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^'AJIJ^'S
•W;^'«-"'%^ ■•*#»»« '«••«.'»'*% «*"'•■
■^''■- ^l'
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:,,.^.:i A M Ell IC AN INDIANS.
Vl:^ OiSO. CA**^l.a?^, ^«.q.
r^'M r-^i^m J^s^wi^^ir tumrjuTrm
V^^UAWD BROT'HEftS
. J
-^■*
-••H,
^^
CATLIN'S
insrr>i.A.3srs.
BEING
A DEEPLY INTERESTING AND TRULY CELEBRATED
SERIES OF LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
MANNERS, CUSTOMS, AND CONDITION
' OF THE . ,
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
WRITTEN DUKINO EIGHT YEAItS' TRAVEL AMONGST THE WILDEST
TBIUES OF INDIANS IN NORTH AMERICA.
By QEO. CATLIN, Bsq.
TWO VOLS. IN ONE. PROFUSELY ILLUSTRATED.
PHILADELPHIA: ^
HUBBARD BROTHERS.
' . 1891. ■ '
C?-£.^
CONTENTS.
LETTER No. I.— p. 17.
'Wyoming, biith-plMO of the Anthor, — His former ProfeiBion. — Fint oauie of hie
Trareli to tbe Indian Country. — Delegation of Indiana in Philadelphi*. — First
■tart to the Far West, in 1832. — Design of forming a National Qalleij. — Nam>
ben of Tribes visited, and number of Paintings and other things colleoted. —
Probable extinction of the Indians. — Former and present numbers of. — The
proper mode of approaching them, and estimating their character.
LETTER No. II.— p. 33.
Mouth of Yellow Stone. — Distance from St Louis. — Diffioolties of the Missouri.—
Politeness of Mr. Chouteau and M%)or Sanford. — Fur Company's Fort— Indian
Epicures. — Kew and true School for the Arts. — BeautiAil Models.
LETTER No. III.— p. 38. Mouth of Ykllow Stonb.
' Character of Missouri River. — Beautiful prairie shores. — Picturesque day blnSs. —
First appearance of a steamer at the Yellow Stone, and curious ooi^eotures of
the Indian* about it — Fur Company's Establishment at the mouth of Yellow
Stone.— M'Keniie— His table and politeness. — Indian tribes in this vicinity.
LETTER No. IV.— p. 47. Mocth of Yellow Stonb.
Upper Missouri Indians.— Qeneral Character. — Buffaloes — Description of. — Modes
of killing them. — Buffalo-hunt — Chardon's Leap. — Wounded bnlL — ExtraordU
nary feat of Mr. M'Keniie. — Return from the chase.
LETTER No. V.— p. 59. Mouth of Yellow Stone.
Author's painting-room, and characters in it — Blackfoot chief. — Other Blaokfoot
ohiefk, and their costumes. — Blaokfoot woman and child. — Scalps, and objects
for which taken — Red pipes, and pipe-stone quarry. — Blackfoot bows, shields,
arrows and lanoes. — Several distinguished Blackfeet
(7)
i \
COXTENTS.
LETTER No. VI.— p. 70. Mouth of Yellow Stonk.
Medicine* or mysterieB— medicine-bag— origin of the word medicine.— Mode of
forming the medicine-bog-Volue of the medicine-bag to the Indian, and mate-
rials for their construction.— Blackfoot doctor or medicine-man— hii mods of
curing the sick.— Different offices and importance of medicine-men.
LETTER No. VIL— p. 81. Mouth of Yelloh Stonk.
Crows ftnd Blackfoot.— General character and appearance.— Killing and drying
meat— Crow lodge or wigwam.— Striking their tents and encampment moving.—
Mode of dressing and smoking skins. — Crows.- Beauty of their dresses.— Horse
stealing or capturing.— Reasons why they are called rogues and robbers of the
first order, Ac.
LETTER No. VIII.— p. 92. Mouth op Yellow Stonk
Further remarks on the Crows.- Extraordinary length of hair.— Peculiarities of
the Crow head, and several portraits.— Crow and Blackfeet women. — Their
modes of dressing and painting. — Differences between the Crow and Blackfoot
languages. — Different bands.— Different languages, and numbers of the Black-
feet.— Knistenoaux.-Assinneboins and Ojibbeways. — Assinneboins a part of
the Sioux.— Their mode of boiling meat.— Pipe-dance. — Wi-jun-jon (a chief)
and wife. — His visit to Washington.- Dresses of women and children of the
Assinneboins.— Knisteneaux (or Crees)— character and nnmbera, and aeveral
portraits.— Ojibbeways— Chief and wife.
LETTER No. IX.— p. 106. Mouth of Yellow Stonb.
Contemplations of the Great Far West and its customs. — Old acquaintance.-*
March and effects of civilization. — The " Far West." — The Author in March
of it— Meeting with " Ba'tiste," a free trapper.
LETTER No. X. — ^p. 117. Mandan Yillaoe, Upper Missourl
A strange place. — Voyage ftom Mouth of Yellow Stone down the rirer to Man-
dans. — Commencement — Leave M'Kenzie's Fort. — Assinneboins encamped on
the river. — Wi-jun-jon lecturing on the customs of white people. — Mountain'
sheep.- War-eagles.— Grizzly bears.— Clay blufb, " brick-kilns," volcanio re-
mains.— Red pumice stone. — A wild stroll.— Mountaineer's sleep. — Orizily bear
and cubs. — Courageous attack.— Canoe robbed. — Eating our nMala on a pile of
drift-wood.- Encamping in the night— Yoluptuona scene of wild flowers, buffalo
bush and berries.— Adventure after an elk. — War-party dtsoovered. — Magnifi-
cent scenery in the " Grand Detour."— Stupendous clay blnffa. — Table land.—
Antelope shooting. — " Grand Dome."— Pndrie dogs. — Village. — FruitleM endea-
Tours to shoot them.— Pictured bluff and the Three Domes. — Arrival at the
Mandan village.
CONTENTS.
LETTER No. XI.— p. 135. Mandan Villaok.
Location.— Village. — Former locationi, fortification of their Tillage.— Deioription
of Tillage and mode of conatructing their wigwams. — Deicription of interior-
Beds— Weaponi— Family groupi. — Indian garrulity — Joltei — Firo-Bide fun and
(tory-telling. — Causes of Indian taciturnity in civilized society.
LETTER No. XII.— p. 146. Mandan Village.
Biras-eye view of the Village. — The " big canoe." — Medicine>lodge. — A strange
medley. — Mode of depositing the dead on scaffolds. — Respect to the dead. —
Viaitiug the dead. — Feeding the dead. — Converse with the dead. — Bones of the
dead.
LETTER No. XIII.— p. 154. Mandan Villaob.
The wolf-chief. — Head chief of the tribe. — Several portraits. — Personal appear-
ance. — Peculiarities. — Complexion. — " Cheveux gris." — Hair of the men. — Hair
of the women. — Bathing and swimming, — Mode of swimming. — Sudatories or
vapor-baths.
LETTER No. XIV.— p. 166. Mandan Villaob.
Ooctnmes of the Mandans. — High value set upon them. — Two horses for a head>
dress — Made of war-eagles' quills and trmine. — Head-dresses with horns. — A
Jewish custom.
LETTER No. XV.— p. 174. Mandan Vili^qb.
Astonishment of the Mandans at the operation of the Author's brush. — The Author
installed medicine or medioine-man. — Crowds around the Author. — Curiosity to
see and to touch him. — Superstitious fears for those who were painted. — Objec-
Uons raised to being painted. — ThI Author's operation* opposed by a Mandan
doctor, or medicine-man, and how brought over.
LETTER No. XVI.— p. 185. Mandan Villaob.
An Indian beau or dandy. — A fruitless endeavor to paint one. — Mah-to-toh-pa
(the four bears), second chief of the tribe. — The Author feasted in his wig-
wam. — Viands of the feast. — Pemican and marrow-fltt. — Mandan pottery.—
Robe presented.
LETTER No. XVII.— p. 194. Mandan Villaob.
Polygamy. — Reasons and excuses for it. — Marriages, how contracted. — vVives
bought and sold. — Paternal and filial affection. — Virtue and modesty of women.
—Early marriages. — Slavish lives and occupations of the Indian worn en.—
Pomme blanche. — Dried meat. — Caches. — Modes of cooking, and times of
eating. — Attitudes in eating. — Separation of males and females in eating.—
The Indians moderate eaters. — Some exceptions. — Curing meat in the sun, with-
out smoke or salt — The wild Indians eat no salt
^1
10
CONTJ&NTS.
LETTER No. XVIII.— p. 206. Mandan Villaoi.
Indian d»nclng.-" Buffalo dance."-Difcovery of buff(iloei.-Prepar«Uoni for th«
ohaie— Stortr-A decoy— A retreat— Death and Malplng.
LETTER No. XIX.— p. 214. Mandan Villaok.
Bham fight and ebam ecalp dance of the Mandan boyi.— Uaroe of Tohung-kee.—
Feaeting.— Fasting and aocrlflcing.— White buffalo robe — lU value.- Rain
maken and rain etopperf.— Bain making.-" The thunder boat."— The big
double medicine.
LETTER No. XX.— p. 229. Mandan Villaob.
Mandan archery.—" Game of the arrow."— Wild horiei.— Hone-rooing.— Foot
war-party in counclL
OBTTBR No. XXL— p. 234. Mandan Vii.i.aoe, Upper Missohri.
Mah-to-toh-pa (the Four BearB)— Ilii costume and hli portrait.— The robe of Mah-
to-toh-pa, with all the battles of his life painted on it.
LEITER No. XXII.—p. 244. Mandan Villaob.
Mandan religious ceremonies.— Mandan religious creed. — Three objeota of the
ceremony. — Place of holding the ceremony.— Dig canoe. — Season of com-
mencing—and manner.— Opening the modicine-lodge.— Saeriflces to the water.—
Fasting scene for four days and nights. — Bel>lohck-nah>pick (the bull dance). —
Pohk-bong (the cutting or torturing sc^e).— Eh-ke-nah-ka>nah-piok (the last
race).— Extraordinary instances of cruelty in self-torture.— Saorifloing to the
water.— Certificates of the Mandan ceremonies.— Inferences drawn flrom these
horrible omelties, with traditions.— Tradition of 0-kee-hee-de (the Evil Spirit).
— Mandans can be oiviliied.
LETTER No. XXIII.— p. 289. Minatabkk Villaob.
lioeation and numbers.-Origin.— Principal village.— Vapor bathi.— Old chief,
Black Moccasin. — Two portraits, man and woman. — Green corn dance.
LETTER No. XXIV.— p. 298. Minataheb Villaob.
Orowt in the Minataree village — Crow chief on horseback, in ftill dress.— PeouUr
arities of the Crows— Long hair— Semi-lnnar faces.— Rats in the Minataree
village.— CroMing Knife River in " bull boat."— Swimming of Minataree girls.-
Horse-racing.— A banter.— Riding a " naked horse."— Grand buffalo surround.—
Cutting up and carrying in meat.
CONTENTS.
11
LETTER No. XXY.— p. SIR. Littli Mandak Villaoi, Uppii
MlSSOUBI.
Ad Indian offering himielf for a plUow.— Portrtlti of RIootr«M.— RIoouM rlU
litge.— Origin of the Mandani,— Weltb colony.— Expedition of Madoo.
LETTER No. XXYL—p. 322. Mouth of Tkton Rivib.
Sioux or Daii-oo-ta. — Fort Pierre. — Mtiiiuippl and Mlffouri Siuuz.— Ha-wan-
je-tab (chief }.—Puncahi, Shoo-do-ga-clia (chief) and wife.— Four wItm taken
ai, once.— Portrait of one of the wivei.— Early marriagei. — oaniei of.
LETTER No. XXVII.— p. 335. Mouth or Tkton Rivbb.
Oaitom of exposing the aged.— A tedioui march on foot.— Lerel pralriei.— " Out
of tight of land."— Mirage. — Looming of the pralriei.— Turning the toei in. —
Biijou hilU. — Salt meadows. — Arrive at Fort Pierre.- Oreat assemblage of flionx.
—Paint the portrait of the chief. — Superstitious otjeotlons.— Opposed by the
doctors. — Difficulty settled.— Death of Ha-wan-Je-tah (the chief ).— Mode of.—
Portraits of other Sioux chiefs.— Wampum. — Beautintl Sioux women.— Daugh-
ter of Black Rock. — Chardon, his Indian wife.
LETTER No. XXVIII.— p. 346. Moutb of Titon Rivbr.
Difficulty of painting Indian women. — Indian vanity.— Watobing their portrait!.
— Arrival of the first steamer amongst the Sioux.— Dog-feast.
LETTER No. XXIX.— p. 854. Mouth of Teton Rivkr.
Voluntary torture, " looking at the sun."— Religious coremony.^Smoking " k'nlok-
k'neck." —Pipes. — Calumets or pipes of peace.— Tomahawks andioalping-knives.
Dance of the chiefs.- Scalps— Mode of taking, and object— Modes of carrying
and using the scalps.
LETTER No. XXX.— p. 367. Mouth of Teton River.
Indian weapons and instruments of music. — Quiver and shield.- Smoking the
shield. — Tobacco pouches-Drums— Rattles— Whistles— Lutes.— Bear dance.—
Beggars' dance.— Scalp dance.
LETTER No. XXXI.— p. 376. Mouth of Tcton Rivbb.
Bisons (or buffaloes), description of.— Habits of —Bulls' fighting.- Buffalo wal-
lows.— Fairy circles.— Running the buffaloes, and throwing the arrow.— Buffalo
ehase.— Use of the laso.— Hunting under masque of white wolf skins.— Hones
destroyed in buffalo hunUng.— Buffalo calf.— Mode of catching and bringing
in.— Immense and wanton destruction of buff'aloes.— One thousand four hundred
killed.— White wolves attacking buffaloes.— OontemplaUoni on the probable
extinction of buffaloes and Indians.
la
CONTENTS
l\
LETTER No. XXXII.— p. 403.
Cantonment Leavenworth.— Shienncs.— Portraits of. — Floyd's Grare.— Back
Bird's Grare.- Beautiful grassy bluffs.— Mandan remains.— Bollo Vue.—Squari
hills.— Mouth of Platte.— Buffaloes crossing.
LETTER No. XXXIIL— p. 423.
Qroase shooting before the burning prairies.— Prairie bluffs buming.^Prairit
meadows burning.
LETTER No. XXXIV.— p. 434.
loways.— Konzas.— Mode of shaving the head.— Pawnees.— Small-pox amongst
Pawnees.— Major Dougherty's opinion of the Fur Trade.— Grand Pawnees.—
Ottoes.— Omahas.
LETTER No. XXXV.— p. 443.
St Louis.— Loss of Indian curiosities, Ac — Qovomor Clarke.
LETTER No. XXXVI.— p. 447.
Pensaoola, Florida.— Verdido.—.'''.ne woodji of Florida.— Santa Rosa Island.—
Prophecy.- Start for Camanch: o country.
LETTER No. XXXVII.-p. 452.
Transit up the Arkari^ ' .ivor. — Fort Gibson, Ist regiment United States' Dragooti»
reviewed. — Equippin^; and starting of Dragoons for the Camanchee country.
L 3TTER No. XXXVIII.— p. 459.
Fort Gibson.-rOsages. — Portraits of Osages. — Former and present condition of.— >
Start for Camanohees and Pawnee Plots.
LETTER No. XXXIX.— p. 465.
Mouth of the False Washita and Red River. — Beautiful praiiie country. — Arkansas
grapes. — Plums. — Wild roses, currants, gooseberries, prickly pears, Ao. — Buffalo
chaos. — Murder of Judge Martin and family.
LETTER No. XL.— p. 471.
Sickness at the Month of False Washita— one-bi !f the regiment start for tht
Camonchees, under command of Col. Dodge.— Sickness of General Learen.
worth, and causa of.— Another buffalo hunt.
CONTENTS.
18
LETTER No. XLI.— p. 477
SrcAt Cftmanchee village, Texas.— A stampedo.— Meeting a Camanohee war partji
and mode of approaching them. — They turn about and escort the Dragooni to
their village. — Immense herds of buffaloes. — Buffaloes breaking through th*
ranlis of the Dragoon regiment. — Wild horses— sagacity of— wild horsef at
play.— Joe Chadwiolc and I "creating" a wild horse.— Talcing the wild borM
with laso, and "breaking down." — Chain of the Roclcy Mountain. — ApproMh
to the Camanohee village. — Immense number of Camanohee horses— prlOM of.
— Capfe Duncan's purchase.
LETTER No. XLII.— p. 493.
Description of the Camanohee village, and view of. — Painting a family group.—
Camanchees moving. — Wonderful feats of riding, — Portraits of Camanohee
chiefs.— Estimates of the Camanchees. — Pawnee Plots, Eiowos, and Wicos.
LETTER No. XLIII.— p. 502.
The regiment advance towards the Pawnee village. — Description and view of the
Pawnee village. — Council in the Pawnee village. — Recovery of the son of Judge
Martin, and the presentation of the three Pawnee and Kiowa women to their
own people. — Return of the regiment to the Camanohee village.— Pawnee Pioti,
portraits of. — Eiowas. — Wioos, portraits of.
LETTER No. XLIV.— p. 510.
Camp Canadian. — Immense herds of bnffaIoeB.-.-areat slaughter of them.— Bitra-
ordinary sickness of the command. — Suffering from impure wator.- Sloknosi
of the men. — Horned frogs. — Curious adventure in catching them.— Death of
Qeneral Leavenworth and Lieutenant M'Clure.
LETTER No. XLV.— p. 517.
Return to Fort Gibson. — Severe and fatal sickness at that place. — Death of Lira*
tenant West. — Death of the Prussian Botanist and his servant. — Indian Couneil
at Fort Gibson. — Outfits of trading-parties to the Camanchees — Probable eons*'
quenoes of. — Curious minerals and fossil shells eollected and thrown away.—
Mountain ridges of fossil shells, of iron and gypsum. — Saltpetre and salt
LETTER No. XLVI.— p. 529.
Alton, on the Mississippi.- Captain Wharton.- His sickness at Fort Gibson.— Tbo
Author starting alone for St Louis, a distance of five hundred miles, aorois tbo
prairies.— His outfit.- The Author and his hone "Charley "encamped on a
level prairie.— Singular flreak and attachment of the Author's horse.— A boao-
UAiI valley in the prairies.— An Indian's esiimation of a newspaper.— Rlqua'i
village of Osages.- Meeting Captain Wharton at the Klokapoo prairie.— Dlffl.
oulty of swimming rivers.- Crossing the Osage.- Boonviile on tho Mlssonri.—
Author reaches Alton, and starts for Florida.
'1
i-
14
CONTENTS.
|l !
LETTEll No, XLVII.— p. 544.
Trip to Florida and TexM, and bock to St. Louis.— Klckapooi, portnlta of.-
Weaa, portraiu of.— I'ulowiiloinlei, porlraiu of.— KB«ka«ia», portraita of.— Peo-
riai, portrait! of.— Plankcihawi.— Delawares.— Moheconnonhi, or Mobogani.—
On«ldaf.—Tuiknrora*.—Sonecai.— Iroquois.
LETTER No. XLVIIL— p. 560.
Flatheadf, Nei P«rc(!(.— Vlalltead Million aorou tlie Rocky Mountaini to St.
Louii.— Million of tlie Uoverondi Meiiri. Lee and Spalding beyond the Rooky
Hountaini.— Cbinooki, portratU of.— Proceii of flattening the head— and cradle.
-Flathead ikulli.— Similar ouitom of Choctawi.- Choctaw tradition.— Curloui
manufaoturei of the Cbinooki.— Kllok«taoke.—Cbuhaylaa, and Na-aa Indiani.—
Character and dlipotltlou of the Indlani oo the Columbia.
LETTER No. XLIX.— p, 570.
Shawanoi.— Shawnee prophet and hli traniactloni.— Cherokeei, portrait! of.~
Oreeki, portrait! of,— Chootawi, portrait* of.— Ball-play.— A dlitingulihed baU-
player.— Eagle dance.- Tradition of the Deluge— Of a future state,- Origin of
the Crawfiih band.
LETTER No. L,— p. 690.
Fort Snelllng, near the Fall of Hi. Anthony. — Description of the Upper MiuU-
lippi. — View on the Upper Miisisiippi, and " Dubuque's Grare." — Fall of St
Anthony.- Fort Snelllng.— A Sioux cradle, and modes of canying their xhlU
dren. — Moaming cradle, same plate.— Sioux portraits.
LETTER No, LI.— p, 599.
Fourth of July at the Fall of St, Antho.;y, and amuiements. — Dog dance of the
Sioux. — Ohippeway Tillage.— Ohippeways making the portage around the Fall
of St Anthony.— Ohippeway bark canoei. — Mandan canoes of skins. — Sioux
oanoei. — Sioux and Cblppeway snow-shoes. — Portraits of Ohippeways. — Snow-
shoe dance.
LETTER No. LII,— p. 608.
The Author descending the Misilisippl in a bark canoe.— Shot at by Sioux In-
dlans.— Lake Pepin and " Lover's Leap."— Pike's Tent, and Cap au'l'ali.—
"Comloo Rocks."— Prairie du Chlen.— Ball-ploy of the women.— Wlnnebagooi,
portrait! of.— Menomonies, portraits of.— Dubuque.— Lockwood's oave.—Camp
del Moines, and vliit to Keokuk's village.
LETTER No, LIIL— p. 623.
The Author and bii bark canoe sunk In the Dcs Moine's Rapida.— The Author leA
on Mascotin Island.— Death of Joe Chadwiok.— The "Weit," not tht-Far
'^Mt"— Author'! eontemplatiou! on the probable Aitura condition of tho OrMt
VaUey of the Mliiiiiippi.
CONTENTS.
15
LETTER No. LIV.— p. 638.
Odteau des Prairiei. — Mackinaw and Sault de St. Mary'i. — Catching white figh.—
Canoe race. — Chippewayg, portraits of. — Voyage up the Fox Biyer. — ^Voyage
down the Ouisooniin in baric oanoe. — Red Pipe Stone Quarry, on the CAteaa dee
Prairiea. — Indian traditions relative to the Ked Pipe Stone. — The " Leajrfng
Rock." — The Author and his companion stopped by the Sioux, on their way, and
objections raised by the Sioux. — British medals amongst the Sioux. — Moni. La
Fromboise, kind reception. — Encampment at the Pipe Stone Quarry. — ^Ba'tiite'a
" Story of the Medicine Bag." — " Story of the Dog," prelude to, — Leaving the
Mandans in oanoe. — Passing the Riooarees in the night — Encamping on the
side of a olay-bluff, in a thunder-storm.
LETTER No. LV.— p. 679.
" Story of the Dog" told. — Story of Wi-jun-jon (the pigeon's egg head). — Further
aoeouttt of the Red Pipe Stone Quarry, and the Author's approach to it — Bonl«
ders of the Prairies. — Chemical analysis of the Red Pipe Stone.
LETTER No. LVI.— p. 708.
Autfa or's return from the COteau des Prairies. — " Laque du Cygn." — Sioux taldng
Muskrats.— Qathering wild rice. — View on St Peter's rirer. — The Author aud
his companion embark in a log oanoe at " Traverse de Sioux." — Arrive at FaU
of St Anthony. — Lake Pepin. — Prairie dn Chien. — Cassvillo. — Rock Island. —
Sao and Fox Indians, portraits of. — Ee-o-kuk on horseback. — Slave danoe. —
<< Smoking horses." — Begging- dance. — Sailing in canoes. — Discovery-dance. —
Dance to the Berdash. — Dance to the medicine of the brave. — ^Treaty with Sa^ra
and Foxes — Stipulations of.
LETTER No. LVII.— p. 723.
Fort Moultrie.— Seminolees. — Florida war. — Prisoners of war. — Osceola. — Cloud,
King Philip. — Co-ee-ha-jo. — Creek Billy, Mickenopah. — Death of Osceola.
LETTER No. LVIII.— p. 728.
North-Westem Frontier — General remarks on. — General appearance and habit*
of the North American Indians. — Jewish customs and Jewish resemblances.^
Probable origin of the Indians. — Languages. — Government — Cruelties of pun-
ishments. — Indian queries on white man's modes. — Modes of war and peace. —
Pipe of peace danoe. — Religion. — Picture writing, songs and totems. — Policy
of removing the Indiana.— Trade and small-pox, the principal destroyers of the
Indian tribes. — Murder of the Root Diggers and Riocaroes. — Concluding
remarks.
-V
APPENDIX A.
Account of the destruction of the Mandans. — Anther's reasons for believing them
to have perpetuated the remains of the Welsh Colony established by IMm*
Madoo.
* 'VS
*-^
16
CONTENTS.
A.PPENDIX B.
Vocabulariei of leveral diflerent Indian languagea, showing tteir diMimilftrity.
APPENDIX 0.
Oompariion of the Ind.an'i original and teeondarp chanotM.
CATLIN'8
LETTERS AND NOTES
ON THS
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
LETTER No. 1.
As the following pages have been hastily compiled, al
the urgent request of a number of my friends, from a series
of Letters and Notes written by myself during several
years' residence ' and travel amongst a number of the
wildest and most remote tribes of the North American
Indians, I have thought it best tu make this page the
b^inning of my book, dispensing with Preface, and
18
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
even with Dedication, other than that which I hereby
make of it, with all my heart, to those who will take the
pains to read it.
If it be necessary to render any apology for beginning
thus unceremoniously, my readers will understand that I
had no space in these, my first volumes to throw away ;
nor much time at my disposal, which I could, in justice, use
for introducing myself and my works to the world.
Having commenced thus abruptly, then, I will venture
to take upon myself the sin of calling this one of the series
of Letters of which I have spoken, although I am writing
it several years later, and placing it at the beginning of
my book ; by which means I will be enabled briefly to
introduce 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 the 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 the multiplicity of books which are, in this
enlightened age, flooding the world, I feel it my duty, as
early as possible, to beg pardon for making a book at all ;
and in the next (if my readers should become so much
interested in my narrations, as to censure me for the
brevity of the work) to take some considerable credit for
not having trespassed too long upon their time and patience.
Leaving my readers, therefore, to find out what is in the
book, without promising them anything, I proceed to say
— of myself, that I was born in Wyoming, in North
America, some thirty or forty years since, of parents who
entered that beautiful and famed valley soon after the
close of the revolutionary war, and the disastrous event of
the " Lidian massacre."
The early part of my life was whiled away, apparently,
somewhat in vain, with books reluctantly held in one hand,
and a rifle or fishing-pole firmly and affectionately grasped
in the other.
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
19
At the urgent request of my father, who was a practising
lawyer, I was prevailed upon to abandon these favorite
themes, and also my occasional dabblings with the brush,
which had secured already a corner in my affections, and
I commenced reading the law for a profession, under the
direction of Beeve and Gould, of Connecticut. I attended
the lectures of these learned judges for two years — was
admitted to the bar — and practised the law, as a sort of
Nimrodical lawyer, in my native land, for the term of two
or three years when I very deliberately sold my law
library and all (save my rifle and fishing-tackle) and
converting their proceeds into brushes and paint-pots, I
oommenced the art of painting in Philadelphia, without
teacher or adviser.
I there closely applied piy hand to the labors of the art
for several years ; during which time my niind was con-
tinually reaching for some branch or enterprise of the art,
on which to devote a whole life-time of enthusiasm ; when
a delegation of some ten or fifteen noble and dignified-
looking Indians, from the wilds of the " Far West," sud-
denly arrived in the city, arrayed and equipped in all their
<3lassio beauty, — with shield and helmet, — with tunic and
manteau, — tinted and tasselled off, exactly for the painter's
palette!
In silent and stoic dignity, these lords of the forest
strutted about the city for a few days, wrapped in their
pictured robes, with their brows plumed with the quills of
the war-eagle, attracting the gaze and admiration of all
who beheld them. After this, they took their leave for
"Washington City, and I was left to reflect and regret,
which I did long and deeply, until I came to the following
deductions and conclusions :
Black and blue cloth and civilization are destined, not
only to veil, but to obliterate the grace and beauty of
Nature. Man, in the simplicity and loftiness of his nature,
unrestrained and unfettered by the disguises of art, is
surely the most beautiful model for the painter, — and the
\
10
LBTTEBS AND N0TB8 ON THE
country from which he hails is unquestionably the best
study or school of the arts in the world: such, I am sure,
from the models I have seen, is the wilderness of North
America. And the history and customs of such a people,
preserved by pictorial illustrations, are themes worthy the
iife-time of one man, and nothing short of the loss of my
life, shall prevent me from visiting their country, and of
becoming their hititorian.
There was something inexpressibly delightful in the
above resolve, which was to bring me amidst such living
models for my brush ; and at the same time to place in my
hands again, for my living and protection, the objects of
my heart above-named ; which had long been laid by to
rust and decay in the city, without the remotest prospect
of again contributing to my amusement.
I had fully- resolved : I opened my views to my friends
•nd relations, but got not one advocate or abettor. I tried
fairly and faithfully, but it was in vain to reason with those
whose anxieties were ready to fabricate every difficulty
and danger that could be imagined, without being able to
understand or appreciate the extent or importance of my
designs, and I broke from them all, — ^from my wife and
my aged parents, — myself my only adviser and protector.
With these views firmly fixed — armed, equipped, and
supplied, I started out in the year 1882, and penetrated
the vast and pathless wilds which are familiarly denomi-
Dated the great "Far "West" of the North American
Continent, with a light heart, inspired with an enthusiastic
hope and reliance that I could meet and overcome all the
hazards and privations of a life devoted to the production
of a literal and graphic delineation of the living manners,
customs, and character of an interesting race of people, who
are rapidly passing away from the face of the earth-
lending a hand to a dying nation, who have no historians
or biographers of their own to portray with fidelity their
native looks and history ; thus snatching from a hasty
oblivion what could be saved for the benefit of posterity,
irOBTH AMBRIGAN INDIANS.
21
and perpetuating it, as a fair and just monument, to the
memory of a truly lofty and noble race.
I have spent about eight years already in the pursuit
above-named, having been for the most of that time
immersed in the Indian country, mingling with red men,
and identifying myself with them as much as possible in
their games and amusements, in order the better to familiar-
ize myself with their superstitions and mysteries, which
are the keys to Indian life and character.
It was during the several years of my life just mentioned,
and whilst I was in familiar participation with them in
their sports and amusements, that I penned the following
series of epistles ; describing only such glowing or curious
scenes and events as passed under my immediate observa-
tion ; leaving their early history, and many of their
traditions, language, &c., for a subsequent and much more
elaborate work, for which I have procured the materials,
and which I may eventually publish.
I set out on my arduous and perilous undertaking with
the determination of reaching, ultimately, every tribe of
Indians on the Continent of North America, and of bring-
ing home faithful portraits of their principal personages,
both men and women, from each tribe; views of their
villages, games, &c., and full notes on their character and
history. I designed, also, to procure their costumes, and
a complete collection of their manufactures and weapons,
and to perpetuate them in a Gallery unique, for the use
and instruction of future ages.
I claim whatever merit there may have been in the
originality of such a design, as I was undoubtedly the first
artist who ever set out upon such a work, designing to
carry his canvass to the Bocky Mountains ; and a con-
siderable part of the following Letters were written and
published in the New York papevs, as early as the years
1832 and 1838; long before the Tours of Washington
Irving, and several others, whose interesting narratives are
before the world.
11 LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
I have, as yet, by no means visited all the tribes ; but 1
have progressed a very great way with the enterprise, and
with 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 four hundred thousand souls. I have
brought home safe, and in good order, three hundred and
ten portraits in oil, all painted in their native dress, and in
their own wigwams ; and also two hundred 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 three thousand 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 wig-
wam down to the size of a quill or a rattle.
So much of myae^axid of my ivorkSf which is all that I
wish to say at present.
Of the Indians, I have much more to say, and to the
following delineations of them, and their character and
customs, I shall make no further apology for requesting
the attention of my readers.
The 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 is nearly expired — ^three-
fourths of whose country has fallen into the possession of
civilized man within the short space of two hundred and
fifty years — twelve millions of whose bodies have fattened
the soil in the mean time; who have fallen victims to
whisky, the small-pox, and the bayonet ; leaving at this
;:
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
28
time but a meagre proportion to live a shoH time longer,
in the certain apprehension of soon sharing a similar fate.
The writer who would undertake to embody the whole
history of such a people, with all their misfortunes and
calamities, must needs have much more space than I have
allotted to this epitome ; and he must needs begin also (as
I am doing) with those who are living, or he would be very
apt to dwell upon the preamble of his work, until the
present living remnants of the race should have passed
away, and their existence and customs, like those of ages
gone by, become subjects of doubt and incredulity to the
world for whom his book was preparing. Such an his-
torian also, to do them justice, must needs correct many
theories and opinions which have, either ignorantly or
maliciously, gone forth to the world in indelible characters;
and gather and arrange a vast deal which has been but
imperfectly recorded, or placed to the credit of a people
who have not had the means of recording it themselves ;
but have entrusted it, from necessity, to the honesty and
punctuality of their enemies.
In such an history should be embodied, also, a correct
account of their treatment, and the causes which have led to
their rapid destruction ; and a plain and systematical pro-
phecy as to the time and manner of their final extinction,
based upon the causes and the ratio of their former and
present declension.
So Herculean a task may fall to my lot at a future
period, or it may not: but I send forth these volumes at
this time, fresh and full of their living deeds and customs,
as a familiar and unstudied introduction (at least) to them
and their native character ; which I confidently hope will
repay the readers who read for information and historical
facts, as well as those who read but for amusement.
The world know generally, that the Indians of North
America are copper-colored ; that their eyes and their
hair are black, &o. ; that they are mostly uncivilized, and
consequently unchristianized ; that they are nevertheless
id
14
LETTKRS AND NOTES ON THE
human beings,* with features, thoughts, reason, and sympa-
thies like our own ; but few yet know how they Uve, how
(hey dreUf how they wcrthip, what are their actions, their
customs, their religion, their amusements, &o., as they
practise them in the uncivilized regions of their uninvaded
country, which it is the main object of this work, clearly
and distinctly to set forth.
It would be impossible at the same time, in a book of
these dimensions, to explain all the manners and customs
of theae people ; but as far as they are narrated, they have
been described by my pen, upon the spot, as I have seen
them transacted ; and if some few of my narrations should
seem a little too highly coloured, I trust the world will be
ready to extend to me that pardon which it is customary
to yield to all artists whose main faults exist in the vivid*
ness of their coloring, rather than in the drawing of their
pictures ; but there is nothing else in them, I think, that I
should ask pardon for, even though some of them should
stagger credulity, and incur for me the censure of those
critics, who sometimes, unthinkingly or unmercifully, sit
at home at their desks, enjoying the luxury of wine and a
good cigar, over the simple narration of the honest and
weather-worn traveller (i\ho shortens his half-starved life
in catering for the world), to condemn him and his work to
oblivion, and his wife and his little children to poverty and
starvation ; merely because he describes scenes which they
have not beheld, and which, consequently, they are unable
to believe.
The Indians of North America, as I have before said, are
copper-colored, with long black hair, black eyes, tall,
straight, and elastic forms — are less than two millions in
number— were originally the undisputed owners of the soil,
and got their title to their lands from the Great Spirit who
created them on it, — were once a happy and flourinhing
people, enjoying all the comforts and luxuries of life which
they knew of, and consequently cared for: — were sixteen
miUiOns in numbers, and sent that number of daily prayers
ffOBTU AMIRIOAK UfDIANS. W
to the Almighty, and thanks for his goodness and proteo*
tioD. Their country was entered by white men, but a few
hundred years since ; and thirty millions of these are now
scuffling for the goods and luxuries of life, over the bones
and ashes of twelve millions of red men, six millions of
whom have fallen victims to the small'pox, and the remain-
der to the sword, the bayonet, and whisky; all of which
means of their death and destruction have been introduced
and visited upon them by acquisitive white men ; and by
white men, also, whose forefathers were welcomed and
embraced in the land where the poor Indian met and fed
them with " ears of green com and with pemican." Of the
two millions remaining alive at this time, about one million
four hundred thousand are already the miserable living
victims and dupes of the white man's cupidity, degraded,
discouraged and lost in the bewildering maase that is pro-
duced by the use of whisky and its concomitant vices ; and
the remaining number are yet unrousad and unenticed from
their wild haunts or their primitive modes, by the dread or
love of white man and his allurements.
It has been with these, mostly, that I have spent my
time, and of these, chiefly, and their customs, that the
following letters treat. Their habits (and their*s alone) as
we can see them transacted, are native, and such as I have
wished to fix and preserve for future ages.
Of the dead and of those who are dying, of those who
have suffered death, and of those who are now trodden and
kicked through it, I may speak more fully in some deduc-
tions at the close of this book ; or at some future time,
when I may find more leisure, and may be able to speak of
these scenes without giving offence to the world, or to any
body in it.
Such a portrait then as I have set forth in the following
pages (taken by myself from the free and vivid realities of
life, instead of the vague and uncertain imagery of reoolleo-
tion, or from the haggard deformities and distortions of
disease and death), I offer to the world for their amuse-
26
LBTTIRS AND NOTES ON THB
;
ment, as well as for their information, and I trust they
will pardon me, if it should be thought that I have over-
estimated the Indian character, or at other times descended
too much into the details and minutise of Indian mysteries
and absurdities.
The reader, then, to understand me rightly, and draw
from these Letters the information which they are intended
to give, must follow me a vast way from the civilized
world ; he must needs wend his way from the city of New
York, over the Alleghany, and far beyond the mighty
Missouri, and even to the base and summit of the Eocky
Modntains, some two or three thousand miles from the
Atlantic coast. He should forget many theories he has
read in the books, of Indian barbarities, of wanton butch-
eries and murders ; and divest himself, as far as possible,
of the deadly prejudices which he has carried from his
childhood, against this most unfortunate and most abused
part of the race of his fellow-man.
He should consider, that if he has seen the savages of
North America without making such a tour, he has fixed
his eyes upon and drawn his conclusions (in all probability)
only from those who inhabit the frontier ; whose habits have
been changed — ^whose pride has been cut down — whose
country has been ransacked — whose wives and daughters
have been shamefully abused — whose lands have been
wrested from them — whose limbs have become enervated
and naked by the excessive use of whisky — ^whose friends
and relations have been prematurely thrown into their
graves — whose native pride and dignity have at last given
way to the unnatural vices which civilized cupidity has
engrafted upon them, to be silently nurtured and magnified
by a burning sense of injury and injustice, and ready for
that cruel vengeance which often falls from the hand that
is palsied by refined abuses, and yet unrestrained by the
glorious influences of refined and moral cultivation. That
if he has laid up what he considers well-founded knowledge
of these people, from books which he has read, and from
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
27
newspapers only, he should pause at least, and withhold his
sentence before he passes it upon the character of a people
who are dying at the hands of their enemies, without the
means of recording their own annals — strugglirg in their
nakedness with their simpla weapons, against guns and
gunpowder — against whisky and steel, and disease, and
mailed warriors, who are continually trampling them to
the earth, and at last exultingly promulgating from the
very soil which they have wrested from the poor savage,
the history of his cruelties and barbarities, whilst his bones
are quietly resting under the very furrows which their
ploughs are turning.
So great and unfortunate are the disparities between
savage and civil in numbers, in weapons and defences — in
enterprise, in craft, and in education, that the former is
almost universally the sufferer, either in peace or in war ;
and not less so after his pipe and his tomahawk have
retired to the grave with him, and his character is left to
be entered upon the pages of history, and that justice done
to his memory, which from necessity, he has intrusted to
his enemy.
Amongst the numerous historians, however, of these
strange people, they have had some friends who have done
them justice ; yet as a part of all systems of justice when-
ever it is meted to the poor Indian, it comes invariably
too late, or is administered at an ineffectual distance ; and
that too when his enemies are continually about him, and
effectually applying the raeans of his destruction.
Some writers, I have been grieved to see, have written
down the character of the North American Indian as dark,
relentless, cruel and murderous, in the last degree ; with
scarce a quality to stamp their existence of a higher order
than that of the brutes : whilst others have given them a
high rank, as I feel myself authorized to do, as honorable
and highly intellectual beings ; and others, both friends and
foes to the red men, have spoken of them as an " anomaly
in nature r
LITTBBS AND NOTES ON THE
r>:'i
Ij I : '.It"
:; (if
li .) a
'hi
i! i i
m
, r
'' '■;
In this place I have no time or inclination to reply to
80 unaccountable an assertion as this; contenting myself
with the belief, that the term would be far more correctly
applied to that part of the human family who have strayed
farthest from nature, than it could be to those who are
simply moving in, and filling the sphere for which they
were designed by the Great Spirit who niade them.
From what I have seen of these people I feel authorized
to say, that there is nothing very strange or unaccountable
in their character; but that it is a simple one, and easy to
be learned and understood, if the right means be taken to
familiarize ourselves with it. Although it has its dark
spots, yet there is much in it to be applauded, and much to
recommend it to the admiration of the enlightened world.
And I trust that the reader, who looks through these vol-
umes with care, will be disposed to join me in the conclu-
sion that the North American Indian, in his native state,
is an honest, hospitable, faithful, brave, warlike, cruel,
revengeful, relentless — yet honorable, contemplative, and
religious being.
If such be the case, I am sure there is enough in it to
recommend it to the fair perusal of the world, and charity
enough in all civilized countries, in this enlightened age,
to extend a helping hand to a dying race ; provided that
prejudice and fear can be removed, which have heretofore
constantly held the civilized portions in dread of the
savage — and away from that familiar and friendly embrace,
in which alone his true native character can be justly ap'
predated.
I am fUUy convinced, from a long familiarity with these
people, that the Indian's misfortune has consisted chiefly in
our ignorance of their true native character and disposition,
which has always held us at a distrustful distance from
them ; inducing us to look upon them in no other light
than that of a hostile foe, and worthy only of that system
of continued warfare and abuse that has been for ever
waged against them.
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
2»
There is no difficulty in approaching the Indian and
getting acquainted with him in his wild and unsophisticated
state, and finding him an honest and honorable man, with
feelings to meet feelings, if the above prejudice and dread
can be laid aside, and any one will take the pains, as I have
done, to go and see him in the simplicity of his native
state, smoking his pipe under his own humble roof, with
his wife and children around him, and his faithful dogs and
horses hanging about his hospitable tenement. So the
world may see him and smoke his friendly pipe, which will
be invariably extended to them ; and share, with a hearty
welcome, the best that his wigwam affords for the appetite,
which is always set out to a stranger the next moment after
he enters.
But so the mass of the world, most assuredly, will not see
these people ; for they are too far off, and approachable to
those only whose avarice or cupidity alone lead them to
those remote regions, and whose shame prevents them from
publishing to the world the virtues which they have thrown
down and trampled under foot.
The very use of the word savage, as it 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 definition, means no more than wild^ or vnld 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
people, therefore, have given a new definition to the adjec-
tive ; and nearly the whole civilized world apply the word
savage, as expressive of the most ferocious, cruel, and mur-
derous character that can be described.
The grizzly bear is called 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 ^readed (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
80
LBTTEBS AND NOTES ON THE
i ! \'J\
Amburgh shewed the world, that even these ferocious
aud unreasoning animals wanted only the friendship ana
close embrace of their master, to respect and to love him.
As evidence of the hospitality of these ignorant and be-
nighted people, and also of their honesty and honor, there
will be found recorded many striking instances in the
following pages. And also, as an oflfset 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 Christianity.
I have roamed about from time to time during seven or
eight years, visiting and associating with, some three or
four hundred thousand of these people, under an almost
infinite variety of circumstances ; and from the very many
and decided voluntary acts of their hospitality and kindness,
I feel bound to pronounce them, by nature, a kind and
hospitable people. I liave been welcomed generally in their
country, and treated to the best that they could give me,
without 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 baggage ; and under all of these
circumstances of exposure, no Indian ever betrayed me,
struck me a blow, or stole from me a shilling's worth of my
property that I am aware of.
This is saying a great deal, (and proving it too, if the
reader will believe me) in favor of the virtues of these people;
when it is borne in mind, as it should be, that there is no
law in their land to punish a man for theft — that locks and
keys are not known in their country — that the command-
ments have never been divulged amongst them ; nor can
any human retribution fall upon the head of a thief, save
the disgrace which attaches as a stigma to his character, in
the eyes of his people about him.
And thus in these little communities, strange as it mav
seem, in the absence of all systems of jurisprudence, I have
often beheld peace and happiness, and quiet, reigning
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
81
supreme, for which even kings and emperors might envy
them. I have seen rights and virtue protected, and wrongs
redressed; and I have seen conjugal, filial and paternal
aflfection in the simplicity and contentedness of nature. I
have unavoidably, formed warm and enduring attachments
to some of these men which I do not wish to forget — who
have brought me near to their hearts, and in our final
separation have embraced me in their arms, and commended
me and my afiairs to the keeping of the Great Spirit.
For the above reasons, the reader will be disposed to
forgive me for dwelling so long and so strong on the just-
ness of the claims of these people; and for my occasional
expressions of sadness, when my heart bleeds for the fate
that awaits the remainder 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 live in; — set upon by
their fellow-man, whose cupidity, it is feared, will fix no
bounds to the Indian's earthly calamily, short of the gra^e.
I cannot help but repeat, before I close this Letter, that
the tribes of the red men of North America, as a nation of
human beings, are on their wane ; that (to use their own
very beautifiil figure) " they are fast travelling to the shades
of their fathers, towards the setting sun;" and that the
traveller who would see these people in their native simpli-
city and beauty, must needs be hastily on his way to the
prairies and Rocky Mountains^ or he will see them only as
they are now seen on the frontiers, as & basket of dead game,
— ^harassed, chased, bleeding and dead ; with their plumage
and colors despoiled ; to be gazed amongst in vain for some
system or moral, or for some scale by which to estimate their
true native character, other than that which has too often
recorded them but a dark and unintelligible mass of cruelty
and barbarity.
Without ftirther 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 following pages (as I
82
LSTTEBS AND XOTES.
journeyed through those remote realms) in searoh of infor-
mation and rational amusement; in tracing out the true
character of that *^ strange anorrxly** of man in the simple
elements of his nature, undissolved or compounded into the
myiteries of enlightened and fashionable life.
-M ' i'l
LETTER No. H.
MOUTH OP YELLOW STONE, UPPER MISSOVBl, 1832.
I ABBIVBD at this place yesterday in the steamc - " Yellow
Btone," after a voyage 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 en this turbid stream, have been by degrees
overcome by the indefatigable zeal of Mr. Chouteau, a gen-
tleman 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 for the Missouri Indians.
The American Fur Company have erected here, for their
protection against the savages, a very substantial Fort, three
hundred feet square, with bastions armed with ordnance;
and our approach to it, amid the continued roar of cannon
for half an hour, and the shrill yells of the half affrighted
savages, who lined the shores, presented a scene of the most
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I'
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»4
LBTTERS AND NOTES ON THK
thrilling and picturenque appearance. A voyage so full
of incident, and furnishing so many novel scenes of the
((icturesquo and romantic, as we have passed the numerous
villages of the "astonished natives," saluting them with the
pudlng of steam and the thunder of artillery, would afford
Hubjeot for many epistles; and I cannot deny myself the
pleasure of occasionally giving you some little sketches of
Hoenes that I have witnessed, and am witnessing; and of the
singular feelings that are excited in the breast of the stran-
ger travelling through this interesting country. Interesting
(us I have said) and luxurious, for this is truly the land of
Epicures; we are invited by the savages to feasts of dogs^
meatf as the most honorable food that can be presented to
a stranger, and glutted with the more delicious food of
beavers' tails, and buffaloes' tongues. You will, no doubt,
be somewhat surprised on the receipt of a Letter from me,
so far strayed into the Westeni World; and still more
startled, when I tell you that I am here in the full enthu-
siasm and practice of my art. That enthusiasm alone has
brought me into this remote region, three thousand five
hundred miles from my native soil ; the last two thousand
of which have furnished me with almost unlimited models,
both in landscape and the human figure, exactly suited to
my feelings. I am now in the full possession and enjoy-
ments of those conditions, on which alone I was induced to
pursue the art as a profession ; and in anticipation of which
alone, my admiration fur the art could ever have been
kindled into a pure flame. I mean the free use of nature's
undisguised models, with thp privilege of selecting for
myself. If I am here losing the benefit of the fleeting
fashions of the day, and neglecting that elegant polish,
which the world say an artist should draw from a con-
tinual intercourse with the polite world ; yet have I this
OODfloltttion, that in this country, I am entirely divested
of those dangerous steps and allurements which beset an
artiii in fashionable life; and have little to steal my
thoughts away from the contemplation of the beautiful
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
85
models that are about me. If, also, I have 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 I surrounded 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 of 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, together with 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 wilder-
ness of our country 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 thousands and tens of thousands of these knights of the
forest ; whose 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, with 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 ro-
mantic country ; of hundreds of these graceful youths, with-
out 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, float-
ing in the wind, while they are flying over the carpeted
prairie, and dealing death with their spears and arrows, to
a band of infuriated buffaloes; or their splendid procession
in a war parade, arrayed in all their gorgeous colors and
trappings, moving with most exquisite grace and manly
^
M
LETTBRS AND NOTES ON THE
M
beauty, added to that bold defiance wbiob man carries oo
hia front, who acknowledges no superior on earth, and who
is amenable to no ?.awa except the laws of God and hdlor.
