearing in distance, on the green prairies like nothing but a flock of sheep. Many of these animals grow to a very great size, being I should think, quite a match for the largest Newfoundland dog. At present, whilst the buffaloes are so abun- dant, and these ferocious animals are glutted with the buffalo's flesh, they are harmless, and everywhere sneak a.vay from man's prtsenoe ; which I scarcely think will be the case after tlie buffaloes are all gone, and they are left, as they must be, with scarcely anything to eat. They always are seen following about in the vicinity of herds of buffaloes and stand ready to pick the bones of those that the hunters leave on the ground, or to over- take and devour those that are wounded, which fall an easy prey to them. "While the herd of buffaloes are together, they seem to have little dread oi the wolf, and allow them to come in close company with lUem. The Indian then has taken advantage of this fact, and often places himself under the skin of this animal, and crawls for half a mile or more on his hands and knees, until he approaches within a few rods of the unsuspecting group, and easily shoots down the fattest of the throng. The bufl'aloisa very timid animal, and shuns the vicinity of man with the * The readers will look forKard to plates 34<) and S43, in the Second Volumt, ft>r snow shoes. it. 7i -p»-#-»*W?**'**'^»' * C;r2i/& h »i ['■'I h i|l \%-\ i 1; 'if' y ^» sc«: iij kcnipst saijocity ; yi t, win n nverlakeni and harassed or tvoundcd, tin tii ii|<(iii its assailants with the utmost fury, who have only to sci'k safety in flight. Ill their desperate resistanec the Knest horses are often destroyed; but the Indian, with his superior sagacity and dexterity, {generally finds soine effective mode of escape, as in pi.ate 111. During the season of the year whilst the calves are young, the male seems to stroll about by the side of the dam, as if for the purpose of protecting the young, at wiiicii time it is excetJingly hazardous to attack ihtni, us they aie sure to turn upon their iJiirsinrs, who have often to fly to each others assis- tance (I'LATE Hi). The b^itialo calf, during the first six months is red, and has so much the appearance of a red calf in cultivated fields, that it could easily !je min;;led and mistaken amongst them. In tiie fall, when it chanties its hair it takes a brown coat for the wiiiler, which it always retains. In pursuing a large herd of buffaloes at the season when their calves are hut a few weeks old, I have often been exceedingly amused with the curious maucEuvrcs of these shy little things. Amidst the thundering confusion of a throng of several hundreds or several thousands of these animals, there uill be many of the calves that lose sight of their dams ; and being left behind by the throng, and the swift passing hunters, they endeavour to secrete themselves, when ihoy are exceedingly put to it on a level prairie, where nought can be seen but the short grass of six or eigiit inches in height, save an occasional bunch of wild sage, a few inches higher, to'.vhieh the poor affrighted things will run, and dropping on their knees, will push their noses under it, and into the grass, where they will stand for hours, with theireyes shut, imagining themselves siiiirely hid, whilst they arc standing up quite straight upon their hind feet and can easily be seen at several miles distance. It is a familiar amusement for us accustomed to these scenes, to retreat hack over the ground where we ha\e just escorted the herd, and approach these little trembling things, which stubbornly maintain their positions, with their noses pushed under the grass, and their e es strained upon us, as we dismount from our horses and are passing around them. From this fixed position they are sure not to move, until hands are laid upon them, and then for the shins of a novice, we can extend our sympathy ; or if he can preserve the skin on his bones from the furious buttings of its head, we know how to con- gratulate him on his signal success and good luck. In these desperate struggles, for a moment, the little thing is comiuered, and makes no further resistance. And I have often, in concurience with a known custom of the country, held my hands over the eyes of the calf, and breathed a few strong breaths into its nostrils; after which I have, with my hunting companions, rode several miles into our encampment, with the little prisoner busily fol- lowing the heels of my horse the whole way, as closely and as affectionately as its instinct would attach it to the company of its dam ! This is one of the most extraoniinary things that I have met with in the habits of this wild country, and although I had often heard of it, and felt •i :| ,j rr— •1 1 1! !