In addition to the knowledge of human nature and of my
art, which I hope to acquire by this toilsome and expensive
undertaking, I have another in view, which, if it should not
be of equal service to me, will be of no less interest and
value to posterity. I have, for many years past, contem-
plated the noble races of red men who are now spread over
these trackless forests and boundless prairies, melting away
at the approach of civilization. Their rights invaded, their
morals corrupted, their lands wrested from them, their cu?
toms changed, and therefore lost to the world ; and they a^
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 are " doomed" and
must perish,) but to the rescue of their looks and their
modes, at which the acquisitive world may hurl their poison
and every besom of destruction, and trample them down
and crush them to death; yet, phoenix-like, they may rise
from the " stain on a painter's palette," and live again upon
canvass, and stand forth for centuries yet to come, the living
monuments of a noble race. For this purpose, I have de-
signed to visit every tribe of Indians on the Continent, if
my life should be spared ; for the purpose of procuring por-
traits of distinguished Indians, of both sexes in each tribe
\)ainted in their native costume ; accompanied with pictures
of their villages, domestic habits, games, mysteries, religious
ceremonies, &c., with anecdotes, traditions, and history of
their respective .nations.
If I should live to accomplish my design, the result of
my labors will doubtless be interesting to future ages; who
will have little else left from which to judge of the original
mhabitants of this simple race of beings, who require but a
few years more of the march of civilization and death, to
deprive them of all their native customs and character. I
have been kindly supplied by the Commander-in-chief of
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
37
the Army and the Secretary of War, with letters to the
commander of every military post, and every Indian agent
on the Western Frontier, with instructions to render me all
the facilities in their power, which will be of great service
to me in so arduous an undertaking. The opportunity af-
forded me by familiarity with so many tribes of human
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 opportunity of examining
the geology and mineralogy of this western, and yet unex-
plored country, will enable me occasionally to entertain you
with much new and interesting information, which I shall
take equal pleasure in communicating by an occasional
Letter in my clumsy way.
LETTER No. III.
' MOUTH OP YELLOW STONE, UPPER MISSOURI.
Since the date of my former Letter, I have been so muoh
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 two thousand miles, from St. Louis
to this plac9 ; over which distance one is obliged to pass,
before he can reach this wild and lovely spot.
The Missouri is, perhaps, different 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
wlience I am now writing, to its junction with the Missis-
sippi, a distance of two thousand miles, the Missouri, with
its boiling, turbid waters, sweeps off, in one unceasing
current; and in the whole distance there is scarcely ao
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KORTH AMEBICAN Iin)IAXS.
89
«ddy or resting-place for a canoe. Owing to the contiriual
falling in of its rich alluvial banks, its water is always
turbid and opaque ; having, at all seasons of the year, the
oolor of a cup of chocolate or coffee, witli sugar and cream
■tirred into it. To give a better definition 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
looking 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 color, a
stranger would think, even in its lowest state, that there
was a freshet upon it.
For the distance of one thousand miles above St. Luuis,
the shores of this river (and, in ^any 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 falling banks and cast into the stream; their roots
becoming 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
prospect for the adventurous voyageur.
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 the " River Styx," I will not undertake to
decide ; but n >thing could be more appropriate or innocent
than to call it the Biver^ Sticks.
40
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
The scene is not, however, all so dreary; there is a
redeeming beauty in the green and carpeted shores, which
hem in this huge and terrible deformity of waters. There
is much of the way though, where the mighty forests of
stately 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.
The greater part of the shores of this river, howevei,
are without timber, where the eye is delightfully relieved
by wandering over the beautifiil 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 stiff and onward turbid character.
It has been, heretofore, very erroneously represented to
the world, that the scenery on this river was monotonous,
and wanting in picturesque beauty. This intelligence is
surely incorrect, and that because it has been brought per-
haps, by men who are not the best judges in the world, 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 lives, which are at the mercy of the yelling
savages who inhabit this delightful country.
One thousand miles or more of the upper part of th&
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 oyer the
thousand hills, and blufb, and dales, and ravines ; where
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
41
the astonished herds of bufl&iloes, of elks, and antelopes,
and sneaking wolves, and mountain-goats, were to be seen
hounding up and down and over the green fields; each one
and each tribe, band, and gang, taking their own way, and
using their own means to the greatest advantage possible,
to leave the sight and sound of the puffing of our boat ;
which was, for the first time, saluting the green and wild
shores of the Missouri with the din of mighty steam.
From St. Louis to the fklls of the Missouri, a distance of
two thousand six hundred 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 falling
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 hundred feet above the level of
the river ; which has formed a bed or valley for its course,
varying in width from two to twenty miles. This channel
or valley has been evidently produced by the force of the
current, which has gradually excavated, in its floods and
gorges, this immense 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 {(urface
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 colon
imaginable — some with their green sides gracefully slope
down in the most lovely groups to the water's edge; whilst
others, divested of their verdure, present themselyei in
immense masses of day of different colors, which arrest
the eye of the traveller, with the most curious views in the
world.
These strange and picturesque appearances have been
produced by the rains and frosts which are continually
42
i;ettebs and notes on the
changing the dimenHions, and varying the thousand sbapei
of these denuded hills, by washing down their sides and
carrying them into the river.
Amongst these groups may be seen tens and hundreds
of thousands of different forms and figures, of the sublime
and the picturesque; in many places for miles together, as
the boat glides along, there is one continued appearance,
before and behind us, of some ancient and boundless city
in ruins — ramparts, terraces, domes, towers, citadels and
castles may be seen, — cupolas, and magnificent porticoes,
and here and there a solitary column and crumbling
pedestal, and even spires of clay which stand alone — and
glistening in the distance, as the sun's rays are refracted
back by the thousand «rystals of gypsum which are
imbedded in the clay of which they are formed. Over and
through these groups of domes and battlements (as one is
compelled to imagine them,) the sun sends his long and
gilding rays, at morn or in the evening ; giving life and
light, by aid of shadows cast, to the different glowing
colors of these clay-built ruins ; shedding a glory over the
solitude of this wild and pictured country, which no one
can realize unless ho travels here and looks upon it.
It is amidst these wild and quiet haunts that the moun-
tain-shecp, and the fleet-bounding antelope sport and live
in herds, secure from their enemies, to whom the sides and
slopes of these bluffs (around which they fearlessly bound)
are nearly inaccessible.
The griiizly bear also has chosen these places for his
abode ; he sullenly sneaks through the gulphs and chasms,
and ravines, and frowns away the lurking Indian ; whilst the
mountain -sheep and antelope are bounding over and around
the hill-tops, safe and free from harm of man and beast.
Such is a hasty sketch of the river scenes and scenery for
two thousand miles, over which we tugged, and puffed, and
blowed, and toiled for three months, before we reached this
place. Since we arrived here, the steamer has returned
and left me here to explore the country and visit the tribes
! '■•
XOBTH AMEBICJLN INDIANS.
48
in this vicinity, and then descend the river from this place
to St. Louis ; which Tour, if I live through it, will furnish
material for many a story and curious incident, which I
may give you in detail in future epistles, and when I have
more leisure than I have at the present moment. I will
then undertake to tell how we astonished the natives, in
many an instance, which I can in this Letter but just hint
at and say adieu. If anything did ever literally and com-
pletely "astonish (and astound) the natives," it was the
appearance of our steamer, puffing and blowing, and pad-
dling and rushing by their villages which were on the
banks of the river.
These poor and ignorant people for the distance of two
thousand miles, had never before seen or heard of a steam-
boat, and in some places they seemed at a loss to know what
to do, or how to act ; they could not, as the Dutch did at
Newburgh, on the Hudson River, take it to be a ^^ floating
taw-mill^^ — and they had no name for it — so it was, like
every thing else (with them,) which is mysterious and unac-
countable, called medicine (mystery). We had on board one
twelve-pound cannon and three or four eight-pound swivels,
which we were taking up to arm the Fur Company's Fort at
the mouth of Yellow Stone ; and at the approach to every
village they were all discharged several times in rapid suc-
cession, which threw the inhabitants into utter confusion
and amazement — some of them laid their faces to the
ground, and cried to the Great Spirit — some shot their
horses and dogs, and sacrificed them to appease the Great
Spirit, whom they conceived was offended — some deserted
their villages and ran to the tops 6f the bluffs some miles
distant ; and others, in some places, as the boat landed in
front of their villages came with great caution, and peeped
over the bank of the river to see the fate of their chiefs,
whose duty it was (from the nature of their office) to
approach us, whether friends or foes, and to go on board.
Sometimes, in this plight, they were instantly thrown
^ neck and heels' over each other's heads and shoulders —
44
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THB
men, women and children, and dogs — sage, sachem, old
and young— all in a mass, at the frightful discharge of the
steam from the escape-pipe, which the captain of the boat
let loose upon them for his own fun and amusement.
There were many curious conjectures amongst their wise
men, with regard to the nature and powers of the steam-
boat. Amongst the Mandans, some called it the "big
thunder canoe :" for when in distance below the village,
they " saw the lightning flash from its sides, and heard the
thunder come from it ;" others called it the " big medicine
canoe with eyes ;" it was medicine (mystery) because they
could not understand it ; and it must have eyes, for said
they, " it sees 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 inci-
dents 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 the river, being the great
or principal head -quarters and depot 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 refit out with a fresh supply of
goods to trade with the Indians.
The site for the Fort is well selected, being a beautiful
prairie on the bank near the junction of the Missouri with
the Yellow Stone rivers; and its inmates and its stores
well protected from Indian assaults.
Mr. M'Kenzie is a kind-hearted and high-minded Scotch-
man; and seems to have charge of all the Fur Companies*
business in this region, and from this to the Rooky
Mountains. He lives in good and comfortable style inside
»OKTH AMJBRICAN INDIANS.
45
of the Fort, which contains some eight or ten log-housea
and stores, and has generally forty or fifty men, and one
hundred and fifty horses about him.
He has, with the same spirit of liberality and politeness
with which Mons. Pierre Chouteau treated me on my
passage up the river, pronounced me welcome at his table,
which groans under the luxurios of the country; with
buffalo meat and tongues, with beavers' tails and marrow-
fat; bat sans coffee, sans bread and butter, ^ood' 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 mtne host; and
whose intellectual and polished society has added not a
little to myi 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 enter
taining conversatioD, 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. ,
We three bons vivants form the group about the dinner-
table, of which I have before spoken, and crack our jokes
and fun over bottles of Port and Madeira, and a consider-
able part of which, this 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 con-
oentrating 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 at work with my brush ; we have
Around us at this time the Knisteneaux, Crows, Assinne
■. 'iC
i*.
46
LETTERS AND NOTES.
boins and Blackfeet, and in a few days are to have large
accessions.
The finest specimens of Indians on the Continent are
in these regions; and before I leave these parts, I shall
make exoursions into their respective countries, to their
own native fire*sides; and there study their looks and
peculiar customs : enabling me to drop you now and then
an interesting Letter. The tribes which I shall be enabled
to see and study by my visit to this region, are the Qjibbe>
ways, the Assinneboins, Knisteneaux, Blackfeet, Grows,
Shiennes, Grosventres, Mandans, and others ; of whom and
their customs, their history, traditions, costumes, &c., I shall
in due season, give you fiirther and minute accounts.
LETTER— No. IV.
MOUTH OP YELLOW STONE.
Thb several tribes of Indians inhabiting the regions oi
the Upper Missouri, and of whom I spoke in my last Letter,
are undoubtedly the finest-looking, best equipped, and most
beautifully costumed cf any on the Continent. They live
in a country well-stocked with buffaloes and wild horses,
which fiirnish them an excellent and easy living; their at-
mosphere is pure, which produces good health and long
life ; and they are the most independent and the happiest
races of Indians I have met with : they are all entirely in a
state of primitive wildness, and 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
(47)
48
LBTTER8 AND NOTES ON THE
Mi
•tate of nature, with the least knowledge of civilized society,
would be found to bo 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
Blaokfcet stand first; and no one would be able to appreciate
the riobnesi and elegance (and even taste too,) with which
some of these people dress, without seeing them in their
own country. I will do all I can, 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
the prairie) is a knight and lord — his squaws are his slaves;
the only thing which 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 all his plumes and trap-
pings, armed with a simple bow and quiver, to plunge his
steed amongst the flying herds of buffaloes, and with his
sinewy bow, which he seldom bends in vain, to drive deep
to life's fountain the whizzing arrow.
The buffalo herds which graze in almost countless num-
bers on these beautiful prairies, afford them an abundance
of meat; and so much is it prefSerred 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. Their size is
somewhat above that of our common bullock, and their flesh
of a delicious flavor, 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
KOBTU AMERICAN INDIANS.
49
-converting the skins, horns, hoofe and bones, to the con-
struction 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. The cow ie
less in stature, and less ferocious; though not much less
wild and frightful in her appearance.
AlllBICAir BISON — FEHAU: IN THK DISTANCK
The mode in which these Indians kill this noble animal
is spirited and thrilling in the extretne ; 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 often«r ran
my horse by their sides, to see how the thing was done —
to study the modes and expressions of these splendid scenes,
which I am industriously putting upon the canvass.
They are all (or nearly so) killed with arrows and the
lance, while at ftiU speed; and the reader may easily im-
50
LETTEB8 AVD NOTES OX THE
■ I m
agine, that these scenes afford the most spirited and pictur-
esque viewB 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 of
his men, without the company or aid of Indians.
T mentioned the other day, that M'Kenzie's table from
day to day groans under the weight of buflfalo tongues and
beavers' tails, and other luxuries of this western land. He
has within his Fort a spacious ice-house, in which he pre-
serves 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 (net to hunt, but to "go
for meat.") He leads the party, mounted on his favorite
buffalo horse (t. e. the horse amongst his whole group which
is best trained to run the buffalo,) trailing a light and short
gun in hifj hand, 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 morn-
ing, which caused these self-catering gentlemen to cast their
eyes with a wishful look over the prairies; and such was
the plight in which our host took the lead, and I, and then
Mons. Chardon, and Ba'tiste, D^fonde arid TuUook (who is
a trader amongst the Crows, and is here at this time, with
a large party of that tribe,) and there were several others
whose names I do not know.
As we were mounted and ready to start, McKenzie
called up some four or five of his men, and told them to
follow immediately on our trail, with as many one-horse
carts, which they were to harness up, to bring home the
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 bluff has just told us by his 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
WOKTH AnERlOAir mDIANS.
51
Ihe bluflf ; and to be sure, as was said, there was in full
view of ns a fine herd of some four or five hundred
bufGEiloes, perfectly at rest, and in their own estimation
(probably) perfectly secure. Some were grazing, and othen
were lying down and sleeping ; we advanced within a mile
or so of them in full view, and came to a halt. Mona.
Chardon " tossed the feather" (a custom always observed,
to try the course of the wind), and we commenced " strip-
ping" as it is termed (t. 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 oif, and coats — and bullet-pouches; sleeves are
rolled up, a handkerchief tied tightly around the head, and
p.nother 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
home 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 business, and
seem to enter into it with as much enthusiasm, and with as
restless a spirit as the riders themselves. While "strip-
ping" and mounting, they exhibit the most restless im-
patience; 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 elasticity 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 instant we started I (and all
nmi start, for no one could check the fury of those steeds
at that moment of excitement,) and away all sailed, and
52
LETTERS AND NOTES ON TUB
over the prairie flew, in a cloud of dust which was raisud
by their trampling hoofs. McKenzie was foremost in the
throng, and soou dashed off anaiidst the dust and was out of
sight — he was after the fkttest and the fastest. I had dis
covered a huge bull whose shoulders towered above the
whole band, and I picked my way through the crowd to
get alongside of 'iim. I went not for " meat," but for a
trophy; I wanted his head and horns. I dashed along
through the thundering mass, as they swept away over the
plain, scarcely able to tell whether I wks on a bufl^lo's
back or my horse — hit, and hooked, and joiJtled 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
the trampling throng, Mous. 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 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 bull's back 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 his gun, which lay about thirty feet in
advance of him. "Heaven spare youl are you hurt
Chardon?" " hi— hie hie hie ^hic hie
I believe not.
-no,
-nic-
-no-
-no,
Oh ! this is not much, Mons. Cataline — ^this is nothing new
—but this is a hard piece of ground here — ^hic— oh 1 hie I"
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 it» eyes, and with a hie and a ugh — uohk I sprang
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
68
npon 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 companions in pursuit, and nothing could be
seen of them, nor indication, except the cloud of dust
which they left behind them. At a little distance on the
right, however, 1 beheld my huge victim endeavoring to
make as much head- way as ho 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, he would bristle up with ftiry
enough in his lookt alone, almost to annihilate me, 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 ray
pocket my sketch-book, laid my gun across my lap, and
commenced taking his likeness. He stood stiffened up,
and swelling with awful vengeance, which was sublime
for a picture, but which he could not vent upon me. I
rode around him and sketched him in numerous attitudes,
sometimes he would lie down, and I would then sketch
him ; then throw my cap at him, and rousing him on hia
legs, rally a new expression, and sketch him again.
In this way I added to my sketch-book some invaluable
sketches of this grim-visaged monster, who knew not that
he was standing for his likeness.
No man on earth can imagine what is the look and ex-
pression of such a subject before him as this was. I defy
the world to produce another animal that can look so fright-
i
1
r
•; ■" ;V,
5^
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THK
ful as a huge buffalo bull, when wounded as he was, turned
around for battle, and swelling with rage; — his eyes blood-
shot, and his long shaggy mane hanging to the ground,—
bis mouth open, and his horrid rage hissing in streams of
BISON wonrDio.
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 ponoil, M'Kenzie and his companions came walk-
ing 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 quarters around me and my buffalo bull,
whom I then shot in the head and finished. And being
seated 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 had a hearty laugh at me, as a
novice, for having aimed at an old bull, whose flesh is not
suitable for food, and the carts were escorted on the trail, to
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
65
i)ring away the meat. I rode back with Mr. M'Kenzie, who
pointed out five oows which he had killed, and all of them
selected as the fattest and sleekest of the herd. This aston-
ishing feat was all performed within the distance of one mile
— all were killed at full speed, and every one shot through
>the heart. In the short space of time required for a horse
under "full whip,'* to run the distance of one mile, he had
'discharged his gun five, and loaded it four times — selected
his animals, and killed at every shot 1 There were six or
eight others killed at the same time, which altogether
furnished, as will be seen, abundance of freight for the
carts; which returned, as well as several packhorses, loaded
with the choicest parts which were cut from the animals,
and the remainder of the carcasses left a prey for the
wolves.
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 thrilling exhiliration
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 we had stripped,
•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
twenty -four hours afterwards, deeds of chivalry and chase
and hair's breadth escapes, which each and either had
fought and run on former occasions. M'Kenzie, 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 ray own
observations,) that he was reputed (and actually waa) the
most distinguished of all the white men who have flourished
in these regions, in the pursuit of the bufi&lo.
m
I
i
li!!
0!
66
LETTBRS AND NOTKS.
Oq our return to the Fort, a bottle or two of wine wer«
set forth upon the table, and around it a half dozen parched
throats were soon moistened, and good cheer ensued.
Ba'tiste, D^fonde, Chardon, &c., retired to their quarters,
enlarging smoothly upon the events of our morning's work;
which they were reciting to their wives and sweet-hearts ;
when about this time the gate of the Fort was thrown open,
and the proceusion of carts and paokhorses laden with buf-
falo meat made its entree ; gladdening the hearts of a hun-
dred women and children, and tickling the noses of as many
hungry dogs and puppies, who were stealing in and smell-
ing at the tail of the procession. The door of the ice-house
was thrown open, the meat was discharged into it, aad 1
being &tigued, went asleep.
> jr ■-. f
LETTER No. V.
MOUTH OP YELLOW STONE, UPPER MISSOXIRI.
In my former epistle I told you there were enoamped
about the Fort a host of "wild, incongruous spirits— ohie&
and sachems — ^warriors, braves, and women and children
of different tribes — of Crows and Blaokfeet — Ojibbeways —
Assinneboins — and Grees 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, which
I occupy as 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 myiitmea
of the highest order to these red sons of the prairie, and
(67)
c«/^ ■?7
68
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
my room the earliest and latest place of concentration oi
these wild and jealous spirits, who all meet here to be
amused and pay me signal honors; 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 Blackfoot nation. He is a good-looking and
dignified Indian, about fifty years of age, and superbly
dressed. Whilst sitting for his picture he has been sur-
rounded by his own braves and warriors, and also gazed at
by his enemies, the Crows and the Knisteneaux, Assinne-
boins and Ojibbeways: a number of distinguished per-
sonages 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
bowr '''ill again be drawn on each other.
The name of this dignitary, of whom I have just spoken,
is Stu-mick-o-suoks (the buflfalo's back fat), i. e. the "hump'*
or " fleece," the most delicious part of the buffalo's flesh.
There is no tribe, perhaps, on the Continent, who dross
more comfortably, and more gaudily, than 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
h\\
KOBTH AMEBTCAK INDL/UffS.
69
there is a distinctive mode in eaoli tribe, of stitohiag or
ornamenting with the porcupine quills, which 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. The dress, for instance of the chief whom I have
just mentioned, 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 sus-
pended from the under edge of this, from the shoulders
to the hands, is a fringe of the locks of black hair, which
he has taken from the heads 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 band or belt of
the same width ; and wrought in the same manner, with
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 ; her
countenance is rather pleasing, which is an uncommon
thing amongst the Blackfeet — her dress is made of skins,
and being the youngest of a bevy of six or eight, and the
last one taken under his guardianship, was smiled upon
with great satisfaction, 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 turth like a tried warrior ; and I have
painted him at full length with his bow and quiver slung.
And his robe made of a racoon skin. The history of thie
child is somewhat curious aad interesting ; his father it
60
LSTTKBS AND NOTES ON THB
1' I
mi
81 ;
dead, and in case of the death 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, and twice re-captured by the Blackfeet, at con-
siderable sacrifice of life, and at present he is lodged with
Mr. M'Kenzie, for safe keeping and protection, until he
shall arrive at the proper age to take the office to which
he is to succeed, and able to protect himself
SOALPINO.
■* v
The scalp of which I spoke above, is procured by cutting
out a piece of the skin of the head, the size of the palm of
the hand or less, containing the very centre or crown of the
head, the place where the hair radiates &om a point, and
exactly over what the phrenologists call self-esteem. This
patch then is kept and dried with great care, as proof posi'
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
61
tive of the death of an enemy, ev. ce of a man's
claims as a warrior; and after having been formally
"danced" as the saying is, (t. e. after it has been stuck up
upon a pole or held up by an "old woman," and the
warriors have 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 interestiiig and general custom amongst all
the North American Indians.
In the chief's dress, which I am describing, there are his
moccasins, made also of buckskin, and ornamented in a
corresponding 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, beautiflilly garnished
with porcupine quills, and the battles of his life very in-
geniously, though rudely, portrayed in pictorial represen-
tations. 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 porcupine quills of various
colors; and the bowl of the pipe ingeniously carved by
himself from a piece of red steatite of an interesting charac-
ter, 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 as-
suredly make it a point, during my Indian rambles, to visit
03
LBTTBRS AND NOTES ON THK
the placo from whence it is brought. I have already got a
number of most remarkable traditions and stories relating
to the "sucrod quarry;" of pilgrimages performed there to
procure the stone, and of curious transactions that have
taken plaue on that ground. It seems, from all I can learn,
that all the tribes in these regions, and also of the Missis-
sippi 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 north-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 Boman and Grecian shield was curried,
and for the same purpose.
There is an appearance purely classic in the plight and
equipment of these warriors and "knights of the lance."
They are almost literally always on their horses' backs, and
they weild their 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 enemies.
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 abun-
dance 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 appf
ently an insignificant weapon, though one of great : i
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. They
have, no doubt, studied to get the requisite power in the
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
68
Biiiallest compass possible, as it is more easily and hMxdilj
used on horseback than one of greater length. The gn*tar
number of these bows are made of ash, or of "boia d'aro**
(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 Crows) which are made of
bone, and others of the horns of the mountain-sheep. Those
made of bone are decidedly the most valuable, and can-
not 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 speci-
mens, and when purchasing them have inquired of the
Indians, what bone they were made of? and in every in-
stance, 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 feet 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 sup-
posed), which is of a dark color and porous: nor can it
come from the bufi&lo. 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 mountains, 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 been procured.
One of these little bows in the hands 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
tke open plains. No one can easily credit the force witk
64
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
which these missiles are thrown, and the sanguinary effects
produced by their wounds, until he has rode by the side of
a party of Indians in chase of a herd of buf&Ioes, and wit-
nessed the apparent ease and grace with which their supple
arms have drawn the bow, and seen these huge animals
tumbling down and gushing out their hearts' blood from
iheir mouths and nostrils.
Their bows are often made of bone and sinews, and their
arrows headed with flints or with bones, of their own con-
struction, or with steel as they are now chiefly furnished
by the Fur Traders quite to the Itocky Mountains. The
quiver, which is uniformly carried on the back, and made
of the panther or otter skins, is a magazine of these deadly
weapons, and generally 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 after the shaft is withdrawn, in 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 the 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, when the arrow is
thrown with great ease and certainty to the heart; and
instances sometimes occur, where the wrow passes entirely
through the animal's body.
An Indian, therefore, mounted on u fleet and well-trained
horse, with his bow in his hand, aiii 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 them also ride with a lance of
twelve or fourteen feet in length, with a blade of polished
XORTH AMKRlv-AN INDIANS.
ms
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. 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, marlo of
similar materials, and used in 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 tripled. Such was Hector's shield, and of
most of the Homeric heroes of the Greek and Trojan
In those days also were darts or javelins and
wars.
lances ; the same were also used 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 o'
war-party of these fellows, galloping over these green and
endless prairies, there can be no set of mounted men of
equal numbers, so 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, is trembling with fright and
fear of his approach; he hears of white man's arts and
artifice — his tricks and cunning, and his hundred instru-
ments 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 medidm or mystery.
Of the Blackfeet, whom I mentioned in the beginning of
5
6d
LITTERS AND NOT£S OK THB
ri-TOB-Pn-KI88.
tbia 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). 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-looks, of
vage and civil.
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
«7
I have painted him at full length, with a head-drem
made entirely of ermine skins and horns of the bufl'alo.
This custom of wearing horns beautifully polished and
Eurmountitig the head-dress, is a very curious one, being
worn only by the bravest of the brave ; by the most extra-
ordinary men in the nation. When he stood for his
picture, he also held a lance and two "medicine-bags" in
his hand; of lances I have spoken, — but " medicine-bags"
and " medicine" will be the text for my next Letter.
Besides the chiefs and warriors above-named, I have also
transferred to my canvass the "looks and very resem-
blance" 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 ;) 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-neo-cose, (the iron horn,) at full
length, in a splendid dress, with his " modioine-bag" in his
hand; and Ah-kay-ee-pix-en, (the woman who strikes
many,) in a beautiful dress of the mountain -goats' skin, and
her r^be of the young buffalo's hide.
FUR TRADERS.
LETTER No. VI.
MOUTH OF YELLOW STONE, UPPER MISSOURI.
Now for medicines or mysteries — for doctors, high
priests, for hocus pocua, witchcraft, and animal magnetism !
In the last Letter I spoke of Pe-toh-pee-kiss (the eagle
ribs), a Blaokfoot brave, whose portrait I had just painted
(W)
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
6»
at full length, in a splendid dress. I mentioned also, that
he held two medicine-bags in his hand ; as they are repre-
sented in the picture ; both of them made of the skins ol
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 *' rnedicine'^ and " medicine-
bag /" and also some medicine operations, which I have seen
transacted at this place within a few days past. " Medi-
cine" 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
Cus oms. •
The Fur Traders in this country, are nearly all French ;
and in their lan/^aage, a doctor or physician, is called
" Medicin^ The Indian country 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 Engliah and Americans, who are also trading and
passing through this country, have easily and familiarly
adopted the 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, which 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 per-
sonages 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;
ijl
;'i
TO
LBTTEB8 AND NOTES ON THE
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 these
superstitious people, on account of the art which I 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 the word medicine, however ;
but in each tribe they have a word of their own con-
Btruction, synonymous with mystery or mystery-man.
The "medicine-bag" then, is a mystery-bag; and its
meaning and importance necessary to be understood, as it
may be said to be the key to Indian life and Indian
character? l^hese bags are constructed of the skins of
animals, of birds, or of reptiles, and ornamented and pre-
served in a thousand different ways, as suits the taste or
freak of the person who constructs them. These skins are
generally attached to some part of the clothing of the
Indian, or carried in his hand — they are oftentimes aeoo-
rated 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 fined 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 would seem in some instances,
as if he actually worshipped it. Feasts are often made,
and dogs and horses sacrificed, to a man's medicine ; and
days, and even weeks, of fasting land penance of various
kinds are often suffered, to appease his medicine, whioh he
imagines he has in some way offended.
NORTH AMERICAN IN DUNS.
n
This curious custom has principally been done away with
along the frontier, where white men laugh at the Indian
for the observance of so 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 times 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 ago of fourteen or fifteen
years, is said to be making or " forming his medicine,"
when he wanders away from his father's lodge, and absents
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 Great Spirit has designated for his
mysterious protector through life. He then returns home
to his father's lodge, and relates his success; and after
allaying his thirst, and satiating his appetite, he sallies
forth with weapons 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 in 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 the 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
idl'li
IH
72
LETTKKS AND NOTKS ON TilE
Ff
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 carries it off and
displays it to his own people as a trophy ; whilst the loser
is cut 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 restc^d, and he is reinstated again in the
estimation of his tribe ; and even higher than before, for
such is called the best of medicine, or " medicine honorable"
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 so 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,
though a white man may induce an Indian to relinquish
his medicine, yet he cannot buy it of him — the 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 devo-
tions, as long as he lives.
These curious appendages to the persons or wardrobe of
an Indian are sometimes made of the skin of an otter, a
beaver, a musk-rat, a weazel, a raccoon, a polecat, 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 animal
ill h
ll
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
73
80 large as a wolf; and at others, of the skins of the lesser
animals, so small that they are hidden under the dress, and
very difficult to be found, even if searched for.
Such then is the medicine-bag — such its meaning and
importance ; and when its owner dies, it is placed in hig
grave and decays with his body.
This is but the beginning or incipient stage of " medi-
cines," however, in this strange and superstitious country :
and if you have patience, I will carry you a few de-
grees further into the mysteries of conjuration, before I
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 I was an eye-witness. The scene I will relate as it
transpired precisely ; and call it the story of 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 here in 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,
their arms and weapons were all locked up bj 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 premises, until all, both Indians and white men,
were getting tired of their company, wishing them quietly
off. When they were ready to start, with their goods
packed upon their backs, their arms were given them, and
they started; bidding everybody, both friends and foes, a
hearty farewell. They went out of the Fort, and though
the party gradually moved off, one of them undiscovered,
loitered about the Fort, until he got an opportunity to
Mi "ii '" '
V pi.
74
LBTTEBS AND N0TK3 ON THE
poke the muzzle of his gun through between the piquets
when he fired it at one of the chiefs of the Blackfeet, whc
stood within a few paces, talking with Mr. M'Kenzie, and
shot him with two musket bullets through the centre of
his body I The Blackfoot fell, and rolled about upon the
ground in the agonies of death. The Blackfeet 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. The Frenchmen in the Fort, also,
at so flagrant and cowardly an insult, seized their guns
and ran out, joining the Blackfeet in the pursuit. I, 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 was
produced ; the Knisteneaux were driven off over the bluflfe,
having lost one man and had several others wounded.
The Blackfeet and Frenchmen returned into the Fort, and
then, I saw what I never before saw in my life — I saw a
"medicine-man^^ performing his mysteries over a dying
man. The man who had been shot was still living, though
two bullets had passed through the centre of his body,
about two inches apart from each other ; he was lying on
the ground in the agonies of death, and no one could
indulge the slightest hope of his recovery ; yet the medicine'
mun must needs be called (for such a personage they had
in their party), and hocus pocus applied 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 profes-
sional gentlemen are worthies of the highest order in all the
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 prescriptions are roots and herba.
NUUTH AMKBICAN INDIANS.
75
of which they have a great variety of species ; and when
these have all failed, their last resort is to "rMdume" or
mystery; and for this purpose, each one of them has a
strange and unaccountable dress, conjured up and con-
structed during a life-time of practice, in the wildest 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 soogs 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 Esculapius will be seen for
several days after, on the top of a wigwam, with his right
hand extended and waving over the gaping multitude, to
whom he is vaunting forth, without modesty, the surprising
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, protects
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 feeble 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, in which the doctor could perform his wonder-
fiil 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 the rattles upon his dress, which was
T'
7fl
LBTTBR-i AND NOTES ON THE
HChTOjly pcrc'ei)tiblo to the ear, as lie cautiously and slowly
moved through the avenue left for him ; which at length
brought him into the ring, in view of the pitiable object
over whom his mys'eries were to be performed,
KoadcrBl you may have seen or read of the witch of
Endor— or you may imagine all the ghosts, and spirits, and
ftiric*, that over ranked amongst the "rank and file" of
domonology ; and yet you must see my painting of this
iitrange scene before vou can form a just conception of real
frightful ugliness and Indian conjuration— yes, and even
jnore: you must see the magic dreaa of this Indian "big bug"
(which I have this day procured in 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 entrfee and his garb were somewhat thus : — he ap-
proached the ring with his body in a crouching position,
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 rattla,
and in the other brandished his medicine-spear or magio
wand ; to the rattling din and discord of all of which, he
add^d the wild and startling jumps and yelps of the "^ndian,
and tbe horrid and appalling 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 strange operation proceeded for half an
hour, to the surprise of a numerous and death-like silent
audience, until the man died ; and the medicine-man danced
off to his quarters, and packed up, and tied, and secured
from the sight of the world, his mystery dress and equip-
ments.
,<A
«1, ■
^"T
^A«'
;
1.4
•../*
ji, t' vV';!-
-•"■»">•«*<■ -*'■ ®"-'' •**• !'•'• ii»u!.;.'iua!v and .slowly
' .'A. '.- »a»aaHi*' I« ^! furbnit, whicb at length
' ;'\« .Kv^' ia v'iM» ft thK piiiable object
•w* i.*'vtf 'j«^>a ui* Hja'i *)!' "dit) witch of
'.. J* ■. «BW*g>ii»« »\i i^!'- ^hmia. itrid spirits, and
-tr ~,,i f^-'^ ftmiH'«-«ft tl.« ' nii!ik and file" of
• ^K 'Ov rmui «i8<t my painting of this
»» f ',r,W.'r a .,u« concf^ption of real
w<'\ iiy^i-H^t ■'i'f.j^mt'"m-"yiiB, ami even
;<*%"<• fir>.ifi (Aum rntimn ''birr bii<^"
« -' "'-urr^ ID all it?i jVarts), placed
'"■'* ■" ' " .4'f«>. '-aV* mo ;mii,ato the stri'es
'." ^' ' *^':u\4 ihe mttles of au fndiau
•^V SH"
<«i>-
'JiSf
Spli
'mi:
■*-
i-t -o^A' si'ni^'nvhat thus:—he ap- '
,".*, t*.Hh \n ft crouching position,
^ " Vv^ ift<t)'-.-iitji todj and head were-
i-i*i c,s^. hifiji .,f ,i veiilow l«'ar, the head
•■■• '^A4 fjc«ivf iii<std^' o( it/i served as a
.y,!>^9 *• V JtMvfc ^'»,^, wrrv dangling on his
- p t,b,** hM>v< )ki rhook tt frightful rattle,
?»*»tt«ii«tMHi ; ,* .'j»-*iiointj-»peur o- raagic
■•&■. *'*f*.w»/ difi *.,f? asAcord of all of which, he
i ^&n,\'m^ >m,.i.-s and yelps of the Indian,
*i' %i/|>alJing gj rjuwr. and snarls, and growls
. - -^ fiacuJatriry »iu<l guttural mcantationa
* V .-ifuu.'.. in ''^shalf of his patient; who
^4^ .- t'lf." *gf>tiies of deatli, whilst }\e
' . ' isfrj, ^^TOpmg (wvr hirn, a,nd pawing
" ' ' ' - ;<• '■'. evvTy direction.
" "* 'i.'emiiort prwtiijded for half sxxt
:-'xv»roiis and destUidike silent
^■\ ilio rnedi-civse-man danced
' ■• vip, au<^ ti-!Kl, and secured
hii mystery drtjea aud equip-
■■^^isfe*^''
NOBTB AMKBIOAK INDIANS.
77
THE MBDICINB MAN, FBOM OATLIN'B PAINTINO.
This dress, in all its parts, is one of the greatest curiosi
ties in the whole collection of Indian manufactures. 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 heax (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, medioine ; and there are
also the skins of snakes and frogs and bats -^-beaks and
78
LETTERS AND NOTES.
I ( 'ii
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 dignita-
ries in the tribe, and the greatest respect is paid to them
by the whole community; not only for their skill in their
"materia medica;"but more especially for their tact in
^agic and mysteries, in which they all deal to a very great
extent. I shall have much more to say of these characters
and their doings in future epistles, and barely observe in
the present place, that no tribe is without them ; — ^that in
all tribes their doctors are conjurors — are magicians — are
sooth-sayers, and I had like to have said, high-priests,
inasmuch as they superintend and conduct all their relig-
ious 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
Ib paid to their opinions.
■Sii
1
m
m
LETTER No. VIL
MOUTH OF YELLOW STONE, UPPEB MISSOURI.
Thb Letter which I gave you yesterday, on the subjeot
of " medicines" and- medicine-men," has somewhat broken
the " thread of my discourse ;" and left my painting-room
(in the bastion,) and all the Lidians in it, and portraits, and
bufi&lo hunts, and landscapes of these beautiful regions, to
be taken up and discussed ; which I will now endeavor to
do, beginning just where I left (or digressed) off.
I was seated on the cool breech of a twelve-pounder, and
had my easel before me, and Grows and Blackfeet, and
Assineboins, whom I was tracing upon the canvass. And
so I have been doing today, and shall be for several dayi
to come. My painting-room has become so great a lounge,
and I so great a " medicine-man," that all other amuse*
ments are left, and all other topics of conversation and
gossip are postponed for future consideration. The chieft
have had to place "soldiers" (as they are called) at my
(79)
!■;,;.
80
LKTTER3 AND NOTES ON THE
V -1 i
IMllJ.
door, with Hpcar.s in hand to protect me from tbe throng,
who othorwisu would press upon me ; and none but the
woithies arc allowed to come into my medicine apart-
ments, and none to be painted, except such as are decided
by the chicfo to bo worthy of so high an honor.
The Crows and Blackfeet who are here together, are
cnenues of the most deadly kind while out on the plains;
but hero thoy sit and smoke quietly together, yet with a
studied and dignified reserve.
Tlie Ulackfeet are, perhaps, one of the most (if not
entirely the most) numerous and warlike tribes on the
Continent. Tlioy 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 computa-
tions, are something like forty or fifty thousand — they are
(like all other tribes whose numbers are sufficiently largo
to give thom boldness) warlike and ferocious, i. e. they are
predat(jry, are roaming fearlessly about the country, even
into and through every part of the Eocky .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 neighborhood also to the base
of the Rooky Mountains, are similar in the above respects
to the Blackfeet; roaming about a great part of the year
— and seelving their enemies wherever they can find thom.
They nro a much smaller tribe than the Blackfeet, with
whom they are always at war, and from whoso great
numbers they suffer prodigiously in battle; and probably
will be in a few years entirely destroyed by them.
The Crows have not, parhaps, more than seven thousand
in their nation, and probably not more than eight hundred
warriors or fighting men. Amongst the more powerful
tribes, like the Sioux and Blackfeet, who have been
enabled to prosorve their warriors, it is a fair calculation
to count one in five as warriors ; but among the Crows and
Minatareoa, and Puncahs, and several other small but
be throng,
le but the
iine apart-
,re decided
;ether, are
bho plains ;
(ret with a
>st (if not
)GS on tho
itry about
the Rocky
computa-
— they are
antly largo
e. they are
intry, even
itains, and
of course,
»f Yellow
|o the base
'e respects
the year
nd them.
:feet, with
[oso great
probably
thousand
hundred
powerful
ive been
liloulation
IrowB and
lall but
-i:.K
I****
,:f ■• •«
r,! .
i'
!<? ; '
8"
r.r r-v^:. O.' r«' "K- OV riTF:
who oliicr ;•-;/<. ■?.'^fl r" -^^> *■;•'- »*^ ^'^'^ ""''^ ^"^' ^■'^■
iVAivM a^V ^u.-,v i ■ '■« iw ,t^^'i A ■?«.»; «u<>h a-s are dccid-il
by f.h<5 cbt.'f" :•' "- ^-hv^vv •''- >'*'> ^ >«!^' **•'• i'O'ior.
Tiiii -'i '*s iF'i Hiyukft*^'- '*'!>> ar^ :H:n^ together, arc
vucan.?* =^i iv,v' :^Mj#; ie^i-'iy ki»j-i ^l '*» oui on the plains;
but '':ior<? nht-v ?j;! -in » .Mr-'k*- qqii'ilj- ^o^oihor, yet with, a
8tudu-l :vw' dicni-?l**4 S'*' «;rrvt;.
T!'. lj?;«'kf'rt r^t- '-f^r'-rfj^s "-Hfi " ^' 5h. '':vn'; (if not
, '• 'rfii!* a.ifj warlike '..riboa on the
ap> ^h- *''/h'. !■.; of rhfi country ubo'.it
.x'V'i^rv f-t^^f- '»J.ia i'lioo to I hf;' Rocky
..■.V-.i. -'i-'m "Jw I'est c'ltrnpnta
;..'• •; *v • fx'.'%\' '.h'vi.-anil — they arf)
,« • V .--u.; b ffii Ai"i,' ffUihoieutly iarr^^
' rtiv.t i»i-' •■I'i U-rociuiiH. i. €. they uw
iS )• .stV"''-''!"? '»rKiUi the country, ev"!i
:■■ ,«*•,' ..<^xh<: ikicky Mouatairjs, tnu
^ tssiv •-hMijj.eJv who .are, of cou''.:o,
■:.' frH^i • *r»tnlr¥ sb -ufc tiiem.
■'.: ■> . tin: hcaf] wtiterti of Yellow'
i^'j..-*?' ;i- 4 -.jZ-if^V'S t' »;•!* Jriv'x fii:nB;:/borhood also to the hnse
t-fi' Ifi* ^wtkt M •Jfasai^A i«cf V milar ju the above respect^
h: %ht Ti-la-Xfe'ti n^Vr.iii; «ijv;jT. 4k jrroat pj.rt of the year
• -v>i'-? »W:u%' o'i^fiy »fi:t--. ifffi vhcicv-'.r thi\v cafi find t'nem.
t^:~i n-yf 'ii'Vis^' '■itjtMfet Xn)^ ihen the Biacktbot, with
itjf.i?:' i^;;" -%r*i a'»'i-v'« m wT^jj ftt'd from whose givat
^'Afe-'::^** iteM!ii^ «*#W f>r«rUi,' '>Qsly in battle; and probib'^*
^•*ij *.»; in j{ iV*^ »mm imt.-r-s-'^v 'i«5tx'i''yed by tliem.
1^; iVt»w«< fnf".'^ rjf'-fe, jit^-jftai)* more titan seven thousw!>;
•.' tJ- •'« jjatti'ns aft'i pfWHiy n.u more than eight hun'i?*>i
'*;«»!. >rs or ugiithip^ utou. Anwti^t the more |)owei? ^i
.«»<t. like tho .Siou* Mid lii in'kiee*. who have hf^i-r
• fc^'Uni to ]tre«eiv tb«;;> w^rriow, it is a fair crdcidat-if!:
ii . "^I'ot oue in f^w »w wsrrir*n» ; hut ftYnong the T-rowfj ai.-:
,>^mai3ir<*e«, ■a*:A }' M^i-^vh^. nd ."several otfior small '!'!>■
■.-.UlT - i'
'
.:«t;
' .-■'.J-;ji-;5t
';
"?'.- ,-
,,.,.■■ .' ;,«VW-
' "'■.
■'•*",•"■■
.»- -'u%:\'
.»» ^'
*■"- *' ^- .i :^' '
^'XH
^;fe^.i;
f-^;x;*:.: •
■^m
'-"> .
*s jf ?T . .r.-
;: '•
*rt^i.:
s£ti-
r-vSt
-■>-;Aaa t
,.:^:»
U''>
'.rt-/'^. ..*; ■*
'.•*»
*{£>• .
f^if/^ :<-.>■
w
:■ '-Jt^
Tk^>ii » ■>v-,.^'ti
rv^,.,i
i
^^
I
s
J
throii'^,
: hut t!ie.
ae apii".-
e (Iccid.'i-i
;ther, .irc .
le plains ;
it v.'it,h. h
r (if not
try abovit
Ijf:' Hocky
•.•((mpnta
— thev cue
titly Lirg'?
. they y w
\try, ev"!t
bairjg, mO.
){' cou''..e,
i' Yelh>\^-
the hnse
tho year
111 tliem.
oot, wi»ih
).?e great
[prob'tVriy
^1
H
t: OllSftO-c
hur)'it**«i
fVOWOlf •-'
ve h'i*-;-,-
hiulat-K'T:
v£m
ows >r^':
\lw
iinll ;':»■
. 'f
Tjy
I
NORTH AMKB1CA> INOIANS.
81
warlike tribes, this proportion cannot exist ; as in some of
these I have found two or three women to a man in the
nation; in consequence of the continual losses sustained
amongst their men in war, and also whilst pursuing the
buftaloes on the plains for food, where their lives are
exceedingly exposed.
The Blackfeet and the Crows, like the Sioux and
Assinneboins, have nearly the same mode of constructing
their wigwam or lodge; in which tribes it is made of
buffalo skins sewed together, after being 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, through which the smoke
escapes and the light is admitted. These lodges, or tents,
are taken down in a few minutes by the squaws, when
they wish to change their 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
oourse of the summer; following the immense herds of
buffaloes, as they range over these vast plains, from east
to west, and north to south. The 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, which they
bring in from their hunts, packed on their horses' backs,
in great quantities ; making pemican, and preserving the
marrow-fat for their winter quarters ; which are generally
taken up in some heavy- timbered bottom, on the banks of
some stream, deep imbedded within the surrounding bluff's,
which break off the winds, and make their long and
tedious winter tolerable and supportable. They then
sometimes erect their skin lodges amongst 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 l^ey can live much v armer and better
protected from the aasaults of theii ei; ; : js, in case they
t!.
■rf v'..'v_,-.
LKTIKKS AND NOTES OX THK
mm.
m
mm
t\'i.
are attacked ; in which 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 I have
before mentioned, t-hey construct them as the Sioux do,
atiil iiiaku thum of the same material; jet they oftentimes
dress thu skins of which they are composed almost m
/- V
1.' t
:,;l|
U ^li'
i.,: . M
ti :illii-f J i
"It
AN INDIAN LODOR
white as linen, and beautifully garnish them with porcu-
pine quills, and paint and ornament them in such a variety
of ways, as renders them exceedingly picturesque and
agreeable to the eye. I have procured a very beautiful
.f
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
83
one of this description highly-ornamented, and fringed with
Bcalp-locks, and sufficiently large for forty men to dino
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 about twenty-live 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.