• r r I r I, , 1 iinnUo cxnclly to IhIIcvp it, f nni now willinijlo l»onr testimony to iho fiirf, fmni the niiiixroiiH instuiurs wliicli I linvo witnessed sine** I c.niii- into the country. Diiriiij; the tinu! tliut I resided nt thi* post, in the sprinj: of the year, on my way ii|> the river, I assisted (in numerous liunts of the butl'.do, witli the Tur Company's men,) in l)rini;iii;r in, in the above manner, several of these littlu prisoners, whieli sometimes foMowed for tive or six miles elote to our horses' lieels, and even into the Fur Company's Fort, and into the •table where our horses were led. In this way, before I left for the he id waters of the Missouri, I think we had collected about a do/on, which Mr. Laidlaw was successfully raising with tlx; aid of a t;oo(l milch cow, and which were to be committed to the care of Mr. Chouteau to be transported by the return of the steamer, to his extensive plantation in the vicinity of St. Ixiuis.* It is truly a melancholy contemplation for the traveller in this country, to anticipate the period which is not far distant, when the last of these noble animals, at the hands of white and red men, will fall victims to their cruel and improvident rapacity ; leavin;; these beautiful y;recn fields, a vast and idle waste, unstocked and unpeopled for ages to come, until the bones of the one and the traditions of the otlxir will have vanisiicd, and left scarce an intelligible trace behind. Tliat the reader should not think me visionary in tl\ese rontemplations, or romancing in making such assertions, I will hand him the fullowing item of the extravairancies which are practiced in these rcijions, and rapidly leading to the results which I have just named. When I first anived at this place, on my way up the river, which was in the month of May, in 1832, and had taken up my lodgings in tlic Fur Company's Fort, Mr. Laidlaw, of whou) I have before spoken, and also his cliief clerk, Mr. Ilalscy, and many of lluir men, as well as the chiefs of the Sioux, told mc, that Only a few days l)elure I arrived, (when an immense herd of buffaloes had showed llitniselves on the opposite >ide of the river, almost blackening the plains for a great distance,) a party of tive or six hundred Sioux Indians on horseb.ick, forded the river about mid-day, and spending a few hours amongst them, recrossed the river at sun-down .nd came into the I'ort willi fourteen hundred J'resli buffalo lonr/ues, which were thrown down in a mass, and for which they re(|uired but a few gallons of whiskey, which was soon demolished, indulging them in a little, ami harmless carouse. This profligate waste of the lives of these noble and useful animals, when, from ail thai I could learn, not a skin or a pound of tiie meat (except the tongues), was brought in, fully supports me in the seemingly extravagant • The fute of these ))oor little prisuners, I was informed on my return to St. Louis a year •fterwurds, was a very disastrous one. I lie steamer liaviuj; a distance of loOO miles lo liertbrm, and lying u week or two on sand bars, in a country where milk could not lie |>ru- cured, tliey all perislied but one, which in now flouriiiliin); in the extensive fields ol' ihu irentleiDaii. lie into llie )rin.r of the 1)0 bnH'.ild, itT, Kfveral r itix niileii iiul into tilt* r ihf In- III wliiili Mr. , :ii)il wliirh iti'd l»y tlio St. I^iii-s.* roiintry, to these noble tlu'ir rriK'l a vast and lones of tlic "t scane an plations, or in^ item of illy leading lieh was in in the Fur lul also his the ciiiefs (when an site >iiie of y of live or I mid-day, t sun-ilown ucs, whieh tew gallons little, and il animals, eat (except 'Xlravagant . Louis a year 1(jOO iiiiIus to (J not l>e jiru- littlds ol'tiiM 74 '^''^l^ii(« and forget them not. The buffaloes (the quadrupeds from whose backs your beautiful robes were taken and whose myriads were once spread over the whole country, from the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean) have recently fled before the ap- palling appearance of civilized man, and taken up their abode and pasturage amid the almost boundless prairies of the West. An instinctive dread of their deadly foes, who made an easy prey of them whilst grazing in the forest, has led them to seek the midst of the vast and treeless plains of grass, as the spot where they would be least exposed to the assaults of their ene- mies ; and it is exclusively in those desolate fields of silence (yet of beauty) that they are to be found-^and over these vast steppes, or prairies, have they fled, like the Indian, towards the " setting sun ;" until their bands have been crowded together, and their limits confined to a narrow strip of coun- try on this side of the Rocky Mountains. This strip of country, which extends from the province of Mexico to lake Winnepeg on the North, is almost one entire plain of grass, which