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 novel 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 in 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 determination to move, and
the hour fixed upon, and the necessary preparations are in
the meantime making; and at tho time announced, the
lodge of the chief is seen flapping in the wind, a part of
the poles having betin 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
and 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 which they had a '•ast number, had all
been secured upon the spot, in readiness ; and each one
was speedily loaded with the burthen allotted to it, and
ready to fall into 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
ends to drag behind on the ground on either side. Just
behind the horse, a brace or pole is tied across, which
keeps the poles in their respective places ; and then upon
ifii'
Of: ■ 'i
I
I)' r-
64
UBTTKBsJ AND NOTES ON THE
h\
■fi'ill'
:;^({;!*!
m'l
that and the pok>s belim I tlie h.-rae, is placed the lodge or
tent whicHia rolled up, and also numerous other articles of
household and domestic furniture, and on the top of all.
two throe, and even (sometime 'four women and children !
Each one of these horses has a conductress, who sometimes
walks before and leads it, with a tremendous pack upon
her own back ; and at others 'she sits astride of its back,
with a child, perhaps, at her breast, and another astride of
the horse's back behind her, clinging to her waist with one
arm, while it affectionately embraces a sneaking dog-pup in
the other.
In this way five or six hundred wigwams, with all their
furniture may be joen drawn 'jut fur miles, creeping over
the grass-covered piairis of this country ; and three times
that number of men, on good horses, strolling along in
front or on the flank ; and, in some tribes, in the rear of
this heterogeneous caravan, at least five times that number
of dogs, which 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 u^ags 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 the 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, and with
which he trots off amid the throng of dogs and squaws ;
faithfiilly and cheerfully dragging his load 'till night, and
by the way loitering and occasionally
" Catching at little bits of fun and glee,
That's played on dogs enslaved by dog that's free."
The Crows, like the Blackfeet, are beautiftiUy costu'
and perhaps with somewhat more of taste and elegr
inasmuch as the skins of which their dresses are mad*; aro
yORTlI AMERICAN INDIANS.
85
ihe lodge or
sr articles of
( top of all.
id children !
> sometimes
pack upon
of its back.
;r astride of
ist with oue
dog-pup in
ith all their
jeping over
three times
ig along in
the rear of
hat number
n the train
lem, who is
nslaved, is
it may be
)ad — a part
;e to which
are placed
,3 the lodge
ger ends to
is placed a
T, and with
id squaws ;
night, and
|e."
COStUT
elega % ,
3 madi; ar«
morn delicately and whitely dressed. The art of dressing
skins belongs to the Indians in all countries; and the
Crows surpass the civilized world in the beauty of their
skin-dre.«sing. The art of tanning is unknown to them, po
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 other orna-
mental and useful customs which we are practising,)
borrowed from the savage; without our ever stopping to
enquire from whence they come, or 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
ashes and water, until the hair can be removed ; when they
are strained upon a frame or upon the ground, with stakes
or pins driven through 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 through
still another operation 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 wiU produce a great quantity of smoke
without much blaze ; and several small poles of the proper
length stuck in the ground around it, and drawn and
fastened together at the top, around which a skin is
wrapped in form of a tent, and generally sewed together at
the edges to secure the smoke within it; 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 ;
V. ^■ «, *
; > *-,
IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)
/.
4^0
1.0
■^111 li2-5
I.I
L25
1
1^ 1^ IP 2
IE
U. UI.6
nil
^=^ lllll^^
Photographic
Sdences
Corporation
\
^
K
4
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;\
13 WEST MAIN STREET
WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580
(716)872-4503
B6
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
and by some chemical process or other, which I do not
understand, the skins thus acquire a quality which enabios
them, after being ever so many times wet, to dry soft and
pliant as they were before, which secret I have never yet
seen practised 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 Blackfeet on the
other hand, are more of the Herculean make — about
middling stature, with broad shoulders, and great expan-
sion of cheat; and the skins of which their dresses are
made, are chiefly dressed black, or of a dark brown color ;
from which circumstauce, in all probability, they, having
black leggings or moccasins, have got the name of Black-
feet.
The Crows are very handsome and gentlemanly 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 plun-
dered 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 they do
not consider themselves such ; for thieving in their estima-
tion is a high crime, and considered the most disgraceful
act that a man can possibly do. They call this capturing,
where they sometimes run off a Traders' horses, and make
their boast of it; considering it a kind of retaliation or
summary justice, which they think it right and honorable
that they should administer. And why not? for the
KORTB AMERICAN INDIANS.
87
unlicensed trespass oommitted 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 ftxrs out of their country, without paying
them an equivalent, or, in fiict, 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. Beader, I look upon the Indian as the most
honest and honorable race of people that I ever lived
amongst in my life ; and in their native state, I pledge you
my honor, they are the last of all the human family to
pilfer or to steal, if you trust to their honor ; and for this
never-ending and boundless system of theft and plunder,
and debauchery, that is practised off upon these rightful
owners of the soil, by acquisitive white men, I consider
the infliction, or retaliation, by driving off and appropri
ating a few horses, but a lenient punishment, which those
persons at least should expect; and which, in fact, none
but a very honorable and high-minded people could inflict,
instead of a much severer one ; which they could easily
practice upon the few white men in their country, without
rendering themselves amenable 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 honorable in their dealings
with the whites, and that he considered them the finest
Indians of his acquaintance.
I recollect whilst in St. Louis, and other places at the
East, to have heard it often said, that the Grows were a
rascally and thieving set of vagabonds, highway robbers,
^c. &c. ; and I have been told since, that this information
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 Company ; and drove off a number
of their horses, when they were passing through the Crow
country, on their way to Astoria. This was no doubt
true; and equally true would these very Indians tell us,
88
LBTTERB AST) N0TB8 ON THE
was the fact, that they had a good and suffioient reaBo:>
for it.
These gentlemen, with their party, were crossing the
Crow country with a large itook of goods, of guns^ and
ammunition, of knives, and spears, arrow-heads, &c. ; and
stopped for some time and enoani])ed in the midst of 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 gentlemen's own
account,) of which they were in great want, and for which
they brought a great many horses, and offered them
repeatedly in trade ; which they refused to take, persisting
in their determination of carrying their goods to their
destined place, across the mountains; thereby disappoint-
ing these Indians, by denying them the arms and weapons
which were in their possession, whilst they were living
upon them, and exhausting 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 t) -'■■
they were going to take them farther west; which tt
would at once suppose was to the Blackfeet, their principbx
enemy, having 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 Grows, and
cut them to pieces without mercy. Under these circum-
stances, 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. li; 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 oomes in their way, provided the offender
NORTH AMXBICAN INDIANS.
89
was a white man. And I would not be surprised, there*
fore, if I get robbed of my horse ; and you too, readers, ii
you go into that country, for that very (supposed) offence.
I have conversed often and much with Messrs. Sublette
and Campbell, two gentlemen of the highest respectability,
who have traded with the Crows for several years, and
they tell me they are one of the most honorable, honest,
and high-minded races of people on earth ; and with Mr.
Tullook, 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 honor, — and being fearless and proud,
are quick to punish or retaliate.
So much for the character of the Crows fc^* the present,
a subject which I shall assuredly take up again, when I
shall have seen more of them myselfl
LETTER No. VIIL
MOUTH OP TELLOW STONE, UPPER MISSOURI
SmoE my last Letter, nothing of great moment has
transpired at this place; but I have been continually
employed in painting my portraits 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, fine
looking and noble gentlemen. They are really a hand-
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 added
to their dignity of manners, which gives them the air of
gentlemen at once. I observed the other day, that most ot
them were over six feet high, and very many of these
have cultivated their natural hair to such an almost
incredible length, that it sweeps the ground as thsv walk
m
NORTH AMKRICAN INDIANS.
91
there are frequent instances of this 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
profusion of bear's grease every morning, which is no
doubt one cause of the unusual length to which their
hair extends ; though it cannot be the sole cause of it, for
the other tribes throughout this country 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 fjEishion of long hair amongst the men, prevails
throughout all the Western and North Western tribes,
after passing the Sacs and Foxes ; and the Pawnees of the
Platte, who, with 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 I hope I yet may, ere
I leave this part of the country. This extraordinary man
is known to several gentlemen with whom I am acquainted,
and particularly to Messrs. Sublette and Campbell, ot
whom I have before spoken, who told me they had lived
in his hospitable lodge 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 length ; closely
92
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
if!
inspecting every part of it at the same time, and satisfying
themselves that it was the natural growth.
On ordinary ocoasions it is wound with a broad leather
strap, from his head to its extreme end, and then folded up
into a budget or block, of some ten or twelve inches in
length, and of some pounds weight; which when he walks
IS carried under his arm, or placed in his bosom, within the
folds of his robe ; but on any great parade or similar ocott*
sion, nis pride is to unfold it, oil it with bear's grease and let
it drag behind him, some three or four feet of it spread out
upon the grass, and black and shining like a raven's wing.
It is a common custom amongst most of these upper
tribes, to splice or add on several lengths of hair, by
fastening them with glue; probably for the purpose of
imitating the Grows, upon whom alone Nature has be-
stowed this conspicuous and signal ornament.
Amongst the Grows of distinction now at this place, I
have painted the portraits of several, who exhibit some
striking peculiarities. Amongst whom is Ghah-ee'ChopeM,
(the four wolves,) a fine-looking fellow, six feet in stature,
and whose natural hair sweeps the grass as he walks; he
is beautifully clad, and carries himself with the most
graceful and manly mien — he is in mourning for a
brother; and according to their custom, has cut off a
number of locks of his long hair, which is as much as
a man can well spare of so valued an ornament, which he
has been for the greater part of his life cultivating ; whilst
a woman who mourns for a husband or child, is obliged to
crop her hair short to her head, and so remain till it grows
out again ; ceasing giadually to mourn as her hair
approaches to its former length.
I have also painted Pa-ris-ka-roo-pa (two orows) the
younger, one of the most extraordinary men in the Grow
nation ; not only for his looks, from the form of bis 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.
NOBTH AMXBIOAN INDIANS.
98
There is something very uncommon in this outline, and
sets forth the striking peculiarity of the Crow tribe, though
rather in an exaggerated form. The semi-lunar outline
of the Crow head, with an exceedingly low and retreating
forehead, is certainly a very peculiar and striking charac-
teristic ; and though 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 comment in another place.
The Crow women (and Blackfeet also) are not handsome,
and I shall at present say but little of them. They are
like all other Indian women, the slaves of their husbands :
being obliged to perform all the domestic duties and
drudgeries of the tribe, and not allowed to join in their
religious rites or ceremonies, nor in the dance or other
amusements.
The women in all these upper and western tribes are
decently dressed, and many of them with great beauty and
taste ; their dresses are all of deer or goat skins, extending
from their chins quite down to the feet; these dresses are
in many instances trimmed with ermine, and ornamented
with porcupine quills and beads with exceeding ingenuity.
The Crow and Blackfeet women, like all others I ever
saw in any Indian tribe, divide the hair on the forehead,
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 tribe, have a fashion
equally simple, and probably of as little meaning, which
seems strictly to be adhered to by every man in the tribe ;
they separate the hair in two places on the forehead, leaving
ft lock between the two, of an inch or two in width, which
is carefully straightened down on to the bridge of the nose,
and there cut square off. It is more than probable that
this is done for the purpose of distinction; that they mav
thereby be free from the epithet of effeminacy, which might
otherwise attach to them.
H
LETTERS AXD NOTES ON THE
These two tribes, whom I have spoken of connectedl}',
speak two distinct and entirely dissiijiilar 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 amongst the tribes I shall visit,
which will answer as a specimen or sample in each.
The Blackfeet are, perhaps, the most powerfiil 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 acquaintance
with them, and endeavoring 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
establishments into their country; and the numerous parties
of trappers are tracing up their streams and rivers, rapidly
destroying the beavers which dwell in them. The Black-
feet have repeatedly informed the Traders of the Company,
that if their men Persisted in trapping beavers in their
country, they should kill them whenever they met them.
They have executed their threats in many instances, and
the Company lose some fifteen to twenty men annually,
who fall by the hands of these people, in defence of what
they deem their property and their rights. Trinkets and
whisky, however, will soon spread their charms amongst
these, as they have amongst other tribes ; and white man's
voracity will sweep the prairies and the streams of their
NORTH AMSRICAK INDIANS.
95
wealth, to the Rocky MountainB and the Pacific Ocean;
leaving the Indians to inhabit, and at last to starve upon,
a dreary and solitary waste.
The Blackfeet, therefore, having been less traded with,
and less seen by white people than most of the 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 one, as yet, can correctly
estimate their real strength. From all I can learn, however,
which is the b(:st information that can be got from the
Traders, there are not far from forty thousand Indiana
(altogether), who range under the general denomination of
Blackfeet.
From our slight 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 more Indians into the computation, than
are entitled justly to the appellation of "Blackfeet"
Such, for instance, are the " Crosventres de Prairie" and
Cotonn^s, 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 practising their own customs.
The Blackfeet proper are divided into four bands or
families, as follow: — ^the "Pe-a-gans," of five hundred
lodges ; the " Blackfoot " band, of four hundred and fifly
lodges; the "Blood" band, of four hundred and fifty lodges;
and the " Small Robes," of two hundred and fifty lodges.
These four bands constituting about sixteen hundred and
fifty lodges, averaging ten to the lodge, amount to about
sixteen thousand five hundred souls.
There are then of the other tribes above-mentioned (and
whom we, perhaps, incorrectly denominate Blackfeet),
Grosventres des Prairies, four hundred and thirty lodges,
with language entirely distinct ; Circees, of two hundred
If '
III
n
LKTTKRS AND NOTES ON TUB
aud twenty lodges, and Cotonn^s, of two hundred and fiflj
lodges, with language also distinct from either.*
There is in this region a rich and interesting field for
the linguist or the antiquarian; and stubborn facts, I think,
if they could be well procured, that would do away the
idea which many learned gentlemen entertain, that the
Indian languages of North America can all be traced to
two or three roots. The language of the Dahcotas is
entirely and radically distinct from that of the Mandans,
and theirs equally so from the Blackfoot and the Crows.
And from the lips of Mr. Brazeau, a gentleman of education
and strict observation, who has lived several years with the
Blackfeet and the Shiennes, and who speaks the language
of tribes on either side of them, assures me that thebe
languages are radically distinct and dissimilar, as I have
above stated ; and also, that although he has been several
years amongst those tribes, he has not been able to trace
the slightest resemblance between the Circee, Cotonne, and
Blackfoot, and Shienne, and Crow, and Mandan tongues ;
and from a great deal of corroborating information, which
I have got from other persons acquainted with these tribes,
I am ftilly convinced of the correctness of hia statement. .
Besides the Blackfeet and Crows, whom I told you were
assembled at this place, are also the Knisteneaux (or Crees,
as they are commonly called), a very pretty and pleasing
tribe of Indians, of about three thousand in number, living
on the north of this, and also the Assinneboius and OJibbe-
ways; both of which tribes also inhabit the country to the
north and north-east of the mouth of Yellow Stone.
The Knisteneaux are of small stature, but well-built for
* Several yean since writing the above, I held a conversation with
Major Pilchor (a strictly correct and honorable man, who was then
the agent for these people, who has lived amongst them, and is at this
time superintendent of Indian affairs at St. Louis), who informed me,
much to my sarprise, that the Blackfeet were not far from sixty
ibonsand in numbers, inclading all the confederacy of which I have jast
•poken.
VOBTH AMKBIOAV INDIANS.
97
■trength and activity combined ; are a people of wonderful
prowess for their numbers, and have waged an unceasing
warfare with the Blaokfeet, who are their neighbors and
enemies on the west. From their disparity in numbers,
they are rapidly thinning the ranks of their warriors,
who bravely sacrifice their lives in contentions with their
powerfiil neighbors. This tribe occupy the country from
the mouth of the Yellow Stone, in a north-western
direction, far into the British territory, and trade princi-
pally at the British N. W. Company's Posts.
The Assinneboins of seven thousand, and the Ojibbewayi
of six thousand, occupy a vast extent of country, in a
north-eastern direction frx>m this ; extending also into the
British possessions as high north as Lake Winnepeg ; and
trading principally with the British Company. These
three tribes are in a state of nature, living as neighbors,
and are also on terms of friendship with each other. This
friendship, however, is probably but a temporary arrange-
ment, 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 time when, they became severed from each
other.
The Assinneboins are a part of the Dahcotas, or Sioux,
undoubtedly ; for their personal appearance as well as theii
language is very similar.
At what time, or in what manner, these two parts of a
nation got strayed away from each other is a mystery ; yet
auch cases have oflen ocuured, of which I shidl say more
in future. Large parties who are straying off in pursuit
of game,
7
or in the occupation of war, are oftentimes
98
LEITEES AND N0TE3 ON THE
-#■"
intercepted by their enemy; and being prevented from
returning, are run oflF to a distant region, where they take
up their residence and establish themselves as a nation.
There is a very curious custom amongst the Assinne-
boins, from which they have taken their name; a name
given them by their neighbors, from a singular mode the;
have of boiling their meat, which is done in the following
manner: — ^when they kill meat, a hole is dug in the ground
about the size of a common 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 the hands close around
the sides, and filled with water. The meat to be boiled is
then put in this hole or pot of wat«r ; and in a fire, which
is built near by, several large stones are heated to a red
heat, which are successivelj 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 as an ingenivus 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 Mandans had in-
structed them in the secret of manufacturing 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 hunian family, to take
pleasure in cherishing and perpetuating their ancient
customs.
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 the Dalootas or Sioux,
from whom they have undoubtedly sprung. The men are
tall, and graceful in their movements; and wear their
pictured robes of the bufifalo hide with great skill and
pleasing effect. They are good hunters, and tolerably
NORTH AMEBICAN INDIANS.
»9
■upplied with horses; and living in a country abounding
with buffaloes, are well supplied with the necessaries ot
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 ; and in addition to which, they 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 (aa
well as of many others of their amusements) a minute
account.
Their dances, which were frequent and varied, were
generally exactly the same as those of the Sioux, of which
I have given a faithful account in my Notes on the Sioux,
and which the reader will soon meet with. There was one
of these scenes, however, that I witnessed the other day,
which appeared to me to be peculiar to this tribe, and
exceedingly picturesque in its effect ; which was described
to me as the pipe-dance^ and was as follows : — On a hard-
trodden pavement in front of their village, which place is
used for all their public meetings, and many of their
amusements, the young men, who were to compose the
dance, had gathered themselves around a small fire, and
each one seated on a buffalo-robe spread upon the ground.
In the centre and by the fire, 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 fire
and smoked incessantly, grunting forth at the same time, in
half-strangled gutturals, a sort of song, which I 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 gi-oup commenced
beating on a drum or tambourine, accompanied 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 imaginable. In this way he
went several times around the circle, bowing and brandish*
100
LETTEAS AND NOTES ON THE
ing hia fists in the faces of each one who was seated, tintii
at length he grasped one of them by the hands, and jerked
him forcibly up upon his feet ; who joined in the. dance
for a moment, leaving 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 joining his companion in the centre;
leaving the third and the fourth, and so on to drag into the
ring, each one his man, 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 oar
feet. This strange manoeuvre, which I but partially
understood, 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 so many afirighted 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 &stened very ingeni-
ously 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; his dress is a very handsome
one, and in every respect answers well to the descriptions
I have given above. The name of this man is "Wi-jun-jon
(the pigeon's egg head), and by the side of him is the
portrait of his wife, Ohin-oha-pee (the fire-bug that creeps),
a fine looking squaw, in a handsome dress of the mountain*
sheep skin, holding in her hand a stick curiously carved,
with which every woman in this country is supplied ; for
the purpose of digging up the "Pomme Blanche," or
prairie turnip, which is found in great quantities in theM
sown AMKRICAN IKDIAXS.
101
northern prairies, and furniBhea the Indians with an abun*
dant and nourishing food. The women collect these
turnips by Htriking the end of the stick into the ground,
and prying them out; after which they are dried and
preserved in their wigwams for use during the season.
T have just had the satisfaction of seeing this travelled-
gentleman (Wi-jun-jon) meet his tribe, his wife and his
little children ; after an absence of a year or more, on his
journey of six thousand miles to Washington City, and
back again (in company with Major Sanford, the Indian
agont); where ho ha« been spending the winter amongst
the fashionables in the polished circles of civilized society
And I can assure you, roaders, that his entree amongst
his own people, in the dresM and with the airs of a civilized
beau,- was one of no ordinary occurrence ; and produced no
common sensation amongst the red-visaged Assinneboius,
or in the minds of those who were travellers, and but spec-
tators to the scene.
On his way home from St. Louis to this place, a distanc-e
of two thousand miles, I travelled with this gentleman, on
the steamer Yellow Stone ; and saw him step ashore (on a
beautiful prairie, where several thousands of his people
were encamped,) with a complete suit en militaire, a
colonel's uniform of blue, presented to him by the Presi-
ient of the United States, with a beaver hat and feather,
with epaulettes of gold — with sash and belt, and broad
aword; with high-heeled boots — with a keg of whisky
under his arm, and a blue umbrella in his hand. In this
plight and metamorphose, be took his position on the
bank, amongst his friends — his wife and other relations ;
not one of whom exhibited, for an half-hour or more, the
least symptoms of recognition, although they knew well
who was before them. He also gazed upon them— upon
his wife and parents, and little children, who were about,
as if they were foreign to him, and he had not a feeling or
thought to interchange with them. Thus the mutual
gazings upon and from this would-be-stranger, lasted for
102
LBTTBM AND NOTES ON THB
full half an hour ; when a gradual, but cold and exceed,
ingly forinal recognition began to take place, and aa
acquaintance ensued, which ultimately and smoothly
resolved itself, without the least apparent emotion, into its
former state ; and the mutual kindred intercourse seemed
to flow on exactly where it had been broken oflf, as if it
had been but for a moment, and nothing had transpired in
ihe interim to check or change its chnracter or expression.
Such is one of the stoic instances of a custom which
belongs to all the North American Indians, forming one of
the most striking features in their character; valued,
cherished and practiced, like many others of their strange
notions, for reasons which are difficult to be learned or
understood; and which probably will never be justly
appreciated by others than themselves.
This man, at this time, is creating a wonderful sensation
amongst his tribe, who are daily and nightly gathered in
gaping and listless crowds around him, whilst he is
descanting upon what lie has seen in the fashionable world ;
and which to them is unintelligible and beyond their
comprehension ; for whiuh I And they are already setting
him down as a liar and impostor.
What may be the lluul renults of his travels and
initiation into the fashionable world, and to what disasters
his incredible narrations may yet subject' the poor fellow
in this strange land, time only will develop.
He 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 flown from his fashionable tour. More of this curious
occurrence and of this extraordinary man, I will surely
give in some future epistles.
The women of this tribe are often comely, and some-
times pretty : the dresses of the women and children, are
usually made of the skins of the mountain-goat, and
ornamented with porcupine's quills and rows of elk's teeth.
The Knistoneaux (or Oree*, as they are more familiarly
E»i
,
1
-
!
1
i
i
1
i
-^i
.}STf*5fe» *';<'"* **<'?'F'^ ON Ti(K
!uJi J^ -i^' "OUT, w!i*n;« jjf^'iu^l, Vut ...id and exceed-
;ai.'?v ionr'^i wNign'.l'o'' IfgWi t'^ ■^*^<^ ^\u.go, and nn
fc^'^^u»iv)i:»;>^ ©')»U'>d, wbici* ulr-u.^U'ly and snioofhly
i^".* Iv;d ;;««;.*'. without r.I;.- ics^t &pp<vr<v.»f. emntioa, into its
5 .."..•- »U.i»: ; &u<l tlio ni'it^w) K'^'iref/ -uk-rcourse seemed
j.> Uoi» uo tixacily v.'h.-jv; it. K»fe.i >t.v-". l^roken off, ns it' it
Hvad iumi but for *; maR>.ent,, »(u! n.^iti'jf liad transpired in
i',u: •nknm to check or chitJi^-A it-» ch,-. ;-anor oi exvressior..
Sucli i« one c»f •.b<j '-s-'H' itHU^Ci* "f a custom wi-.icii
V.-.'K-n^f, J.0 *ll the N«»rt** Am-fiwii !if«-ji>iu9. iorndag one of
tiae iT.'*;«t 3'/iknig feic-^^vs hi \M^'if •;hanicter; valuci,
chft.rWr' d «.»-! ]in*'.U.>4, like njai.y '>ih-f% o\^ tlieir strange
-■>';*i.;>s,?. t^-r reason.' -^-hicr. a^e ..ht!4»juU. t.. be leani-vd or
a.jKier4vi.Hl iir.d vr'-;j pfbarvV- will n.-ver be justly
Ti-U Miuu. 4i t'ftife imw, vi t^■■^•'»!:if.• r « Wonderful s'.M.isusion
*Wing»i rh \nm, who Are A%ih .^.. :^.g^tly gathered in
%%i?i.n^ *«<i !->st]e«? r.^j^?d»!' .ir>.'n-;.d hirn, whilst ho ia
4*»«-4t«ttS;)? UT"" W'>a«. ;\t W M=H'.->. f.: kh<? fiirihioniiblo World ;
aivd why h ':i t'uf.'iit ts oaiut^iilg hit and beytnid ibcir
s' n ?-«ti.-:*%.-/' , tor vhv'h I tj!xd ihey are already settiiig
Wlbn* t;rf\\ '■« «Ht? Uii«d f«>*?ut» of his travels au.l
ir:t\^»1.-W«s UT.w* iuSi ^Ajf.jtv.-'j'-.aiwt; *t>*it. wad to what disastero
ill* utssr-j^^Ut'd rjAj^mom snay /■.-t subj«-'L Iho poor felio'-v
%it,'^i^ ii'fmr^s hm, H'fym v*3»y *j1I ie^'^'-lop.
- li«j Ut ^a.*' u.' 'feigtiKee, *-.u4 sjy.irw^ti by the leadiag mmi
jjI i^ia m'bw, a.u«i father r,i ht p ti.' d than envied, for
^- AdviSiit*^ vd«:«h oRo «a;ght Jjavc supposed would
>;»Ye rJi^vsn tixtm s»i» fiisi..W>u»Hfe t<>ur. More of this ourioua
f-.urreoR^^ fHi'i uf tirsa ij;vfe»!.^a'.;n;i.ry wan, I will surely
gjvtt in *>iiie tutwre ejHj*W»:.
Tb« wom^t of 'dm «'i''it» ai^' often ci.«raely, and aoin^)-
times pretty- rut* .i?\'i^i.?s!' vt 5.WwQm«m and chUdren, ar-^
usually n;*;!© oi' %h« *»,Afi*i of th<^ mountain Lwat, anil
oruameut'j<i with por^'U3i«v»'iV -iuiib and rows of elk's teeth.
if'
i
The Knistoueaux ^vv^ C'*-*** as ti>«y a o more tamiliarl-'
■^
,.■
\/
■*
, \
r
hJUi
'••'■■.'
.
1
1 exceed-
, and tvn
smooth ty
11, into its
56 rtoenujd
)lf, as it' it
aspired in
ressioi;.
>m wmcu
lag one of
•. valued,
lir strange
tiMHwd or
bo j't^tly
S'.M.'.satioa
ithered ia
1st- ho ia
[jio worid ;
>od ilioir
V aettiiij;
vol'- iUi'J
diJiii.'jter.i
or felio'Y
ling mi.'u
Ivied, for
Id would
|:s ourioua
" surely
|ld SUlTl^)-
Iren, ar:
[)at, anu
■^uiliar)'
NORTH AMERICAN IXDUNS.
103
called in this country) are a very numerous tribe, ex-
tending from this place as high north as the shores of Lake
Winnepeg; and even much further in a north-westerly
direotion, towards, and even through, a great part of the
Bocky Mountains.
I have before said of these, that they were about three
thousand in numbers — by that, I meant but a small part <A
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 any-
thing 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 their 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 though fewer in numbers
and less in stature, they have shewn themselves equal in
sinew, and not less successM in mortal combats.
LETTER No. IX.
MOUTH OP YELLOW STONE, UPPER MISSOURI.
Since the dates of my other Letters from this place, 1
bare been taking some wild rnmbles about this beautiful
oountry of green fields; jolted and tossed about, on
horseback and on foot, where pen, ink, and paper never
thought 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 probable, 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 retrospective glance at this fairy land and its
amusements.
A traveller on his tour through such a country as this,
has no time to write, and scarcely time enough to moralize.
(104) ,
50KTU AHKKICAN iKDlANS.
105
1 '.s as much as he can toell do to " look out for his tcalp^'*
a. .J " for something to eat." Impressions, however, of the
most vivid kind, are rapidly and indelibly made by the
fleeting incidents of savage life ; and for the mind that can
ruminate upon them with pleasure, there are abundant
materials clinging to it for its endless 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 fasci-
nations of this slufm country and its allurements have spun
over the soul — it is but to paint the splendid panorama of
a world entirely different from anything seen or painted
before ; with its thousands of miles, and tens of thousands
of grassy hills and dales, where nought but silence reigns,
and where the soul of a contemplative mould is seemingly
lifted up to its Creator. What man in the world, I would
ask, ever ascended to the pinnacle of one of Missouri's
green-carpeted 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 nlenee is
complice — where not even the voice of the sparrow or
crioket is heard — without feeling a sweet melancholy come
over liim, which seemed to drown his sense of everything
beneath and on a level with him ?
It is but to paint a vast country of green field, where
the men are all recJ— where meat is the staff of life — ^where
no laws, but those of /lonor, are known — where the oak
and the pine give way to the cotton-wood and peccan —
where the bufi&loes range, the elk, mountain-sheep, and
the fleet-bounding antelope — where the magpie and
chattering parroquettes supply the place of the red-breast
and the blue-bird — where wolves are white and bears
grizzly— where pheasants are hens of the prairie, and frogs
have horos 1 — where the rivers are yellow, and white men
are turned savages in looks. Through the whole of thid
strange land the dogs are all wolves — women all slaves —
106
LSITER8 AND' NOTES ON THE
men all lords. The avn and rats alone (of all the list of old
acquaintance), could be recognized in this country of
strange metamorphose. The former shed everywhere hia
&miliar rays; and Monsr. Batapon was hailed as an old
acquaintance, which it gave me pleasure to meet ; though
he had grown a little more savage in his looks.
In traversing the immense regions of the ekusie "West,
the mind "f a philanthropist is filled to the brim with
feelings of admiration ; but to reach this country, on« is
obliged to descend from the light and glow of civilized
atmosphere, through the different grades of civilization,
which gradually sink to the most deplorable condition
along the extreme frontier ; thence through the most
pitiable misery and wretchedness of savage degradation ;
where the genius of natural liberty and independence have
been blasted and destroyed by the contaminating vices and
dissipations introduced by the immoral part of civilized
society. Through this dark and sunken vale of wretched-
ness one hurries, as through a pestilence, until he gradually
rises again into the proud and chivalrous pale of savage
society, in its state of original nature, beyond thb reach of
civilized contamination ; here he finds much to fix his
enthusiasm upon, and much to admire. Even here, the
predominant passions of the savage breast, of ferocity and
cruelty, are often found; yet restrained, and frequently
tuhduedf by the noblest traits of honor and magnanimity,
— 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 judge the savage
and his virtues from the poor, degraded, and humbled
specimens which alone can be seen along our frontiers.
From the first settlements of our Atlantic coast to the
present day, the bane of this bloating frontier has regularly
crowded upon them, from the northern to the southern
extremities of our country ; and, like the fire in a prairie,
which destroys everything where it passes, it has blat.ted
and sunk them, and all but their names, into obliv ^n,
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
107
wherever it haa travelled. It is to this tainted class alone
that the epithet of " poor, naked, and dranken savage,"
3an be, with propriety, applied ; for all those numerous
tribes which I have visited, and are yet uncorrupted by
the vices of civilized acquaintance, are well clad, in many
instances cleanly, and in the full enjoyment of life and its
luxuries. It is for the character and preservation of these
noble fellows that I am an enthusiast ; and it is for these
uncontaminated people that I would be willing to devote
the energies of my life. It is a sad and melancholy truth
to contemplate, that all the numerous tribes who inhabited
our vast Atlantic States have not *' fled to the West ;" —
that they are not to be found here — that they have been
blasted by the fire which has passed over them — have
sunk into their graves, and everything but their 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 West.
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 honor of our
country — ^for the honor 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 inhaliit is most of it too barren of timber
for the use of civilized 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 continued
wilful destruction of these happy people.
^1 i
&i v.; ill^
S-
108
LK'ITKRS AND NOTES ON THB
■'I'l
I'll:.?'
M'
>■): : . .-. I.
i£i:
My heart has sometimes almost bled with pity for them^
while amongst them and witnessing their innocent amuse-
ments, 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 them from destruction.
What degree of happiness these sons of Nature may
attain to in the world, in their own way; or in what pro-
portion they may relish the pleasures of life, compared ta
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. I would say thus much,
however, that if the thirst for knowledge has entailed
everlasting miseries on mankind from the beginning of thfr
world; if refined and intellectual pains increase in pro-
portion 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 ihe 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 feeling 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 exoept from God.
As these independent fellows are all joint-tenants of the
soil, they are all rich, and none of the steep ings of com-
parative poverty can strangle their just claims to renown.
Who (I would ask) can look witnout admiring, into a
society where peace and harmony prevail — where virtue is
cherished — where rights are protected, and wrongs are
redressed — with no laws, but the laws of honor, which are
the supreme law« of their land Trust the boasted virtue*
NOBTH AUSBICAir VXVIASS.
109
ire 8 man.
h^'" %
of civilized society for a while, with all its intellectual
refinements, to such a tribunal, and then write down the
degradation of the " lawless savage," and our transcendent
virtues.
As these people have no laws, the sovereign right of
summary redress lies in the breast of the party (or friends
of the party) aggrieved; and infinitely more dreaded is the
certainty of cruel revenge from the licensed hands of an
offended savage, than the slow and uncertain vengeance of
the law.
If you think me an enthusiast, be it so ; for I deny it not.
It has ever been the predominant passion 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 GK>d's
works as He left them.
The sad tale of my native " valley,"* has been beautifully
sung; and from the flight of " Gertrude's" soul, my young
imagination closely traced the savage to his deep retreats,
and gazed upon him in dreadful horror, until pity pleaded,
and admiration worked a charm.
A journey of four thousand 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 book 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
knomng people of the East, are yet less informed and
instructed than on the character and amusements of the
West: by this I mean the "Far West;" — the country
'Whose fascinations spread a charm over the mind almost
* Wyoming.
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110
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
daugeroos to civilized pursuits. Few people even know
the true definition of the term "West;" and where is ita
location ? — phantom-like it flies before us as we travel, and
on our way is continually gilded, before us, as we approach
the setting sun.
In the commencement of my Tour, several of my
travelling companions from the city of New York, found
themselves at a frightful distance to the West, when we
arrived at Niagara Falls; and hastened back to amuse their
friends with tales and scenes of the West. At Buffalo a
steamboat was lauding with four hundred 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 Cin-
cinnati, people said to me, "Our town has passed the days
of its most rapid growth, it is not far enough West." — In
St. Louis, fourteen hundred miles west of New York, my
landlady assured me that I would be pleased with her
boarders, for they were nearly all merchants from the
"West." I there asked, — "Whence come those steam-
boats, laden with pork, honey, hides, &o. ?"
From the West.
Whence those ponderous bars of silver, which those men
have been for hours shouldering and putting on board
that boat ?
They come from Santa F^, from the West.
Where goes this steam-boat so richly laden with dry
goods, steamengines, &c. ?
She goes to Jefferson city.
Jeflferson city ? — Where is that ?
Far to the West.
And where goes that boat laden down to her gunnels,
the Yellow Stone ?
She goes still farther to the West—" Then," said I, « I'll
go to the West."
I went on the Yellow Stone — » * ♦
* * * * Two thousand milei on
NORTH AMKHICAN INDIA5S.
Ill
' -jr, and we were at the mouth of Yellow Stone river — at
the West. What 1 invoioes, bills of lading, &c., a wholesale
establishment so far to the West! And those strange
looking, longhaired gentlemen, who have just arrived, and
are relating the adventures of their long and tedious
journey. Who are they ?
Oh ! they are some of our merchants just arrived from
the West.
And that keel-boat, that Mackinaw-boat, and that
formidable caravan, all of which are richly laden with
goods?
These, Sir, are outfits starting for the West
Going to the F«/, ha? "Then," said I, "TU try it
again. I will try and see if I can go to the West."
* * * What, a Fort here, too?
Oui, Monsieur — oui. Monsieur (as a dauntless, and semi-
Jarftanan-looking, jolly fellow, dashed forth in advance ot
his party on his wild horse to meet me.)
What distance are you west of Yellow Stone here, my
good fellow ?
Comment ?
What distance? — (stop)— quel distance?
Parddn, Monsieur, je ne sais pas, Monsietir.
No parlez vous 1' Anglais ?
Non, Monsr. I speaks do French and de Americaine
mais je ne parle pas 1' Anglais,
" Well then, my good fellow, I will speak English, ftnd
you may speak Americaine."
Parddn, parddn, MonHieur.
Well then we will both speak Americaine,
Val, sare, je suis bien content, pour for I see dat y<m
speaks putty coot Americaine.
What may I call your name ?
Ba'tiste, Monsieur.
What Indians are those so splendidly dressed, and with
such fine horses, encamped on the plain yonder?
lis Bont Gorbeaux.
112
LBTTKRS AND VOTIS ON THS
:ii
'H,lf
Crows, ha ?
Yes, sare, Monsieur.
We are then ia the Crow country?
Non, Monsieur, not putt/ dxaot ; we are in de coontrae of
de dam Pieds noirs.
Blackfeet, ha?
Oui.
Wnat blue mountain is that whioh we see in the distance
vender ?
Ha, quel Montaigne ? oela est la Montaigne du (parddn).
Du Bochers, I suppose ?
Oui, Monsieur, do Rook Montaigne.
You live here, I suppose ?
Non, Monsieur, I comes &ir from de West.
What, from the West! Where under the heavens is
that?
Wat, diable ! de West ? well you shall see, Monsieur, he
ia putty fair off, sdppose. Monsieur Pierre Chouteau can
give yon de historie de ma vie'-~il bien sait que je prenda
les castors, very fair in de West.
You carry goods, I suppose, to trade with the Snake
Indians beyond the mountains, and trap beaver also ?
Oui, Monsieur.
Do you see anything of the "Flat-heads" in your
country ?
Non, Monsieur, ils demeurent very, very fair to de West.
Well, Ba'tiste, I'll lay my course back again for the
present, and at some iVituro period, endeavor to go to the
" West." But you say you trade with the Indians and
trap beavers ; you are in the employment of the American
Far Company, I suppose.
Non, Monsieur, not quite ftxaot; mais, stippose, I am
"free trappare^^ free, Monsr., firee.
Free trapper, what's that? I don't understand you,
Ba'tiste.
Well, Monsr. suppose he is easy pour understand — you
shall know all. In de first place, I am enlist for tree year in
NORTH AMBBICAN INDIANS
11«
cie
Fur Comp ia St. Louis— for bount^— pour bountd,
eighty dollare (understand, ha ?) den I am go for wages, et
I °ave come de Missouri up, et I am trap castors putty
much for six years, you see, until I am learn very much ;
and den you see, Monsr. M'Kenzie is give me tree horse-
one pour ride, et two pour pack (mais he is not buy, him
not give, he is lend), and he is lend twelve trap; and I
ave make start into de Rocky Montaigne, et I am live all
dlone on de leet rivares pour prendre les castors. Some-
time six months — sometime five months, and I come back
to Yel Stone, et Monsr. M'Kenzie is give me coot price
pour all.
So Mr. M'Kenzie fits you out, and takes your beaver of
you at a certain price ?
Oui, Monsr., oui.
What price does he pay you for your beaver, Ba'tiate ?
Ha 1 sfippose one dollare pour one beavare.
A dollar per skin, ah ?
Oui.
"Well, you must live a lonesome and hazardous sort of
life ; can you make anything by it ?
Oh 1 oui, Monsr., putty coot, mais if it is not pour for de
dam rascalitfe Riccaree, et de dam Pieds noirs, de Black-
foot Ingin, I am make very much monnair, mais (sacrfe,)
I am rob — rob — rob too much I
What, do the Blackfeet rob you of your furs?
Oui, Monsr., rob, slippose, five time! I am been free
trappare seven year, et I am rob five time — I am someting
left not at all — he is take all ; he is take all de horse — he
is take my gun — he is take all my clothes — he is takee
de castors — et I am come back with foot. So in de Fort,
some cloths is cost puttj^ much monnair, et some whisky
is give sixteen doUares pour gall ; so you see I am owe de
Fur Comp six hundred dollare, by Gar 1
Well, Ba'tiste, this then is what you call being a free
trapper, is it ?
Oui, Monr., " free trappare," free 1
•r
114
LETTERS AND NOTES.
You seem to be going down towards the Yellow Stone,
and probably have been out on a trapping excursion ?
Oui, Monsr., c'est vrai.
Have you been robbed this time, Ba'tiste?
Oui, Monsr., by de dam Pieds noirs — I am loose much;
I am loose all — very all eh bien — pour le dernier-^
o'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 I shall descend the
Missouri from the mouth of Yellow Stone, to St. Louis;
and I should like exceedingly to employ just such 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 Grows
encamped yonder.
Oui, Monsieur, oui, des Corbeaux.
And I suppose you are their interpreter?
Non, Monsieur.
But you speak the Crow laoguage ?
Oui, Monsieur.
Well then, turn about ; I am going to pay them a visit,
and you can render me a service. — Bien, Monsieur, allonsi
Mi'
LETTER No. X.
MANDAN VILLAGE, UPPER MISSOURI.
Soon after the writing of my last Letter, which wai
dated at the Mouth of Yellow Stone, I embarked on the
river for this place, where I landed safely; and have
resided for a couple of weeks, a guest in this almost sub-
terraneous city — the strangest place in the world ; where
•116)
116
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
(I ; r
one sees in the most rapid succession, soene;} which furui
him to mirth — to pity and compassion — to admiratiou—
disgust— to fear and astonishment. But before I prQcuod
to reveal them, I must give you a brief sketch of my
voyf»5e down the river from the Mouth of the Yellow
Stone river to this place, a distance of two hundred milett
and which my little note- book says, was performed houw..
what in the following manner :
When I had completed my rambles and my sketohei iu
those regions, and Ba'tiste and Bogard had taken their Iitrtt
spree, and fought their last battles, and forgotten them iu
the final and aflfectionate embrace and farewell (all of
which are habitual with these game-fellows, when gettling
up their long-standing accounts with their fellow-trappord
of the mountain streams;) and after Mr. M'Kenzie hud
procured for me a snug little craft, that was to waft u*
down the mighty torrent; we launched off one flue
morning, taking our leave of the Fort, and the frieM<l»j
within it ; and also, for ever, of the beautiful green fields,
and hills, and dales, and prairie bluffs, that encompaxs thd
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. Ammunitioit
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. Bogard and Ba'tiste. occupied tb'j
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, som'j
few pounds of fresh buffalo meat.
Besides which, and ourselves, our little craft carrie'i
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; consisting of three tin cups, a coffee-pot — one
plate— a frying-pan— and a tin kettle.
NOBTU AMKKICAN INDIANS.
117
+' Ml
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
tbein, and turned our eyes towards St. Louis, which was
two thousand miles below us, with nought intervening,
save the wide-spread and wild recjions, inhabited by the
roaming savage.
At the end of our first day's journey, we found ourselves
handily encamping with several thousand Asstnneboins,
who had pitched their tents upon the bank of the river,
and received us with every mark of esteem and friendship.
In the midst of this group, was my 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 exhaustirn, 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 appearance quite ridiculous.
His beautiful military dress, of which I before spoke,
had been so shockingly tattered and metamorphosed, that
his appearance was truly laughable.
His keg of whisky 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 of at that
place, and the nether half of it supplied her with a beauti*
ful pair of leggings ; and his silver-laced hat-band ha4 been
converted into a splendid pair of garters for the same. His
umbrella the poor 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 Assinr.eboins we took leave on tho
following morning, and rapidly made our way down tho
river. The rate of the current being four or five miles per
hour, through one continued series of picturesque grass-
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118
LKTTEKS AND NOTES ON TUB
covered bluffs aud knolls, which everywhere had the
appearance of an old and highly cultivated country, with
houses and fences removed.
There is, much of the way, on one side or the other, a
bold and abrupt precipice of three or four hundred feet in
olevation, presenting itself in an exceedingly rough and
picturesque form, to the shore of the river ; sloping down
from the summit level of the prairies above, which sweep
off from the brink of the precipice, almost level, to. an
unknown distance.
It is along the rugged and wild fronts of these clif&, whose
aides are generally formed of hard clay, that the mountain-
sheep dwell, and are often discovered in great numbers.
Their habits are much like those of the goat; and in
every respect they are like that animal, except in the
horns, which resemble those of the ram sometimes making
two entire circles in their coil ; and at the roots, each horn
is, in some instances, from five to six inches in breadth.
On the second day of our voyage we discovered a num-
ber of these animals skipping along the sides of the
precipice, always k^^eping about equi-distant between the
top and bottom oi the ledge ; leaping and vaulting in the
most extraordinary manner from point to point, and
seeming to cling actually, to the sides of the wall, where
neither man nor beast could possibly follow them.
We landed our canoe, and endeavored to shoot one of
these sagacious animals; and after he had led us a long and
fruitless chase, amongst the cliffs, we thought we bad fairly
entrapped him in such a way as to be sure to bring him, at
last, within the command of our rifles, when he suddenly
bounded from his narrow foot-hold in the ledge, and
tumbled down a distance of more than a hundred feet,
amongst the fragments of rocks and clay, where I thought
we must certainly find bis carcass without further trouble;
when, to my great surprise, I saw him bounding off', and
he was almost instantly out of my sight.
Bogard, who wa^ an old honter, aud well acquainted wiA
. I
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
119
theae creatures, shouldered his rifle, and said to me — "the
game U up ; and now vou see the use of those big horns ;
when they fall bj accident, or find it necessary to quit
their foot-hold in the crevice, they fall upon their head at
a great distance unharmed, even though it should be on
the solid /ock."
Being on shore, and our canoe landed secure, we whiled
away the greater part of this day amongst the wild and
ragged cliffs, into which we had entered ; and a part of our
labors were vainly spent in the pursuit of a war-eagle.
This noble bird is the one which the Indians in these
regions, value so highly for their tail feathers, which are
used as the most valued plumes for decorating the heads
and dresses of their warriors. It is a beautiful bird, and,
the Indians tell me, conquers all other varieties of eagles in
the country; from which circumstance, the Indians respect
the bird, and hold it in the highest esteem, and value its
quills. I am unable to say to what variety it belongs;
but I am sure it is not to be seen in any of our museums ;
nor is it to be found in America (I think), until one gets
near to the base of the Rocky Mountains. This bird has
often been called the calumet eagle and war-eagle ; the last
of which appellations I have already accounted for; and
the other has arisen from the fact, that the Indians almost
invariably ornament the calumets or pipes of peace with
its quills.
Our day's loitering brought us through many a wild
scene ; occasionally across the tracks of the grizzly bear,
and, in sight merely of a band of buffaloes ; «' which got the
wind of us," and were out of the way, leaving us to return
to our canoe at night, with a mere speck of good luck.
Just before we reached the river, I heard the crack of a rifle,
and in a few moments Bogard came in sight, and threw
•down from his shoulders a fine antelope ; which added to
our larder, and we were ready to proceed. Wo embarked
and travelled until nightfall, when we encamped on a
beautiful little prairie at the base of a series of grass-covered
iH:
.ill
120
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
blufl's ; and the next morning cooked our breakfast and eat
it, and rowed on until late in the afternoon; when we
stopped at the base of some huge clay bluffs, forming one
of the most curious and romantic scenes imaginable. At
this spot the river expands itself into the appearance some-
what of a beautiful lake ; and in the midst of it, and on
and about its sand-bars, floated and stood, hundreds and
thousands of white swans and pelicans.
Though the scene in front of our encampment at this
place was placid and beautiful ; with its flowing water-
its wild fowl — and its almost endless variety of gracefully
sloping hills and green prairies in the distance ; yet it was
not less wild and picturesque in our rear, where the
rugged and variotis colored bluffs were grouped in all the
wildest fancies and rudeness of Nature's accidental varieties.
The whole country behind us seemed to have been dug
and thrown up into huge piles, as if some giant mason had
been there mixing his mortar and paints, and throwing
together his rude models for some sublime structure of a
colossal city; — with its walls — its domes — its ramparts —
its huge porticoes and galleries — its castles — its fosses and
ditches; — and in the midst of his progress, he had
abandoned his works to the destroying hand of time,
which had already done much to tumble them down, and
deface their noble structure; by jostling them together,
with all their vivid colors, into an unsystematic and
unintelligible mass of sublime ruins.
To this group of clay bluflfe, which line the river for
many miles in distance, the voyageurs have very appro-
priately given the name of " the Brick-kilns ;" owing to
their red appearance, which may be discovered in a clear
day at the distance of many leagues.
By the action of water, or other power, the country
seems to have been graded away ; leaving occasionally a
solitary mound or bluff, rising in a conical form to the
height of two or three tundred feet, generally pointed or
rounded at the top, and in some places grouped together in
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
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great numbers ; some of which having a tabular surface on
the top, and cohered with a green turf. This fact (as arc all
of those which are horizontal on their tops, and correspond-
ing exactly with the summit level of the wide-spreading
prairies in the distance) clearly shows, that their present
isolated and rounded forms have been produced by the
action of waters ; which have carried away the intervening
earth, and left them in the picturesque shapes in which
they are now seen.
A similar formation ^or deformation) may be seen in
hundreds of places on the shores of the Missouri river, and
the actual progress of the operation by which it is pro-
duced; leaving yet for the singularity of this place, the
peculiar feature, that nowhere else (to my knowledge)
occurs ; that the superstratum, forming the tops of these
mounds (where they remain high enough to support any-
thing of the original surface) is composed, for the depth of
fifteen feet, of red pumice ; terminating at its bottom, in a
layer of several feet of sedimentary deposit, which ia
formed into endless conglomerates of basaltic crystals.
This strange feature in the country arrests the eye of a
traveller suddenly, and as instantly brings him to the
conclusion, that he stands in the midst of the ruins of an
extinguished volcano.
The sides of these conical bluffij (which are composed of
strata of different colored clays), are continually washing
down by the effect of the rains and melting of the frost ;
and the superincumbent masses of pumice and basalt are
crumbling off and falling down to their bases; and from
thence, in vast quantities, by the force of the gorges of
water which are often cutting their channels between them
— carried into the river, which is close by ; and waited for
thousands of miles, floating as light as a cork upon its
surface, and lodging in every pile of drift-wood from this
place to the ocean.
The upper part of this layer of pumice is of a brilliant
red ; and when the sun is shining upon it, is as bright and
122
LETTEBS AND NOTES ON THK
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nvid as vermilion. It is porous and open, and its speiiiic
gravity but trifling. These curious bluffs must be seen as
they are in nature ; or else in a painting, where their
colors are faithfully given, or they lose their picturesque
beauty, which consists in the variety of their vivid tints.
The strata of clay are alternating from red to yellow — white
— brown and dark blue ; and so curiously arranged, as to
form the most pleasing and singular effects.
During the day that I loitered about this strange scene,
I left my men stretched upon the grass, by the canoe ; and
taking my rifle and sketch-book in my hand, I wandered
and clambered through the rugged defiles between the
bluffs ; passing over and under the immense blocks of the
pumice, that had fallen to their bases; determined, if
possible, to find the crater, or source, from whence these
strange phenomena had sprung ; but after clambering and
squeezing about for some time, I unfortunately came upon
the enormous tracks of a grizzly bear, which, apparently,
was travelling in the same direction (probably for a very
different purpose) but a few moments before me ; and my
ardor for exploring was instantly so cooled down, that I
hastily retraced my steps, and was satisfied with making
my drawings, and collecting specimens of the lava and
other minerals in its vicinity.
After strolling about during the day, and contemplating
the beauty of the scenes that were around me, while I sat
upon the pinnacles of these pumice-capped mounds ; most
of which time, Bogard and Ba'tiste laid enjoying the
pleasure of a " mountaineer's nv-.p" — ^we met together — took
our coffee and dried buftalo tongues — spread our buffalo
robes upon the grass, and enjoyed during the night the
luxury of sleep, that belongs so peculiarly to the tired
voyageur in these realms of pure air and dead silence.
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 Bocky- Mountains,) thrust his head out from under
NOUTU AMERICAN INDIANS.
128
the robe, rubbing his eyes open, and exclaiming as he
grasped for his gun, "By darn, look at old Cale! will youl"
Ba'tiste, 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 oflf his
iron slumbers. I rose at the same time, and all eyes were
turned at oncfe upon Caleb (as the grizzly bear is femiliarly
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 I here was a
"^," 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
mattrasses, 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 I was in hopes to destroy her — capture her joung
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LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
ones, and bring her skiu home as a trophy. My plans,
however, entirely failed, though we were all well armed ;
for Bogard and Ba'tiste both remonstrated with a vehem-
ence 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 1 voila un corps de reserve — Monsr. Catline —
voila sa mari 1 allons — allons ! d^scendons la riviere, toute
de suite 1 toute de suite 1 Monsr.," to which Bogard added,
*' these darned animals are too much for us, and we had
better be off';" at which niy courage cooled, and we packed
ap and re-embarked as fast as possible ; giving each one of
them the contents of our rifles as we drifted 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 admiring the beautiful shores, which were con-
tinually changing, from the high and ragged cliffs, to the
graceful and green slopes of the prairie bluff's ; and then to
the wide expanded meadows, with their long waving grass,
enamelled with myriads of wild flowers.
The scene was one of enchantment the whole way ; our
chief conversation 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 ante-
lope, 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
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
125
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 flnished, we plied the paddles, and
proceeded several miles further on our course; leaving our
I ' :f 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 upon us, who often are
prowling about and seeking an advantage over their
enemy.
The scenery of tjiis day's travel, as I have before said,
was exceedingly beautiftil ; 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 voluptuous 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 every-
where were decked out in all the glory of their delicate
tints, and shedding sweet aroma to every breath of the air
that passed over them
Tn adJ-'ticn to these, we had the luxury of service-
berries, without stint ; and the buffalo bushes, which are
peculiar to these northern regions, lined the banks of the
river and defiles in the bluffs, sometimes for miles together:
forming almost impassable hedges, so loaded with the
weight of their fruit, that their boughs were everywhere
gracefully bending down and resting on the ground.
This last shrub (she^erdia,) which may be said to be thtt
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LETTERS AND >OTBft ON THE
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most beautiful ornament that deoks out the wild prairies,
forms a striking contrast to tho rest of the foliage, from tht>
blue appearance of its lea vow, by which it can be dis-
tinguished for miles in dinttince. The fruit which it
pro.luces in such incredible i»rofuBion, hanging in clusters
to every limb and to every twig, is about the size of
ordinary currants, and not unlike them in color and even
in flavor; being exceedingly acid, and almost unpala-
table, until they are bitten by tho. frost of autumn, when
they are sweetened, and their flavor delicious; having, to
the taste, much the character uf grapes, and I am inclined
to think, would produce excellent wine.
The shrub which bears thum rcHcmblea some varieties of
the thorn, though (as I have said) differs entirely in the
color 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 tho river to this point
in the spring of the year, arjd in a timbered bottom 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 tho little encampment with
meat; and we should have started off about this time, to
float down the current, stopping our boat wherever we
saw the finest groves of tho buffalo bush, collecting the
berries and expressing the juice, and putting it into our
casks for fermentation while on tho water for two thousand
miles ; how many bushels of those berries could you two
gather in a day, provided I watched the boat and cooked
your meals? and how mony barrels of good wine do you
think we could offer for sale in St. Louis when we should
arrive there ?"
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yORTH AMERICAN INDIAKH
12T
This idea startled my two men exceedingly, and Ba'tiste
gabbled so fast in French, that I could not translate ; and
I am almost willing to believe, that but for the want of
the requisite tools for the enterprize, I should have lost
the company of Bogard and Ba'tiste; or that I should have
been under the necessity of submitting to one of the
unpleasant alternatives which are often regulated by the
majority, in this strange and singular wilderness.
I at length, however, got their opinions on the subject ;
when they mutually agreed that they could gather thirty
bushels of this fruit per day; and I gave it then, and I oiler
it now, as my own also, that their estimate was not out of
the way, and judged so far 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 it on the ground under the bushes, where they
were the most abundantly loaded with fruit ; and by strik-
ing the stalk of the tree with a club, we received the whole
contents of its branches in an instant on the blanket, which
was taken up by the corners, and not unfrequently would
produce us, from one blow, the eighth part of a bushel of
this fruit; when the boughs, relieved of their burden,
instantly flew up to their natural 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 which, from the a- any accidents and incidents that our
unlucky bark was subjected to on our rough passage, I lost
(and almost the recollection of them) as well as many
other curiosities I had collected 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 left our craft float silently by for a little distance,
when I communicated the intelligence to my men, and
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128
'jETteks and notes on THja
filily ran in, to the shore. I pricked the priming of my
fire-look, 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 suprise and violent
alarm, I found the elk to be no more nor less than an
Indian pony, getting his breakfast I 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 of a brawny Indian, who seemed
busily engaged in cleaning his gun. From this critical
dilemma, 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 the 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 stee ing oar in my hand; when we 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 the revengeiul 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 follows : —
Saturday, fifth day of our voyage from the mouth of
Yellow Stone, at eleven o'clock. — Landed our canoe in the
Grand Detour (or Big Bend) as it is called, at the base of
a stately clay mound, and ascended, all hands, to the
summit level, to take a glance at the picturesque am^
magnificent works of Nature that were about us. Spent
the remainder of the day in painting a view of this gran<^
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NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
129
scene; for which purpose Ba'tiste and Bogard carried my
«a8el and canvass to the top of a huge mound, where they
left me at my work ; and I painted my picture, whilst they
amused themselves with their rifles, decoying a flock ol
antelopes, of which they killed several, and abundantly
added to the stock of our provisions.
Scarcely anything in nature can be found, I am sure,
more exceedingly picturesque than the view from this
place; exhibiting the wonderful manner in which the
gorges of the river have cut out its deep channel thY-ough
these walls of clay on either side, of two or three hundred
feet in elevation; and the imposing features of the high
tablelands in distance, standing as a perpetual anomaly in
the country, and producing the indisputable, though
astounding evidence of the fact, that there has been at
some ancient period, a super surface to this country,
oorresponding with the elevation of these tabular hills,
whose surface, for half a mile or more, on their tops, is
perfectly level ; being covered with a green turf, and yet
one hundred and fifty or two hundred feet elevated above
what may now be properly termed the summit level of all
this section of country ; as will be seen stretching off
at their base, without furnishing other instances in
hundreds of miles, of anything rising one foot above its
surface, excepting the solitary group which is shewn in the
painting.
The fact, that there was once the summit level of this
great valley, is a stubborn one, however difficult it may be
to reconcile it with reasonable causes and results ; and the
miud of feeble man is at once almost paralyzed in
endeavoring to . comprehend the process by which the
adjacent country, from this to the base of the Rocky
Mountains, as well as in other directions, could have been
swept away ; and equally so, for knowledge of the place
where its mighty deposits have been carried.
I recollect to have seen on my way up the river, at the
distance of six or eight hundred miles below, a place called
9
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LKXTBES AND NOTES ON THK
" the Square Hills," and another denominated »' the Byott
Hilla ;" which are the only features on the river, seemiug
to correspond with this strange remain, and which, on my
way dowQ; I shall carefully examine; and not &I1 to add
their testimonies (if I am not mistaken in their obaraottii)
to further speculations on this interesting feature of the
geology of the great valley of the Missouri. Whilat my
men were yet engaged in their sporting excursions, I left
my easel and travelled to the base and summit of tbe^e
tabular hills ; which, to my great surprise, I found to be
several miles irom the river, and a severe journey to
accomplish, getting back to our encampment at night&lL
I found by their sides that they were evidently of un
alluvial deposite, composed of a great variety of horizontal
layers of clays of different colors— of granitic sand and
pebbles (many of which furnished me beautiful specimens
of agate, jasper and cornelians), and here and there largo
fragments of pumice and cinders, which gave, as instanoes
above-mentioned, evidences of volcanic remains.
The mode by which Bogard and Ba'tiste had been
entrapping the timid and sagacious antelopes was on9
which is frequently and successfully practiced in this
country ; and on this day had affoided them fine sport.
The antelope of this country, I believe to be different
from all other known varieties, and forms one of the most
pleasing, living ornaments to this western world. They
are seen in some places in great numbers sporting and
playing about the hills and dales ; and often, in flocks of
fifty or a hundred, will follow the boat of the descending
voyageur, or the travelling caravan, for hours together;
keeping off at a safe distance, on the right or left, galloping
up and down the hills, snuffing their noses and stamping
their feet ; as if they were endeavoring to remind the
traveller of the wicked trespass he was making on their
own hallowed ground.
This little animal seems to be endowed, like many other
gentle and sweet-breathing creatures, with an undue share
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NOBTH AMBUICAN INDIANS.
181
of curiosity, which often leads them to destruction ; and
the hunter who wishes to entrap them, saves himself the
trouble of travelling after them. When he has beea
disoovered, he has only to elevate above the tops of the
grass, his red or yellow handkerchief on the end of his
gun-rod which he sticks in the ground, and to which they
are sure to advance, though with great coyness an
caution ; whilst he lies close, at a little distance, with hit
rifle in hand ; when it is quite an easy matter to make sure
of two or three at a shot, which he gets in range of his eye,
to be pierced with one bullet.
On Sunday, departed from our encampment in. the Grand
Detour; and having passed for many miles, through a
series of winding and ever- varying blufis and fancied ruins,
like such as have already been described, our attention was
more than usually excited by the stupendous scene called
by the voyageurs "the Grand Dome," which was lying
in full view before us.
Our canoe was here hauled ashore, and a day whiled
away again, amongst these clay>built ruins.
We clambered to their summits and enjoyed the distant
view of the Missouri for many miles below, wending its
way through the countless groups of clay and grass-
covered hills ; and we wandered back on the plains, in a
toilsome and unsuccessful pursuit of a herd of buffaloes,
which we disoovered at some distance. Though we were
disappointed in the results of the chase ; yet we were in a
measure repaid in amusements, which we found in paying
a visit to an extensive village of prairie dogs, and of
which I should render some account.
The prairie dog of the American Prairies is undoubtedly
a variety of the marmot ; and probably not unlike those
which inhabit the vast Steppes of Asia, It bears no
resemblance to any variety of dogs, except in the sound of
its voice, when excited by the approach of danger, which
18 something like that of a very small dog, and still much
more resembling the barking of a grey squirrel.
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LETTERS AND NOTES ON THK
Tho size of these curious little animals is not far from
that of a very large rat, and they are not unlike in their
appearance. Their burrows, are unifornaly built in a
lonely desert; and away, both from the proximity of
timber and water. Each individual, 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 little pile,
in the form of a cone, which forms the only elevation for
them to ascend : where they sit, to bark and chatter when
an enemy is approaching their village. 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 ears of their visitors, the din of their
barkings is too con&sed and too peculiar to be described.
In the present instance, we made many endeavors tc
shoot them, but found our efforts to be entirely in vain.
As we were approaching them at a distance, each one
seemed to be perched up, on his hind feet, on his appro-
priate domicil, with a significant jerk of his tail at every
bark, positively disputing 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 fire (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 peeping out at me ; which position they would
hold, until the shortness of the distance subjected their
«calps to danger again, from the aim of a rifie; 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 ears were
again discovered, and at lengtk themselves, at full length,
perched on the tops of their little hillocks and threatening
n« before ; thus gradually sinking and rising like a wave
before and behind me.
The holes leading down to their burrows, are four oi
five inches in diameter, and run down nearly perpeo'
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
188
V
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tlicular ; where they undoubtedly communicate into some-
tliing like a subterraneous city (as I have formerly learned
from fruitless endeavors to dig them out,) undermined
and vaulted ; by which means, they can travel for a great
distance under the ground, without danger from i)ursuit.
Their food is simply the grass in the immediate vicinity
of their burrows, which is cut close to the ground by their
flat, shovel teeth ; and, as they sometimv ? live twenty miles
from any water, it is to be supposed that they get 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 their under-ground habitations, by which
they descend low enough to get their supply. In the
winter, they ave for several months invisible; existiag,
undoubtedly, in a torpid state, as they certainly lay by no
food for that season — nor can they procure any. These
curious little animals belong to almost every latitude in
the vast plains of prairie in North America; and their
villages, which I have sometimes encountered in my
travels, have compelled my party to ride several miles out
of our way to get by them ; for their burrows are generally
within a few fecit of each other, and dangerous to the feet
and the limbs of our horses.*
The " Grand Dome," is, perhaps, one of the most grand
and beautiful scenes of the kind to be met with in this
country, owing to the perfect appearance of its several
huge domes, turrets, and towers. These stupendous
works are produced by the continual washing down of
the sides of these clay-formed hilis; 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 anr covered with a green turf, which
* It is a carious fact that the borrows of the prairie dogs are shared
by a certain species of owl; and that the bird and qnadrnped, lire
happily together.— Editob.
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LETTERS AN'D NOTES.
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protects and hold them (and will hold them) unalterable .
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, we floated away from this noble
scene; looking back again and again upon it, wondering 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 strangle and curious. At
the base of one of these, although we had passed it, we
with difficulty landed our canoe, and I ascended to its top,
with some hours' labor; having to out afoot-hold in the
clay with my hatchet for each 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 two hundred and fifty feet,
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 devoted an hour or two •with my brush, in
transferring it to my canvass,
Ou this day, just before night, we landed our little boat
in front of the Mandan village : and amongst the hundreds
and thousands who flocked towards 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 this
place. He kindly orderd my canoe to be taken care of^
and my things to be carried to his quarters, which was at
once done ; and I am at this time reaping the benefits of
his genuine politeness, and gathering the pleasures of his
amusing and interesting society.
f
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LETTER No. XL
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 Baphael or Hogarth ; rich in legends and
romances, which would require no aid of the imagination
for a book or a picture.
The Mandans (or See-pohs-kah-nu-mah-kah-kee, " people
of the pheasants," as they call themselves), are perhaps one
of the most ancient tribes of Indians in our country. Their
origin, like that of all the other tribes, is from neoessity,
involved in my?tery 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 and distinct race. They take great pride
in relating their traditions, with regard to their origin ;
contending that they were tloB first people created on earth.
(135)
V
136
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
Their existence ia these regions has not been from a verj
ancient period; and, from what I could learn of their
traditions, they have, at a former period, been a very
numerous and powerful nation ; but by the continual wars
which have existed between them and their neighbors,
they have been reduced to their present numbers.
This tribe is at present located on the west bank of the
Missouri, about one thousand eight hundred miles above
St. Louis, and two hundred below the Mouth of Yellow
Stone river. They have two villages only, which are about
two miles distant from each other ; and number in all (as
near as I can learn), about two thousand souls. Their
present villages are beautifully located, and judiciously
also, for defence against the assaults of their enemies. The
site of the lower (or principal) town, in particular 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 rising from the ground, and towards the
heavens, domes — (not "of gold," but) of dirt — and the*
thousand spears (not "spires") and scalp-poles, &o. &c.,
of the semi-subteraneous village of the hospitable and
gentlemanly Mandans.
These people formerly (and within the recollection of
many of their oldest men) lived fifteen or twenty miles
farther down the river, in ten contiguous villages; the
marks or ruins of which are yet plainly to be seen. Ai
that period, it is evident, as well from the number of
lodges which their villages contained, as from their
traditions, that their numbers were much greater than at
the presen'u day.
•'-*^mt^
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
187
There are other, and very interesting, traditions and
nistorical facts relative to a still prior location and con-
dition of these people, of which I shall speak more fully
on a future occasion. From these, when they are pro-
mulged, 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 where they
now are.
There are many remains on the river below these places
(and, in fact, to be seen nearly as low down as St Louis),
which lihew clearly the peculiar construction of Mandan
lodges, and consequently carry a strong proof of the above
position. While descending the river, however, which T
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 admirably 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, of 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 from each other to admit of guns and
other missiles to be fired between them. The ditch (unlike
that of civilized modes of fortification) is inside of the
piquet, in which their warriors screen their bodies from the
view and weapons of their enemies, whilst they are re-
toading and discharging their weapons through the piquets.
The Man dans 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 the prairie.
Their village has a moat novel appearance to the eye of •
/ /
13S
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
•tranger ; 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 one 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 foundations
are prepared by digging some two feet in the ground, and
forming the floor of earth, by levelling the requisite size
for the lodge. These 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
produced, by arranging, inside of this circular excavation,
firmly fixed in the 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 earth 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-five
feet in length, 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 the
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 mat of willow-
boughs, of half a foot or more in thickness, which protects
the timbers from the dampness of the earth, with which
the lodge is covered from bottom to top, to the depth of
two or three feet; and then with a hard or tough clay,
which is impervious to water, and which with long use
KOHTH AMKRIOAN INDIANS.
189
becomea 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 scat for the solitary gaze and medi
tations 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 dwellin;];s p i of earth, but so hardened
by use, and swept so clean, ; tracked by bare and
moccasained feet, that they •• . almost a polish, and
would scarcely soil the whitest linen. In the centre, and
immediately under the sky-light is the fire-place — a hole of
four or five feet in diameter, of a circular form, sunk a foot
-or more below the surfuoo, and curbed around with stone.
Over the fire-place, and suspended from the apex of
diverging props or poles, is generally seen the pot or
kettle, filled with bu^alo meat; and around it are the
family, reclining in all the most picturesque attitudes and
groups, resting on their buffalo-robes and beautiful mats of
rushes. The^e 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 thongs. A buffalo skin, fresh stripped
fi>om the animal, is stretched across the bottom poles, and
about two feet fVom the floor ; which, when it dries, becomes
much contracted, and forms a perfect sacking-bottom. The
fur side of this skin is placed uppermost, on which they
lie with great comfort, with a buffalo-robe folded up for a
pillow, and others drawn over them instead of blankets.
These beds, as far as I have seen them (and I have visited
almost every lodge in the village), are uniformly screened
with a covering of buffalo or elk skins, oftentimes beauti-
fully dressed and placed over the upright poles or frame,
like a suit of curtains ; leaving a hole in front, suffioientlv
spacious for the occupant to pass in and out, to and from
140
LETTERS AND KOTES ON THE
i\:
h'l i
his or her bed. Some of these coverings or curtains are
exceedingly beautiful, being cut 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 iinoonimon thing to see these lodges
fifty feet in diameter inside (which is an immense room),
with a row of these curtained bods 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 Arm in the ground, and six or
seven feet high, with large wooden pegs or bolts in it, on
which are hung and grouped, with a wild and startling
taste, the arms and armor of the respective proprietor;
consisting of his whitened shield, embossed and emblazoned
with the figure of his protecting medicine (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 roven head-dress ; and over all,
and on the top of the post (as if placed by some conjuror
or Indian magician, to guard and protect the spell of
wildness that reigns in this strange place), stands forth and
in full relief the head and horns of & bufi'alo, which is, by
a village regulation, owned and possessed by every man in
the nation, and hung at the bead of his bed, which he uses
as a mask when called upon by the chiefs, to join in the
buffalo-dance, of which T shall say more in a future epistle.
This arrangement of beds, of arms, &o., combining the
most vivid display and arrangement of colors, of furs, of
trinkets, of barbed and glistening points and steel, of
mysteries and hocus poeus, together with the sombre and
smoked color of the roof and sides of the lodge ; and the
wild, and rude and red— the graceful (though uncivil)
conversational, garrulous, story-telling and happy, though
ignorant and untutored groups, that are smoking their
pipes — wooing their aweetheorts, and embracing their
NORTH AMBBIOAN i^TDlANS.
141
little ones about their peaceful and endeared fire-sides ;
itogether 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 fv
.more wild and vivid than could ever be imagined.
Reader, I said these people are garrulous, story-telling
an^ 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 il have before observed, there is no subject that I
know of, within the scope and reach of human wisdom, on
^which the civilized world in this enlightened age are more
f ucprrectly informed, than upon that of the true manners
■and x}}istoms, and moral condition, rights and abuses, of the
Kort^ American Indians; and that, as I have also before
remarjced, chiefly on account of the difficulty of our culti-
vating a fair and honorable acquaintance 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 refinement 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 cus-
-toms and modes has vanished, or his character has become
, changed, at the approach of the enlightened and intellectual
.world ; who follow him like a phantom for awhile, and in
ignorance of his true character at last turn back to the
common business 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 aov,
142
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
morose, reserved and taciturn man." I have heard this
opinion advanced a thousand times and I believe it ; but
Buch certainly, is not uniformly nor generally the case.
t have observed in all my travels amongst the Indian
tribes, and more particularly amongst these unassuming
people, that they are a far more talkative and conversational
race than can easily be seen in the civilized world. This
assertion, like many others I shall, occasionally make, will
somewhat 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 group of them, v.'ithout being at once
struck with the conviction that small-talk, gossip, garrulity,
and story- telling, are the leading passions with them, who
have little else to do in the world, but to while away their
lives in the innocent and endless amusement 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 few hours in a pleasant day, and overlook
the numerous games and gambols, where their notes and
yelps of exultation are unceasingly vibrating in the atmos-
phere ; 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 curtailed in that source of pleasure
and amusement ; and it would be also strange, if a life-time
of indulgence and practice in so innocent and productive
a mode of amusement, free from the cares and anxieties of
business or professions, should not advance them in their
modes, and enable them to draw far greater pleasure from
such sources, than we in the civilized and business world
can possibly feel. If the uncultivated condition of their
minds curtails the number of their enjoyments ; yet they
":.*;
NORTH AMBRICAN INDIANS.
aie free from, and independent of, a thousand cares and
jealousies, which arise from mercenary motives in the
civilized world ; and are yet far ahead of us (in my opin-
ion) in the real and uninterrupted enjoyment of their
simple natural faculties.
They 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 enlightened
world; and of course their inclinations and faculties are
solely directed to the enjoyment of the present day, with-
out the sober reflections on the past or apprehensions of the
future.
With minds thus unexpanded and uninfluenced by the
thousand passions and ambitions of civilized life, it is easy
and natural to concentrate their thoughts and their conver-
sation 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 little circle about the wigwam 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
I otherwise should, inasmuch as I am opposing an error
that seems to have become current through the world ; and
which, if it be once corrected, removes a material difficulty,
which has always stood in the way of a fair and just esti
mation of the Indian character. For the purpose of placing
the Indian in a proper light before the world, as I hope to
do in many respects, it is of importance to me — it is but
justice to the savage — and justice to my readers also, that
such points should be cleared up as I proceed ; and for the
world who inquire for correct and just information, they
must take my words for the truth, or else come to this
country, and look for themselves into these grotesque circles
of never-ending laughter and fun, instead of going to Wash-
lU
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
ington City tQ gaze on the poor embarrassed ludiaii who in
called there by his " Great Father," to contend with tlio
sophistry of the learned and acquisitive world, in barttiriii;^
away his lands with the graves and the hunting groundii of
his ancestors. There is not the proper place to study thu
Indian character ; yet it is the place where the syoopbant
and the scribbler go to gaze and frown upon him— to learn
his character and write his history I — and because he drw-n
not speak, and quaffs the delicious beverage which ho
receives from white men's hands, " he's a speechless bruttj
and a drunkard." An Indian is a beggar in Washington
City, and a white man is almost equally so in the Maudun
village. An Indian in Washington is mute, is dumb ami
embarrassed ; and so is a white man (and for the very 8am«
reasons) in this place — he has nobody to talk to.
A wild Indian, to reach the civilized world, must neodit
travel some thousands of miles in vehicles of oonveyaiice
to which he is unaccustomed — ^through latitudes and longi'
tudes which are new to him — ^living on food that he in
unused to^stared and gazed at by the thousands and teui
of thousands whom he cannot talk to — ^his heart grieving
and his body sickening at the exhibition of white men'n
wealth and luxuries, which are enjoyed on the land, and
over the bones of his ancestors. And at the end of hia jour'
ney he stands (like a caged animal) to be scanned — to ho
criticised — to be pitied — and heralded to the world as a
mute — 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— fight mosquitoes — 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 ha
gets here, half-starved, and half-naked, and more than half
sick, he finds himself a beggar for a place to sleep, and for
something to eat: a mute amongst thousands who flock
about him, to look and to criticise, ancl to laugh at birn for
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
145
his jaded appearance, and to speak of him as they do of all
white men (without distinction) as liars. These people are
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 estimation 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 char-
acter and customs of a people, must go and live among
tbem.
i»
II
LETTER No. XH.
MANDAN VILLAGE, UPPER MISSOURI
Jit my last, I gave some account of the village, and the
customs, and appearances of this strange people, — and I
will now proceed to give further details on thai '.abject.
I have this morning, perched myself upon tVe top of one
of the earth-covered lodges, which I have befc re described,
and having the whole village beneath ano about me,
with its sachems— its warriors — its dogs — ana its horses
in motion — its medicines (or mysteries) and scalp-poles
waving over mv head — its piqiiets — its green fields and
(146)
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
147
prairies, and river in full view, with the din and bustle of
the thrilling panorama that 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.
I 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 just 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 admisaion
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 what 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 is 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 appearance, resembling in shape (more nearly
than anything else I can compare them to) so many potash-
kettles inverted. On the tops of these are to be seen
groups standing and reclining, whose wild and picturesque
appearance it would be difl&cult 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
the east or the west, the scenes of their battles, which they
are recounting over to each other. In another direction,
the wooing lover, softening the heart of his fair Taih-nah-
tai-a with the notes of his simple lute. On other lodges,
tnd beyond these, groups are engaged in games of the
" moccasin," or the " platter." Some are to be seen manu
1 1 ■!
[i iHC
t48
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
facturing robes and dresses, and others fatigued with,
amusements or occupations, have stretched their limbs to
enjoy the luxury of sleep, whilst basking in the sun. With
all this wild and varied medley of living beings are mixed
their dogs, which seem to be so near an Indian's heart, as
almost to constitute a material link of his existence.
In the centre of the village is an open space, or public
area, of one hundred and fifty feet in diameter, and
circular in form, which is used for all public games and
festivals, shows and exhibitions ; and also ibr their "annual
religious ceremonies," which are soon to take place, and of
which I shall hereafter give some account. The lodges
around this open space front in, with their doors towards
the centre; and in the middle of this circle stands an
object of great religious veneration, as I am told, on
account of the importance it has in the conduction of those
annual religious rites.
This object is in form of a large hogshead, some eight or
ten feet high, made of planks and hoops, containing within
it some of their choicest medicines or mysteries, and
religiously preserved unbacked or unscratched, as a symbol
of the " Big Canoe," as they call it.
One of the lodges fronting on this circular area, and
facing this strange object of their superstition, is called the
•' Medicine Lodge," or council house. It is in this sacred
'*^uilding that these wonderful ceremonies, in commemo-
ration of the flood, take place. I am told by the Traders
that the cruelties of these scenes are frightful and abhorrent
in the extreme ; and that this huge wigwam, which is now
closed, has been built exclusively for this grand celebration.
I am every day reminded of the near approach of the
season for this strange afftxir, and as I have not yet seen
any thing of it, I cannot describe it ; I know it only from
thr relations of the Traders who have witnessed parts of
it; and their descriptions are of so extraordinary a
character, that I would not be willing to describe until 1
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
149
* ' ' •'I.
buffaloes' skulls, skin ciuioes, pots and
and sledges — and suspended on poles,
can see for myself,— which will, in all probability, be in a
few days.
In ranging the eye over' the village from where I am
writing, there is presented to the view the strangest
mixture and medley of unintelligible trash (independent of
the living beings that are in motion), that can possibly be
imagined. On the roofs of the lodges, besides the groups
ijf living, are
pottery ; sleds
erected some twenty feet above the doors of their wigwams,
are displayed in a pleasant day, the scalps of warriors,
preserved as trophies; and thus proudly exposed as
evidence of their warlike deeds. In other parts are raised
on poles the warriors' pure and whitened shields and
(juivers, with medicine-bags attached ; and here and there
a sacrific of red 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 bound
less, treeless, bushless prairie ; and on it, and contiguous to
the piquet which 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
fjr the dead, is just back of the village, on a level prairie,
and with all its appearances, history, form, ceremonies, &c.,
ia 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 honors 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
150
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
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.
HANDAN BURUL PLAOI.
There is then a separate scaffold erected for it, con-
structed of four upright 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
are a number of willow-rods just strong enough to support
ihe body, which is laid upon them on its back, with ita
feet carefully presented towards the rising son
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
151
There are a great number of these bodies resting exactlj
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 hi» 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 filial, conjugal, and paternal affection
are not necessarily the results of civilization ; but that the
Great Spirit has given them to man in his native state ; and
that the spices 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 scaflfolds, 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 — cutting
their flesh with their knives, and doing other pen anoe 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 scaffolds 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
152
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
protected and preserved in their precise positions frona year
to year, as objects of religious and affectionate veneration.
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 buffalo 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 and 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 affections for
the dead — not in groans and lamentations, however, for
several years have cured the anguish ; but fond affections'
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 resemblance) 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 affords,
which she sets before the skull at night, and returns for
the dish in the morning. As soon as it is discovered ^hat
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, v^hich draw the
women to this spot, they visit it from inclination, and
linger upon it to hold converse and company with the
dead. There is scarcely an hour in a pleasant day, but
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 are 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
NORTH AMEUICAN INDIANS.
153
the greater part of the day, sitting by the side of the skull
of her child, chatting inoc88untly with it, while she is em-
broidering or garnishing a pair of moccasins ; and perhaps,
overcome with fatigue, I'alls asleep, with her arms encircled
around it, forgetting herself for hours ; after which she
gathers up her things and returns to the village.
There is something exceedingly interesting and impres-
sive in these scenes, which are so strikingly dissimilar, and
yet within a few rods of each other ; the one 's 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.
The great variety of shapes and characters exhibited in
these groups of crania, render them a very interesting
study for the craniohjgist and phrenologist; but I appre-
hend that it would be a matter of great difficulty (if not of
impossibility) to procure them at this time, for the use and
benefit of the scientific world.
LETTER No. XIIL
MANDAN VILLAGE, UPPER M18B0URI.
Is several of my former Letters I have given sketobes of
the village, and some few of the customi 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 Mandani themselves ;
and first, Ha-na-tah-nu-mauh, (the wolf chief.) This man is
head-chief of the nation, and familiarly known by the
name of "Chef d£ Loup," as the French Traders call him-
a haughty, austere, and overbearing man, respected and
feared by his people rather than loved. The tenure by
which this man holds his office, is that by which the head'
(154)
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
155
chiefs of most of the tribes claim, that of inhetitance. It
IS a general, though not an infallible rtile amongst the
numerous tribes of North American Indians, that the office
of chief belongs to the eldest son of a chief; provided hu
shows 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
^hich 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 his stylish head-
dress.
The next and second chief of the tribe, is Mah-to-toh-pu
(the four bears). This extraordinary man, though second
iu 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
oa it; which would fill a book of themselves, if properly
translated. This, readers, is the most extraordinary maa,
perhaps, who lives at this day, in the atmosphere of
Nature's noblemen ; and I shall certainly tell you more of
i;im anon.
After him, there are Mah-tahp-ta-ha (he who rushes
through the middle); Seehk-hee-da (the mouse-colored
feather); 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 ;) and the little gray-haired Sha-ko-ka>mint,
and fifty others, who are famous for their conquests, not
with the bow or the javelin, but with their small black
eyes, which shoot out from under their unfledged brows,
and pierce the boldest, fiercest chieftain to the heart.
The Mandans 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 :
156
LEri-EKS AND NOTES OX THE
for they seldom, if ever, carry war into their enemies'
country ; but when invaded, show their valor 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, which is strongly fortified, and ensures
their preservation. By this means they have advanced
further in the arts of manufacture; have supplied their
lodges more abundantly with the comforts, and even luxu-
ries of life, than any Indian nation I know of. The conse-
quence of this is, that this tribe have taken many steps
ahead of other tribes in manners and refinements (if 1 may
be allowed to apply the word refinement to Indian life) ;
and are 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 been struck with the peculiar ease and ele-
gance of these people, together with the diversity of com-
plexions, the various colors of their hair and eyes — the
singularity of their language, and their peculiar and unac-
countable 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 impor-
tance for discussion ; and, after further familiarity with their
character, customs and traditions, if I forget it not, I will
eventually give it further coneideration. Suffice it then, for
the present, that their personal ajppearance alone, indepen-
dent 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 shiades of complexion, and various colors of hair,
which he sees in a crowd about him ; and is at once almost
disposed to exclaim that " these are not Indians."
NORTH AMEBICAX INDIANS.
157
There are a great many of these people whose com-
plexions 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 demeanor, which render them exceedingly pleasing and
beautiful.
Why this diversity of complexion I cannot tell, nor can
they themselves acco\int for it. Their traditions, so far as
I have yet learned them, afford us no information of their
having had any knowledge of white men before the visit
of Lewis and Clarke, made to their village thirty-three years
ago. Since that time there have been but very few visits
from white 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 Mandaus
a strange people and half white.
The diversity in the color of hair is also equally as great
as that in the complexion ; for in a numerous group of these
people (and more particularly amongst the females, who
never take pains to change its natural color, as the men
often do), there may be seen every shade and color of hair
that can be seen in our own country, with the e^eption 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 manhooa 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 wh * have it, 8«?em ashe^ned of it, and artfully
158
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
conceal it, by filling their hair with glue and black and red
earth. The women, on the other hand, seetn 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
ten or twelve of the whole tribe are what the French call
''cheveux gris," or greyhairs; and that this strange and
unaccountable 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 dispo-
sition or intellect. And by passing this hair through my
hands, as 1 often have, I have found it uniformly to be as
coarse and harsh as a horse's mane; differmg materially
from the hair of other colors, which, amongst the Man-
dans, 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
color 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-
colored, 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 ta
pardon me, if I lead him through a maze of novelty and
mysteries to the knowledge of a strange, yet kind and hos-
pitable people, whose fate, like that of all their race, is
sealed ; — whose doom is fixed, to live just long enough to
be imperfectly known, and then to fall before the fell disease
or sword of civilizing devastation.
The stature of the Mandans is rather below the ordinary
size of man, with beautiful symmetry of form and propor
tion, 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 generaUy spreads
over their backs, falling down to the hams, and sometimes
V
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
15fr
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 vermilion, 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 Mandans the most singular appearance. The hair of
the men is uniformly all laid over from the forehead back-
wards; carefully kept above and resting on the ear, 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 sometimes in such profusion as-
almost to conceal the whole figure from the person
walking behind them.
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 color. 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 Mandan
women observe strictly the same custom, which I observed
amongst the Grows and Blackfeet (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 little (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 obliged to crop their hair all off; 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
caae is quite different; his long, valued tresses, are of
160
LErrEHs AXI) NOTKS OX THK
5!ff
11
much greater importance, and only a lock or two can be
Kparcl JuHt enough to tell of his grief to his friends,
witliout 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 pro
verbial amongst the Traders and all who ever have known
them, that their treatment of white men in their country
i^as been friendly and kind ever since their first acquain-
tance with them — they have ever met and received them,
on the prairie or in their villages, with hospitality and
honor.
They are handsome, straight and elegant in their forms,
not tall, but quick and graceful; easy and polite in their
manners, neat in their ^ ersons and beautifully clad.
When I say "neat in person and beautifully clad," how-
ever, 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 — those who care but IHtle for their
personal appearance, and those who take great i>aius to
please themselves and their friends. Amongst this class of
personages, sucli as chiefs aud braves, or warriors of dis-
tinction, and their families, and dandies or exquisites (a
class of beings of whom I shall take due time to speak in a
future Letter,) the strictest regard to decency, and cleanli-
ness and elegance of dress is observed ; and there are few
people, perhaps, who take morfe pains to keep their
persons neat and cleanly than they do.
At the distance of half a mile jr so above the village, is
the cu.stomary place where the women and girls resort
every morning in the summer months, to bathe in the
river. To this spot they repair by hundreds, every
morning at sunrise, where, on a beautiful beach, they can
be seen running and glistening in the sun, whilst they are
playing their innocent gambols and leaping into the stream.
They all learn to swim well, and the poorest swimmsr
NORTH AMERICAN INDIAN'S.
161
amongst them will dash fearlessly into tlie boiling ami
eddying current of the Missouri, 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
til is bathing- place ; and on this terrace, which is some
twenty or thirty feet higher 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 perhapa no people on earth have taken more
pains to learn it, nor any who turn it to better 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 their lives on the shores of our vast
lakes and rivers, paddling about from their childhood in
their fragile bark" canoes, which are liable to continual
accidents, which often throw the Indian upon his natural
resources for the preservation of his life.
There are many times also, when out upon their long
marches in the prosecution of their almost continued war-
fare, when it becomes necessary to 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 this 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 Mandans, as well
11
!.
.&2
LETTERS AND NOTES ON TH.
as amongst most of the other tribes, is quite different 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 outward, in 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 passes
in its turn underneath him.
By this bold and powerful mode of swimming, which
may want the grace that many would wish to see, I 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 the purpose of hardening their limbs
and preparing them for the thousand exposures and vicissi-
tudes of life to which they are continually liable. I allude
to their vapor 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 Mandan lodge is to be seen a crib or basket,
much in the shape of a bathing-tub, curiously woven with
FORTH AMERICAN INDIANS
168
far
cet,
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 afler it has been used.
These sudatories are always near the village, above or
below it, on the bank of the river. They are generally
built of skins (in the form of a Crow or Sioux lodge which I
have before described), covered with buffalo skins sewed
tight together, with a kind of furnace in the centre ; or 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. Contiguous to the lodge, and
outside of it, is a little iurnace 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
kept 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 appearance entirely naked,
though with a large buflfelo 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 generally preferred), with his back
towards the door of the lodge ; when the squaw brings
a large stone red hot, between two sticks (lashed
m
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 vapor about him. He is at 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
164
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
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 vapors, as it distils
through the mat of wild sage and other medicinal and
aromatic herbs, which he has strewed over the bottom ot
his basket, and on which he reclines.
During all this time the lodge is shut perfectly tight, and
be 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 instantly 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 buckskin, prepared to join in games of ball or
Tchung-kee.
Such is the sudatory or the vapor bath of the Man dans,
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. 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 ap-
plied, 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 th«
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
165
Pawnees, Omahas, and Punchas and other tribes, who have
Buffered 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 rage of a burning fever.
Such will yet be the scourge, and sucli the misery of these
poor unthinking people, and each tribe to the Eocky
Mountains, as it has been with every tribe between here
and the Atlantic Ocean. White men — whisky — tomahawks
— scalping knives — guns, powder and ball — small-pox —
debauchery — extermination.
or
of
;st
bhe
LETTER No. XIV.
MANDAN VILLAGE, UPPER MISSOURI
The Man lans 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 regions. 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
the Maudans is decidedly distinct from that of the Crows
or the Blackfeet, the Assinneboins or the Sioux; yet there
are modes of stitching or embroidering, in every tribe,
which may at once enable the traveller who is familiar
(166)
NORTH AMBUIOAX INDIANS,
167
with their modes, to detect or distinguish the dress of any
tribe. These differenoea 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 dift'oront and distinct nations, always
at war with each other, and knowing nothing at all of each
other's languages; and amongst whom, fashions in dress
seldom if ever change ; it may seem somewhat strange
that we should find those 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 u manner, without raising
the least argument in favor of the theory of their having
ali sprung from one stock or one family; for in their
continual warfare, when ohiofs or warriors fall, their clothes
and weapons usually fall into the possessioQ of the victors,
who wear them ; and the rest of the tribe would naturally
more 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 Qon-
sequently, eventually load to the similiarity which we find
amongst the modes of dress, &o,, of the different tribes.
The tunio or shirt of the Mandan men is very similar in
shape to that of the Blackfoot — 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, arc made of deer-skins, and shaped
to fit the leg, embroidered with porcupine quills, and
fringed with scalps from their enemies' heads. Their
moccasins are made of buckskin, and neatly ornamented
with porcupine quills; — 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 out down to about half its original size, to
make it handy and easy for use. Many of these are also
IL'V
168
LEITKKS AND N0TK8 ON THE
fringed on one side with 8calp-lock« ; 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 difficulty 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 liorse (horses,
however, are much cheaper hero than they are in most
other countries). I have had abundant <)j)portunitie8 of
learning the great value which these people sometimes
attach to such articles of dress and ornament, as I have
been purchasing a great many, whicli I intend to exhibit
in ray 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 been surprised at the
prices demanded by them ; and perhaps I could not recite
a better instance of the kind, than one which ocoured 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 mo all but the head-
dress; saying, that "he could not part with that, as he
would never be able to get quills and ermine of so good a
quality to make another like it," I ogreod with him, how-
ever, for the rest of the dress, and importuned him, from
day to day, for the head-dress, until ho at length replied,
that, if I must have it, he must have two horses for it ; the
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
169
i,
oargain 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 extra-
ordinary renown, that he is allowed to wear horns on his
head-dress, which give to his aspect a strange and majestic
effect. These are made of about a third part of the horn
of a buffalo bull; the horn having been split from end to
end, and a third part of it taken and 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 head of a buffalo ; rising out of a mat
of ermine skins and tails, which hang over the top of the
head-dress, somewhat in the form that the large and profuse
locks of hair hang and fall over the head of a buffalo bull.
The same custom I have found observed among the
Sioux, the Crows, the Blackfeet and Assinneboins, and
it is one of so striking a character as needs a few more
words of observations. There is a peculiar meaning or
importance (in their estimation) to thiu and many other
curious and unaccountable 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 under-
stand him ; and the reason why we are ignorant of him and
his modes, is that we do not stop to investigate — the world
have been too much in the habit of looking at 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 to take advantage of hia
ignorance and credulities — to rob him of the wealth and
resources of his country; — to make him drunk with
whisky, and visit him with abuses which in his ignorance
he never thought of. By this method his first visitors
170
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
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 out from the view of "he enquiring world for
ever.
It is from the observance of a ticr-sand little and appa-
rently trivial modes and iricl's of Indian life, that the
Indian character must be leanu-d; and, in fact, it is just the
same with us if the subject wer; r < •sed: excepting that
the system of civilized life woui'' '';mish 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.
Th« civilized world look upon a group of Indians in their
classic dress, with tls»ftir few and simple oddities, all of which
have their moral or meaning, and laugh at them exces-
sively, because they are not like ourselves — we ask, " why
do tli« 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 thousand
other equally silly questions, witb'jiit 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 ia his head stood, in the
eyes of his whole tribe, ds the symbol of an enemy who had
fallen by his hand — that every streak of red paint covered
a wound which he had -pt in honorable combat — and that
the bear's grease with ,vhich he carefully anoints his body
every morning, from head to foot, cleanses and purifies the
body, and protects his skin from the bite of musquitoes
and at the same time preserves him from colds and coughs
which are usually taken through the pores of the skin.
At the same time, an Indian looks among the civilized
world, no doubt, with equal, if not much greater, astonish-
ment, at our apparently, as well as really, ridiculoua
customs and fashions ; but he laughs not, nor ridicules, nor
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
171
questions, — for his natural good sense and good manners
forbid him, — until he 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
theme for Indian criticism and Indian gossip.
An Indian will not ask a white man the reason why he
docs 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 — or 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 occasionally moving in society, wearing a
<50cked hat; and another with a laced coat and gold or
silver epaulettes upon his shoulders, without knowing or
enquiring the meaning of them, or the objects for which
they are worn. Just so a white man 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 importance ; and more so,
for the first will admit the presumption that epaulettes and
<30cked 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 " corned crest" again, and if the
poor Indian scans epaulettes &v^ cocked hats, wiir.out
•enquiring their meaning, and explaining them to hxs • ";be,
172
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
it is no reason why I should 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 import-
ance and meaning. For me, this negligence would be
doubly unpardonable, as I travel, not to trade but to herald
the Indian and his dying 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 classic meaning. No one
wears the head-dress surmounted with horns except the
dignitaries who are very high in authority, and whose
exceeding valor, 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 remarkable character, that he is
esteemed universally in the tribe, as a man whose " voice
is as loud in council" as that of a chief of the first grade,
and consequently his power as great.
This head-dress with horns is used only on certain
occasions, and they are very seldom. When foreign chiefs^
Indian agents, or other important personage visit a tribe ;
or tX war parades, at the celebration of a victory, at public
festivals, &c., they are worn ; but on no other occasions —
unless, sometimes, when a chief sees fit to lead a war-party
to battle, he decorates his head with this symbol of power,
to stimuliite his men ; and throws himself into the foremost
of the battle, inviting his enemy to concentrate their shafts
upon him.
The 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 inclined forward or backward;
and by an ingenious motion of the head, whicli is so slight
as to be almost imperceptible — they are made to balance
to and fro, and sometimes, one backward and the other
forward like a horse's ears, giving a vast deal of expression
and force of character, to the appearance of the chief who
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
178
is wearing them. This, reader, is a remarkable instance
(like hundreds of others), for its striking similarity to Jewish
inutoms, to the kerns (or keren, in Hebrew,) the horns worn
by the Abysinian chiefs and Hebrews, as a symbol of power
and command ; worn at great parades and celebrations of
victories.