is, and ever must be, useless to cultivating man. It is here, and here chiefly, that the buffaloes dwell ; and with, and hovering about them, live and flou- rish the tribes of Indians, whom God made for the enjoyment of that fair 'and and its luxuries. It is a melancholy contemplation for one who has travelled as I have, through these realms, and seen this noble animal in all its pride and glory, to contemplate -t so rapidly wasting from the world, drawing the irresis- tible conclusion too, which one must do, that its species is soon to be ex- tinguished, and with it the peace and happiness (if not the actual existence) of the tribes of Indians who are joint tenants with them, in the occupancy of these vast and idle plains. And what a splendid contemplation too, when one (who has travelled these realms, and can duly appreciate them) imagines them as they might in future be seen, (by some great protecting policy of government) preserved in their pristine beauty and wildness, in a magnificent park, where the world could see for ages to come, the native Indian in his classic attire, galloping his wild horse, with sinewy bow, and shield and lance, amid the fleetmg herds of elks and buffaloes, W hat a beautiful and thrilling specimen for T 262 America to preserve and hold up to the view of Iter refined citizens and the world, in future as;es ! A nation's Park, containing man and beast, in all the wild and freshness of their nature's beauty ! I would ask no other monument to my memory, nor any other enrolment of my name amongst the famous dead, than the reputation of having been the founder of such an institution. Such scenes might easily have been preserved, and still could be che- rished on the great plains of the West, without detriment to the country or its borders ; for the tracts of country on which the buffaloes have assem- bled, are uniformly sterile, and of no available use to cultivating man. It is on these plains, which are stocked with buffaloes, that the finest specimens of the Indian race are to be seen. It is here, that the savage is decorated in the richest costume. It is he '., and here only, that his wants are all satisfied, and even the luxuries of life are afforded him in abundance. And here also is he the proud and honourable man (before he has had teachers or laws), above the imported wants, which beget meanness and vice ; stimulated by ideas of honour and virtue, in which the God of Nature has certainly not curtailed him. There are, by a fair calculation, more than 300,000 Indians, who are now subsisted on the flesh of the buffaloes, and by those animals supplied with all the luxuries of life which they desire, as they know of none others. The great variety of uses to which they convert the body and other parts of that animal, are almost incredible to the person who has not actually dwelt amongst these people, and closely studied their modes and customs. Every part of their flesh is converted into food, in one shape or another, and on it they entirely subsist. The robes of the animals are worn by the Indians instead of blankets — their skins when tanned, are used as coverings for their lodges, and for their beds; undressed, they are used for constructing canoes — for saddles, for bridles — I'arrets, lasos, and thongs. The horns are shaped into ladles and spoons — the brains are used for dressing the skins — their bones are used for saddle trees — for war clubs, and scrapers for graining the robes — and others are broken up for the marrow-fat which is contained in them. Their sinews are used for strings and backs to their bows — for thread to string their beads and sew their dresses. The feet of the animals are boiled, with their hoofs, for the glue they contain, for fastening their arrow points, and many other uses. The hair from the head and shoulders, which is long, is twisted and braided into halters, and tho tail is used for a fly brush. In this wise do these people convert and use the various parts of this useful animal, and with all these luxuries of life about them, and their numerous games, they are happy (God bless them) in the ignorance of the disastrous fate that awaits them. Yet this interesting community, with its sports, its wildnesses, its languages, and all its manners and customs, could he perpetuated, and also the buffaloes, whose numbers would increase and supply them with food for ages and ^1 V 1 V i 263 centuries to come, if a system of non-intercourse could be establislicti anil preserved. But such is not to be the case— the buffalo's doom is sealed, and with their extinction must assuredly sink into real despair and starvation, the ■ inhabitants of these vast plains, which afford for the Indians, no other possible means of subsistence ; and they must at last fall a prey to wolves and buzzards, who