" The false prophet Zedekiah, made him horns of iron."
(1 Kings xxii. 11.) " Lift not your horns on high ; speak
not with a stiff neck" (Ps. Ixxv. 5.)
This last citation seems 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 1
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 innovation or
ohange from that ancient people.
The reader will see this custom exemplified in the
portrait of Mah-to-toh-pa. This man, although the second
chief, was the only man in the nation who was allowed to
wear the horns; 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 he had fought.
I
LETTER NO. XV.
MANDAN VILLAGE, UPPER MISSOUBL '
A WBSK or more has elapsed since the date of my last
Letter, and nothing as yet of the great and curious event —
or the Mandan religious ceremony. There is evidently much
preparation making for it, however ; and from what I can
learn, no one in the nation, save the 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 fiiU leaf; for, say ihey, " the twig
which the bird brought in was a willow bough, and had
full-grown leaves on it." So it seems that this celebratiou
has some relation to the Flood.
(174)
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
175
This great occasion is close at hand, and will, un-
doubtedly, commence in a few days; in the meantime I
will give a few notes and memorandums, which I have
made since my last.
I have been continually at work with my brush, with
fine and picturesque subjects before me; and from the
strange, whimsical, and 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 anecdotes, 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 subject entirely new to them, and
of course, unthought of; and my appearance here has
commenced a new era in the arcana of medicine or myst jry.
Soon after arriving here, I commenced and finished the
portraits of the two principal chiefs. This was done with-
out having awakened the curiosity of the villagers, as they
had heard nothiif^ 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 each 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 any-
tiling surprises them very much); looking attentively
upon the portraits and myself, and upon the palette and
colors with which these unaccountable effects had been
produced.
They then walked up to me in the most gentle manner,
taking me in turn by the hand, with a firm grip ; with
head and eyes inclined downwards, and in a tone a little
above a whisper — pronounced the words '* Te-ho-pe-nee
Wash-ee !" and walked off.
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LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
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 honor on me, which you as yet do
not underatand. I took the degree (not of Doctor of Laws,
nor Bachelor of Arts) but of Master of Arts — of mysteries
of magic, and of hocus-pocus. I was recognized in that
short sentence as a "great medicine white man:''^ and
since that time, have been regularly installed medicine or
inysteiy, which is the most honorable degree that could
oe conferred upon me here ; and I now hold a place
amongst the most eminent and envied personages, the
doctor and conjurati of this titled community.
Te-ho-pe-nee Wash-ee (or medicine white man) is the
name I now go by, and it will prove to me, no doubt, of
more value than gold, for I have been called upon and
feasted by the doctors, who are all mystery-men ; it has
been an easy and successful passport already to many
strange and mysterious places ; and has put me in possession
of a vast deal of curious and interesting information, which
I am sure I never should have otherwise learned. I am
daily growing in the estimation of the medicine-men and
the chiefs ; and by assuming all the gravity and circum-
spection due from so high a dignitary (and even con-
siderably more); and endeavoring to perform now and
then some art or trick that is unfathomable, I am in hopes
of supporting my standing, until the great annual ceremony
commences ; on which occasion, I may possibly be allowed
a seat in the medicine-lodge by the doctors, who are the sole
conductors of this great source and fountain of all priest-
craft and conjuration in this country.
After I had finished the portraits of the two chiefs, and
they had returned to their wigwams, and deliberately
seated themselves by their respective fire-sides, and silently
smoked a pipe or two (according to an universal custom),
they gradually began to tell what had taken place; and at
KOBTH AMERICAN INDIANS
177
leri-^th crowds of gaping listeners, with mouths >;vide open,
thronged their lodges ; and a th?ong of women and girl^
were about my house, and through every crack and crevice
I could see their glistening eyes, which were piercing my
hut in a hundred places, from a natural and restless
propensity, a curiosity to see what was going on within.
An hour or more passed in this way, and the soft and
silken throng continually increased, until some hundreds
of them were clinging about my wigwam like a swarm of
bees hanging on in front and sides of their hive.
During this time, not a man made his appearance about
the premises — after awhile, however, they could be seen
folded in their robes, gradually siding up towards the
lodge, with a silly look upon their faces, which confessed
at once that curiosity was leading them reluctantly, where
their pride checked and forbade them to go. The rush
soon became general, and the chiefs and mediciue-men
took possession of my room, placing soldiers (braves with
spears in their hands) at the door, admitting no one, but
such as were allowed by the chiefs, to come in.
Monsr. Kipp (the agent of the Fur Company,) at this time
took a seat with the chiefs, and, speaking their language
fluently, he explained to them my views and the objects for
which I was painting these portraits ; and also expounded
to them the manner in which they were made, — at which
they seemed all to be very much pleased. The necessity
at this time of exposing the 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
12
A
1 78
LBTTKBS AND NOTES ON THE
mute ; others, indignant, drove their apearg frightfully inta
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 them, and I was called forth. I stepped
forth^ and was instantly hemmed in by the throng. "Women
were gaping and gazing — and warriors and braves were
offering me their hands,— whilst little 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 honor 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 living 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 (. "" laugh they could
certainly speak, if they should try, u . ihey must therefore
have som£ life in them.
The squaws generally agreed, that thoy had discovered
life enough in them to render my medicine too great for the
Mandans; saying that such an operation could not be
performed without taking away from the original some-
thing of his existence, which I put in the picture, and they
could see it move, could see it stir.
This curtailing of the primary existence, for the purpose
of instilling life into 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
NOBTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
179
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 whom I
painted, and carry it home with me amongst the white
people, and that when they died they would never sleep
quiet in their graves."
In this way the women and some old quack medieiue-
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 operations
were, of course, for several days completely at a stand. A
grave council was held on the subject from day to day,
and there seemed great difficulty in deciding what vfas to
be done with me and the dangerous art which I was
practicing; and which had far exceeded their original
expectations. I finally got admittance to their sacred con-
clave, and assured them that I was but a man like
themselves, — that my art had no medicine 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 I lived, brave men never allowed 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, there 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 medicine- men; where they waited with impatience for
180
LETFERS AND NOTES ON THE
the completion of each one's picture, — 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 successively took
place, I observed that a pipe or two were well filled, and as
soon as I commenced painting, the 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 for the safe deliverance of the sitter from harm while
under the operation) ; and so they continued to pass the
pipe around until the portrait was completed.
In this way I proceeded with my portraits, stopping
occasionally very suddenly as if something was wrong, and
taking a tremendous puff or two at the pipe, and streaming
the smoke through 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 exceed-
ingly, and gave me and my art the stamp of respectability
at once.
I was then taken by the arm by the chiefe, 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 welcomed to them by
gentlemen of high and exalted feelings, rendered them in
my estimation truly elegant.
I was waited upon in due form and ceremony by the
medicim-men, who received me upon the old adage,
"Similis simili gaudet." I was invited to a feast, and they
presented me a doctor's rattle, and a magical wand, or
doctor's staff, strung with claws of the grizzly bear, with
hoofs of the antelope — with ermine — with wild sage and
NORTH AMERICAN INDUNS.
181
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 therefor and
thereby initiated into the arcana of medicine or mystery,
and considered a Fellow of the Extraordinary Society of
Conjurati.
Since this signal success and good fortune in my opera-
tions, 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 again become 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.
I have had several most remarkable occurrences in my
painting-room, of this kind, which have made me some
everlasting enemies here; though the minds and feelings
of the chiefs and medicine-men have not been affected by
them. There -has been three or four instances where 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, instead of staring him full
in the face (which is a most unpardonable offence in all
Indian tribes) ; and after having got in that position, and
cast their eyes again upon the portrait which 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
I
182
LETTERS AND NOTES ON 1HE
iQove," — that as they walked around the room "the eyea
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 their error, by explaining the
inyatery ; but they will not hear to any explanation what-
ever ; flaying, that " what they see with their eyes is always
evidence enough for them ;" that they always *' believe
their own eyes sooner than a hundred tongues," and all
efforts to get thera a second time to my room, or into my
company in any place, have proved entirely unsuccessful.
I had trouble brewing also the other day from another
source ; one of the " medicines" 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, having
only the interpreter with me; telling him that I had had
my eye upon him for several days, and had been so 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 (
had several days since resolved that 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 mo, 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 had their portraits painted —
that although he had set the old women and children all
NORTH AMKRIOAir INDIAXS.
183
and
<5iying, 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 groat 'medioine-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 medicine-house,
and they all know me well, and they have not asked me 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 eat, and in a little
while I will come, and you may go to work ;" — another
pipe was lit and smoked, and he got up and went off. I
prepared my canvass and palette, and whistled away the
time until twelve o'clock, before he made his appearance ;
having used the whole of the fore-part of the day at bis
toilette, arranging his dress and ornamenting his bod^' A>r
his picture.
At that hour then, bedaubed and streaked with paints
of various colors, 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), with a train of
his own profession, who seated themselves around him ;
«nd 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 medka and hoca poea. He took his position in
the middle of the room, waving his eagle calumets in each
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 intently 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
184
LETTERS AND KOTBt).
this new difficulty is now removed, and instead of preach*
ing against me, be is one of my strongest and most enthusi*
astic friends and aids in the country.
There is yet to be described another sort of personage,
that is often seen stalking about in all Indian communities,
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 shall give some account in
my next epistle.
LETTER No. XVI.
MANDAN VILLAGE, UPPER MJSSOUIiL
Besides chiefs, and braves and doctors, of whom I have
heretofore spoken, there is yet another 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 person*
ages may be seen on every pleasant day, strutting and
parading around the village in the most beautiM and
unsoiled dresses, without the honorable trophies however
of scalp-locks and claws of the grizzly bear attached to
their costume, for with those things they deal not. They
are not peculiarly anxious to hazard their lives in eq[ua]
and honorable combat with the one, or disposed to crosa
Ihe path of the other; but generally remain about the
(186)
186
LE-rrSRS AND NOTES ON TBI
village, to take oare of the women, and attire themselves in
the slcins of such animal as they can easily kill, without
seeking the rugged oliils for the war-eagle, or visiting the
haunts of the grizzly bear. They plumo themselves vritU
swan's-down and quills of ducks, with braids and plaits oi
sweet-scented grass and other harmless and unmeaning
ornaments, which have no other merits than they them
selves 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 braves ; inasmuch as it is known by all, that they have
a most horrible aversion to arms, and are denominated
" faint hearts " or "old women" by the whole tribe, and
Are therefore but little respected. They seem, however,
to be tolerably well coutented with the appellation, together
with the celebrity they have acquired amongst the women
and children for the beauty and elegance of their personal
appearance ; 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 on 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 white, 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 or
recline upon their horses for an hour or two, overlooking
the beautiful games where the braves and the young
aspirants are contending in manly and athletic amusements;
— when they are fatigued with this severe effort, 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 refreshment, smoke a pipe, fan
themselves to sleep, and doze away the rest of the day.
XORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
187
Whilst I have beea 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 I 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 be painted,
and there were two or three of the chiefs lounging 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 honorable
notice I had at length taken of him and his beautiful dress.
Beaders, 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 the
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 honor he, undoubtedly,
considered 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
188
LETTEBS AND NOTKS ON THE
ermine, and porcupine quills of beautiful dyes garnished it
in a hundred parts ; — his hair which was long, and spread
over his back and shoulders, 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 buffalo's tail. There was nought aboui
him of the terrible, and nought to shock the finest, chastest
intellect.
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 took 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 1 this never will do ; you have given great offence to
the chiefs — they have made complaint of your conduct to
me — they tell me this is a worthless fellow — a man of no
account in the nation, and if you paiut 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 Mandan braves and
worthies value the honor of being painted ; and so little do
they value a man however lavishly Nature may have
NORTH AHERIOAir I!n)IAN9.
189
bestowed her master tottches upon him, who has not the
pride and noble bearing of a warrior.
I spoke in a former Letter of Mah-to-toh-pa (the four
bears), the second chief of the nation, and the most popular
man of the Mandans — a high-minded and gallant warrior,
as well as a polite and polished gentleman. Sinoe 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 prepared in a careful manner and waiting our arrival.
The lodge in which he dwelt was a room of immense size,
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 beautiftd rush mat,
which was placed between us.
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 vessel of their own
manufacture, somewhat in shape of a bread-tray in our
own country. This last contained a quantity of pemican
and marrow-fat ; and one of the former held a fine brace of
bufialo ribs, delightfully roasted ; and the other was filled
with a kind of paste or pudding, made of the flour of the
"jjomme ftfancAe," as the French call it, a delicious turnip
190
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
of the prairie, finely flavored with the baf&lo berries,
which are collected in great quantities in this country, and
used with divers dishes in cooking, as we in civilized
countries use dried currants, which they very much
resemble.
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 filled it ; and instead of
lighting it by the fire, which he could easily have done, he
drew from his pouch his 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 1 drew a whiff or two while he held the
stem in his hands. This done, he laid down the pipe, and
drawing his knife from his belt, cut off a very small piece
oi the meat from the ribs, and pronouncing the words
" Ho-pe-ne-chee wa-pa-shee" (meaning a me(2tc{ne sacrifice),
threw it into the fire.
He then (by signals) requested me to eat, and I com-
menced, after drawing 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). Header, be not astonished that I sat and ate my
dinner ahne, for such is the custom in 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-to-toh-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 he was making unusual preparation, and 1
observed as I ate, that after he had taken enough of the
k'nick-k'neck or bark of the red willow, from his pouch, ho
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
191
rolled out of it Mso a piece of the "cflwtor" which it i»
customary amongst these folks to carrj in their tobacco-
sack to give it a flavor ; 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 as we use bread in the 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-fat " i»
collected by the Indians from the buflfelo 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
flavor, 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
192
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
call them ; it was large enough to hol^ 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
made by the hands of the women, from a tough black clay,
and baked in kilns 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 glazing,
which would be to them a most valuable secret. They
make them so strong and serviceable, however, that they
hang them over the fire as we do our iron pots, and boil
their meat in them with perfect 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 pussing 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 mats placed upon the ground, and not
allowed to speak, though they were in readiness to obey
his orders or commands, which were uniformly 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 which were on
NOBTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
198
it were the representations of the battles of his life, where
he had fought and killed with his own hand fourteen of his
enemies ; that he had been two weeks engaged in painting
it for luc, and that he had invited me here on this oooasion
to present it to me. The robe, readers, which I shall
describe in a future epistle, I took upon mj shoulder, and
he took me bj the arm and led me back to my painting*
room.
18
LETTER No. XVIL
MANDAN TILLAGE, UPPER MISSOURI
I MBMTIONBD in the foregoing epistle, that the chieft of
the Mandans frequently have a plurality of wives. Such
is the custom amongst all of 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 £sir as T have visited them ; and it ia
no uncommon thing to find a chief with six, eight, or ten,
and some 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 rank inferior to that of the men, in
relation to whom in many respects they stand rather in the
light of menials and slaves than otherwise; and as they are
the " hewers of wood and drawers of water," it becomes a
(194)
NORTH AMKRICAN INDIANS.
196
matter of neces-iiy for a chief (who must be liberal, keep
open doors, and entertain, for the support of his popu-
larity) to have in his wigwam a sufficient number of such
handmaids ox menials to perform the numerous duties and
drudgeries of so large and expensive an establishment.
There are two other reasons for this custom which
operate with equal, if not with greater force than the cue
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 labor during most of the year ;
and the avails of that labor enable him to procure those
luxuries, and give to his lodge the appearance of respecta-
bility which is not ordinarily seen. Amongst those tribes
who trade with the Fur Companies, this system is carried
oat 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 supplied, and his lodge the most abundantly
furnished with the luxuries of civilized manufacture, who
has at the year's end the greatest number of robes to vend
to the Fur Company.
The manual labor amongst savages is all done by the
women ; and as there are no daily laborers or persons who
will '* hire out^^ to labor for another, it becomes necessary
for him who requires more than the labor or services of
one, to add to the number by legalizing and compromising
by the ceremony of marriage, his stock of laborers ; who .
can thus, and thus alone, be easily enslaved, and the results
of their labor turned to good account.
106
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
There is yet the other inducement, which probably ia
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 power — surround ed 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 amongst savage
nations can easily be excused too, and we are bound to ex-
cuse it, when we behold man in a state of nature, as he was
made, fdlowing a natural inclination, which is sanctioned
by ancient custom and by their religion, without a law or
regulation of their society to discountenance it ; and when,
at the same time, such an accumulation of a man's house-
hold, instead of quadrupling his expenses (as would be the
case in the civilized world), actually becomes his wealth,
as the results of their labor abundantly secure to him all
the necessaries and luxuries of life.
There are other and very rational grounds on which the
propriety of such a custom may be urged, one of which is
as follows : — us all nations of Indians in their natural con-
dition 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 the
battle-field is almost the only road, their warriors are killed
off to that extent, that in many instances two and some-
times 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 poor or obscure indi-
vidual from marrying 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
lociety, or from a still more frequent objection, that of his
inability (from want of worldly goods) to deal in the
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LEfTKRS AND !<.'« TICS ON THK
■%-i
?';iMM i" vet the othv^r i!idotN'!ti..!'t. which probaWy m
My.»v triTi'.,-uve tTian eithr^r; the uaturaJ in-^UnaiioK which
iftldugs to 'imn, who .-t&mU hiji'h iii tb* cutimntion of h'3
p.'»il.^ ftiid wields th« sn^ptrp ot jxvw^tr --UTroundud by
• ',u'nmtioiii» wln-.'h ho cousi'i. r* it wuuld bt? aiinatural ♦•>
i-.<,;(5t. whe«' no i^w or ryj^lfttwii tit' wciety stunda in t" e
v,av of his ufljojmt'nt. Such ;i custom auVMigst savn/,*
U!ii>.>os iui» twi-^i'v be exciirte<i too, aati we are bound to ^^^
o>]Hi- it *h.'?.' we bchol'i r>iau in a stale ^if nature, as he ^m
\pHiU\ WHovc rj u Qutnral iuclinutiou, which is siinotiom*.'.
t^v r.U'V.'ii.i cu^.'.it^ Mi'\ by their religi('>n, wi'liout a hiw or
r^^iiiifiMoft o: fi»'. • sj^Hji^ty to diacountt. nance, it ; and -whi.r.
•v; i;h.< mnf->- lu'*, i^^-h an aocumuhition of a nianViiouat*
y Jii ;i jiSvi^i <.;.* «;tii»diupling his pxperj'irs (as would be iht-
■.:i+*ii. M. : .,.• '•»v.jf.!r/:-d world), actually heeomiM his weuUi.
*s i> V ittvi'iM -M -ihnit labor abundautly •;>•.; urc to kiiii al-
'r r: r- •irf*^"*^ ai^d luxuries of lifo.
'i'x.-''*, («3" nthur aiKi very rutit^ual .arroundii on which ih^
p'X!ii',>v i »'Kti a cvistom tnuy Ik- 'Jirg*i. otsc of which i*
«3 &>r.r«*' • *f' alt nntiorva of iv.di»n« .a tli-;ir natural o<'t;
ditio^t atv «i«Meiihiugly at w;>x 'vv'ith tbc tribes that are p}>- \%.
them. Km" t'vB **i^>iif(Uuent ot' ao'Jterxt and uever-ending feui'
aa woll jw m>r.i a low of gloi-y, w which in Indian life tW
batil<vn6l«i •? >iir(;o,t the only road, their warriors are kilk>
of t.t ih&t QXiifWU that in many mataucea twcj and some
ter;-J4 three wcn^n fc* a rn.!tu arc found in a tribe. In sut><
4t*«!.\u^*s Ihavti fjU'.H that the custoni of polygamy it*^
ktoj'.y h«lp»>i the oomiiAUuity to an evident relief froif. *-
<.« ii^jii j«m1 jirodjgjottft oalmttity.
TH n*JKML«»a of '«htcli I have above spoken, fc^s
j,»«^i*"5taiU ..jtiRlJTvfld io this chiefs and moJicine-raen ; thoujjfs
thej**: y* y>^-'- wnffTijatioti pjoluhiting a poor or obscure intij
vid?*»i ?t^i:i»sa¥>iifii»:»".'f*«g'«''V<*r»l wives, other than the person*-
ditn,:u.l^^ w4 T.^ k« biHt^wen hira and the hand which W
wiah''* is '^mfi- '^-^ ^■^^ ioT want of sulhcient celebrity i"
fiC'<.i«*.j, ;jgr f#f.'»,w * '^i^i more frequo.nt objection, that of l*<'
ir)ab(,lU_j OHk^, *-MUt of worid!y ^'oodr-) to deal in tV
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
197
customary way with the futhors of the girls whom he
would appropriate to his own household.
There arc very few iastances indeed, to be seen in these
regions, where a poor or ordinary citizen has more than
one wife ; but amongst chiefs and braves of great reputa-
tion, and doctors, it is common to see some six ot eight
living under one roof, and all apparently quidt and con-
tented ; seemingly harmonizing, and enjoying the modes of
life and treatment that falls to their lot.
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 is 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-
connections, to carry on successfully their business trans-
actions with them. The young women of the best families:
only can aspire to such an elevation ; and the most of them<
are exceedingly ambitious for such a connection, inasmuch
as they are certain of a delightful exemption from the
slavish duties that devolve upon them when married under
other circumstances ; and expect to be, as they generally
are, allowed to lead a life of ease and idleness, covered with
i (
198
LETTERS KSD NOTES ON" THE
i!
f
mantles of blue and scarlet cloth — with beads and trinkets
and ribbons, in which they flounce and flirt about, tht
envied and tinselled belles of every tribe.
These connections, however, can scarcely be called
marriages, for T 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 unceremoniously
do they annul and abolish this connection 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, &o., which he can easily
command at her second espousal.
From the enslaved and degraded condition in which the
women are held in the Indian country, the world would
naturally think that theirs must be a community formed of
incongruous and unharmonizing materials; and conse-
quently destitute of the fine, reciprocal 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, in filial, and in paternal affection.
There is no trait in the human character which is more
universal than the attachments which flow from thef«
relations and there is no part of the human species who
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
19i
have a stronger affection and a higher regard for them
than the North 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 proo&, 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 I
lose sight of those who are near me, and the first to be
heralded.
Such, then, are the Mandans — ^their women are beautiiul
and modest, — and amongst the respectable families, virtue
is as highly cherished and as inapproachable, as in any
society whatever ; yet at the same time a chief may marry
a dozen wives if he pleases, and so may a white man ; and
if either wishes to marry the most beautiiul and modest
girl in the tribe, she is valued only equal, perhaps, to two
horses, a gun with powder and ball for a year, five or six
pounds of beads, a couple of gallons of whisky, and a
handful of awls.
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 well as from the slavish life they lead, soon
after marriage vanishes. Their occupations are almost
continual, and they seem to go industriously at them, as
if from choice or inclination, without a murmur.
The principal occupations of the women in this village,
consist in procuring wood 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 com and soma
pumpkins and squashes. This is all done by the women,
who make their hoes of the shoulder-blade of the buffalo
200
LBTTEBS AND NOTES ON THE
or the elk, and dig the ground over instead of ploughing it^
which is consequently done with a vast deal of labor.
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.
The 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, and the remainder is
gathered and dried on the cob, before it has ripened, and
packed away in ^^caches^^ (as the French call them), holes
dug in the ground, some six or seven feet deep, the insides
of which are somewhat in the form of a jug, and tightly
closed at the top. The com, and even dried meat and
pemican, are placed in these caches^ being packed tight
around the sides, with prairie grass, and effectually pre-
served through the severest winters.
Corn and dried meat are generally laid in in the fall, in
sufficient quantities to support them through the winter.
These are the principal articles of food during that long
and inclement season ; and in addition to theni, they
off;entimes have in store great quantities of dried squashes
and dried ^^ pommes bhnches,^^ a kind of turnip which grows
in great abundance in these regions, and of which I have
before spoken. These are dried in great quanties, and
pounded into a sort of meal, and cooked with the dried
meat and corn. Great quantities also of wild fruit of
different kinds are dried and laid away in store for the
winter season, such as buffalo berries, service berries,
strawberries, and wild plums.
The buffalo meat, however, is the great staple and " staff
of life" in this country, and seldom (if ever) fails to afford
thetn an abundant and wholesome means of subsistence.
There are, from a fair computation, something like two
hundred and fifty thousand Indians in these western
regions, who live almost exclusively on the flesh of these
animals, through every part of the year. During the
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
201
summer and fall months they use the meat fresh, and cook
it in a great variety of ways, by roasting, broiling, boiling,
stewing, smoking, &c., ; and by boiling the ribs and joints
with the marrow in them, make a delicious soup, which is
universally used, and in vast quantities. The Mandans, I
find, have no regular or stated times for their meals, but
generally eat about twice in the twenty-four hours. The
pot is always boiling over the fire, and any one who is
hungry (either of the household or from any other part of
the village) has a right to order it taken off, and to fall to
eating as he pleases. Such is an unvarying custom
amongst the North American Indians, and T very much
doubt, whether the civilized world have in their institutions
any system which can properly be called more humane
and charitable. Every man, woman, or child in Indian
communities is allowed to enter any one's lodge, and even
that of the chief of the nation, and eat when thev are
hungry, provided misfortune or necessity has driven them
to it. Even so can the poorest and most worthless drone
of the nation ; if he is too lazy to hunt or to supply him-
self, he can walk into any lodge and every one will share
with him as long as there is anything to eat. He, how-
ever, who thus begs when he is able to hunt, pays dear
for his meat, for he is stigmatized with the disgraceful
epithet of a poltroon and a beggar.
The Mandans, like all other tribes, sit at their meals
crossed-legged, or rather with their ancles crossed in front
of them, and both feet drawn close under their bodies ; or,
which is very often the case also, take their meals in a
reclining posture, with the legs thrown out, and the body
resting on one elbow and fore-arm, which are under them.
The dishes from which they eat are invariably on the
ground or floor of the lodge, and the group resting on
buffalo robes or mats of various structure and manufacture.
The position in which the women sit at their meals and
on other occasions is different from that of the men, and
una which they take and rise from again, with great ease
^Sp
202
LKTTKRS AND NOTES ON THX
I i
and muoh grace, by merely bending the knees both
together, inclining the body back and the head and
shoulders quite forward, they squat entirely down to the
ground, inclining both feet either to the right or the left.
In this position they always rest while eating, and it is
both modest and graceful, for they seem, with apparent
ease, to assume the position and rise out of it, without
using their hands in any way to assist them.
These women, however, although graoef\il and civil, and
ever so beautiful or ever so hungry, are not allowed to sit
in the same group with the men while at their meals. So
far as I have yet travelled in the Indian country, I never
have seen an Indian woman eating with her husband.
Men form the first group at the banquet, and women, and
children and dogs all come together at the next, and these
gormandize and glut themselves to an enormous extent,
though the men very seldom do.
It is time that an error on this subject, which has gone
generally abroad in the world, was corrected. It is every-
where asserted, and almost universally belived, that the
Indians are " enormous eaters ;" but comparatively speak-
ing, I assure my readers that this is an error. I venture
to say that there are no persons on earth who practice
greater prudence and self-denial, than the men do (amongst
the wild Indians,) who are constantly in war and in the
<:hase, or in their athletic sports and exercises ; for all of
which they are excited by the highest ideas of pride and
honor, and every kind of excess is studiously avoided ; and
for a very great part of their lives, the most painful absti-
nence is enforced upon themselves, for the purpose of pre-
paring their bodies and their limbs for these extravagant
exertions. Many a r^an who has been a few weeks along
the frontier, amongst the drunken, naked and beggared
part of the Indian race, and run home and wruten a book
on Indians, has, no doubt, often seen them eat to beastly
excess; and he has seen them also guzzle whisky (and
perhaps sold it to them) till he has seen them glutted and
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
208
besotted, without will or energy to move; an J many and
thousands of such things can always be seen, where white
people have made beggars of them, and they have nothing
to do but lie under a fence and beg a whole week to get
meat and whisky enough for one feast and one carouse ;
but amongst the wild Indians in this country there are no
beggars — no drunkards — and every man, from a beautiful
natural precept, studies to keep his body and mind in such
a healthy shape and condition as will at all times enable
him to use his weapons in self-defence, or struggle for the
prize in their manly games.
As I before observed, these men generally eat but twice a
day, and many times not more than once, and those meals
are light and simple compared with the meals that arc
swallowed in the civilized world ; and by the very people
also, who sit at the festive board three times a day, making
a jest of the Indian for his eating, when they actually
guzzle more liquids, besides their eating, than would fill
the stomach of an Indian.
There are, however, many seasons and occasions in the
year with all Indians, when they fast for several days in
succession ; and others where they can get nothing to eat ;
and at such times (their habits are such) they may be seen
to commence with an enormous meal, and because they do
so, it is an insufRcient reason why we should for ever
remain under so egregious an error with regard to a
single custom of these pepple.
I have seen so many of these, and lived with them, and
travelled with them, and oftentimes felt as if I should
starve to death on an equal allowance, that I am fully
convinced I am correct in saying that the North American
Indians, taking them in the aggregate, even where they
have an abundance to subsist on, eat less than any civil>
ized population of equal numbers, that I have ever
travelled amongst.
Their mode of curing and preserving the buffalo meat is
somewhat curious, and in fact it is almost incredible also '
E
204
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
for it in all cured or dried in the sun, without the aid of
salt or smoke I The method of doing this is the same
amongst all the tribes, from this to the Mexican Provinces,
and is as follows : — The choicest parts of the flesh from the
buffalo are cut out by the squaws, and carried home on
their baoks or on horses, and there cut " aavss the grain^^
in such a manner as will take alternately the layers of lean
and fat ; and having prepared it all in this way, in strips
about half an inch in thickness, it is hung up by hundreds
and thousands of pounds on poles resting on crotches, out
of the reach of dogs or wolves, and exposed to the rays of
the sun for several days, when it becomes so effectually
dried, that it can be carried to any part of the world
without damage. This seems almost an unaccountable
thing, and the more so, as it is done in the hottest months
of the year, and also in all the different latitudes of an
Indian country.
So singular a fact as this can only be accoiinted for, I
consider, on the ground of the extraordinary rarity and
purity of the air which we meet with in these vast tracts
of country, which are now properly denominated " the
great buffalo plains," a series of exceedingly elevated
plateaus of aUsppes or prairies, lying at and near the base oi
the Booky Mountains.
It is a fact then, which I presume will be new to most of
the world, that meat can be cured in the sun without the
aid of smoke or salt; and it is«a fact equally true and
equally surprising also, that none of these tribes use salt in
any way, although their country abounds in salt springs;
and in many places, in the frequent walks of the Indian,
the prairie may be seen, for miles together, covered with
an incrustation of salt as white as the drifted snow.
I have, in travelling with Indians, encamped by such
places, where they have cooked and eaten their meat, when
I have been unable to prevail on them to use salt in any
quantity whatever. The Indians cook their meat more
than the civilized people do, and I have long since learned,
KORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
205
from necessity, that meat thus cooked can easily be eaten
and relished too, without salt or other condiment.
The fact above asserted applies exclusively to those
tribes of Indians which I have found in their primitive
state, living entirely on meat; but everywhere along our
frontier, where the game of the country has long since
been cbiefly destroyed, and these people have become
semi-civilized, raising and eating, as we do, a variety of
vegetable food, they use (and no doubt require,) a great
deal of salt ; and in many instances use it even to destruc-
tivd excess.
, ^(
LETTER No. XVm.
MANDAN VILLAGE, UPPER MISSOVBI.
Tbb Mandans, like all other tribes lead lives of idleness
and leisure ; and of course, devote a great deal of time to
their sports and amusements, of which they have a great
variety. Of these, dancing is one of the principal, and
may be seen in a variety of forms: such as the buffalo
danoe, the boasting dance, the begging dance, the scalp
danoe, and a dozen other kinds of dances, all of which
have their peculiar characters and meanings or objects.
These exercises are exceedingly grotesque in their
Appearance, and to the eye of a traveller who knows not
their meaning or importance, they are an uncouth aud
frightfVil display of starts, and jumps, and yelps, and
jarring gutturals, which are sometimes truly terrifying
2oe
NOKTIl AMKRICAN INDIANS.
207
But when one givcii them a little attention, and has been
lucky enough to be initiate<l into their mysterious meaning
they become a subject of the most intense and exciting
interest. Every dance has its peculiar step, and every step
has its meaning ; every dance, nlso, has its peculiar song,
and that is so intricate and mysterious oftentinries, that not
one in ten of the young men who are dancing and singing
it, know the meaning of the song which they are chanting
over. None but the medioinc-raen are allowed to under-
stand them; and even they are generally only initiated
into these secret arcana, on the payment of a liberal stipend
for their tuition, which requires much application and
study. There is evidently a set song and sentiment for
every dance, for the songs are perfectly measured, and
sung in exact time with the beat of the drum ; and always
with an uniform and invariable set of sounds and expres-
sion, which clearly indicate certain sentiments, which are
expressed by the voice, though sometimes not given in
any known language whatever.
They have other dances and songs which are not so
mystified, but which are sung and understood by every
person in the tribe, being sung in their own language, with
much poetry in them, and perfectly metred, but without
rhyme. On these 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 trans-
actions are conducted.
My ears have been almost continually ringing since I
came here, with the din of yelping and beating of the
drums ; but I have for several days past been peculiarly
engrossed, and my senses almost confounded with tho
.stamping, and grunting, and bellowing of the buffalo dance,
which closed a few days since at sunrise (thank Ileaven)
and which I must needs describe to you.
Buffaloes, it is known, are a sort of roaming creatures,
congregating occasionally in huge masses, and strolling
away about the country from east to west, or from north to
208
LETTERS AND NOTES OX THE
south, or ju«t where their whims or strange fancies may
lead them ; and the Mandans are sometimes, by this means,
most unceremoniously left without any thing to eat ; and
being a small tribe, and unwilling to risk their lives by
going far from home in the face of their more powerful
enemies, are oftentimes left almost in a state of starvation.
In any emergency of this kind, every man musters and
brings out of his lodge his mask (the skin of a buffalo's
head with the horns on), which he is obliged to keep in
readiness for this occasion ; and then commences the buffalo
dance, of which I have above spoken, which is helf- ^or the
purpose of making "buffalo come" (as they term it), of
inducing the buffalo herds to change the direction of their
wanderings, and bend their course towards the Mandan
village, and graze about on the beautiful hills and bluff's in
its vicinity, where the Mandans can shoot them down and
cook them as they want them for food.
For the most part of the year, the young warriors and
hunters, by riding out a mile or two from the village, can
kill meat in abundance; and sometimes large herds of these
animals may be seen grazing in full view of the village.
There are other seasons also when the young men have
ranged about the country as far as they are willing to risk
their lives, on account of their enemies, without finding
meat. This sad intelligence is brought back to the chiefs
and doctors, who sit in solemn council, and consult on the
most expedient measures to be taken, until they are sure to
decide upon the old and only expedient which *' never has
failed."
The chief issues his orders to his runners or criers, who
proclaim it through the village — and in a few minutes the
dance begins. The place where this strange operation is
carried on is in the public area in the centre of the village,
and in front of the great medicine or mystery lodge.
About ten or fifteen Mandans at a time join in the dance,
each one with the skin of the buffalo's head (or mask) with
the horns on, placed over his head, and in hia Uand hia
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
209
fovorite bow or lance, with which he ia U!<o<l to shiy the
buffalo.
I mentioned that this dance always had the desired
effect, that it never fails, nor can it, for it cannot be stopped
(but is going incessantly day and night) until "buffalo
come." Drums are beating and rattles are shaken, and
gongs and yells incessantly are shouted, and lookers-on
stand ready with masks on their heads, and weapons in
hand, to take the place of each one as he becomes fatigued,
and jumps out of the ring.
During this time of general excitement, spies or "footer*"
are kept on the hills in the neighborhood of the village,
who, when they discover buffaloes in sight, give the
Appropriate signal, by "throwing their robes," which is
instantly seen in the village, and understood by the whole
tribe. At this joyful intelligence there is a shout of thanks
to the Great Spirit, and more especially to the mystery-
man, and the dancers, who have been the immediate cause of
their siicceos/ There is then a brisk preparation for the
chase — a grand hunt takes place. The choicest pieces of
the victims are sacrificed to the Great Spirit, and then a
surfeit and a carouse.
These dances have sometimes been continued in this
village two and three weeks without stopping an instant,
until the joyful moment when buffaloes made their appear-
ance. So they never fail; and they think they have been
the means of bringing them in.
Every man in the Mandan village (as I have before said)
is obliged by a village regulation, to keep the mask of the
buffalo, hanging on a post at the head of his bed, which he
■can use on his head whenever he is called upon by the
chiefe, to dance for the coming of buffaloes. The mask
is put over the head, and generally has a strip of the skin
hanging to it, of the whole length of the animal, with the
tail attached to it, which, passing down over the back of
the dancer, is dragging on the ground. "When one becomes
■fatigued of the exercise, he signifies it by bending quite
14
210
LU'ITBRS AND NOTKS ON THK
forward, and sinking his body towards tbe ground ; wbea
another draws a bow upon him and hits him with a blunt
arrow, and he falls like a buiTnlo — is seized by the bye-
standcrs, who drag him out uf the ring by the heels,
brandishing their kiiivus about him; and having gone
through the motions of skinning and cutting him up, they
let him off, and his place is at once supplied 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,
uutil the desired effect has b«en produced, that of "making
buffalo come."
The day before yesterday, though it commenced in joy
and thanksgiving to the Great Spirit for the signal success
which had attended their several days of dancing and sup-
plication, it ended in a calamity which threw the village
of the Mandans into mourning and repentant tears, and
that at a time of scarcity and great distress. The signal
was given into the village on that morning from the top of
a distant bluff, that a band of buffaloes were in sight,
though at a considerable distance off, and every heart beat
with joy, and every eye watered and glistened with glad-
ness.
The dance had lasted some three or four days, and now,
instead of the doleful tap of the drum and the begging
eh aunts of the dancers, the stamping of horses was heard
as they were led and galloped through the village — young
men were throwing off their robes and their shirts, — were
seen snatching a handful of arrows from their quivers, and
stringing their sinewy bows, glancing their eyes and their
smiles at their sweethearts, and mounting their ponies.
There had been a few minutes of bustle and boasting,
whilst bows were twanging and spears were polishing by
running their blades into the ground— every face and
every eye was filled with joy and gladness — horses were
pawing and snuffing in fury for the onset, when Louison
Frdnife, an interpreter of the Fur Oompany, galloped
through the village with his rifle in his hand and his
NORTH AMEKICAN INDIANS.
211
powder-horn at his side ; his head and waist were bandaged
with handkerchief, and his shirt sleeves rolled up to his
shoulders — the hunter's yell issued from his lips and was
repeated through the >'illage; he flew to the blufis, and
behind him and over the graceful swells of the prairie,
galloped the emulous youths, whose hearts were beating
high and quick for the onset
In the village, where hunger had reigned, and starvation
was almost ready to look them in the face, all was
instantly turned to joy and gladness. The chiefs and
doctors who had been for some days dealing out minimum
rations to the ooremunity 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 buffalo meat. A
general carouse of banqueting ensued, which occupied the
greater part of the day ; and their hidden stores which
might have fed an emergency for several weeks, were
nearly consumed — bones were half picked, and dishes half
emptied and then handed to the dogs. I was not forgotten
either, 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 ;
suddenly 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 earnestness to the
prairie, whilst blackened warriors ran furiously through
every winding maze of the village, and issuing their
jarring gutturals of vengeance, as they snatched their
deadly weapons from their lodges, and struck the reddened
212
LETTEBS AND NOTES ON THB
post s they furiously passed it by ! Two of their hunters
were bending their course down the sides of the bluff
towards the village, and another 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 the shouts and groans of the
villagers who crowded around them : 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 reeking 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 away, and trusted to the
fleetness of his horse for his safety; yet the story was
audibly told, and the fatal tragedy recited in irregular and
almost suflfbcating 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 glee
and mirth in the morning, had been surrounded by their
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 buflfeloes,
laid a stratagem to entrap them in the following manner :
— Some iix 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 telgraphed to the village,
which brought out their hunters as I have described. The
masked buffaloes were seen grazing 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
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
218
'he
gh
a
the
hill. Louison Frfeni^, 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 heard to rip the
flesh of their naked backs, and a grunt and a groan, as they
tumbled from their horses. Several miles were run in this
desperate race ; and Frenid got home, and several of the
Mandans, 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 injustice, has sent the Mandans an abundance
of buffaloes ; and all hearts have joined in a general
thanksgiving to Him for his goodness and justice.
LETTER No. XEC.
MANDAN VILLAGE, VPPER MISSOURI
Is my last letter I gave an account of the buffalo dance,
and in future epistles may give some descriptions of a
dozen other kinds of dance, which these people have in
common with other tribes ; but in the present letter I shall
make an endeavor 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 pleasing is the sham-fight and
sham scalp-dance of the Mandan boys, which is a part of
their regular exercise, and constitutes a material branch of
their education. During the pleasant mornings of the sum-
mer, the little boys between the age of seven and fifteen are
(214)
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
215
called out, to tlie number of several hundred, and being
divided into two companies, each of which is headed by
some experienced warrior, who leads them on, in the
character of a teacher, they are led out into the prairie at
sunrise, when this curious discipline is regularly taught
them. 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 effects. Each
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 the 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 feet of each other, with their
leaders at their head stimulating them on. Their bows are
bent upon each other and their missiles flying, whilst they
are dodging and fending them oflf.
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 victim'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 and front of battle. •
This mode of training generally lasts an hour or more in
the morning, and is performed on an empty storaach,
affording them a rigid and wholesome exercise, whilst they
are instructed in the important science of war. Some five
or six miles of ground are run over during these evolutions,
giving suppleness to their limbs and strength to their mus«
cles, which last and benefit them through life.
After this exciting exhibition is ended, they all return
to their village, where the chiefs and braves pay profound
1
1
216
LETTKRS ANlJ NOTES ON TBI
attention to their vaunting, and applaud them for theii
artifice and vah^r.
Those who have taken scalps then step forward, bran-
dishing them and making their boasts as they enter into
the scalp-dance (in which they are also instructed by their
leaders or teachers), jumping and yelling — brandishing
their scalps, and reciting their sanguinary deeds, to the great
astonishment of their tender-aged sweethearts, who are
gazing with wonder upon them.
The games and amusements of these people are in most
respects like those of other tribes, consiHting 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 favorite amusement, and unknown to
the other tribes about them. The game of Tohung-kee, a
beautiful 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.
This game is decidedly their favorite amusement, and i»
played near to the village on a pavement of clay, which
has been used for that purpose until it has become as
smooth and hard as a floor. For this game two champion*
form their respective parties, by choosing alternately the
most famous players, until their requisite numbers are
made up. Their bettings are then made, and their stake*
are held by some of the chiefs or others ftresent. The play
commences 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, out 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 afber the ring,
endeavoring to place it in such a position when it stops,
that the ring may fall upon it, and receive one of the little
projections of leather through it, which counts for game,.
'/;:.'
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
217
ooe, or two, or four, according to the position of the leather
oa 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 is 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 become excessively fasci-
nated with it; often gambling away every thing they
possess, and even sometimes, when everything else was
gone, have been known to stake their liberty upon the
issue of these games, offering themselves as slaves to their
opponents in case they get beaten.
Feasting and fasting are important customs observed by
the Mandans, as well as by most other tribes, at stated
times and for particular purposes. These observances are
strictly religious and rigidly observed. There are many of
these forms practiced amongst the Mandans, some of which
are exceedingly interesting, and important also, in forming
a correct estimate of the Indian character ; and I shall at a
future period take particular pains to lay them before my
readers.
Sacrificing is also a religious custom with these people,
and is performed in many different modes, and on
numerous occasions. Of this custom I shall also speak
more ftilly hereafter, merely noticing at present, some few
of the hundred modes in which these offerings 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 inhuman practice in former times, though they
have relinquished it of 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
218
LKTTKRS AND NOTES ON THB
the favorite one ; if it is an arrow from their quiver, they
will select the most perfect one as the most effective giftj
if it ia 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 scaffolds where rest the
bones of their departed relations.
Of these kinds of sacrifices there are three of an inter-
esting 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 Com-
pany 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" are erected on poles about thirty
feet high, over the door of the mystery-lodge, and there
are left to decay. There hangs now by the side of them
another, which was added to the number a few days since,
of the skin of a white 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 great curiosity, even in the country
of buffaloes, and will always command an almost incredible
price, from its extreme scarcity ; and then, from its being
the most costly article of traffic in these regions, it ia
usually converted into a sacrifice, being offered to the
'N ."
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANa
21P
Great Spirit, as the most acceptable gift that cftn be pro-
cured. Amongst the vast herds of buffaloes which graze
on these boundless prairies, there is not one in an hundred
thousand, perhaps, that is white; and when such an one is
obtained, it is considered great medicine or mystery.
On the receipt of the intelligence above mer.tioned, the
chiefs convened in council, and deliberated on the expe-
diency of procuring the white robe from the Blackfeet:
and also of appropriating the requisite means, and devising
the proper mode of procedure for effecting the purchase.
At the close of their deliberations, eight men were fitted
out on eight of their best horses, who took from the Fur
Company's store, on the credit of the chiefs, goods exceed-
ing even the value of their eight horses ; and they started
for the Mouth of the Yellow Stone, where they arrived in
due time, and made the purchase, by leaving the eight
horses and all the goods which they carried; returning on
foot to their own village, bringing home with them the
white robe which was looked upon by all eyes of the
villagers as a thing that was vastly curious, and con-
taining (as they express it) something of the Great Spirit.
This wonderful anomaly laid several days in the chief's
lodge until public curiosity was gratified ; and then it was
taken by the doctors or high-priests, and with a great deal
of form and mystery consecrated, and raised on the top of
a long pole, over the medicine-lodge; where it now stands
in a group with the others, and will stand as an offering
to the Great Spirit, until it decays and falls to the ground.
This Letter as I promised in its commencement, being
devoted to some of the customs peculiar to the Mandans,
and 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 Mandan village. ,
Readers, did you ever hear of " Sain Makers ?" If not,
flit still, and read on ; but laugh not — ^keep cool and sober.
22U
LETTEBS AND NOTES OX THS
or olie you may laugh in the beginning^ and cry at the etut
of my fltory. "Well, I iatroduce to you a new character —
not a doctor or a high-priest, yet a medicine-man, and one of
the highest and most respectable order, a " Bain Maker /''
Suoli digtiitaries live in the Mandan nation, aye, and "ratn
ttoppera^^ tuo ; and even those also amongst their conjurati^
who, like Joshua of old, have even essayed to stop the sun
in his course; but from the ineiBciency of their medicine
Of mystery, have long since descended into insignificance.
The Mandans, raise a great deal of corn; but some-
times a most disastrous drought visits the land, destructive
to their promised harvest. Such was the case when I
arrived at the Mandan village on the steam-boat, Yellow-
Stone. Bain had not fallen fur many a day, and the dear
little girls and the ugly old squaws, altogether (all of
whom had fields of corn,) were groaning and crying to
their lords, and imploring them to intercede for rain, that
their little patches, which were now turning pale and
yellow, might not be withered, and they be deprived of the
pleasure of their customary annual festivity, and the joyful
occawon of the "roasting ears," and the "green corn
dance,"
The chiefs and doctors sympathized with the distress of
the women, and recommended patience. Great deliberation^
they ttiiid, 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
endeavor ; and that the longer they put it off, the more
certain they would be of ultimate success. So, after a few
diiys of further delay, when the importunities of the women
had become clamorous, and even mournful, and almost
insupportable, the medicine-men assembled in the council-
house, with all their mystery apparatus about them — with
an abundance of wild sage, and other aromatic herbs, with
a fire prepared to burn them, that their savory odors
might bo ^icnt forth to the Great Spirit. The lodge wa»
NORTH AMERICAN IXDIANS.
221
closed to all the villagers, except some ten or fifteen young
men, who were willing to hazard the dreadful alternative
of making it rain, or suffer the everlasting disgrace of
having made a fruitless essay.
They, only, were allowed ns witnesses to the hocua pocus
and conjuration devised by the doctors inside of the
medicine-lodge ; and they were called up by lot, each one
in his turn, to spend a day upon the top of the lodge, to
test the potency of liis rtiedioine ; or, in other words, to see
how far his voice might be heard and obeyed amongst the
clouds of the heavens; whilst the doctors were burning
incense in the wigwam below, and with their songs and
prayers to the Great Spirit, for success, were sending forth
grateful fumes and odors to Him "who lives in the sur.
and commands the thunders of Heaven." Wah-kee (the
shield) was the first who ascended the wigwam at sunrise ;
and he stood all day, and looked foolish, as he was counting
over and over his string of mystery-beads — ^the whole
village were assembled around him, and praying for his
success. Not a cloud appeared — the day was calm and
hot ; and at the setting of the sun, he descended from the
lodge and went home — •* his medicine was not good," nor
can he ever be a medicine-man.
Om-pah (the oik) was the next ; he ascended the lodge at
sunrise the next morning. His body was entirely naked,
being covered with yellow clay. On his left arm he
carried a beautiful shield, and along lance in his right;
and on his head the skin of a raven, the bird that soars
amidst the clouds, and above the lightning's glare — he
flourished his shield and brandished his lance, and raised
his voice, but in vain ; for at sunset the ground was dry
and the sky was clear ; the squaws were crying, and their
corn was withering at its roots.
War-rah-pah (the beaver) was the next ; he also spent
his breath in vain upon the empty air, and came down at
night — and "Wak-a-dah-ha-hee (the white buffalo's hair)
took the stand the next morning. He is a small, but
222
LEITKRS AND NOTES ON THE
beautifully proportioned young man. He was dressed in a
tunic and leggings of the skins of the mountain- sheep,
splendidly garnished with quills of the porcupine, and
fringed with locks of hair taken by his own hand from the
heads of his enemies. On his arm ho carried his shield,
made of the buffalo's hide — its boss was the head of the
war-eagle — and its front was ornamented with " red chains
of lightning." In his left hand he clenched his sinewy
bow and one single arrow. The villagers were all
gathered about him ; when he threw up a feather to
decide on the course of the wind, and he commenced
thus : — " My friends ! people of the pheasants ! you see
me here a sacrifice — I shall this day relieve you from great
distress, and bring joy amongst you ; or I shall descend
from this lodge when the sun goes down, and live amongst
the dogs and old women all my days. My friends 1 you
saw which way the feather flew, and I hold my shield this
day in the direction where the wind comes — the lightning
on my shield will draw a great cloud, and this arrow,
which is selected from my quiver, and which is feathered
with the quill of the white swan, will make a hole in it.
My friends 1 this hole in the lodge at my feet, shows me
the medicine-men, who are seated in the lodge below me
and crying to the Great Spirit ; and through it comes and
passes into my nose delightful odors, which you see
rising in the smoke to the Great Spirit above, who rides in
clouds and commands the winds ! Three days they have
sat here, my friends, and nothing has been done to relieve
your distress. On the first day was Wah-kee (the shield),
he could do nothing ; he counted his beads and came down
— his medicine was not good — his name was bad, and it
kept off the rain. The next was Om-pah (the elk) ; on his
head the raven was seen, who flies above the storm, and h«
failed. War-rah-pa (the beaver) was the next, my friends ;
the beaver lives under the water, and he never wants it to
rain. My friends 1 I see you are in great distress, and
nothing has yet been done; this shield belonged to mj
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
228
father the White Buffalo ; and the lightning you see on it
is red ; it was taken from a black cloud, and that cloud
will come over us to-day I am the white buffalo's hair —
and I am the son of my father."
It happened on this memorable day about noon, that
the steam-boat Yellow Stone, on her first trip up the
Missouri Biver, approached and landed at the Mandan
Village, as I have described in a former epistle. I was
lucky :nough to be 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
four miles below. These- guns introduced a net/; sound into
this strange country, which the Mandans at first suppose'd
to be thunder ; and tb'i young man upon 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 him — chiefs
envied him — mothers' hearts were beating high whilst
they were decorating and leading up their fair daughters
to ofier 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
poi^ution, assuming the most commanding and threatening
attitudes; brandishing his shield in the direction of the
thunder, although there was not a cloud to be seen, until
be, poor fellow, being elevated above the rest of the village,
espied to his inexpressible amazement, the steamboat
ploughing its way up the windings of the river below;
puffing her steam from her pipes, and sending forth tho
224
LETTEUS AKD NOTES O.V THE
''A
thunder from a twelvo-pounder on her dock \ * * *
The White Buffaloe's Hair stood motionless and turned
pale, he looked awhile, and turned to the chief and to the
multitude, and addreHse^l them with a trembling lip — "My
friends, we will get no rain I — there are you see no clouds ;
but my medicine is great — I have bri)ught a thunder-boat f
look and see it; the thunder you hear is out of her mouth,
and the lightning which you see is on the waters 1"
At this intelligence, the whole village flew to the tops of
their wigwam?, or to the bank of the river, from whence the
steamer was in full view, and ploughing along, to their
utter dismay and con{\ision.
In this promiscuous throng of chiefs, doctors, women,
children and dogs, was mingled Wak-a-dah-ha-hee (the
white buffalo's hair), having descended from his high place
to mingle with the frightened throng.
Dismayed at the approach of so strange and unaccount-
able an object, the Mandans stood their ground but a few
moments ; when, by an order of the chiefs, all hands were
ensconsed within the piquets of their village, and all the
warriors armed for a desperate defence. A few moments
brought the boat in front of the village, and all was still
and quiet as death ; not a Mandan was to be seen upon the
banks. The steamer was moored, and three or four of the
chiefs f oon after walked boldly down the bank and on to
her deck, with a spear in one hand and the calumet or pipe
of peace in the other. The moment they stepped on board
they met (to their great surprise and joy) their old friend,
Major Sanford, their agent, which circumstance put an
instant end to all their fears. The villagers were soon
apprized of the fact, and the whole race of the beautiful and
friendly Mandans was paraded on the bank of the river, in
front of the steamer.
The "rain maker," whose apprehensions of a public
calamity brought upon the nation by his extraordinary
rnedicine, had, for the better security of his person from
apprehended vengeance, secreted himself in some secure
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
22=^
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 his breast there was a rankling
thorn, though he escaped the dreaded vengeance which he
had a few moments before apprehended as at hand ; as he
had the mortification and disgrace of having failed in hia
mysterious operations. He set up, (during the day, in his
conversation about the strange arrival), his medicines, as the
cause of its approach ; asserting everywhere and to every-
body, 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
evening, 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 hia
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 connmanding the
cloud to come nearer, that he might draw down its contents
upon the heads and the corn-fields of the MandansI In this
wise he stood, waving his shield over his head, stamping
his foot and frowning as he drew his bow and threatened
the heavens, commanding 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! Wak-a-dah-ha-hee's
arrow has entered that black cloud, and the Mandans will
15
226
LFTTErtS AND NOTES ON THE
be wet with the waters of the skies I" His predictious
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
sky, while he boasted of his power and the efficacy of his
medicine, to those who had been about him, but were now
driven to the shelter of their wigwams. He, at length,^
finished his vaults and his threats, and descended from his
high place (in which he had been perfectly drenched),
prepared to receive the honors and the homage that were
due to one so potent in his mysteries ; and to receive the
style and title of ^^medicine-man." This is one of a hundred
different modes in which a man in Indian countries
acquires the honorable appellation.
This man had " made it rain," and of course was to
receive more than usual honors, as he had done much
more than ordinary men could do. All eyes were upon
him, and all were ready to admit that he was skilled in the
magic 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 medicine-man.
Readers, there are two facts relative to these strange
transactions, which are infallibly true, and should needs
be made known. The first is, that when the Mandans
undertake to make it rain they never fail to succeed, for their
ceremonies never stop until rain begins to fall. The second
is equally true, and is this : — that he who has once " made
\t rain," nevfer attempts it again ; his medicine is undoubted
— and on future occasions of the kind, he stands aloof, who
has once done it in presence of the whole village, giving an
opportunity to other young men who are" ambitious to
signalize themselves in the same way.
During the memorable night of which I have just spoken,
the steamboat remained by the side of the Mandan village,
and the rain that had commenced falling continued to pour
down its torrents until midnight; black thunder roared,.
NOBTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
227
and livid lightning flashed until the heavens appeared to
be lit up with one unceasing and appalling glare. In this
frightful moment of consternation, a flash of lightning
buried itself in one of the earth-covered lodges of the
Mandans, and killed a beautiful girl. Here was food and
fael fresh for their superstitions; and a night of vast
tumult and excitement ensued. The dreams of the new-
.nade medicine-man were troubled, and he had dreadful
apprehensions for the coming day — for he knew that he
was subject to the irrevocable decree of the chiefs and
doctors, who canvass every strange and unaccountable
event, with close and superstitious scrutiny, and let their
vengeance fall without mercy upon its immediate cause.
He looked upon his well-earned fame as likely to be
withheld from him ; and also considered that his life might
perhaps be demanded as the forfeit for this girl's death,
which would certainly be charged upon him. He looked
upon himself as culpable, and supposed the accident to
have been occasioned by his criminal desertion of his
post, when the steamboat was approaching the village.
Morning came, and he soon learned from some of his
friends, the opinions of the wise men ; and also the nature
of the tribunal that was preparing for him j he sent to the
prairie for his three horses, which were brought in, and he
mounted the medicine-lodge, around which, in a few
moments, the villagers were all assembled. " My Friends!
(said he) I see you all around me, and I am before you;
my medicine, you see, is great — it is too great — I am young,
and I was too fast — I knew not when to stop. The wig-
wam of Mahsish is laid low, and many are the eyes that
weep for Ko-ka (the antelope); Wak-a-dah-ha 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 thunder-boat
also ! who says the medicine of Wak-a-dah-ha-hee is not
strong ?"
At the end of this sentence an unanimous shout of
228
LETTERS AND NOTES.
approbation ran through the crowd, and the " Hair of the
White Buffalo" descended amongst them, where he was
greeted by shakes of the hand ; and amongst whom he now
lives and thrives under the familiar and honorable appella-
tion of the "Bio Double Mbdioinx."
LETTER NO. XX.
MANDAN VILLAGE, UPPER MISSOURI
This day has been one of unusual mirth and amusement
amongst the Mandans, and whether on account of some
annual celebration or not, I am as yet unable to say, though
I think such is the case ; for these people have many days
which, like this, are devoted to festivities and amusements.
Their lives, however, are lives of idleness and ease, and
almost all their days and hours are spent in innocent
amusements. Amongst a people who have no office hours
to attend to — ^no professions to study, and of whom but
very little time is required in the chase, to supply their
families with food, it would be strange if they did not
practice many games and amusements, and also become
exceedingly expert in them.
I have this day been a spectator of games and plays
until I am fatigued with looking on ; and also by lending
a hand, which I have done ; but with so little success as
only to attract general observation, and as generally to
(229)
230
LETTEBS AND NOTES OK THE
excite the criticisms and laughter of the squawa and little
vhildren.
I have seen a fair exhibition of thoir archery this day,
in a favorite amusement which they call the " gatne of the
arrow" where the young men who are the most distin-
guished in this exercise, assemble on the prairie at a little
distance from the village, and having paid, each one, his
" entrance-fee," such as a shield, a robe, a pipe, or other
article, step forward in turn, shooting their arrows into the
air, endeavoring to see who can get the greatest number
flying in the air at one time, thrown from the same bow.
For this, the number of eight or ten arrows are clenched in
the left hand with the bow, and the first one which is
thrown is elevated to such a degree as will enable it to
remain the longest time possible in the air, and while it is
flying, the others are discharged as rapidly as possible;
and he who succeeds in getting the greatest number up at
once, is " best," and takes the goods staked.
In looking on at this amusement, the spectator is sur-
prised ; not at the great distance to which the arrows are
actually sent; but at the quickness of flxxng them on the
string, and discharging them in suocession ; which is no
doubt, the result of great practice, and enables the most
expert of them co get as many as eight arrows up before the
first one reaches the ground.
For the successful use of the bow, as it is used through
all this region of country on horseback, and that invariably
at full speed, the great object of practice is to enable the
bowman to draw the bow with suddenness and instant
effect; and also to repeat the shots in the most rapid
manner. As their game is killed from their horses' backs
while at the swiftest rate — and thoir enemies fought in the
same way ; and as the horse is the swiftest animal of the
prairie, and always able to bring his rider alongside, within
a few paces of his victim ; it will easily be seen that the
Indian has little use in throwing his arrow more than a
few paces ; when he leans quite low on his horse's side.
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
281
and drives it with astonishing force, capable of producing
instant death to the buffalo, or any other animal in the
country. The bows which are generally in use in these
regions I have described in a former Letter, and the effects
produced by them at the distance of a few paces is almost
beyond belief, considering their length, which is not often
over three,— and sometimes not exceeding two and a half
feet. It can easily be seen, from what has been said, that
the Indian has little use or object in throwing the arrow to
iiny great distance. And as it is very seldom that they
can be seen shooting at a target, I doubt very much
whether their skill in such practice would compare with
that attained to in many parts of the civilized world ; but
-with the same weapon, and dashing forward at fullest speed
on the wild horse, without the use of the rein, when the
shot is required to be made with the most instantaneous
effect, I scarcely think it possible that any people can be
found more skilled, and capable of producing more deadly
effects with the bow.
The horses which the Indians ride in this country are
invariably the wild horses, which are found in great num-
Tiers on the prairies; and have, unquestionably, strayed
from the Mexican borders, into which they were introduced
by the Spanish invaders of that country ; and now range
and subsist themselves, in winter and summer, over the
vast plains of prairie that stretch from the Mexican frontiers
to Lake Winnipeg on the north, a distance of three thou-
sand miles. These horses are all of small stature, of the
pony order; but a very hardy and tough animal, being
able to perform for the Indians a continual and essential
service.
They are taken with the fewo, which is a long halter or
thong, made of raw-hide, of some fifteen or twenty yards in
length, and which the Indians throw with great dexterity ;
with a noose at one end of it, which drops over the head of
the animal they wish to catch, whilst running at Ml speed
T-when ihe Indian dismounts from his own horse, and
232
LSTTXBS AND NOTES ON THS
holding to the end of the lasu, chokes the animal down,
and afterwards tames and converts him to his own use.
Scarcely a man in these regions is to be found, who is
not the owner of one or more of these horses ; and in many
instances of eight, ten, or even twenty, which he values as
his own personal property.
The Indians are hard and cruel masters ; and, added to
their cruelties is the sin that is familiar in the Christian
world, of sporting with the limbs and the lives of these
noble animals. Horse-racing here, as in all more enlightened
communities; if; one of the most exciting amusements, and
one of the most extravagant modes of gambling.
I have been this day a spectator to scenes of this kind,
which have been enacted in abundance, on a course which
they have, just back of their village ; and although I never
had the least taste for this cruel amusement in my own
country, yet, I must say, I have been not a little amused
and pleased with the thrilling effect which these exciting
scenes have produced amongst so wild and picturesque a
group.
Besides these, many have been the amusements of this
day, to which I have been an eye-witness; and since writing
the above, I have learned the cause of this unusual expres-
sion of hilarity and mirth; which was no more nor less than
the safe return of a small war^arty, who had been so long
out without any tidings having been received of them — that
they had long since been looked upon as sacrificed to the
fates of war and lost. This party was made up of the most
distinguished and desperate young men of the tribe, who
had sallied out against the Biccarees, and taken the most
solemn oath amongst themselves never to return without
achieving a victory. They had wandered long and faith-
fully about the country, following the trails of their 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 took a
ERICAN INDIANS.
28a
circuit )us 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
Yellow Stone to this place, not many weeks since ; where
they had bivouacked or halted, to smoke and consalt 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 001110
account of them to cLeir eiutm-A..
I I
i
LETTFT^ No. XXL
MANDAN VILLAGE, UPPER MISSOURI
In a former Letter i^igave some account of Mah-to-toh-pa
0he four bears), second chief of the Mandans, whom I said
I had painted at full length, in a splendid costume.
Mah-to-toh-pa had agreed to stand before me for hia
portrait at an early hour of the next morning, and on that
day I sat with my palette of colors prepared, and waited
till twelve o'clock, before he could leave his toilette with
feelings of satisfaction as to the propriety of his looks and
the arrangement of his equipments; and at that time it was
announced, that "Mah-to-toh-pa was coming in full dress!''
I looked out of the door of the wigwam, and saw him
■approaching with a firm and elastic step, a< -r npanied by a
great crowd of women and children, wht ere gazing on
him with admiration, and escorting him to my room. No
tragedian ever trod the stage, nor gladiator even entered
the Boman Forum, with more grace and manly dignity
than did Mah-to-toh-pa enter the wigwam, where I was in
(234)
j.:i.
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LETTF^ No. XXL
«ANI>AN VjLLAUK, i'l'I'F.H iflSfSOUm
Is » formttT Letter I»gavo some account of Mah-to-toh-pa
(the 1!<:»ur l>eaTj»), aeooud chief ot the Jfuiidans, whoia I said
I }'.ad pu',titi.'I At lull length, in a ^-plcudid co.siume.
Mahi-.'-'.i.'h pa had ■aj^rfc-i to stand brfore mo for lis
ponmit ni si^.i rally hour oi' tlie next rnotniug, and on that
diy \ «it ft'i'h my palette of colors p'epared, and waited
tdl twiiv.^ o'l-look, btdbro be could leave his tf.>ilctte with
<'Mi).i5g» Tff ,»A' !«ikotion as to the propriety of his louks and
the forrT<ii>.---'t;^<»ur of his equipments ; iuid at that time it wa-i
.viM'Uiiik^i, ih»t5. ,vrah-to-td)-pa was comir.^ in full dn'ss!''
I Itjtfhsu (»*ii r4 the doM of the wigwam, and saw him
appr.)ac>uux or'iiift i firm and tlastio step, acoompanicd by a
gtuir vjrowd ot w-'Uier. :> id children, wlio were gazing on
him with adaur iliio:!, and escorting him to my room. No
trugr.itaa iiver trod tki-- stage, nor gladiator even eniercd
the Homun Forum, ^ith more gmce and manly ditjnity
than did \fah-to-toh-pa enter the wigwam, where I was ia
L
U3
all
NORTH AMBRICAV INDIAire.
236
readinesa to receive him. He took his attitude before me,
and with the sternness of a Brutus and the stillnesf. of u
statue, he stood until the darkness of night broke iipon thi*
solitary silence. His dress, which was a very splendid
one, was complete in all its parts, and consisted of a shirt
or tunic, leggings, moccasins, head-dress, necklace, shiel',
bow and quiver, lance, tobacco-sack, and pipe; robe, be t,
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 skui
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 incher. .l* v/idth (and
crossing the other at right angles on the shoulder) beanti*
fully embroidered with porcupine quills worked on the
dress, and covering the seams. To the lo\\rer edge of these
bands the whole way, at intervals c" naif an inch, were
attached long locks of black hair, which he had taken with
his own hand from 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 the representations of the victims that had
fallen by his hand. The bottom of the dress was bound or
hemmed with ermine skins, and tassels of ermines' tails
were suspended from the arms and the shoulders.
The Leggings, which were made of deer skins, beautifully
dressed, and fitting 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
236
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THK
..■r
the seam on the outer part of the leg, and fringed also the
whole length of the leg, with the scalp-locks taken from
his enemies' heads.
The Moocasine 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 over the back part of the head, and
extending quite down to his feet ; set the whole way in a
profusion of ermine, and surmounted on the top of the
head, with the horns of the bufSilo, shaved thin and highly
polished.
The Necklace was made of fifty huge 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 overcame
that desperate enemy in open combat.
His Shield was made of the hide of the bufialo'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 was laid, and firmly attached to it, a
coating of deer-s' sinews, which gave it its elasticity, and of
course death to all that stood inimioally 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
and human blood that was dried upon them. Their blades
or points were of flints, and some of steel ; and altogether
were a deadly magazine.
NORTH AM£:BICAN INDIANS.
237
The Lance or spear 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 it, one over
the other ; its shaft was of the toughest ash, and ornamented
at intervals with tufts of war-eagles' quills.
His Tobacco-sack was made of the skin of an otter, and
tastefully garnished with quills of the porcupine ; in it was
carried his k^nkk-Kncch, (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 pipestone,) 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 with delicate
braids of the porcupine's quills, so ingeniously wrought as
to represent figures of men and animals upon it. It was
also ornamented with the skins and beaks of wood-peckers'
heads, and the hair of the white buffalo's tail. Tho lower
half of the stem was painted red, and on its edges it bore
the notches he had 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 deli-
cately dressed ; with all the battles of his life emblazoned
on it by his own hand.
His Belif which was of a substantial piece of buckskin,
was firmly girded around his waist ; and in it were worn
his tomahawk and scalping-knife.
His Medicine-hag was the skin of a beaver, curiously
ornamented with hawks' bills and ermine. It was held in
his right hand, and his poko-mokon (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-toh-pa when he entered
my wigwam to stand for his picture ; but such I have not
entirely represented it in his portrait ; having rejected such
i:
23S
LBTTEBS AND NOTES ON THB
trappings and ornaments as interfered with the grace and
simplicity of the figure. He was beautifully and extrava-
gantly 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 his country, and his brows crowned
with honors that elevate him conspicuous above all of his
nation. There is no man amongst the Mandans so gene-
rally loved, nor any one who wears a robe so justly famed
and honorable as that of Mah-to-toh-pa.
The following was, perhaps, one of the most extraordi-
nary exploits of this remarkable man's life, and is well
attested by Mr. Kipp, and several white 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 ol
Mah-to-toh-pa was missing for several days, when Mah-to-
toh-pa found the body shockingly mangled, and a hand-
some 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 wa brandished through the Mandan
village by Mah-to-toh-pa (with the 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 of an opportunity to use it upon
the breast of its owner ; when his indignant soul, impatient
of further delay, burst forth in the most uncontrollable
frenzy and fury ; he again brandished it through the
village, and said, that the blood of his brother's heart
which as seen on its blade was yet fresh, and called
loudly for revenue. " Let every Mandan (said he) be
NOBTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
2a»
silent, and let no one sound the name of Mah-to-toh-pa — let
no one ask for him, nor where he has gone, until you hear
him sound the war cry in front of the village, when he will
enter it and shew you the blood of Won-ga-tap. The
blade of this lance shall drink the heart's blood of Won-ga-
tap, or Mah-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 lance in his hand; his direction was
towards the Riccaree village, and all eyes were upon him,
though none dared to speak till he disappeared over the
distant grassy bluffs. 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 fire, the pipe
and tobacco-pouch which had just been used ; and knowing
that the twilight of the wigwam was not sutfioient to dis-
close 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 then, as
»
1
240
LETTEBS AND NOTES ON THE
deliberately, charged and lighted the pipe, and sent (no
doubt in every whiflf that he drew through its stem) a
prayer to the Great Spirit for a moment longer for the con-
summation of hia design. Whilst eating and smoking, the
wife of his victim, while laying in bed, several times
inquired 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 thingn) stirred the embers
with his toes (readers, I had every word of this from hia
own lips, and every attitude and genture acted out with
his own limbs), until he saw his way was clear ; at which
moment, with his lance in his hands, he rose and drove it
through the body of his etiemy, and snatching 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 pro-
tection 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 blufib, and entered the village
amidst deafening shouts of applause, while he brandished
and showed to his people the blade of his lance, with the
blood of his victim dried upon it, over that of his brother ;
and the scalp of Won-ga-tap suspended from its handle.
NCETH AMEBICAN INDIANS.
241
In the portrait of which I am speaking, there will bt
«?een an eagle'3 quill balanced on the hilt of the lance,
severed from its original position, and loose from the
weapon. When I painted his portrait, he brought that
quill to my wigwam in his left hand, and carefully balutjc
ing it on the lance, as seen in the painting, he desired mo
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 onto 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."
A party of about one hundred and fifty Shienne warriors
had made an assault upon the Mandan village at an early
hour one morning, and driven off a considerable 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
16
242
LETTKKS AND NOTES OS TBI
handle as a flag, calling out to the Mandans, " What ! have
■we come to this ? we have dogged 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 lance, 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 1 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 gradu-
ally approaching, in order to give them battle; the chief of
the Shienne war-party seeing and understanding the diffi-
culty, 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
hjtd stuck down his lance and defied the whole enemy alone ?"^
" I am Mah-to-toh-pa, second in comand of the brave
and valiant Mandans."
'• I have heard often of Mah to-tohpa, he is a great war-
rior — 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 ?"
"My scalps you see hanging to my horse's bits, and here^
is my lance with the ermine skins and the war-eagle's tail 1""
" You have said enough."
The Shienne chief made a circuit or two at full gallop on
a beautiful white horse, when he struck his lance into the
ground, nhd left it standing by the side of the lance of Mah-
to-toh-pa, both of which were waving together their little
red fiags — 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 each
other 1 both firing their guns at the same moment. They
passed each other a little distance and wheeled, when Mah-
to-toh-pa drew oft' his powder-horn, and by holding it up^
shewed his adversary that the bullet had shattered it to
KORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
248
pieces and destroyed his ammunition ; lie then threw it from
him, and his gun also — drew his bow from his quiver, and
an arrow, with his shield upon his left arm 1 The Shieone
instantly did the same; his horn was thrown off, and his gun
was thrown into the air — his shield was balanced on his arm
— his bow drawn, and quick as lightning, they were both on
the wing for a deadly combat 1 Like two soaring eagles in the
open air, they made their circuits around, and the twangs ol
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
rider sprang upon his feet prepared to renew the combat:
but the Shienne, seeing his adversaiy dismounted, sprang
from his horse, and driving him back, presented the face oi
his shield towards his enemy, inviting him to come on I —
a few shots more were exchanged thus, when the Shienne,
having discharged all his arrows, held up h:s 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 1 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, however, in wrest-
ing 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 Shienne chief.
LETTER No. XXH.
MANDAN VILLAGE, VPPER MI8S0VRL
Oh I " kortibih vim—et mirahile dictu /" Thank God, it
is over, that I have seen it, and am able to tell it to the
world.
The annual reUgiotw ceremony^ of four days, of which I
have 80 often spoken and which T have so long been
wishing to see, has at last been enacted in this village ;
and I have, fortunately, been able to see and to understand
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-lodge 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
(244)
MOHTH AMEBICAN WPIANS.
245
parts of it as are transaoted out of doord, 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 " Twedtctne /" and who,
on the morning when these grand refinements in mysteries
commenced, took me by the arm, and led me into the
medicine-lodge, where the Fur Trader, Mr. Kipp, and his
two clerks accompanied me in close attendance for four
days ; all of us going to our own quar^ters 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, I have been closely ensconced in an
earth-covered wigwam, with a fine sky-light over my head
with my palette and brushes endeavoring faithfully to put
the whole of what we saw upon canvass, which my
companions all agree to be critically correct, and of the
fidelity of which they have attached their certificates to
the backs of the paintings. I 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 of these
barbarous and cruel scenes, and am almost ready to shrink
from the task of reciting them after I have so long promised
some account of them. I entered the medidnefioiue 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 alasl little
did I expect to see the interior of their holy temple turned
into a elaugkteT'house, and its floor strewed with the blood
of Its fanatic devotees. Little did I think that I was
I ,'.
246
LKTTSSS AND NOTSS ON* THE
entering a house of God, where His blinded worehippera
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 endeavor to describe it.
The " Mandan religious eeremony'^ then, as I believe it is
very justly denominated, 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 justification and approval of
the Great Spirit.
All 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 chers I may recite) in worshipping the Greart;
.Spirit ; denying and humbling themselves before Him for
the same purpose, and in the same hope as we do, perhaps
in 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 the con-
structions of virtues and vices, and the modes of appeasing
and propitiating the Good and Evil Spirits, they are found
with all the changes and variety which fortuitous cir-
cumstances, and fictions, and fables have wrought upon
them.
If from their superstitions and their ignorance, there are
oftentimes obscurities 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
NORTH AMfRICAX INDIANS.
247
of the enlightened world, that they worship witii great
flinceritj, and all according to one creed.
The Mandans believe in the existenoe 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 future
administration of rewards and punishments, and (so do all
other tribes that I have yet visited) they believe those pun
ishments are not eternal, but commensurate with their sins.
These people living in a climate where they suffer from
<5ol(l in the severity of their winters, have very naturally
reversed our ideas of Heaven and Hell. The latter they
describe to be a country very far to the north, of barren
and hideous aspect, and covered with eternal snows and
ioe. The torments of this freezing place they describe as
most excruciating ; whilst 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 for the
purpose of there meeting those who have offended him;
increasing the agony 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 amount 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 fiiture period for
their new offerees.
Such is the religious creed of the Mandans, and for the
purpose of appeasing the Good and Evil Spirits, and to
secure their entrance into those "fields Elysian," or beauti-
ful hunting grounds, do the young men subject themselves
to the horrid and sickening cruelties to be described in the
following pages.
I
|i i
218
LKTrSKS AND NOTES ON THK
There are otlter three dirttinct objects fur which these
religious ceremonies are held, which are as follow: —
Firat^ they are held annually as a celebration of the
event of the subsiding of the Flood, which they call Met-
nee-ro-Jca-ha-sha, (sinking down or settling of the waters.)
Secondly, for the purpose of dancing what they call,
Bcl-hhck-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
Thirdly 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 fur extreme endurance, enables the chiefs
who are spectators to the scone, to decide upon their
comparative bodily strength and ability 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 of 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 exceedingly grotesque and amusing, and that part of
them which has a relation to the Deluge is harmless and
full of interest.
In the centre of the Mandan village is an open, circular
area of one hundred and fifty feet in diameter, kept always
clear, as a public ground, for the display of all their public
feasts,* 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 this public area.
In the middle of this ground, which is trodden like a
NOKTH AMERICAS INDIANS.
249
hard pavement, 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 the "big canoe" — it is
undoubtedly a symbolic representation 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 endeavoring 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 extra-
ordinary 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 a particular season, which is designated by the
full expansion of the willow leaves under the 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 turtle-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 medicinii-oird, is not to be destroyed or harmed
by any one, and evi^n their dogs are instructed not to do it
injury.
On the morning of which this strange transaction com-
menced, I was sitting at breakfast in the house of the
Trader, Mr. Kipp, when at sunrise, we were suddenly
li
250
LETTERS AND Ni>TE8 ON THE
Startled by the shrieking and screaming of the women, an 1
barking 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, Monsr. 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 strange affair." T 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 take place.
Groups of women and children were gathered on the tops
of their earth -covered wigwams, and all were screaming,
and dogs were howling, and all eyes directed to the prairies
in the West, where was beheld, at a mile distant, a solitary
individual descending a prairie bluff, and making his way
in a direct line towards the village!
The whole community joined in the general expression
of great alarm, as if they were in danger of instant des-
truction; 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 approach with a dignified step-
and in a right line towards the village ; all eyes were upon
him, and he at length made his appearance (without oppo-
sition) within the piquets, 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 mariner,
by shaking hands with him, recognizing him as an old
acquaintance, and pronouncing his name Nu-mohk-mucha-
nah (the first or only man). The body of this strange
personage, which was chieiiy naked, was painted with
white day, so as to resemble at a little distance, a white
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
261
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 as 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 clean it out, and put in readiness for
the ceremonies, by sweeping it and strewing a profusion of
green willow-boughs over its floor, and with them decora-
ting its sides. Wild sage also, and many other aromatic
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 other articles, which were
to be used during this strange and unaccountable trans
action.
During the whole of this day, and while these prepara-
tions were making in the medicine-lodge, Ku-mohk-muck-
a-nah (the first or only man) travelled 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
medinne-lodge, which must needs receive a present of some
edged-t ol from the owner of every wigwam, that it may
be sacrificed to the water ; for he says, " if this is not done,
there will be another flood, and no one will be saved, as ii
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
262
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
each, aa a hatchet, a knife, &c. (which is undoubtedly
always prepared and ready for the occasion,) he returned
at evening and deposited them in the medicine-lodge^ 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.
During the 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, and 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 fiUy^ i. c, 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
honors that were to be bestowed by the chiefe on those wto
could most manfully endure them. There were on this
occasion about fifty young men who entered tbe lists, and
as they went into the sacred lodge, each one's body was
chiefly naked, and covered with clay of different colors ;
some were red, others were yellow, and some were covered
with white clay, giving them the appearance of white men.
Eacb one of them carried in his right hand his medicine-hag
— on his left arm, his shield of the bull's hide — in his left
hand his bow and arrows, with his quiver slung on hia
back.
When all had entered the lodge, they placed themselves
in reclining postures 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
n:idst of them, and having lit and smoked his medicine-
pipe for their success; and haying addressed them in a
m'
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
25S
short speech, stimulating and encouraging them to 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 mystery-man, whose body was
painted yellow, and whom he appointed master of ceremo-
nies during this occasion, whom they denominated in their
language 0-Jcee-pah Kase-kah (keeper or conductor of fhe
ceremonies.) He was appointed, and the authority passed
by the presentation of the medicine-pipe, on which they
consider hangs all the power of holding and conducting all
these rites.
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 bye, saying " that he was
going back to the mountains in the west, from whence he
should assuredly return in just a year from Xhnt time, to
open the loQge again." He then went out of the r -ige, and
passing through the village, took formal leave o? the chiefs
in the same manner, and soon disappeared over the biuft's
from whence he came. No more was seei\ of this surpris-
ing character during the occasion ; but T suall have some-
thing yet to say of him and his strange office before I get
through the Letter.
To return to the lodge — the medicine or mystery-man
juat appointed, and who had received his mjunctions 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 communication whatever
with people outside, for the space of four days and nights,
during which time they were not allowed to eat, or drink,
or to sfe«p, 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
Btrange scenes, and the first one exhibits the interior of the
254
LBTTER8 A.ND NOTES OX THE
medicine-lodge at this moment; with the young men all
reclining around its sides, and the conductor or mystery-
man lying by the fire, crying to the Great Spirit. It
was just at this juncture that I was ushered into this
sacred temple of their 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 unexpeetud manner.
I had most luckily for myself, painted a full-length
portrait of this great magician or liigh-pricf^t, but a day
previous to the commencement of the ceremonies (in which
I had represented him in the performance of dome 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 be, in his opinion, deeply skilled in
magic and mysteries, and woU'Ontitled to a respectable
rank in the craft, to which I had been at onco elevated by
the unanimous voice of the doctors, and regularly initiated,
and styled Te-ho-pee-nee-waah-ee-waaka-pooska^ the white
medicine (or Spirit) painter.
With this very honorable 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, endeavoring to get a peep, if possible, into its sacred
interior ; when this master of ceremonies^ guarding and con-
ducting its secrets, as I before described, came out of the
door and taking me with a firm pro/etsional aflection by
the arm, led me into this sanctum aanctorum, 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 sentinels with spears or war-clubs in
their hands. I gave the wink to my companions as I was
passing in, and the potency of my medicine was such as to-
gain them a quiet admission, and all of us were comfortably
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
2K
placed on elevated seats, which our conductor soon
prepared for us.
We were then in full view of everything that transpired
in the lodge, having before us the scene exactly. To this
seat we returned every morning at sunrise, and remained
until sun-down for four days, the whole time which those
strange scenes occupied.
In addition to the preparations and arrangements of the
interior of this sanctuary, as before described, there was a
curious, though a very strict arrangement of buffiilo 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 scaffold, 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, sup.
porting four equally delicate rods, resting in the crotches ;
thus forming the frame of the scaffold, wMch was completed
by a number of still smaller and more delicate sticks,
transversly resting upon them. On the centre of this littl©
frame rested some small object, which I could not exactly
understand 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
hush — sh — ! which brought me back to my seat again ;
and I at length quieted my stifled curiosity as well as I
could, upon learning tlie fact, that so sacred was that
object, and so importiint its secrets or mysteries, that not
I alone, but even the young men, who were passing the
ordeal, and all the village, snvn the "conductor of the
mysteries, were stopped from ap)iroacliing it, or knowing
what it was.
This little mystery-thing, whatever it was, had the ap-
pearance from where I sat, of a small tortoise, or fropr, lying
on its back, with its head and legs quite extofMlod, and
wound and tasselled off with exceedingly delicate red and
25b
LBTTBRS AND NOTES ON THE
blue, and yellow ribbons or tassels, and other bright
colored ornaments ; and seemed, from the devotions paid
to it, to be the very nucleus of their mysteries — the sane-
tissimus sanctorum, from which seemed to emanate all the
sanctity of their proceedings, and to which, all seemed to
i e paying the highest devotional respect.
This strange, yet important essence of their mysteries, I
iuade every enquiry about ; but got no further information
.^f than what I could learn by my eyes, at the distance at
V hioh I saw it, and from the silent respect which I saw
paid to it. I tried with the doctors, and all of the fraternity
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 the arcana of
Indian superstitions; and that this little, seemingly
wonderful, 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
soone favorite 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 ■esciibe.
Immediately under the litUe frame or sec, (T id described,
and on the floor of the lodg-; >vas 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 affair,
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 drawn up by men placed on the top
of the lodge for the purpose, as will be described in a few
moments.
There were also four articles of great veneration and
importance lying on the floor of the lodge, which were
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
267
sacks, containing in each, some three or four gallons of
water. These also were objects of supergtitioua regard,
and made with great labor and much ingenuity ; each one
of them being constructed of the skin of the buffalo's neck,
and most elaborately sewed together in the form of a large
tortoise lying on its back, with a bunch of eagle's quills
appended to it as a tnil ; 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 mysteries. By
the side of these sacks which they call Eeh-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 vwise and din) for their dances, &c.
These four sacks 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 tor-
toises 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, the water in them had been changed or
replenished.
I made several propositions, through my friend Mr.
Kipp, 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 ar'.icles used in these ceremonies, being a society
property were medicine, and could not be sold for any
consideration ; so T abandoned all thoughts of obtaining
anything, except what I ■ ave done by the medicine operation
of .;iiy pencil, ^^ili«h v/ti 'applied to everything, and even
17
268
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
Upon that they looked with decided distrust and apprehen-
sion, as a sort of theft or sacrilege.
Such then was the group, and such the appearance of
the interior of the medicine-lodge during the first three,
and part of the fourth day also, of the Mandan religious
ceremonies. The medicine-man with a group about him,
of young aspirants who were under his sole control, aa
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 first three 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
the medicine-lodge, by other members of the community,
one of which formed a material part or link of these strange
ceremonials. This very curious and exceedingly grotrsque
part of their performance, which they denominated Bel-
hoiik-nahpick (the bull-dance) — of which I have before
spoken, as one of the avowed objects for which they held
tliis 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 on
the third day, and sixteen times on the fourth day ; and
always around the curb, or "Jtijr canoe" of which I have
before spoken.
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.
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
feces, being in every part covered, either with black, red or
KORTII AMERICAN INDIANS.
269
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 u slendur white rud or staff, six feet long,
in the other ; and carried un his back, a bunch of green
willow boughs about the usuul size of a bundle of straw.
These eight men, being divided into four pairs, took their
positions on the four dift'erent 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 them than a beautiful kelt (or quartz-quaw),
around the waist, made of eagles' quills and ermine, and
very splendid head-dresses made of the same materials.
Two of these figures were painted entirely black with
pounded charcoal and grease, whom they called the "firma-
ment or night," and the numerous white spots which were
dotted all over their bodies, they called "stars." The ocher
two were painted from head tc 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 bodies, were "ghosts which the morning rays were
chasing away."
These twelve are the only [)ers()ns actually engaged in
this strange dance, which is each time repeated in the same
fbmn, without the slightest variation. There are, however,
a great number of characters engaged in giving the whole
effect and wilduess tu this strange and laughable scene, each
onite acting well his part, and whose offices, strange and in-
explicable as they arc, I will endeavor to point out and
explain as well as I can, from what I saw, elucidated by
their own descriptions.
This most remarlcabie scene, then, which is witnessed
more or less often on each day, takes place in presence ot
260
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
i' m
the whole nation, vho are generally gathered around, on
'he tops of the wigwams or otherwise, as spectators, whilst
the young men are reclining and fasting in the lodge as
above described. On the first day, this ^^buU dance'^ is given
Dnce to each of the cardinal points, and the medicine-man
smokes his pipe in those direotions. On the second day,
twice to each; three times to each on the third day, and /ot/r
timea to each on the fourth. As a signal for the dancers
and other characters (as well as the public) to assemble,
the old mail, master of ceremonies, with the medicine-
pipe in hand, danc'^^a out of the lodge, singing (or rather
frying) forth a most pitiftil lament, until he approaches the
big oanos, 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 another brandishes and akes tlie eeh-na-dees or rattles,
■and all unite to them their voices, raised to the highest
pitch possible, as the music for the bull-dance, which is
then commenced and continued for fifteen minutes or more
in perfect time, and without cessation or intermisaon.
When the music and dancing stop, which are always per-
fectly simultaneous, the whole nation raise the huzza! and
a deafening shout of approbation ; 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 play their
parts in this grand spect£,cle, are numerous an' '^ worth
description. By the side of the big canoe m two
men with the skins of grizzly bears throw them,
oaing the skins as a mask, over their heads. These raven-
NORTH AMERICAN INDIA .».
261
ateniiig to
ous animals are continually growling hi
devour every thing before them and utert'ering with the
forms of the religious ceremony. T" appease them, the
women are continually bringing and placing before them
dishes of meat, which are as often snatched up and carried
to the prairie, by two men whose bodies are painted black
and their heads white, whom they call bald eagles, who are
darting by them, and grasping their food from before them
as they pass. These are again chased upon the plains by
a hundred or more small boys who are naked, with their
bodies painted yellow and their heads white, whom they
call Cahris or antelopes ; who at length get the food away
from them and devour it, thereby inculcating (perhaps) the
beautiful moral, that by the dispensations of Providence,
his bountiful gifts will fall 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 they use on the occasion also as
a sacred place, being occupied exclusively by them while
they are at rest, and also for the purpose of painting and
ornamenting their bodies for the occasion.
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 contin-
uation of his 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
])eace — that their women and children can hold the mouth
of the grizzly bear — that they have invoked from day to
day 0-ke-hee-de (the Evil Spirit) — that they are still chal-
lenging him to come, and yet he has not dared to make his
appearance I "
But alas ! in the last of these dances, on the fourth day,
in the midst of all their mirth and joy, and about noon, and
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262
LBTTBRS AND NOTES ON THE
in the height of all these exultations, an instant scream
burst forth from the tops of the lodges! — men, woman,
dogs and all, seemed actually to howl and shudder with
alarm, aji they fixed their glaring eye-balls upon the prairie
blnff, about a mile in the west, down the side of which a
man was seen descending at full speed towards the village 1
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 everywhe^ e 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 and entered the terrified
group, which was composed (in that quarter) chiefly of
females, who had assembled to witness the amusements
which were transpiring around the "big canoe."
This unearthly looking creature carried in his two hands
a wand or staff of eight or nine feet in length, with a red
ball at the end of it, which he continually slid on the
ground a-head of him as he ran. All eyes in the village,
save those of the persons engaged in the dance, were
centred upon him, and he made a desperate rush towards
the women, who screamed for protection as they were
endeavoring to retreat ; and falling ir^ groups upon each
other as they were struggling to get out of his reach. In
this 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 the big canoe, had met this monster of fiends,
and having thrust the medicine-pipe before him, held him
still and immoveable under its charm I This check gave
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
263
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 excitement, their alarm soon
<50oled down into the most exorbitant laughter, and shouts
of applause at his sudden defeat, and tbe awkward and
ridiculous posture in which he was stopped and held. Tbe
old man was braced stiff by his side, with his eye-balls
glaring him in the face, whilst the medicine-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 I Surely no two human beings ever pre-
sented a more striking group than 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 (or rather assuming to be) his sable
majesty, 0-kee-hee-de (the Evil Spirit), frowning vengeance
on the other, who sternly gazed him back with a look of
exultation and contempt, as he held him in chi-^ck and
disarmed under the charm of his sacred myster_y -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 women 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 changing his position from
the exceedingly unpleasant and really ridiculous one he
appeared in, and was compelled to maintain, a 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 entrSe into the midst of the
Mandan village, and to the centre and nucleus of their first
Snd greatest religious ceremony.
In this plight, he pursued the groups of females.
264
LITTERS AND NOTES ON THE
spreading dismay and alarm wherever he went, and conse
quently producing the awkward and exceedingly laughable
predicament in which he was placed by the sudden check
from the medicine-pipe, as I have above stated, when all
eyes were intently fixed upon him, and all joined in rounds
of applause for the success of the magic spell that was
placed upon him; all voices were raised in shouts of
satisfaction at his defeat, and all eyes gazed upon him ; of
chiefs and of warriors — matrons and even of their tender-
aged and timid daughters, whose education had taught
them to receive the moral of these scenes without the shock
of impropriety, that would have startled a more fastidious
and consequently sensual-thinking people.
After this he paid his visits to three others of the eight,
in succession, receiving as before the deafening shouts of
approbation which pealed from every mouth in the multi-
tude, who were all praying to the Great Spirit to send
them buffaloes to supply tbem with food during the
season, and who attribute the corning of buffaloes for this
purpose entirely to the strict and critical observance of
this ridiculous and disgusting part of the ceremonies.
During the half hour or so that he had been jostled
about amongst man and beasts, to t' 'eat amusement
and satisfaction of the lookers-on, L ; -jemed to have
become exceedingly exhausted, and anxiously looking oat
for some feasible mode of escape.
In this awkward predicament he became the laughing-
stock and butt for the women, who being no longer afraid
of him, were gathering in groups around, to tease and
tantalize him ; and in the midst of this dilemma, which
soon became a very sad one— one of the women, who stole
up behind him with both hands full of yellow dirt— dashed
it into his face and eyes, and all over him, and his body
being covered with grease, took instantly a different hue.
He seemed heart-broken at this signal disgrace, and com-
menced crying most vehemently, when another caught his
tvand from bis hand, and broke it across her knee. It was
KOKTU AMKRICAN INDIANS.
265
snatobed for by others, who bruko it still into bits, and
then throw them at him. Hin power was now gone — his
bodily strength was exhausted, and ho made a bolt for the
prairie — he dashed through the crowd, and made his way
through the piquets on the back part of the village, where
were placed for the purpose, iiu hundred or more women
and girls, who escorted him m be ran on the prairie for
half a mile or more, beating hhn with sticks, and stones,
and dirt, and kicks, and cuffs, until he was at length seen
escaping from their clutches, and making the best of his
retreat over the prairie bluffs, from whence he first
appeared.
At the moment ci this signal victory, and when all eyes
lost sight of him as he disappeared over the blu£&, the
whole village united their voices in shouts of satisfaction.
The bull-dance then stopped, and preparations wero
instantly made for the commencement of the cruelties
which were to take place within the lodge, leaving us to
draw, from what had just transpired the following beautiful
moral : —
That in the midst of their religious ceremonies, the Evil
Spirit (0-kee-hee-de) made his entrde for the purpose of
doing mischief, and of disturbing their worship — that he
was held in check, and defeated by the superior influence
and virtue of the msdicine'pipe, and at last, driven in
disgrace out of the village, by the very part of the com-
munity whom he came to abuse.
At the close of this exciting scene, preparations were
made, as above stated, by the return of the master of cere-
monies and musicians to the medicine-lodge, where also
were admitted at the same time « number of men, who
were to be instruments of the cruelties to be inflicted ; and
also the chief and doctors of the tribe, who were to look
on, and bear witness to, and decide upon, the comparative
degree of fortitude, with which the young men sustain
themselves in this most extreme and exoruoiating ordeal.
The chiefs having seated themselvei on one side of the
:
266
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
lodge, dressed out in tbeir robes and splendid head-dresses
— the band of music seated and arranged themselves in
another part; and the old master of ceremonies having
placed himself in front of a small fire in the centre of the
lodge, with his " big pipe" in his hands, and commenced
smoking to the Great Spirit, with all possible vehemence
for the success of these aspirants. Around the sides of the
lodge are seen, still reclining, as I have before mentioned,
a part of the group, whilst others of them have passed the
ordeal of self-tortures, and have been removed out of the
lodge ; and others still are seen in the very act of submitting
to them, which were inflicted in the following manner : —
After having removed the sanctissimtis sanctorum, or little
scaflEbld, of which I before spoke, and having removed also
the buffalo and human skulls from the floor, and attached
them to the posts of the lodge ; and two men having taken
their positions near the middle of the lodge, for the pur-
pose of inflicting the tortures — the one with the scalping-
knife, and the other with the bunch of splints (which I
have before mentioned) in his hand; one at a time of
the young fellows, already emaciated with fasting, and
thirsting, and waking, for nearly four days and nights,
advanced from the side of the lodge, and placed himself
on his hands and feet, or otherwise, as best suited for the
performance of the operation, where he submitted to the
cruelties in the following manner : — An inch or more of
the flesh on each shoulder, or each breast was taken up
between the thumb and finger by the man who held the
knife in his right hand; and the knife, which had been
ground sharp on both edges, and then hacked and notched
with the blade of another, to make it produce as much
pain as possible, was forced through the flesh below the
fingers, and being withdrawn, was followed with a splint
or skewer, from the other, who held a bunch of such in his
left hand, and was ready to force them through the wound.