will have no other bones to pick. It seems hard and cruel, (does it not?) that we civilized people with all the luxuries and comforts of the world about us, shouid be drawing from the backs of these useful animals the skins for our luxury, leaving their carcasses to be devoured by the wolves — that we snould draw from that country, some 150 or 200,000 of their robes annually, the greater part of which are taken from animals that are killed expressly for the robe, at a season when the meat is not cured and preserved, and for each of which skins the Indian has received but a pint of whiskey ! Such is the fact, and that number or near it, are annually destroyed, in addition to the number that is necessarily killed for the subsistence of 300,000 Indians, who live entirely upon them. It may be said, perhaps, that the Fur Trade of these great western realms, which is now limited chiefly to the purchase of buffalo robes, is of g^reat and national importance, and should and must be encouraged. To such a suggestion I would reply, by merely enquiring, (independently of the poor Indians' disasters,) how much more advantageously would such a capital be employed, both for tlie weal of the country and for the owners, if it were invested in machines for the manufacture of woollen robes, of equal and superior value and beauty ; thereby encouraging the growers of wool, and the industrious manufacturer, rather than cultivating a taste for the use of buffalo skins; which is just to be acquired, and then, from necessity, to be dispensed with, when a few years shall have destroyed the last of the animals producing them. It may be answered, perhaps, that the necessaries of life are given in exchar^ge for these robes ; but what, I would ask, are the necessities in Indian life, wliere they have buffaloes in abundance to live on ? The Indian's necessities are entirely artificial— are all created ; and when the buffaloes shall have disappeared in his country, which will be within eight or ten years, I would ask, who is lo supply him with the necessaries of life then ? and I would ask, further, (and leave the question to be answered ten years hence), when the skin shall have been stripped from the back of the last animal, who is to resist the ravages of 300,000 starving savages ; and in their trains, 1,500,000 wolves, whom direst necessity will have driven from iheir desolate and gameless plains, to seek for the means of subsistence along our exposed frontier ;: God has everywhere supplied man in a state of Nature, with the necessaries of life, and before we destroy the game of his country, or teach him new desires, he has no wants that are not satisfied. Amongst the tribes who have been impoverished and repeatedly removed, the necessaries of life are extended with a better grace from the hands of M4 civilized man ; 90,000 of rucIi have already been removed, and they draw from Government some 5 or 600,000 dollars annually in cash ; which money passes immediately into the hands of white men, and for it the necessaries of life may be abundantly furnished. But who, I would ask, are to furnish the Indians who have been instructed in this unnatural mode — living upon such neces- saries, and even luxuries of life, extended to them by the hands of white men, when those annuities are at an end, and the skin is stripped from the last of the animals which God gave them for their subsistence ? Reader, I will stop here, lest you might forget to answer these important queries — these are questions which 1 know will puzzle the world->and, per- haps it is not right that I should ask them. * * * • * Thus much I wrote and painted at this place, whilst on my way up the river : after which I embarked on the steamer for the Yellow Stone, and the sources of the Missouri, through which interesting regions I have made a successful Tour ; o-.a liave returned, as will have been seen by the foregoing narrations, in my canoe, to this place, from whence I am to descend the river still further in a few days. If I ever get time, I may give further Notes on this place, and of people and theii doings, which I met with here ; but at present, I throw my note-book, and canvass, and brushes into my canoe, which will be launched to-morrow morning, and on its way towards St. Louis, with myself at the stecring-oar, as usual ; and with Ba'tiste and Bogard to paddle, of whom, I beg the readers' pardon for having said nothing of late, though they have been my constant companions. Our way is now over the foaming and muddy waters of the Missouri, and amid snags and driil logs (for there is a sweeping freshet on her waters), and many a day will pass before other Letters will come from me ; iuul ^ssibly, the reader may have to look to my biographer for the rest. Adieu. ' END OF VOL. T, It - ! tr if 1 I If.