There were then two cords lowered down from the top
<>f the lodge (by men who were placed on the lodge out
r
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
267
side, for the purpose), which were fastened to these splints
or skewers, and they instantly began to haul him up ; he
was thus raised until his body was suspended from the
ground where he rested, until the knife and a splint wero
passed through the flesh or iiiteguments, in a similar
manner on each arm below the shoulder (over the brachialut
extemtis), below the elbow (over the extensor carpi radialis),
on the thighs (over the vastus extemus), and below the
knees (over the peroncus).
In some instances they remained in a reclining position
on the ground until this painful operation was finished,
which was performed, in all instances, exactly on the same
parts of the body and limbs ; and which, in its progi'ess,
occupied some five or six minutes.
Each one was then instantly raised with the cords, until
the weight of his body was suspended by them, and then,
while the blood was streaming down their limbs, the by-
standers hung upon the splints each man's appropriate
shield, bow and quiver, &c. ; and in many instances, the
skull of a buffalo with the horns on it, was attached to each
lower arm and each lower leg, for the purpose, probably,
of preventing by their great weight, .the struggling, which
might otherwise havj taken place to their disadvantage
whilst they were hung up.
When these things were all adjusted, each one was
raised higher by the cords, until these weights all swung
clear from the ground, leaving his feet, in most cases, some
six or eight feet above the ground. In this plight they
at once became appalling and frightful to look at — th^
flesh, to support the weight of their bodies, with the
additional weights which were attached to them, was
raised six or eight inches by the skewers ; and their heads
sunk forward ob the breasts, or thrown backwards, in a
much more frightful condition, according to the way in
which they were hung up.
The unflinching fortitude, with which every one of them
bore this Dart of the torture surpassed credulity ; each one
li
268
LSTTEBS AND NOTES OX THB
08 tho knife was passed through his flesh sustained un un-
ohaiigeable countenance ; and several of them, seeing me
making sketches, beckoned me to look at their faces,
which I watched through all this horrid operation, with-
out being able to detect anything but the pleasantesi
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 uncontrollable tears over my
cheeks.
When raised to the condition above described, and com-
pletely suspended by the 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 turn passed into the charge of others, who in-
stantly 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 number 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 i'?
done in a gentle manner at first; but gradually increases
when the brave fellow, whose proud spirit can control its
agony no longer, burst out in the most lamentable and
heart-rending cries that the human voice is capable of pro-
ducing, crying forth a prayer to the Great Spirit to support
and protect him in this dreadful trial; and continually
repeating his confidence in his protection. In this con*
dition 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
lifeless corpse! When he is, by turning, gradually brought
to this condition, which is generally done withiii ten or
fifteen minutes, there is a close scrutiny passed upon him
among his tormentors, who are checking and holding each
NORTH AMEBIOAN INDIANS.
other baok as long as the least straggling or tremor oad
be discovered, lest he should be removed, before he is (ai
they term it) " entirely dead. "
When brought to this alarming and most frightfUl con-
dition, 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 medicinebag, which ho
has affectionately 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 •^•^.ble
him to get up and walk away. As soon as he is lowc red
to the ground thus, one of the bystanders advances, and
pulls out the two splints or pins from the breasts and
shoulders, thereby disengaging him from the cords by
which he has been hung up; but leaving all the others
with their weights, &c., hanging to his flesh.
In this condition he lies for six or eight minutes, until
he get^ strength to rise and move himself for no one is
allowed to assist or offer him aid, as he is here 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, ho
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 holding 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 h*
I
270
LETTEBS AND NOTES ON THE
lays it on the dried buffalo skull, when the other chops
it off near the hand, with 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 finger
of the left hand ; and I saw also several, who immediately
afterwards (and apparently with very little ooncern 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 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 chie& and dignitaries of the tribe, who
have also given, in this manner, the little finger of 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
incontestable proof, by five or six corresponding scars on
each arm, and each breast, and each leg, that they had sc
many times in their lives submitted to this almost in-
credible 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 bandag&s are applied to the fingers which have been
amputated, nor any arteries taken up ; nor is any att.ention
whatever, paid to them or the other wounds ; but they ar.<
left (as they say) " for the Great Spirit to cur€{, who will
surely take good care of them." It is a remarkable tact
(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 prepares them to meet the severity of
these tortures without the same degree of sensibility and
NORTH AMKRICAN INDIANS.
271
pain, which, under other oircumstances, might result in
inflammation and death.
During the whole of the time of this cruel part of these
most extraordinary inflictions, the chiefs and dignitaries ot
the tribe are looking on, to decide who are the hardiest and
" stoutest hearted" — who can hang the longest by his flesh
before he faints, and who will be soonest up, after he has
been down ; that they may know whom to appoint to lead
a war party, or place at the most honorable 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 the
encouragement of the young men, the power and efficacy
of the medicinepipe^ 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 soon 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 pre-
sence 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
described within the lodge, who were then taken out in the
open area, in the presence of the whole village, with the
buffalo skulls 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 bodiea
chiefly naked, with beautiful (and similar) head-dresses of
war-eagles' quills, on their heads, and a wreath made of
272
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
Willow boughs held in the handa betweeu them, connecting
them in a chain or circle in which they ran around the h>'g
catioe, with all possible speed, raising their voices in screams
and yelps to the highest pitch that was possible, and keep
ing 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 Uh-ke-nah-ka-nah-pick (the last race).
This the spectator looking on would suppose was most
correctly named, for he would think it was the last race
they could possibly run in this world.
In this condition they stand, pale and ghastly, from ab-
«tinenoe 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, with his weights dragging
on the 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 " (as 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 commencement of this 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 their fiesh, 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 offending the
Oreat Spirit and defeating the object for which they have
thus far suffered. The splints or skewers which are put
tihrough the breast and the shoulders, take up a part of th»
NORTH AMERICAK IXDTAVS.
27>i
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 he is lowered
down — ^bttt 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 violent a force that most of the poor fellows
fainted under 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 them 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 frightful 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 th\is patiently and manfully
endured the privations and tortures devised for him, and
{in this last struggle with the most appalling effort) 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 repeated prayers, and entrusts
his life: and in whom he reposes the most implicit confl-
dence for his preservation and recovery. As an evidence
of this, and of the high 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 for-
ward to offer an aiding hand, even to save his life : for not
only the rigid customs of the nation, and the pride of the
individual who has entrusted his life to the keeping of the
Great Spirit, would sternly reject such a tender ; but their
superstition, which is the strongest of all arguments in an
Indian community, would alone, hold all the tribe in feai
And dread of interfering, when they consider they have so
good a reason to believe that the Great Spirit has under-
18
I
274
LETTKRS AND NOTES ON THB
taken the special care and protection of his devoted wor
shippers.
In this " last race," which was the struggle that finally
closed their sufferings, each one was dragged itntU he
fainted, and was thus left, 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 wig-
wam, 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
produce, 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 eight of the young men
were brought from the medicine-lodge at a time, and when
they were thus passed through this shocking ordeal, the
medicine-men and the chiefs returned to the interior,
where as many more were soon prepared, and underwent
a similar treatment; 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 honorable
scars, I said all, but there was one poor fellow though
(and I 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. The dragging became every instant
more and more furious, and the apprehensions 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
hold them in check, when the body was dropped, and left
upon the ground, with the skull yet hanging to it. The-
laaigaBagaaiigai
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
275
boy who was an extremely interesting ana fine-looking
youth, soon recovered his senses and hi^ 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
fool, 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, lie
crawled back to the village on his hands and knees, being
too much emaciated to walk, and begged for something 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 are far more extra-
ordinary than the one which I have just named. Several
of the Traders, who have been for a number of years in the
habit of seeing this part of the ceremony, have told me
that two years since, when they were looking on, there
was one whose flesh on the arms was so strong that the
weights could not be left, and he dragged them \nt\\ 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 cords to it, he let himself half-way down a
perpendicular wall of rock, of twenty-five or thirty feet,
where the weight of his body was suspended by the two
cords attached to the flesh 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 ashore !
!
276
LKTTBRS AND NOTES ON THE
I need record no more of these shocking and disgusting
instances, of which T have already given enough to con-
vince the world of the correctness 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 short in everything, and in this, 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 which 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 of mysteries has been instituted and perpetuated.
After these young men, who had for the last four days
occupied the medicine-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 Great Spirit) 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 they are, correctly
speaking, made a sacrifice to the water. This part of the
»OKTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
277
affair took place just exactly at sun -down, and closed the
scene, being the end or finale of the Mandan religioua
ceremony.
The strange country that I am in — its excitements — its
accidents and wild incidents which startle me at almost
every moment, prevent me from any very elaborate disqui-
sition upon the above remarkable events at present; and
even had I all the time and leisure of a country gentlethan,
and all the additional information which I am daily pro-
curing, and daily expect to procure hereafter in explanation
of these unaccountable mysteries, yet do I fear that there
would be that inexplicable difficulty 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 diffidence, 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
tribe I have visited, that they all have some high mountain
in their vicinity, where they insist upon it the big canoe
landed ; but as these people should hold an annual celebra-
tion 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 circumstances, is surely a very remarkable
thing, and requires some extraordinary attention.
This Nu-mohk-muck-a-nah (first or only man) is un-
doubtedly 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 in the morning, endeavoring to keep up
278
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
the semblance of reality ; for their tradition says, that at a
very ancient period such a man did actually come xrom the
"West — that his body was of the white color, as this man's
body is represented — that he wore a robe of four white
wolf skins — 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 thing on the earth's surface by water — that he
stopped in his big canoe on a high mountain in the West,
where he landed and was saved.
" That the Mandans, and all 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-lodge, and
taught them also the forms of these annual ceremonies;
and told them that as long as they made these sacrifices,
and performed their rites to the full letter, they might be
assured of the fact, that they would be the favorite people
of the Almighty, and would always have enough to eat and
drink ; and that so soon as they should depart in one tittle
from these forms, they might be assured, that their race
would decrease, and finally run out ; and that they might
date their nation's calamity to that omission 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 5!Oon run into fables,
having lost all their system, by which they might have
been construed.
This strange and unaccountable custom, is undoubtedly
peculiar to the Mandans ; although, amongst the Minata*
rees, and some others of the neighboring tribes, they have
seasons of abstinence and self-torture, somewhat similar,
but bearing no other resemblance to this than a mere feeble
effort or form of imitation.
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NORTH AMKUICAW INDIANS.
279
It would seem from thoir traditioD of the wilUw branch,
and the dove, that therie people must have had suine
proximity to some part of the civilized world ; or that
nim^iuuaries or others have l)oeD formerly among them,
inculcating the Christian religion and the Mosaic account
of the Flood ; which is, in this and some other respects,
decidely different from the theory which most natural
people have distinctly establi»4hod of that event.
There are other strong, and almost decisive proofs in my
•opit)ion, in support of the UHaertion, which are to be drawn
from the diversity of color in thoir linir and complexions, as
I have before described, as well as from their tradition just
related, of the ^^firat or only m<mj^ whose body was white,
•and who cama from the We8t, telling them of the destruc-
tion of the earth by wator, and instructing them in the
forms of these mystcrieH ; niid, in addition to the above, I
will add the two following very curious stories, which I had
from several of their old aitd dign.ifled 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 the world, and they originally lived
inside of the earth ; they raisud many vines, and one ol
them had grown up through a hole in the earth over head,
and one of their young men olimbed up it until he came
out on the top of the ground, on the bank of the river,
where the Mandan village standi. He looked around, and
^mired the beautiful country and prairies about him —
^aw many buffaloes — killed one with his bow and arrows,
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 witnessed the same things.
Amongst those who went up, were two very pretty young
women, who were favorites 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 ourionity led her to try it as soou
\as she got a secret opportunity, when there was no one
280
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THK
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 being 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 great 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 opinions and
advice on many important occasions.
The next tradition runs thus : —
"At a very ancient period, 0-kee-hee-de (the Evil Spirit,
the black fellow 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
daughter, 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
buffalo-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 endeavored to disgrace
her, by telling her that she was encvente, which she did not
deny. She declared her innocence 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
w
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NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS. 281 > '
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looked apon as grcni medicine. She soon after went off
secretly to the upper Mandan village where the ohild was
born.
"Great search was made for her before she was found;
as it was expected that the ohild would also be great
medicine or mystery, and of great importance to the exist-
ence and welfare of the tribe. They were induced 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 filled the whole village — leaving as much
meat as there was before they had eaten ; saying that thes»
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 after 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 0-kee-hee-de (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 Biver, about seventy miles
below the village, with the big medicine-pipe in his hand,
the charm or mystery of which protects him from all his
enemies. They soon agreed, however, to become friends,
smoked the big pipe together, and returned to the Mandan
village. The Evil Spirit was satisfied; and Nu-mohk-
muck-a-nah 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-corn-
pa-sa-hah (heart or centre of the world)."
Such 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 imper-
fections and absurd inconsistencies which should bo ex-
f>ected to characterize the history of all ignorant and
1282
LETTERS AND NOTES ON TUE
8U|)or!4titiou8 people who live in a state of simple and
untaught nature, with no other means of perpetuating
historical events, than by oral traditions.
I advance these vague stories then, as I have done, and
shall do in other instances, not is 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 infurmatio.i
of the world, who may get more time to theorize than I
have at present ; and who may consider better than I can,
how fkr 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 trans-
gressioDS of mother Eve.
I am not yet able to learn from these people whether
they have any distinct theory of the creation ; as they seem
to date nothing further back than their own existence as a
people; saying (as I have before mentioned), that they
were the first people created; involving the glaring absurd-
ities 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 tbeir tradition
says ; and that they did not make their appearance on its
outer surface until after the Deluge. When an Indian
«tory is told, it is like all other gift's, " to be taken for what
it is worth," and for any seeming inconsistency in their
traditions there is no remedy ; for as far as I have tried to
reconcile them by reasoning with, or questioning them, I
have been entirely defeated; and more than that, have
generally incurred their distrust and ill-will. One of the
Handan Doctors told me very gravely a few days since,
that the earth was a large tortoise, that it carried the dirt
pn 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
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
288
the water ran over its back, and drowned all but one mau.
And on the next day while I was painting hia portrait, he
told me there were f<mr tortoiaes, — 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 (Voni
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 oflen advance diametrically opposite theories
and traditions relative to history and mythology.
And however ignorant and ridiculous they may seem,
they are yet worthy of a little further consideration, as
relating to a number of curious circumstances connected
with the unaccountable religious ceremonies vrhioh 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 favor of the Great Spirit, by
extending the stem of the pipe upwards before they smoke
it themselves; and also as deliberately and as strictly
offering the stem to the four cardinal points in succession,
and then drawing a whiff through it, passing it around
amongst the group.
The anniml religious ceremony invariably lasts four days,
and the other following circumstances attending thesu
strange forms, and seeming to have some allusion to the
/our cardinal points, or the " four tortoises," seem to me to
be worthy cf 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 tha
284
LITTERS AND NOTES ON THE
floor of the lodge and before described, would seem to be
typical of the same thing ; and also the four buffalo, and
the fow human skulls resting on the floor ,of the same
lodge — the four couples of dancers in the " bull-dance," as
before desoribed ; and also the four intervening dancers in
the same dance, and also decribed.
The bull-dance in front of the medicine-lodge, repeated
on the four days, is danced foiur times on the first day,
tight times on the second, iwtlvt times on the third, and
nxtetn times on \}aa fourth ; (adding four dances on each of
the /our days,) which added together make forty ^ the exact
number of days that it rained upon the earth according to
the Mosaic account, to produce the Deluge. There are
four sacrifices of black and blue cloths erected over the
door of the medicine-lodge — the visits of Oh-kee-hee-de (or
Evil Spirit) were paid to four of the buffaloes in the buffalo-
dance, as above described; and in every instance, the
young men who underwent the tortures before explained,
had /our splints or skewers run through the flesh on their
legs— /our through the arms and /our through the body.
Such is a brief account of these strange scenes which I
have just been witnessing, and such my brief history of
the Mandans. I might write much more on them, giving
yet a volume on their stories and traditions ; but it would
be a volume of fables, and scarce worth recording. A
nation of Indians in their primitive condition, where there
are no historians, have but a 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 I 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 appearance — their customs — traditions and
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
285
luQ^uage, I have beeu led oonoluaively to believe that they
arc a people of decidedly a dift'erent origin from that of
any other tribe in these regions.
From these reasons, as well as from the fact that they
are 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
numbers, are not likely to hold out long in their struggle
for existence, I have taken more pains to portray their
whole character, than ray 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 ii
becomes my duty to say it; a better, more honest,
hospitable and kind people, as a community, are not to be
found in the world. No set of men that ever I associated
with have better 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 and guard his
honor more closely.
The shocking and disgusting custom that I have just
described, sickens the heart and even the stomach of a
traveller in the country, and he weeps for their ignorance
— he pities them with all his heart for their blindness, and
laments that the light of civilization, of agriculture and
religion cannot be extended to them, and that their hearts
which are good enough, could not be turned to embrace
something more rational and conducive to their true
happiness.
Many would doubtless ask, whether such a barbarous cus-
tom could be eradicated from these people ? and whether
their thoughts and tastes, being turned to agriculture and
religion, could be made to abandon the dark and random
280
LETTERS AND NOTES ON TBI
ii ri
channel in which thuy are ilrudging, and made to flow in
the light and life of eivilization ?
To this query I answer yen. Although this is a custotn
of long standing, being a part of their religion ; and pro-
bably valued as one of their dearest rights; and notwith-
standing the difHculty of making inroads upon the religion
of a people in whose country there is no severance of
opinions, and consequently no division into different sects,
with different creeds to shake their faith ; I still believe,
and I know, 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 productive gardens, and the waving green
bluffs that are spread in the surrounding distance, might be
spotted with lowing kine instead of the sneaking wolves
and the hobbled war-horses that are now stalking about
them.
All ignorant and superstitious people, it is u well-known
fact, are the most fixed and stubborn in their religious
opinions, and perhaps the most difficult to divert froni
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 enjoy-
ing their religious opinions without ever having heard any
one to question their correctness; and in these opinions
they are quiet and satisfied, and it requires a patient, gra-
dual, and untiring effort to convince such a people that
they are wrong, and to work the desired change in their
belief, and consequently 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 experiment could be more suc-
cessfully made than amongst the kind and hospitable
Mandans, nor any place where the Missionary labors of
pious and industrious men would be more sure to succeed,
or more certain to be rewarded in the world to come.
NORTH AMKRICAN INDIANS.
28T
I deem such, a trial of patience and perseverance with
these people of great importance, and well worth tha
experiment. One which I shall hope soon to see accom-
plished, and which, if properly conducted, I am sure will
result in success. Severed as they are from the contam
inating and counteracting vices which oppose and thwart
most of the best efforts of the Missionaries along the fron-
tier, and free from the almost fiital prejudices which they
have there to contend with ; they present a better field for
the labor of such benevolent teachers than they have yet
worked in, and a far better chance than they have yet had
of proving to the world that the poor Indian is not a brute
— that he is a human and a humane being, that he is capa-
ble of improvement — and that his mind is a beautiful blank
on which anything can be written if the proper means be
taken.
The Mandans being but a small tribe, of two thousand
only, and living all in two villages, in sight of each other,
and occupying these permanently, without roaming about
like other neighboring tribes, oft'er undoubtedly, the best
opportunity for such an experiment of any tribe in the
country. The land about their villages is of the best
quality for ploughing 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 introduoion of agricul-
ture (which would supply them with the necessaries and
luxuries of life, without the necessity of continually expo-
sing their lives to their more numerous enemies on the
plains, when they are seeking in the chase the means
of their subsistnce) would save them from the continual
wastes of life, to which, in their wars and the chase they
are continually exposed, which are calculated soon to
result in their extinction.
T 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 are almost throwing away
288
LETTERS AND XOTES.
the best energies of their lives aloag the debased frontier,
that if they would introduce the ploughshare and their
prayers amongst these people, who are so &r separated
from the taints and contaminating vioes of the frontier,
they would soon see their most ardent desires acoom-
plished and be able to solve to the world the perplexing
enigma, by presenting a nation of savages, oivilized and
christianized (and consequently saved), in the heart of the
American wilderness.
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LETTER No. XXHI.
MINATAREE VILLAGE, UPPER MISSOURI
Soon after witnessing the curious scenes described in
the former Letters, I changed my position to the 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 :
19 (289)
290
LEITERS AND NOTES ON THE
The Minatarees (people of the willows) are a small tribe
of about one thousand five hundred souls, residing in three
villages of earth-covered lodges, on the banks of Knife
liver; 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 Man-
dans, to whom they have looked for protection, and under
vhose wing they are now living in a sort of confederacy,
r«.ady 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 i\* their customs, they are types of the Crows : yet
having udopted and so long lived under its influence, the
system of the Mandans, they are much like them in many
respects, a'ld continually assimilating to the modes of their
patrons &nd protectors. Amongst their vague and various
traditions thay have evidently some 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 horses — were nearly all women, as their
warriors had been killed off in their flight ; that the Man-
dans 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 circum-
stances their wigwams have been constructed exactly in
the same manner as those of the Mandans which I have
already described, and entirely distinct from any custom
to be seen in the Crow tribe.
Notwithstanding the long familiarity in which they
have lived with the Mandans, and the complete adoption
of most of their customs, yet it is almost an unaccountable
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
29]
fact, tliat there is scarcely a man in the tribe who can
speak half a dozen words of the Mandan language;
although on the other hand, the Mandans are most of them
able to converse in the Minataree tongue ; leaving us to
conclude, either that the Minatarees are a very inert and
stupid people, or that the Mandan language (which is most
probably the case) being dift'erent from any other language
in the country, is an exceedingly difficult one to learn.
The principal village of the Minatarees which is built
upon the bank of the Knife river c >ntains forty or fifty
earth-covered wigwams, from forty to fifty feet in diameter,
and being elevated, overl(Joks the other two which are on
lower ground and almost lost amidst their numerous corn
fields and other profuse vegetation which cover the earth
with their luxuriant growth.
The scenery along the l)anks of this little river, from
village to village, is quite peculiar and curious ; rendered
extremely so by the continual wild and garrulous groups
of men, women, and children, who are wending their way
along its winding shores, or dashing and plunging through
its blue waves, enjoying the luxury of .swimming, of which
both sexes seem to be passionately fond. Others are
paddling about in their tub-like canoes, made of the skins
of buffaloes ; and every now and then, are to be seen their
sudatories, or vapor-baths, where steam is raised by
throwing water on to heated stones ; and the patient jumps
from his sweating-house and leaps into the river in the
highest state of perspiration, as I have more fully described
whilst speaking of the bathing of the Mandans.
The chief sachem of this tribe is a very ancient and
patriarchal looking man, by the name of Eeh-tohk-pah-
shee-pee-shah (the black moccasin), and counts, undoubtedly,
more than an hundred snows. I have been for some days
an inmate of his hospitable lodge, where he sits tottering
with age, and silently reigns sole monarch of his little
community around him, who are continually dropping in
to cheer his sinking energies, and render him their
292
LSTTERS AXD NOTES ON THI
homage. His voice and his sight are nearly gone; but
the gestures of his hand are yet energetic and youthful,
and freely speak the language of his kind heart.
I have been treated in the kindest manner by this old
chief; and have painted his portrait as he was seated oi
the floor of his wigwam, smoking his pipe, whilst he was
recounting over to me some of the extraordinary feats of
his life, with a beautiful Crow robe wrapped around him,
and his hair wound up in a conical form upon his head,
and fastened with a small wooden pin, to keep it in its
place.
This man has many distinct recollections of Lewis and
Clarke, who were the first explorers of this country, and
LONG KNTFR — OAPTAtir LEWIS
who crossed the Bookj Mountains thirty years ago. It
will be seen by reference to their very interesting history
NOIITII AMKRICAV INDIANS.
203
of their tour, that tliey woro troatod with great kindness by
this man ; and that thoy in cotiscfjuence constituted him
chief of the tribe, with tlio connont of his people ; and he
has remained their chief over since, lie enquired very
earnestly for '* Red Hair" nnd " Long Knife" (as he had
ever since termed Lowis and ('lurko), from the fact, that
one had red hair (an unexampled thing in his country),
and the other wore a broad MWord wliich gained for him
the appellation of " Long Knife."
I have told him that "Long Knife" has been many years
dead ; and that " Red Hair" is yet living in St. Louis, and
no doubt would be glad to hoor of him ; at which he
seemed much pleased, and has Hignifled to me that he will
make me bearer of some peculiar dispatches to him.*
The name by which those people are generally called
(Grosventres) is one given thorn by the French Traders, and
has probably been applied to thoin with some degree of
propriety or fitness, as contradlHtinguished from the Man-
dans, amongst whom these Trodorg were living; and who
are a small race of Indians, being generally at or below the
average stature of man ; whilst the Minatarees are generally
tall and heavily built. Thoro is no tribe in the western
wilds, perhaps, who are bettor entitled to the style of war-
like, than the Minatarees ; for thoy, unlike the Mandans,
are continually carrying war into their enemies' country ;
oftentimes drawing the poor Mandans into unnecessary
broils, and suffering so muoh tliomgelves in their desperate
war executions, that I find the proportion of women to the
number of men as two or three to one, through the tribe.
The son of Black Moooasin, whoae name is Ee-a-chin-
che-a (the red thunder,) and who in reputed one of the most
* Aboat a year after writing the above, and whilst I was in St. Lonis^
I had the pleasure of presenting the oomplimentB of this old veteran to
General Clarke ; and also of shewing to him the portrait, which he
instantly recognized amongst hundreds of others; saying, that "the,
had considered the Black Moccasin quite an old man when they ap>
pointed him chief thirty-two years ago.
294
LETTEBS AND NOTES ON THE
desperate warriors of his tribe, I have also painted at full
length, in his war-dress, with his bow in his hand, his
quiver slung, and his shield upon his arm. In this plight,
tans head-dress, sans robe, and sans everything that might
be an useless incumbrance — with the body chiefly naked,
and profusely bedaubed with red and black paint, so as to
form an almost perfect disguise, the Indian warriors inva-
riably sally forth to war; save the chief, who always
plumes himself, and leads on his little band, tendering
himself to his enemies a conspicuous mark, with all his
ornaments and trophies upon him; that his enemies, if
they get him, may get a prize worth the fighting for.
Besides chiefs and warriors to be admired in this little
tribe, there are many beautiful and voluptuous looking
women, who are continually crowding in throngs, and
gazing upon a stranger; and possibly shedding more
bewitching smiles from a sort of necessity, growing out of
the great disparity in numbers between them and the
rougher sex, to which I have before alluded.
From the very numerous groups of these that have from
day to day constantly pressed upon me, overlooking the
operations of my brush ; I have been unable to get more
than one who would consent to have her portrait painted,
owing to some fear or dread of harm that might eventually
ensue in consequence; or from a natural coyness or
timidity, which is surpassing all description amongst these
wild tribes, when in presence of strangers.
The one whom I have painted is a descendant from the
old chief; and though not the most beautiful, is yet a fair
sample of them, and dressed in a beautiful costume of the
mountain-sheep skin, handsomely garnished with porcu-
pine quills and beads. This girl was almost compelled to
stand for her picture by her relatives who urged her on,
whilst she modestly declined, offering as her excuse that
" she was not pretty enough, and that her picture would be
laughed at." This was either ignorance or excessive art on
her part; for she was certainly more than comely, and the
NOBTU AMKRIOAN INDIANS.
295
beauty of her name, Seet-se-bea (the midday sun,) is quite
enough to make up for a deficiency, if there were any, in
the beauty of her face,
I mentioned that I found these people raising abundance
of com or maize ; and I have happened to visit them in
the season of their festivities, which annually take place
when the ears of corn are of the proper size for eating.
The green corn is considered a great luxury by all those
tribes who cultivate it; and is ready for eating as soon
as the ear is of full size, and the kernels are expanded to
their full growth, but are yet soft and pulpy. In this green
state of the corn, it is boiled and dealt out in great profu-
sion to the whole tribe, who feast and surfeit upon it whilst
it lasts ; rendering thanks to the Great Spirit for the return
of this joyful season, which they do by making sacrifices,
by dancing, and singing songs of thanksgiving. This joy-
ful occasion is one valued alike, and conducted in a similar
manner, by most of the tribes v lo raise the corn, however
remote they may be from each other. It lasts but for a
week or ten days ; being limited to the longest term that
the corn remains in this tender and palatable state ; during
which time all hunting, and all war-excursions, and all
other avocations, are positively dispensed with ; and all
join in the most excessive indulgence of gluttony and con-
viviality that can possibly be conceived. The fields of corn
are generally pretty well stripped during this excess ; and
the poor improvident Indian thanks the Great Spirit for
the indulgence he has had, and is satisfied to ripen merely
the few ears that are necessary for his next year's planting,
without reproaching himself for his wanton lavishness,
which has laid waste his fine field, and robbed him of the
golden harvest, which might have gladdened his heart,
with those of his wife and little children, through the cold
and dreariness of winter.
The most remarkable feature of these joyous occasions is
the green com dance, which is always given as preparatory
29i5
LKTTERS AND NOTES ON THB
to the least, and by most of the tribes in the following
manner: —
At the usual season, and the time when from outward
appearance of the stalks and ears of corn, it is supposed ta
be nearly ready for use, several of the old women who are
the owners of fields or patches of corn (for such are the pro-
prictoru and cultivators of all crops in Indian countries, the
men never turn their hands to such degrading occupations)
are delegated by the medicine-men to look at the corn-fields
every morning at sun-rise and bring into the council-house,
where the kettle is ready, several ears of corn, the husks of
which the women are not allowed to break open or even to
peep through. The women then are from day to day dis-
charged and the doctors left to decide, until from repeated
examinations they come to the decision that it will do ; when
they dispatch runners or criers^ announcing to every part of
the village or tribe that the Great Spirit has been kind to-
them, and they must all meet on the next day to return
thanks for his goodness. That all must empty their stom-
achs, and prepare for the feast that is approaching.
On the day appointed by the doctors, the villagers are all
assembled, and in the midst of the group a kettle is hung
over the fire and filled with the green corn, which is well
boiled, to be given to the Great Spirit, as a sacrifice neces-
sary to be made before any one can indulge the cravings of
his appetite. "Whilst this first kettleful is boiling, four medi-
oino-men, with a stalk of the corn in one hand and a rattle
(she-she-quoi) in the other, with their bodies painted with
white clay, dance around the kettle, chanting a song of
thanksgiving to the Great Spirit to whom the offering is to
be made. At the same time a number of warriors are
dancing around in a more extended circle, with stalks of
the corn in their hands, and joining also in the song of
thanksgiving, whilst the villagers are all assembled and
looking on. During this scene there is an arrangement of
wooden bowls laid upon the ground, in which the feast ia to
-fl^
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
207
be dealt out, each one having in it a spoon made of th«
bufi&lo or mountain-sheep's horn.
In this wise the dance continues until the doctors deoido
that the corn is suffici»mtly boiled ; it then stops for u few
moments, and again assumes a different form and a different
Bong, whilst the doctors are placing the ears on a little scaf'
fold of little sticks, which they erect immediately over tho
fire where it is entirely consumed, as they join again in the
dance around it.
The fire is then removed, and with it the ashes, which
together are buried in the ground and new fire is originated
on the same spot where the old one was, by friction, which
is done by a desperate and painful exertion by three mcii
seated on the ground, facing each other and violently drill*
ing the end of a stick into a hard block of wood by rolling
it between the hands, each one catching it in turn from tho
others without allowing the motion to stop until smoke,
and at last a spark of fire is seen and caught in a piece of
punk, when there is great rejoicing in the crowd. With
this a fire is kindled, and the kettleful of corn again boiled
for the feast, at which the chiefs, doctors, and warriors are
seated: and after this an unlimited license is given to the
whole tribe, who surfeit upon it tfnd indulge in all their
f«rorite amusements and excesses, until the fields of corn
are exhausted, or its ears have become too hard for their
comfortable mastication.
Such are the general features of the green corn festivity
and dance amongst most of the tribes; and amongst some
there are many additional forms and ceremonies gone
through, preparatory to the indulgence in the feast.
Some of the southern tribes concoct a most bitter and nau-
seating draught, which they call asceola (the black drink),
which they drink to excess for several days previous to the
feast ; ejecting everything from their stomachs and intestines,
enabling them, after this excessive and painful purgation,
to commence with the green corn upon an empty and keen
stomach.
LETTER No. XXIV.
MINATABEE YILLAQE, UPPER MISSOURI
Epistles from such a strange place as this, where 1
have no desk to write from, or mail to send them by, are
hastily scribbled off in my note-book, as I can steal a little
time from th6 gaze of the wild group that is continually
about me; and instead of sending them, keeping them to
bring with me when I make my retreat from the country.'
(298)
NOKTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
299
The only place where I can satisfactorily make these
DDtries is in the shade of some sequestered tree, to which I
oocasionally resort, or more often from my bed (from which
I am now writing), enclosed by a sort of curtains made of
the skins of elks or buffaloes, completely encompassing
me, where I am reclining on a sacking-bottom, made of
the buffalo's hide ; making my entries and notes of the
incidents of the past day, amidst the roar and unintelligible
din of savage conviviality that is going on under the same
roof, and under my own eye, whenever I feel disposed to
apply it to a small aperture which brings at onoe the whole
interior and all its inmates within my view.
There are at this time some distinguished guests, beside?
myself, in tlie lodge of the Black Moccasin ; two chie& or
leaders of a party of Crows, who arrived here a few days
since, on a visit to their ancient friends and relatives. The
consequence has been, that feasting and carousing have
been the " order of the day" here for some time ; and 1
have luckily been a welcome participator in their entertain-
ments. A distinguished chief of the Minatarees, with
several others in company, has been for some months past
on a visit to the Grows and returned, attended by some
remarkably fine-looking fellows, all mounted on fin<i horses,
I have said something of these fine specimens of the human
race heretofore ; and as I have been fastening more of them
to the canvass within the few days past, I must use this
occasion to add what follows : —
I think I have said that no part of the human race could
present a more picturesque and thrilling appearance on
horseback than a party of Crows, rigged out in all theii
plumes and trappings — galloping about and yelping, in
what they call a war-parade, i. e. in a sort of tournament oi
sham-fight, passing rapidly through the evolutions of battle,
and vaunting forth the wonderful character of their mili-
tary exploits. This is an amusement, of which they are
excessively fond; and great preparations are invariably
made for these occasional shows.
' --is
800
LXTT£BS AND NOTSS ON THE
No tribe of Indians on the Continent are better able to
produce a pleasing and thrilling efTect in these scenes, nor
any more vain, and consequently better prepared to draw
pleasure and satisfaction from them, than the Crows.
They may be justly said to be the most bejiutifully clad of
all the Indians in these regions, and bringing from the
base of the Rooky Mountains a fine and spirited breed of the
wild horses, have been able to create a great sensation
amongst the Minatarees, who have been paying them all
at^Antion and all honors for some days past.
From amongst these showy fellows who have been
entertaining us and pleasing themselves with their extra-
ordinary feats of horsemanship, I have selected one of the
most conspicuous, and transferred him and his horse, with
arms and trappings, as faithflilly as I could to the canvass,
for the information of the world, who will learn vastly
more from lines and colors than they could from oral or
written delineations.
I have painted him as he sat for me, balanced on his
leaping wild horse, 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
moccasins, were of the mountain-goat skins, beautifully
dressed ; and their seams everywhere fringed with a pro-
fusion 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, was 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 manj' others which con-
tributed to his picturesque appearance, and amongst them
a beautiful netting of various colors, that completely
covered and almost obscured the horse's head and neck^
NORTH AMERICAN INDIAN'S.
801
and extended over its back and its hips, terminating in a
most extravagant and magnifioeiit crupper, embossed and
fringed with rows of beautiful shells and porcupine quilla
of various colors.
With all these picturestjue ornaments and trappings upon
and about him, with a noble figure, and the bold stamp
of a wild gentleman on his face, added to the rage and spirit
of hia wild horse, in time with whose 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 :
\nd felt exceeding pleasure in displaying the extraonlinary
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 them the grace of
motion, as they were brandished in the air and floating in
the wind.
In a former Letter I have some account of the form ot
the head peculiar to this tribe which" may well be recorded
as a national characteristic, and worthy of further atten-
tion, which I shall give it on a future occq^ion. This
striking peculiarity is quite conspicuous in the portrait of
which I have just spoken, exhibiting fairly, the aemi-limar
outline of the face of which I have before spoken, and
which strongly characterizes them as distinct from any
relationship or resemblance to the Blackfeet, Shiennea,
Knisteneaux, Mandans, or other tribes now existing in
these regions. The peculiar character of which I am
speaking, like all other national characteristics, is of course
met by many exceptions in the tribe, though the greater
part of the men are thus strongly marked with a bold 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 approaohing to the horrid
distortion thus produced amongst the Flatheads beyond
m
302
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
the Rocky Mountains. I learned however from repeated
inquiries, that no such custom is practiced amongst them,
but their heads, such as they nre, are the results of a
natural growth, and theiefore may well be offered as the
basis of a national 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 profiles of these
people forcibly remind me, almost bringing me to the
conclusion that these people may be the dc8oei)dar)ts of the
race who have bequeathed those curious and inexplicable
remains to the world, and whose scattered remnants, from
dire and unknown necessities of those dark and vcileil 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 destination
where they now live. I am stopped, however, from
advancing such as a theory, and much prefer to leave it to
t)ther bands, who may more easily get over diflicultiea
which I should be afra'id to encounter in the very outset,
from the very important questions raised in my mind, as
to the correctness of those rude and ignorant outlines, in
truly establishing the looks and character of a people.
Amongst a people so ignorant and so little advanced in the
arts as the ancient Mexicans were, from whose tracings
those very numerous drawings are copied, I think it would
be assuming a great deal too much for satisfactory argu-
ment, 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 distinguished, one from the other.
I feel as if such rude outlines should be received with
great caution and distrust, in establishing the character
of a people.
Since writing the above I have passed through many
vicissitudes, and witnessed many curious scones worthy of
KOBTH AMKKICi»X INDIANS.
308
relating, some of which I will scri ble now, and leave the
rest for a more leisure occasion. I have witnessed many
of the 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 have heard that I was great medicine^ and a
great chief, took it upon themselves to suppose that I
might (or perhaps must) be a man of influence amongst the
" pale faces, " and capable of rendering them some relief
in a case of very great grievance, under which they repre-
sented that they were suffering. Several most profound
speeches were made to me, setting forth these grievances,
somewhat in the following manner: — They represented,
that about five or six years ago an unknown, small animal
— not far diflfering in size from a ground squirrel, but with
a long, round tail, shewed himself slily about one of the
chiefs 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
devouring a small " deer mouse, " of which little and very
destructive animals their lodges contained many. It was
then at once determined that 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 where 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 ascer^
tained to be rapidly increasing, and calculating soon to rid
them of these thousands of little depredators. It was soon,
however, learned from one of the Fur Traders, that thia
804
LEITERS AND KOtES ON THE
|i
distinguislied object of their superstition (which my man
Ba'tiste familiarly calls " Monar. Hatapon ") had, a short
time before, landed himself from one of their keel boats,
which had ascerded the Missouri river for the distance of
eighteen hundred miles ; and had taken up its residence,
without introduction or invitation, 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 in
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 infested with them, —
that their caches, where they bury their corn and other
provisions, were robbed and sacked; and the very pave-
ments 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 this meeting
to call my attention, 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
there was really a great deal of medicine in the thing, and
that I should therefore be quite 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
NOBTH AMBRICAN INDIANS.
805
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 bull-boat), 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 seated flat on its bottom,
with scarce room in any way to adjust our legs and our
feet (as we sat necessarily facing each other), she stepped
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 ofiT, 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 opposite shore.
They all swam in a bold and graceful manner, and aa
confidently as so many otters or beavers; and gathering
around us, with their long black hair floating about on the
water, whilst their faces were glowing with jokes and ftin,
which they were cracking about us, and which we could
not understand.
In the midst of this delightful little aquatic group, we
three sat in our little akin-bound tub (like the " three wise
men of Gotham, who went to sea in a bowl," &c.), floating
along down the current, losing sight, and all thoughts, of
the shore, which was equi-dis+ant from us on either side;
whilst we were amusing ourselves with the playftilness of
20
806
L«rrBKS AND NOTKS ON THE
these dear little creatures who were floating about under
l^e 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 enter*
tainment, in which poor Ba'tiste and Bogard, as well aa
myself, were all taking infinite pleasure, and which we
supposed was all intended for our especial amusement; we
found ourselves suddenly in the delightful dilemma of
floating down the current in the middle of the river ; and
of being turned round and round to the excessive amuse-
ment of the villagers, who were laughing at us from the
shore, as well as these little tryos, whose delicate hands
were besetting our tub on all sides; and for an escape firom
whom, or for fending off, we had neither an oar, or any
thing else, that we could wield in self-defence, or self-
preservation. In this awkward predicament, our feelings
of excessive admiration were immediately changed, to those
of exceeding vexation, as we now learned that they had
peremptorily discharged from her occupation our fair con-
ductress, 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 the 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 necks as they raised them out of the water by
the side of our boat ; after which they all joined in con-
ducting our craft; to the shore, by swimming by the sides
of, and behind it, pushing it along in the direction where
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 the shore.
flORTII AMBUIOAN INDIANS.
307
;« long as their bodieg, in a crouching position, could
possibly be half concealed imdor the water, when thej
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 altornative 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 tormenters, and the
numerous lookers-on, on our way to the upper village,
which I have before mentioned.
Here I was very politely treated by the Yellmv Moccasin,
quite an old man, and who seemed to bo chief of this band
or family, constituting their little community of thirty or
forty lodges, averaging, perhaps, twenty persons to each.
I was feasted in this man's lodge — nnd afterwards invited
to accompany him and several others to n 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 amuBemonts ; the chief of
which seemed to be that of racing their horses. In the
midst of these scenes, after I had been for some time a
looker-on, and had felt some considerable degree of sym-
pathy for a fine-looking young fellow, whose horse had
been twice beaten on the course, and whose losses had been
considerable; for which, his iistor, a very modest and
pretty girl, was most piteously howling and crying. I
selected and brought forward an ordinary-looking pony,
that was evidently too fat and sleek to run against his fine-
limbed little horse that had disappointed his high hopes ;
and I began to comment extravagantly upon its muscle,
&c., when I discovered him evidently cheering up with the
hope 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 him 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 Agaln<*t a handsome
li
308
LETTERS AND NOTES ON TH«
pair of leggings, which he was wearing at the time. The
greatest imaginable excitement was now raised amongst
the crowd by this arrangement; to see a white man pre-
paring to run with an Indian jockey, and that with a scrub
of a pony, in whose powers of running no Indian 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 confide it
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 withdraw ; but his friends encouraged him at
length, and we galloped 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 then 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 1 Here I was completely balked, and having
no one by me to interpret a word, I was quite at a loss to
decide what was best to do. I found, however, that remon-
Bt.ance 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 I 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
marCs life there could be a thought or a feeling so neiv to
him, as to throw him instantly back to infancy ; with a
new world and a new genius before him — started afresh,
to navigate and breathe the elements of naked and un-
tasted liberty, whioh clothe him in their oool and silken
-' V,.-
NORTH AMERICAX INDIANS.
309
robes that doat about him ; and wafting their life-inspiring
folds to his inmost lungs? If yoiiji never have been
inspired with such a feeling, and have been in the habit
of believing that 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 to 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 my 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 satisfaction and exultation of the jockeys ; but greatly
to the murmuring disappointment of the women and
children, who had assembled in a dense throng to witness
the " coming out" of the " white medicine-man." I 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 oister's lamentations were soon turned to
joy, by the receipt of a beautiful scarlet robe, and a pro-
fusion of vari-colored beads, which were speedily paraded
on her copper-colored neck.
After I had seen enough of these amusements, I suc-
ceeded with some difficulty, 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 the little village of earth-covered
lodges, which were hemmed in, and almost obscured from
the eye, by the fields of corn and luxuriant growth of wild
sun-flowers, and other vegetable productions of the soil,
whose spontaneous growth had reared their heads in such
'I 'I
h !
! 1
810
LKTTERS AND NOTES ON THE
profusioD, as to appear all but like a deDse arid formidabb
foreat.
We loitered about this little village awhile, looking into
most of its lodges, and tracing its winding avenues, after
which we recrosscd the river and wended our way back
again to head-quarters, from whence we started in the
morning, and where I am now writing. This day's ramble
shewed to us all the inhabitants of this little tribe, except
a portion of their warriors who are out on a war excursion
against the Biccarees; and I have been exceedingly
pleased with their general behaviour and looks, as well as
with their numerous 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 dififerent in these respects from
their neighbors the Mandans, carrying war continually in
their enemies' country, thereby exposing their lives and
diminishing the number of their warriors to that degree
that I find two or three women to a man, through the
tribe. They are bold and fearless in the chase also, and in
their eager pursuits of the bison, or buf&loes, their feats
are such as to excite the astonishment and admiration of
all who behold them. Of these scenes I have witnessed
many since I came into this country, and amongst them
all, nothing have I seen to compare with one to which T
was an eyo-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 herds of buffaloes were
emigrating so far off from them, that there was great
danger of their actual starvation, when it was suddenly
announced through the village one morning at an early
hour, that a herd of buffaloes was in sight, when an
hundred or more young men mounted their horses with
weapons in hand and steered their course to the prairies.
The chief informed me that one of his horses was in rcadi*
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
811
ness for me at the door of his wigwam, and that I hud
better go and see the curious affair. I accepted his polite
offer, and mounting the steed, galloped off with the huiitora
to the prairies, where we soon descried at a distance, u fine
herd of bufBiloes, grazing, when a halt and a council wera
ordered, and the mode of attack was agreed upon. I had
armed myself with my pencil and my sketchbook only,
and consequently took my position generally in the rear,
where I could see and appreciate every manceifvre.
The plan of 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 armed 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 circle of horsemen at
equal distances apart, who gjj^adually closed in upon them
with a moderate pace, at a signal given. The unsuspecting
herd at length " got the wind" of the approaching enemy
and fled in a mass in the greatest confusion. To the point
where they were aiming to cross the line, the horsemen
were seen at full speed, gathering and forming in a column,
brandishing their weapons and yelling in the most frightful
manner, by which means they turned the black and rush-
ing mass which moved off in an opposite direction where
they were again met and foiled in a similar manner, and
wheeled back in utter confusion ; by which time the horse-
men had closed in from all directions, forming a continuous
line around them, whilst the poor afiErighted animals were
eddying about in a crowded and confused mass, hooking
and climbing upon each other ; when the work of death
commenced. I had rode up in the rear and occupied an
elevated position at a few rods distance, from which I
could (like the general of a battle*field) survey from my
horse's back, the nature and the progress of the grand
rnele^; but (unlike him) without the power of issuing «»
oommand or in any way directing its issue.
Hi 1
'li'
I !
il' ]
312
LETTERS AND NOTKS ON THE
In this grand turmoil, a oloud of dust was soon raised,
whioh 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 infu-
riated with deadly wounds in their sides, erected their
shaggy 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 horsemen,
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 horses to the fate that might await them in the
results of this wild and desperate war. ' Many were the
bulls that turned upon their ^sailants and met them with
desperate resistance; and many were the warriors who
were dismounted, 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 lance to its heart.
Others suddenly dashed off upon the prairies by the side of
the 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 carcasses upon
the green and enamelled turf.
In this way this grand hunt soon resolved itself into a
desperate battle; and in the space of fifteen minutes,
resulted in the 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 man.
I had sat in trembling silence upon my horse, and wit-
nessed this extraordinary scene, whioh allowed not one of
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
8ia
these animals to escape out of my sight. Many plunged off
upon the prairie fur a distance, but were overtaken and
killed; and although I could not distinctly estimate the
number that were Slain, yet I am sure that some hundreds
of these noble animals fell in this grand melee.
The scene after the battle was over was novel and curious
in the extreme ; the hunters were moving about amongst
the d^ad and dying animals, leading their horses by their
halterb, and claiming their victims by their private marks
upon their arrows, which they were drawing from the
wounds in the animals' sides.
Amongst the poor affrighted creatures that had occasion-
ally dashed through the ranks of their enemy, and sought
safety in flight upon i^he prairie (and in some instances,
had undoubtedly gained it), I saw them stand awhile,
looking back, when they turned, and, as if bent on their
own destruction, retraced their steps, and mingled them-
selves and their deaths with those of the dying throng.
Others had fled to a distance on the prairies, and for want
of company, of friends or of foes, had stood and gazed on
till the battle-scene was over ; seemingly taking pains to
stay, and hold their lives in readiness for their destroyers,
until the general destruction wao over, when they fell easy
victims to their weapons — making the slaughter complete.
After this scene, and after arrows had been claimed and
recovered, a general council was held, when all hands were
seated on the ground, and a few pipes smoked ; after whioh,
all mounted their horses and rode back to the village.
A deputation of several of the warriors was sent to the
chief, who explained to him what had been their success ;
and the same intelligence was soon comunicated by little
squads to every family in the village; and preparations
were at once made for securing the meat. For this pur-
pose, some hundreds of women and children, to whose lot
fall all the drudgeries of Indian life, started out upon the
trail, which led them to the battle-field, where they ppent
the day in skinning the animals, and cutting up tlie mcat»
t <v
hi 'j
1
814
LKTTSBS AND NOTES.
which WAS mostly brought into the villages on tleir backa
as they tugged and sweated under their enormous and
oruel loads.
I rode out to see this curious scene ; and I regret exceed*
ingly that I kept no memorandum of it in my sketch-book.
Amidst the throng of women and children, that had been
assembled, and all of whom seemed busily at work, were
many superannuated and disabled nags, w,hioh they had
brought out to assist iu carrying in the meat ; and at least,
one thousand semi-loup dogs, and whelps, whose keen ap-
petites and sagacity had brought them out, to claim their
shares of this abundant and sumptuous supply.
I stayed and inspected this curious group for an hour or
more during which time, I was almost continually amused
by the clamorous contentions that arose, and generally
ended, in desperate combats ; both amongst the dogs and
women, who seemed alike tenacious of their local and
recently acquired rights; and disposed to settle their
claims by " tooth and nail" — by manual and brute force.
When I had seen enough of this I rode to the top of a
beautiful prairie blufif, a mile or two from the scene, where
I was exceedingly amused by overlooking the route that
laid between this and the village, which was over the
undulating green fields for several miles, that laid beneath
me ; over which there seemed a continual string of women,
dogs and horses, for the rest of the day, passing and
repassing as they were busily bearing home their heavy
burthens to the village, and in their miniature appearance,
which the distance gave them, not unlike to a busy com*
munity of ants as they are sometimes seen, sacking and
transporting the treasures of a cupboard, or the aweeta of a
sugar-bowl.
LETTER No. XXV.
LITTLE MANDAN VILLAGE, UPPER MlSSOUSl
In speaking of the Mandans, in a former Letter, I men-
tioned that they were living in two villages, which are
about two miles apart. Of their principal village I have
given a minute account, which precludes the necessity of
my saying much of their smaller town, to which I des-
cended a few days since, from the Minatarees ; and where
I find their modes and customs, precisely the same aa I
have heretofore described. This village contains sixty or
eighty lodges, built in the same manner as those which I
have already mentioned, and I have just learned that they
have been keeping the annual ceremony here, precisely
in the same manner as that which I witnessed in the lower
or larger town, and have explained.
I have been treated with the same hospitality here that
was extended to me in the other village ; and have painted
the portraits of several distinguished persons, which baa
t315)
316
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
■ v
astonished and pleased them very much. The operation of
my brush always gains me many enthusiastic friends
wherever I go amongst these wild folks; and in this
village I have been unusually honored and even afflicted^
by the friendly importunities of one of these reverencing
parasites, who (amongst various other offices of hospitality
and kindness which he has been bent upon extending to
me), has insisted on, and for several nights been indulged
in, the honor as he would term it, of offering his body for
my pillow, which /have not had the heart to reject, and of
course he had not lacked the vanity to boast of, as an act
of signal kindness and hospitality on his part, towards a
great and a distinguished stranger 1
I have been for several days suffering somewhat with an
influenza, which has induced me to leave my bed, on the
side of the lodge, and sleep on the floor, wrapped in a
buffalo robe, with my feet to the fire in the centre of the
room, to which place the genuine politeness of my constant
and watchful friend has as regularly drawn him, where his
irresistible importunities have brought me, night after
night, to the only alternative of using his bedaubed and
bear-greased body for a pillow.
Being unwilling to deny the poor fellow the satisfaction
he seemed to be drawing from this singular f^eak, I took
some pains to inquire into his character ; and learned that
he was a Riccaree brave, by the name of Pah-too-ca<-ra (he
who strikes), who is here \''\i\\. several others of his tribe,
on a friendly visit (though in a hostile village), and living
as they are, unprotected, except by the mercy of their
enemies. I think it probable, therefore, that he is ingeni-
ously endeavoring 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.
The Riccaree village, is beautifully situated on the west
bank of the river, two hundred miles below the Mandans ;
NORTH AMERICAN IKDIANB.
817
and bailt very much in the same manner ; being consti-
tuted of one hundred and fifty 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 grace*
folly undulating hills that rise in the distance behind it are
everywhere covered with a verdant green turf, without iL
tree or a bush any where to be seen. The 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 feelings of these people
towards the pale faces, at this time, that it may be deemed
most prudent for me to pass them on my way down the
river, without stopping to make them a visit. They cer-
tainly are harboring 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 Clark first visited these people thirty
years since, it will be found by a reference to their history,
that the Biccarees 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, they have been inflicted with real or imaginary
abuses, of which they are themselves, and the Fur Traders,
the best judges ; and for which they are now harboring
the most inveterate
feelings towards the whole civilized
race.
The Biccarees are unquestionably a part oi the tribe ot
Pawnees, living on the Platte Biver, some hundreds ot
miles below this, inasmuch as their language is nearly or
quite the same ; and their personal appearance and customs
as similar as could be reasonably expected amongst a
I
818
LETTERS AMU MOTES ON THE
people so long since separated from their parent tribe, and
continually subjeoted to innovations from the neighboring
tribes around them ; amongst whom, in their erratic wan>
derings 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 dcucced,^'' as they have dealt quite
recently with the last trader^ who has dared for several
years past, to continue his residence with them, after they
had laid fatal hands on each one of his comrades 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 described in the lower village —
and in fact, I 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 ever-
lasting &rewell 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 fully corroborated my fixed
belief that the North American Indian in his primitive
state is a high-minded, hospitable and honorable being —
and their singular and peculiar customs have raised an
^UKTH AXGRICAN INDIANS.
819
irresistible belief in my mind that they have had a different
origin, or are of a diflferent 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 inquiries 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 cor-
rect conclusion. Amongst these evidences of which there
nany, and forcible ones to be met with amongst these
p*: pie, and many of which I have named in ray former
epistles, the most striking are those which go, T think,
decidedly to suggest the existence of looks and of customs
amongst them, bearing 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 traveller in the face, lead the mind back in
search of some more remote and rational 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 the Welsh colony — the followers 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 I think has been pretty clearly
traced to the mouth of the Mississippi, or the coast of
Florida, and whose fate further than this seems sealed in
unsearchable mystery.
I am travelling in this country as I have before said, not
to advance or to prove theories^ but to see all I am able to
see, and to tell it in the simplest and most intelligible
manner I can to the world^ for their own conclusions, 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 one's faculties are required, and
^20
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
much better employed I consider, in helping him along
And in gathering materiala, 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 recorded in history be correct, I see no harm
iu 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 agri-
culturalists on its rich banks, where they lived and
flourished, and increased 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 were
at last all destroyed, except some few families 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 forming themselves into a
small and separate community, took up their residence on
the banks of the Missouri; on which, for the want of a
permanent 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 consequently
found with the numerous and most unaccountable pecu-
liarities of which I have before spoken, so inconsonant
with the general character of the North American Indians;
with complexions of every shade; with hair of all the
oolours 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
iheorjf, it will be after I have collected other proo&, which
NORTH AMKBICAN 1NDIAN8.
821
I shall take great paiu» to do ; aftur I have taken a vocabu*
lary of their language, and ttl«o in my transit down the
river in my canoe, I miiy bo able from my own exami-
nations of the ground, to ascertain whether the shores of
the Missouri bear evidotJCOH of their former locations; or
whether amongst the tribes who inhabit the country below,
there remain any sati^fuotory 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 honpitable Mandans.
NoTB — Several years having olapNed Ninco the above account of the
Mandans was written, I open the book to convey to the reader the
melancholy intelligence of the ikntmdion of this interesting tribe,
which happened a short time aftor I left their country; and the manner
and causes of their misfortuno I bavo explained in the Appendix to the
Second Volume of this Work ; ai well m lome further considerations
of the subject just above.nained, relative to their early history, and the
probable fate of the followers ' Madoe, to which I respectfully refer
the reader before he goeH lttt*..r la the bodjr of the Work. See
Appetidiz A.
I • i
LETTER NO..XXVL
MOUTH OF TETON RIVER, UPPER MISSOITRI
SiNCB writing the above Letter I have descended tbe
Missouri, a distance of six or seven hundred miles, in my
little bark, with Ba'tiste and Bogard, my old " Compagnons
du voyage" and have much to say of what we three did and
what we saw on our way, which will be given anon.
I am now in the heart of the country belonging to the
numerous tribe of tbe Sioux or Dahcotas, and have Indian
faces and Indian customs in abundance 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, numbering some forty or fifty thousand, and able
undoubtedly to muster, if the tribe could be moved Bimul*
(322)
• iTi
VRICAN INDIANS.
323
iane)usly, at least eigbt or ten thousand warri<jrs, 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-
CQ:d&. 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
Blackfeet ; but about equal to that of the Crows, Assinne-
boins 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 Company, and who, ia
company with Mr. M'Kenzie (of whom I have before
spoken) and Lamont, has the whole agency of the Fur
Company's transactiojis in the regions of the 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 ho
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 woman, the kind and affec-
tionate mother of his little flock of pretty and interesting
children.
This Fort is undoubtedly one of the most important and
productive of the American Fur Company's posts, being
in the centre of the great Sioux country, drawing from all
824
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
quarters an immense and almost incredible number of
buffalo robes, which are carried to the New York and
other Eastern markets, and sold at a great profit. This
pout is thirteen hundred miles above St. Louis, on the
woHt bank of the Missouri, on a beautiful plain near the
mouth of the Teton river which empties into the Missouri
from the West, and tiie Fort has received the name of
Fort Pierre, in compliment to Monsr. Pierre Chouteau,
who is one of the partners in the Fur Company, residing
in St. Louis; and to whose politeness I am indebted, as I
have before mentioned, for my passage in the Company's
steamer, 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 of the Missouri's most
beautiful plains, and hemmed in by a series of gracefully
undulating, grass-covered hills, on all sides ; rising like a
series 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 qf 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, showing an encamp-
ment of Sioux, of six hundred tents or skin lodges, around
the Fort, where they had concentrated to make the spring
tra<le ; exchanging their furs and peltries for articles and
luxuries of civilized manufacture.
The great family of Sioux who occupy s v ist a tract of
country, extending from the banks of the Mississippi river
to the base of the Rocky Mountains, are everywhere a
migratory or roaming tribe, divided into forty-two bands
or families, each having a chief who all acknowledge a
•upcrior or head chief, to whom they all are held subordi*
•
•
NORT r AMERICAX INDIANS. 326
nate.
This subordination, however, T should rather rot^onl 1
as their /ormcr and wxtive regulation, of which there exidti
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 nativo
regulations, and particularly those relating to their govorn»
ment and religion.
There is one principal and familiar divison of this tiibo
into what are called the Mississippi and Missouri Sioux.
Those bordering on the banks of the Mississippi, concen-
trating at Prairie du Chien and Fort Snelling, for tho
purposes of trade. &c., are called the Mississippi Sioux.
These are somewhat advanced towards civilization, atjd
familiar with white people, with whom they have hold
intercourse for many years, and are consequently excessive
whisky drinkers, though constituting but a meagre pro-
portion, and at the same time, but a very unfair and
imperfect sample of the great mass of this tribe who inhabit
the shores of the Missouri, and fearlessly roam on the vast
plains intervening between it and the Rooky Mountains,
and are still living entirely in their primitive condition,
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 supplied with the
necessaries of life. There are no parts of the great plains
of America which are more abundantly stocked wiih
buflFaloes and wild horses, nor any people more bold in
destroying the one for food, and appropriating the 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 poor, drunken, murderous wretch ; which
account is certainly unjust as regards the savage, and
doing 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
^
826
LETTERS AND NOTES OS THE
r.w-
taken, nor a blow struck me; nor liad occasitm to raise my
hand against an Indian; nor has my property been stolen,
as -yet to ray 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 satis-
faction 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, literally speaking, that ever I saw in my travels, or
ever expect to see. If the civilized world are startled at
this, it is the fact that they must battle with, not with me ;
for these people manufacture no spirituous liquor them-
selves, and know nothing of it until it is brought into their
country and tendered to them by Christians. That these
people are "nakecP^ is equally untrue, and as easily
disproved ; for I am sure that with the paintings I have
made amongst the Mandans and Crows, and other tribes ;
and with their beautiful 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 considerable taste and elegance. Nor am I quite sure
that they are entitled to the name of ^^poor^" who live in
a boundless country of green fir^lds, with good horses to
ride ; where they are all joint tenants ot the soil, together ;
where the Great Spirit has supplied them with an abund-
ance of food to eat ; where they are all indulging in the
pleasures and amusements of a lifetime of idleness and
ease, with no business hour', 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 o* their souls at every step they
go. Such might be povertr in the Christian world, but
is sure to be a blessing where the pride and insolence (/
comparative wealth are unknown.
XOBTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
827
I mentioned that this is the nucleus or place of concen*
tration of the numerous 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 families of Sioux, living in tents covered with
buffalo hides. Amongst these there were twenty or more
of the different bands, each one with their cuief at their
head, over whom was a superior chief and leader, a
middle-aged man, of middling stature, with a noble coun-
tenance, and a figure almost equalling the Apollo, and I
l)ainted his portrait. 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 honors 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 hu neck,
which descended to him from his father, and which, he said,
he valued more than anything he possessed; aflfording a
striking instance of the living affection 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 honorable ones he had a right to have taken, from
different battles and exploits of his extraordinary life. He
treated me with great kindness and attention, considering
himself highly complimented by the signal and unpre-
cedented honor I had confered upon him by painting his
portrait, and that before I had invited any other. His
cos. .. 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 beautifully dressed, and fringed with
a profusion of porcupine quills and scalp locks; and his
hair, which is very long and profuse, 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 turban.
This extraordinary man, before he was raised to the
mill!
828
LBTTKRS AND NOTES ON THE
dignity of chief, was the renowned of his tribe for his
ttthletio achievements. In the chase he was foremost ; he
could run down a buffulo, 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 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 some amusing and curious
information that we picked up, and incidents that we met
with, on our voyage from the Man dans to this place, I
have again to beg that they will pardon me for with-
holding from them yet awhile longer, the incidents of that
curious and most important part of my Tour, the absence
of which, at this time, seems to make a " hole in the
ballad," though I promise my readers they are written,
and will appear in the book in a proper and appropriate
place.
Taking it for granted then, that I will be indulged in
this freak, I am taking the liberty of presuming on my
readers' patience in proposing another which is to offer
them here an extract from my Notes, which were made on
my journey of thirteen hundred miles from St. Louis to
this place, where I stopped, as I have said, amongst several
thousands of Sioux : where 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 introduced. On the long and tedious route that
lies between St. Louis and this place, I passed the Sacs and
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
829
loways — the Konzas — the Omahaws, and ihe Ottoes
(making notea on them all, which are reserved for another
place), and landed at the Puncahs, a small tribe rcsidiiig in
one village, on the west bank of the river, three hundr;^!
miles below this, and one thousiind from St. Louis.
The Puncahs are all contained in seventy-five or eighty
lodges, made of buffalo skins, in the form of tents; .!?
frames for which are poles of fifteen or twenty feet in
length, with the but 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 numVjers; and I should think, at least, two-thiids
of those are women. This disparity in numbers having
been produced by the continual losses which their men
suffer, who are penetrating the buffalo country for meat,
for which they are now obliged to travel a great way (as
the buffaloes have recently left their covntry), exposing
their lives to their more numerous enemiee ;.b .ut them.
The chief, who was wrapped in a buffalo robe, is a noble
specimen of native dignity and philosophy. I conversed
much with him ; and from his dignified manners, as well
as from the soundness of his rc^-afning, I 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, pre
dieted the certain and rapid extinction of his tribe, which
he had not the power to avert. Poor, noble chief; who
was equal, and worthy of a greater empire 1 He sat upon
the deck of the steamer, overlooking the little cluster of his
wigwams mingWl amongst the trees; and, like Caius
Marius, weeping over the ruins of Carthage, shed tears as
he was descanting on the poverty of his ill-fated little com
munity, which he told me " had once been powerful! and
happy ; that the buffeloes which the Great Spirit had given
them for food, and which formerly spread all over their
!'
880
LrrTERS AJTD NOTES OX THE
green prairies, had all been killed or driven out by the
approach of white men, who wanted their skins ; that their
country was now entirely destitute of game, and even of
roots for their food, as it was one continued praiiie ; and
that his young men penetrating the countries of their
enemies for buffaloes, which they where obliged to do,
were cut to pieces and destroyed in great numbers. That
his people had foolishly became fond oi fire-water (whisky),
THE FIRB'WATRR.
and had given away everything in their country for it —
that it had destroyed many of his warriors, and soon would
destroy the rest— that his tribe was too small, and his
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
881
warriors, too few to go to war with the tribes around them ;
that they were met and killed by the Sioux on the North,
by the Pawnees on the West ; and by the Osages and Konzas
on the South; and still more alarmed from the constant
advance of the pale faces — their enemies from the East,
with whisky and small-pox, which already had destroyed
four-fifths of his tribe, and soon would impoverish, and at
last destroy the remainder of them. "
In this way did this shrewd philosopher lament over the
unlucky destiny of his tribe; and I pitied him with all my
heart. I have no doubt of the correctness of his represent
tations; and I believe there is no tribe on the frontier
more in want, nor any more deserving of the sympathy
and charity of the government and Christian societies of
the civilized world.
The son of this chief, a youth of eighteen years, dis-
tinguished himself in a singular manner the day before our
steamer reached their village, by taking to himself four
wives in one day I This extraordinary and unprecedented
freak of his, was just the thing to make him tlie greatest
sort of medicine in the eyes of his people ; and probably he
may date much of his success and greatness through life,
to this bold and original step, which suddenly raised him
into notice and importance.
The old chief Shoode ga-cha, of whom I have spoken
above, considering his son to have arrived at the age of
maturity, fitted him out for house-keeping, by giving him
a handsome wigwam to live in, and nine horses, with many
other valuable presents; when the boy, whose name is
Hongs-kay-de (the great chief,) soon laid his plans for the
proud and pleasant epoch in his life, and consummated
them in the following ingenious and amusing manner.
"Wishing to connect himself with, and consequently to
secure the countenance of some of the most influential men
in the tribe, he had held an interview with one of the most
distinguished ; and easily (being the son of a chief,) made
an arrangement for the hand of his daughter, which he
!
882
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
:*•(
was to receive on a certain day, and at a certain hour, for
which he was to give two horses, a gun, and several
pounds of tobacco. This was enjoined on the father as a
profound secret, and as a condition of the espousal. In
like manner he soon made similar arrangements with three
other leading men of the tribe, each of whom had a young
and beautiful daughter, of marriageable age. To each of
the fathers he had promised two horses, and other presents
similar to those stipulated for in the first instance, and all
under the same injunctions of secresy, until the hour
approached, when he had announced to the whole tribe
that he was to be married. At the time appointed, they
all assembled, and all were in ignorance of the fair hand
that was to be placed in his on this occasion. He had got
some of his young friends who were prepared to assist him,
to lead up the eight horses. He took two of them by the
halters, and the other presents agreed upon in his other
hand, and advancing to the first of the parents, whose
daughter was standing by the side of him, saying to him,
•' you promised me the hand of your daughter on this day,
for which I was to give you two horses." The father
assented with a *' ugh!" receiving the presents, and giving
his child ; when some confusion ensued from the simulta-
neous remonstrances, which were suddenly made by the
other three parents, who had brought their daughters
forward, and were shocked at this sudden disappointment,
as well as by the mutual declarations they were making, of
similar contracts that each one had entered into with him I
As soon as they could be pacified, and silence was restored,
he exultingly replied, "You have all acknowledged in
public your promises with me, which I shall expect you to
fulfil. I am here to perform all the engagements which I
have made, and I expect you all to do the same." — No
more was said. He led up the two horses for each, and
delivered the other presents ; leading ofiT to his wigwam liis
four brides — taking two in each hand, and commenced at
NORTH AMERICAX INDIANS.
338
once upon his new mode of life ; reserving only one of his
horses for his own daily use.
I visited the wigwam of this young installed medicine-
man several times, and saw his four modest little wives
seated around the fire, where all seemed to harmonize very
well ; and for aught I could discover, were entering very
happily on the duties and pleasures of married life. I
selected one of them for her portrait, and painted it, Mong-
shong-sbaw (tlv^ bending willow), in a very pretty dress of
deer skins, and covered with a young buffalo's robe, which
was handsomely ornamented, and worn with much grace
and pleasing effect.
Mr. Chouteau of the Fur Company, and Major Sanford,
the agent for the Upper Missouri Indians, were with me at
this time ; and both of these gentlemen, highly pleased
with so ingenious and innocent a freak, felt disposed to be
liberal, and sent them many presents from the steamer.
The ages of these young brides were probably all between
twelve and fifteen years — the season of life in which most
the girls in this wild country contract marriage.
It is a surprising fact, that women mature in these
regions at that early age, and there have been some
instances where marriage has taken place, even at eleven ;
and the juvenile mother has been blest with her first
offspring at the age of twelve 1
These facts are calculated to create surprise and almost
incredulity in the mind of the reader, but there are circum-
stances for his consideration yet to be known, which will
in a manner account for these extraordinary facts.
There is not a doubt but there is a more early approach
to maturity amongst the females of this country than in
civilized 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 marriages (and consequently apparent maturity),
which arises out of the modes and forms of the country,
where most of the marriages are contracted with the
884
LETTERS AND NOTES.
parents, hurried on by the impatience of the applicant, and
prematuvely accepted and consummated on the part of
the parents, who are often 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. Education and accomplishments, again, in
the fash ion*' ble world, and also a time and a season to
flourish and show them off", necessarily engross that part
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 maturing, 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 described, the young man was in
no way censured by his people, but most loudly applauded ;
for in this country 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 provided for
and taken care of; and particularly so, and to the great
satisfaction of the tribe, as well as of 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 honor to be adopted, and where they are the most sure
uf protection.
■v ■ ■ , .• H
LETTER No. XXVIL
MOUTH OP TETON RIVER, UPPER MISSOURI
When we were about to start on our way up the river
from the village of the PunoahH, we found that they were
packing up all their goods and preparing to start for the
prairies, farther to tho Weet, in pursuit of buffaloes, to dry
meat for their winter's supplies. They 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 helpless 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, and 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 thi^ poor old forsaken
(335)
i
836
LEITERS AND NOTES ON THE
patriarch for hours before we started, to indulge the tears
of sympathy which were flowing for the sake of this
poor benighted and decrepit old man, whose worn-out
limbs were no longer able to support him ; their kind
and faithful offices having long since boen performed, and
his body and his mind doomed to linger into the withering
ftgony of decay, and gradual solitary death. I wept, and
it was a pleasure to weep, for the painful looks, and the
dreary prospects of this old veteran, whose eyes were
dimmed, whose venerable locks were whitened by an
hundred years, whose limbs were almost naked, and
trembling as he sat by a small fire which his friends had
left him, with a few sticks of wood within his reach and
a buffalo'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
weapon or means of any kind to replenish them, or strength
to move his body from its fatal locality. In this sad plight
I mournfully contemplated this miserable remnant of
existence, who had unluckily outlived the fates and acci-
dents of wars to die alone, at death's leisure. His friends
and his children had all left him, and were preparing in a
little time to be on the march. He had told them to leave
him, "he was old," he said "and too feeble to march."
" My children," said he, " our nation is poor, and it is
necessary that you should all go to the country where you
can get meat, — my eyes are dimmed and my strength is
no more ; my days are nearly all numbered, and I am a
burthen to my children — ^I cannot go, and I wish to die.
Keep your hearts stout, and think not of me ; I am no
longer good for anything." In this way they had finished
the ceremony of exposing him, and taken their final leave
of him. I advanced to the old man, and was undoubtedly
the last human being who held converse with him. I sat by
the side of him, and though he could not distinctly see me,
he shook me heartily by the hand and smiled, evidently
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
337
aware that I was a white man, and that I sympathized with
his inevitable misfortune. I shook hands again with him,
and left him, steering my course towards the steamer
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 such decrepit
persons are totally unable to go, unable to ride or to walk,
— when they have no means of carrying them. It often
becomes absolutely necessary in such cases that they
should be left; and they uniformly insist upon it, saying, as
this old man did, that they are 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 I am now writing ; passing the whole way a
country of green fields, !;hat came sloping down to the
river on either side, forming the loveliest scenes in the
world.
From day to day we advanced, openir.g our eyes to
something new and more beautiful every hour that we
progressed, until at last our boat was aground ; and a day's
work of sounding told us at last, that there was no possi-
bility of advancing further, until 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 two
* When passing by the site of the Puucah village a few months
after this, in my canoe, I went ashore with my men, and found the
poles and the buffalo skin, standing as they were left, over the old
man's head. The firebrands were lying nearly as I bad left them, and
I found at a few yards distant the skull, and others of his bones, which
had been picked and cleaned by the wolves ; which is probably all that
any human being can Kver know of his final and melancholy fate.
22
1
•.m
LETTERS AND NOTES OX THE
hundred miles to Lnidlaw's Fort, at the mouth of Teton
river. To thia 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 ou my back, and my
rifle in my hand, and I started off with them.
We took leave of our friends on the boat, and mounting
the greeu bluflfs, steered our course from day to day over a
level prairie, without a tree or a bush in sight, to relieve
the painful monotony, filling our canteens at the occasional
little streams that we passed, kindling our fires with dried
buffalo dung, which we collected on the prairie, and
stretching our tired limbs on the level turf whenever we
were overtaken by night.
We were six or seven days in performing this march ;
and it gave me a good opportunity of testing the 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 turf of
wild grass of six or eight inches in height ; and most of
the way enamelled with wild flowers, and filled with a
profVision of strawberries.
For two or three of the first days, the scenery was
inonotonous, and became exceedingly painful from the
fact, that we were (to use a phrase of the country) "out of
sight of land," t. 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 behind 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 ou
the same spot where he had slept the night before, with
the same prospect before and behind him ; the same grass,
NORTH AMKKICAN INDIAN'S.
889
and the same wild flowers beneath and about him; tho
eame canopy over his head, and the same cheerless sea of
green to start upon in the morning. It is dinfioult to
describe the simple beauty and serenity of these soonos of
solitude, or the feelings of feeble man, whose limbs are
toiling to carry him through them — without a hill or tree
to mark his progress, and convince him that he is not, like
a squirrel in 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 wary 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 mirage that opens before
him beautiful lakes, and lawns, and copses; or by tho
looming of the prairie ahead of him, 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 considerable applause; but my half-bred com-
panions 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 myself upon the ground in hopeless despair. I
was not alone in my 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 suffering more agony in their new experiment than I
was suffering myself. Their loitering and my murmurs, at
• length, brought our leaders to a halt, and we held a sort of
council, in which I explained that the pain in my feet was
80 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
tn" as the Indians do, and that I could then go on very
well. "We halted a half hour, and took a little reflreshment,
whilst the little Frenchman was teaching his lesson to tho
rest of my fellow-novices, when we took up our raaroh
840
LETTURS AND NOTES ON THE
mi'
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 journey 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 feel
above the level of the praries. These hills were a con-
spicuous 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 banks of the Missouri
river, where he was at la.st 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
are termed in this country, which turned us out of our path,
* On this inarch we were all travelling in moccasins, which being made
without any soles, according to the Indian cnstom, had bat little sup-
port for the foot underneath; and consequently, soon subjected us to
excruciating pain, whilst walking according to the civilized mode, with
the toes turned out. From this very painful experience I learned to
my complete satisfaction, that man in a state of nature who walks on
his naked feet must walk with his toes turned in, that each may perform
the duties assigned to it in proportion to its size and strength ; and that
civilized man can walk with his toes turned out if he chooses, if he will
use a stiff sole under his feet, and will be content at last to put up with
an acquired deformity of the big toe joint, which too many know to be a
frequent and painful occurrence.
NORTH AMEUTCAN INDIANS.
341
aiid 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 hundreds of acres of the prairie
which were covered with an incrustation of salt, 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 present the most singular and
startling effect, by the sudden and unexpected contrast
between their snow-white appearance, and the green fields
that hem them in on all sides. Through each of these
meadows there is a meandering small stream which arises
from salt springs, throwing out in the spring of the year
great quantities 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
thousands about them, to lick up the salt; and on ap-
proaching the banks of this place we stood amazed at the
almost incredible numbers of these animals, 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 praries above, and stretching down by hundreds,
to lick at the salt, forming in distance, large masses of
black, most pleasingly in contrast with the snow white, and
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 accidents of the chase, we
arrived, pretty well jaded, at Fort Pierre, mouth 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. Laidlaw, mine host, and Mr. Halsey,
n
342
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THK
!:l I''
II
% chief clerk in the establishment; and after, to the he»(l
chief and dignitaries of the great Sioux nati<in, 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 h^iard, 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, havinfg taken a fair survey of the
Sioux village, and explained my views to the Indians,
as well as to the gentlemen whom 1 have above mamed ; I
commenced my operations with the brush, and first of all
painted the portrait 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 the chiefs
and doctors were allowed to see 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 wigwam,
would in any way answer them ; and here I had the pecu-
liar satisfaction of beholding, through a small hole I had
made in my wigwam, the high admiration and respect they
all felt for their chief, as well as the very great estimation
in which they held me as a painter and a magician, confer-
ring upon me at once the very distinguished appellation of
Ee-cha-zoo-kah-ga-wa-kon (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 against the
operations of my brush ; haranguing the populace, and
predicting bad luck, and premature death, to all who sub-
mitted to so strange and unaccountable an operation 1 My
business for some days was entirely at a stand for want of
sitters; for the doctors were opposing me with all 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 explain to my readers •
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
343
but for some just account of which, I must refer them to
my'friendi^ M'Keneie and Halsey, who overlooked, with
infinite amusement, these curious scenes and are able, no
doubti to give them with truth and effect to the world. .
In this sad and perplexing dilemma, this noble chief
stepped forward, and addressing himself to the chiefs and
the doctors, to the braves and to the women and children,
he told them to be quiet, and to treat me with friendship ;
that I had been 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. ^f'Kcnzie, who had prevailed upon him 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 their portraits.*
* Several years after I painted the portrait of thia extraordinary man,
and whilst I was delivering my Lectures in the City of New York, I
first received intelligence of his death, in the following singular
manner: — I was on the platform in my Lecture-room, in the Stuyvcsant
Institute, with an audience of twelve or fourteen hundred persons, in the
midst of whom were seated a delegation of thirty or forty Sioux Indians
under the charge of Major Pilcher, their agent ; and I was successively
passing before their eyes the portraits of a number of Sioux chiefs, and
mailing my remarks upon them. The Sioux instantly recognized each
one as it was exhibited, which they instantly hailed by a sharp and
startling yelp. But when the portrait of this chief was placed before
them, instead of the usual recognition, each one placed his hand over
his mouth, and gave a " hush — sh— " and hung down their heads, their
usual expressions of grief in case of a death. From this sadden emotion,
I knew instantly, that the chief must be dead, and so expressed my
belief to the audience. I stopped my Lecture a few moments to con-
verse with Major Pilcher who was by my side, and who gave me the
following extraordinary account of his death, which I immediately re-
lated to the audience ; and which being translated to the Sioux Indians,
their chief arose and addressed himself to the audience, saying that the
account was true, and that Ha-wan-je-tah was killed but a few days
before they left home.
The account which Major Pilcher gave wa» nearly as follows :—
344
LETTERS AND N0118.
" But a few weeki before I left the Sioux country with the delegfatioi^
Ha-wan-je-tah (the one born) 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 insane. In
one of these modes he mounted his favorite war-horse with his bow
and his arrows in his hand, and dashed off at full speed upon the prairies,
repeating the most solemn oath, " that he would slay the first living
thing that fell in his way, be it man or beast, or friend or foe,"
" No one dared to follow him, and after he had been absent an hour
or two, his horse came back to the village with two arrows in his body,
and covered with blood I Fears of the most serious kind were now
entertained for the fate of the chief, and a party of warriors immediately
mounted their horses, and retraced the animal's tracks to the place of
the tragedy, where they found the body of their chief horribly mangled
and gored by a buffalo bull, whose carcass was stretched by the side of
him.
" A close examination of the ground was then made by the Indians,
who ascertained by the tracks, that their unfortunate chief, under his
unlucky resolve, had met a buffalo bull in the season when they are
very stubborn, and unwilling to run from any one ; and had incensed
the animal by shooting a number of arrows into him, which had brought
him into furious combat. The chief had then dismounted, and turned
his horse loose, having given it a couple of arrows from bis bow, which
sent it home at full speed, and then had thrown away bis bow and
quiver, encountering the infuriated animal with his knife alone, and the
desperate battle resulted as I have bdfore-mentioned, in the death of
both. Many of the bones of the chief were broken, as he was gored and
stamped to death, and his huge antagonist had laid his body by the
side of him, weltering in blood from an hundred woondi made by tbt
chiefs long and two-edged knife."
LETTER No. XXVIIL
MOUTH OF TETON BIYEB, VPPER MISSOURI
Whilst painting the portraits of the oUefb and bravef
of the Sioux, as described in my last epistle, mj painting*
room was the continual rendezvous of the worthies of the
tribe ; and I, the " lion of the day," and my art, the tummum
and ne plus uUra of mysteries, whioh engaged' the whole
conversation of chiefs and sachems, as well as of women
(345)
' -y ^ .
346
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
^iii
^ :
t I
and children. I mentioned that I have been obliged to
paint them according to rank, as they looked upon the
operation as a very great honor, which I, as " a great chief
and medicine-man," was conferring on all who sat to me.
Fortunate it was for me, however, thai the honor was not
a sufficient inducement for all to overcome their fears,
which often stood in the way of their consenting to be
painted ; for if all had been willing to undergo the opera-
tion, I should have progressed but a very little way in the
^^rank and JiW^ of their worthies; and should have had to
leave many discontented, and (as they would think, neg-
lected. About one in five or eight was willing to be
painted, and the rest thought they would be much more
sure of "sleeping quiet in their graves" after they were
dead, if their pictures were not made. By this lucky
difficulty I got great relief, and easily got through with
those who were willing, and at the same time decided by
the chiefs to be worthy, of so signal an honor.
After I had done with the chiefs and braves, and pro-
posed to paint a few of the women, I at once got myself
into a serious perplexity, being heartily laughed at by the
whole tribe, both by men and by women, for my exceeding
and (to thetn) unaccountable condescension in seriously
proposing to paint a woman ; conferring on her the same
honor that I had done the chiefs and braves. Those whom
I had honored, were laughed at by hundreds of the jealous,
who had been decided unworthy the distinction, and were
now amusing themselves with the very enviable honor which
the great white medicint-man had conferred, especially on
<Acm, and was now to confer equally upon the squaws I
The first reply that I received from those whom I had
painted, was, that if I was to paint women and children,
the sooner I destroyed their pictures, the better ; for I had
represented to them that I wanted their pictures to exhibit
to white chiefs, to shew who were the most distinguished
and worthy of the Sioux; and their women had never
taken scalps, nor did anything better than make fires and
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
847
dress skins. I was quite awkward in this dilemma, in
explaining to them that I wanted the portraits of the
women to hang nnder those of their husbands, merely to
shew how their women looked, and how they dressed, without
siying any more of them. After some considerable delay
of my operations, and much deliberation on the subject,
through the village, I succeeded in getting a number of
women's portraits.
The vanity of these men, after they had agreed to be
painted was beyond all description, and far surpassing that
which is oftentimes immodest enough in civilized society,
where the sitter generally leaves the picture, when it is
done to speak for, and to take care of itself, while an
Indian often lays down, from morning till night, in front of
his portrait, admiring his own beautiful face, and faithfully
guarding it from day to day, to save it from accident or
harm.
This watchmg or guarding their portraits, I h/.v j observed
during all of my travels amongst them as a very curious
thing ; and in many instances, where my colors were not
dry, and subjected to so many accidents, Itoto. the crowds
who were gathering about them, I havi loand this peculiar
guardianship of essential service to me — relieving my mind
oftentimes from a great deal of anxiety.
I was for a long time at a loss for the true cause of so sin-
gular a peculiarity, but at last learned that it was owing to
their superstitious notion, that there may be life to a certain
-extent in the picture ; and that if harm or violence be done
to it, it may in some mysterious way, aifect their health or
do them other injury.
After I had been several weeks busily at work with my
brush in this village, and pretty well used to the modes of
life in these regions, and also familiarly acquainted with
all the officers and clerks of the Establishment, it was an-
nounced one day, that the steamer which we had left, was
coming in the river below, where all eyes were anxiously
turned, and all ears were listening; when, at length, we
1
11
1
i
1
ft !iii
tH
I
I;
348
LETTERS AND NOTES OX THE
r!
discovered the puffing of her steam ; and at last heard the
thundering of cannon, which Mrere being fired from her
deck.
The excitement and dismay caused amongst six thousand
of these wild people, when the steamer came up in front
of their village, was amusing in the extreme. The steamer
was moored at the shore, however ; and when Mr. Chouteau
and Major Sanford, their old friend and agent, walked
ashore, it seemed to restore their confidence and courage ;
and the whole village gathered in front of the boat, with-
out showing much further amazement, or even curiosity
about it.
The steamer rested a week or two at this place before she
started on her voyage for the head-waters of the Missouri ;
during which time, there was much hilarity and mirth
indulged in amongst the Indians, as well as with the hands
employed in the service of the Fur Company. The
appearance of a steamer in this wild country was deemed a
wonderful occurrence, and the time of her presence here,
looked upon, and used as a holiday. Some p'larp encoun-
ters amongst the trappers, who come in here from the moun-
tains, loaded with packs of furs, with sinews hardened by
long exposure, and seemingly impatient for a fight, which is
soon given them by some bullying fisticuflf-fellow, who steps
forward and settles the matter in a ring, which is made
and strictly preserved for fair play, until hrvrd raps, and
bloody noses, and bl'.nd eyes ^^ settle the hash,''^ and satisfy hia
trai>pership 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 us. Shows Ot
dances — ball-plays — ^horse-racing — ^foot-racing, and wrest-
ling in abundance. Feasting, litsting, 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 grand feast was to be given to the great
.;.,\.^.i:.
NORTH AMKRICAN INDIANS.
849
white chteft, who were visitors amongst them ; and prepara-
tions were made aooordingly for it. The two chiefs brought
their two tents together, forming them into a semi-circle,
enclosing a spade suiYloiontly large to aocommodate one
hundred and fifty men ; and snt down with that number of
the principal chiefs and warriors of the Sioux nation ; with
Mr. Chouteau, Mr. Sanford, the Tndian agent, Mr. M'Kenzic,
and myself, whom they hfid invited in due time, and placed
on elevated seats in the centre of the crescent, while the rest
of the company all Hat upon tho ground, and mostly cross-
legged, preparatory to the feast being dealt out.
In the centre of the somi-cirole was erected a flagstaff,
on which was waving a white flag, and to which also was
tied the calumet, both expresnivo of their friendly feelings
towards us. Near the foot of the flag-staff were placed in a
row on the ground, six or eight );cttles, with iron covers
on them, shutting them tight, in which were prepared the
viands for our voluptuous feast. Near the kettles, and on
the ground also, bottomsido upward? were a number of
wooder- bowls, in wljioh tho meat was to be served oat.
And in front, two or throe 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 all sat, with thous-
ands climbing and crowding around, for a peep at the
grand pageant when at length, Hii-wan-je-tah (the one horn),
head chief of the nation, romo in front of the Indian agent,
in 11 very handsome costume, and addressed him thus : —
" My father, I am glft<l to hoo you here to-day — my heart
is always glad to sue my father wlien he comes — our great
father, wlio sends liim hero i^ very rich, and we are poor.
Our friend Mr. M'Kcn/.io, who h here, we are also glad
to see; we know him woll, and svo shall be sorry when he
is gone. Ourfrieml wlto is on your right Iwuid we all know
is very rich ; and wo have heard that fje ov/ns the great
niedicine-canoc ; he is a goi)d (nan, and a friend to the red
Our friend the White hfmlidne, who sits wIlJi you, we
Vl
man.
f- --■-.^•^aaiteiM
!■ iliihi
iamm
350
LBTTERS AND NOTES ON THE
m
¥ : i<'
(lid not know — he came amongst us a stranger, and he had
made me very well — all the women know it, and think it
good ; he has done many curious things, and we have all
been pleased with him — he has made us much amusemenV
and we know he is great medicine.
" My father, I hope you will have pity on us, we are
-ery poor — we offer you to-day, not the best that we have
f'ot; for we have a plenty of good buffalo hump and
marrow — ^but we give you our hearts in this feast — we
a. ve killed our faithful dogs to feed you — and the Great
biirit will seal our friendship. I have no more to say."
After these words he took off his beautiful war-eagle
head-dress — his shirt and leggins — his necklace of grizzly
bears' claws and his 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, where he got a
buffalo robe to cover his shoulders, and returned to the
feast, taking his seat which he had before occupied.
Major Sanford then ro°e and made a short speech in
reply, thanking him for the valuable present which he had
matie him, aad for the very polite and impressive manner
in which it had been done; and sent to the steamer for a
quantity of tobacco and o^I-er p"; aents, w;hich were given
to him in return. After tius, and after several others of
tbe chiefs had addressed Vim in a similar manner; and,
like the first, disrobed tl\(5mselves and thrown their
beautiful costumes at his feet, one of the three men in
front deliberately lit a handsome pipe, and brought it to
Ha-wan-je-tah to smoke. He took it, and after presenting
the stem to the North — to the South — to the East, and the
"West — and then to the Sun that was over his head, and
pronounced 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 the other, he then held it to each
of our mouths, as we successively smoked it ; after which
it was passed around through the whole group, who all
! I
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
351
Kinoked through it, or as far as its coaterits lasted, when
another of the three waiters was ready with a second, and
at length a third one, in the same way, which lasted
through the hands of the whole number of guests. This
smoking was conducted with the strictest adherence to
exact and established form, and the feast the whole way,
to the most positive silence. After the pipe is charged,
and is being lit, until the time 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 dropped 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 proceed to
distribute the meat, which is soon devoured in the feast.
In this case the lids were raised from the kettles, which
were all filled with dog's meat alone. It being well-
cooked, and made into a sort of a stew, sent forth a very
savoury and pleasing smell, promising to be an acceptable
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 painful dilemma we sat ;;
all of us knowing the solemnity and good feeling in which
it v/as 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, which 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 ea::h one arose as he felt disposed, and walked off
without uttering a word. In this way the feast ended, and
all retired silentl/, and gradually, until the ground was
left vacant to the charge of the waiters or officers, who
, ocraed to have uh.u- ^j of it during the whole occasion.
i
«62
LBTTBRS AND NOTES ON THE
This feast was unquestionably given to us, as the most
tindoubted evidence 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 i
very high and marked compliment.
Since I witnessed it on this occasion, I have been
honored with numerous entertainments of the kind amongst
the 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 pro-
nounce 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 friend-
ship, and invite his friend to partake of its flesh, to remind
him forcibly 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 devote to his
company, and whose untutored mind more nearly assimi-
lates 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 rocks, and on their coats of arms they
carve his image as the symbol of fidelity. Yet, with all
of these he will end his affection with this faithful follower,
und with tears in his eyes, offer him as a sacrifice to seal the
pledge he has made to man ; because a feast of venison, or
of buffalo meat, is what is due to every one who enters an
Indian's wigwam ; and of course, conveys but a passive or
neutral evidence, that generally goes for nothing.
I have 8at at many of these feasts, and never could but
appreciate the moral and solemnity of them. I have seen
the master take from the bowl the head of his victim, and
descant on its former affection and fidelity with tears in
his eyes. And I have seen guests at the same time by the
^ide of me, jesting and sneering at the poor Indian's folly
,^i<:'^^:,;,. .,..;
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
868
and stupidity; and I have said in my heart, that thoy
never deserved a name so good or so honorable as that of
the poor animal whose bones they were picking.
At the feast which I have been describing above, each
of us tasted a little of the meat, and passed the dishes on to
the Indians, who soon demolished everything they con-
tained. We all agreed that the meat was well cooked, luid
seemed to be well-flavored and palatable food; and no
doubt, could have been eaten with a good relish, if wo ha<i
been hungry, and ignorant of the nature of the food wo
were eating.
The flesh of these dogs, though apparently relisheil by
the Indians, is, undoubtedly inferior to the venison nnd
buffalo's meat, of which feasts are constantly made whore
friends are invited, as they are in civilized sooiety, to a
pleasant and convivial party; from which fact alorio, 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 buffalo. The dog-feast is
given, I believe, by all tribes in North America ; and by
them all, I 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, ia
invariably done by giving the best in the herd or the
kennel.
LETTER No. XXIX.
MOUTH OP TETON RIVER, UPPER MISSOURI.
Another ourious and disgusting scene I witnessed in
the after part of the day r • which we were honored with
the dog feast. In this I tooK no part, but was sufficiently
near to it, when standing some rods off, and witnessing
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 plane 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)
" loohing at the sun 1" We found him naked, except his
breech-cloth, with splints or skewers run through the flesh
on both breasts, leaning back and hanging with the weight
of his body to the top of a pole which was fastened in the
ground, and to the upper end of which he was fastened by
a cord which was tied to the splints. In thi 'tion he
was leaning back, with nearly the whole of his
body hanging to the pole, the top of which )nt for-
(354)
NORTH AMERICAN INDTAV i.
855
ward, allowing his body to sink ai i haif way to tho
ground. His feet were still upon the id, supporting
a small part of his weight; and he belu iu hia left hand his
favorite bow, and in his right, wit' a desperate 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 and encouraging him, he was hanging
and "looking at the sun," without paying the least atten-
tion to any one about him. In the group thai was re-
clining around him, were several mystery-men beating
their drums and shaking their rattles, and singing as loud
as they could yell, to encourage him and strengthen his
heart to stand and look at the sun, from its rising in the
morning until its setting at night at 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 and cruel custom I never
heard of amongst any other tribe, and never saw an
instance of it before or after the one T have just named. It
is a sort of worship, or penance, of great cruelty ; disgust-
ing and painful to behold, with only one palliative circum-
stance about it, which is, that it is a voluntary torture and
of a very rare occurrence. The poor and ignorant, mis-
guided and superstitious man who undertakes it, puts his
everlasting reputation at stake upon the issue; for when
he takes his stand, he expects to face the sun and gradually
turn his body in listless silence, till he sees it go down at
night ; and if he faints and falls, of which there is immi-
nent danger, he loses his reputation as a brave or mystery-
man, and suffers a signal disgrace in the estimation of the
tribe, like all men who have the presumption to set them-
selves up for braves or mystery-men, and fail justly to
s\istain the character.
. /
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856
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
The Sioux seem to have many modes of worshipping the
Great or Good Spirit, and also of conciliating the Evil
Spirit: they have numerous fasts and feasts, and many
modes of sacrificing, but yet they seem to pay less strict
attention to them than the Mandaus do, which may perhaps
be owinjj in a great measure to the wandering and preda-
tory modes of life which they pursue, rendering it difficult
to adhere so rigidly to the strict form 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.
Hulsey, one of the clerks in the Establishment. From the
account given of it, it seems to bear some slight resem-
blance to that of the Mandan religious ceremony, but no
nearer to it than a feeble effort by so ignorant and super-
stitious a people, to copy a custom which they most
prob?bly have had no opportunity to see themselves, but
have endeavored to imitate from 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, anaongst the crowds thai 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 for me, and as assurances of their friend-
ship ; and I, being desirous to collect and bring from their
country every variety of their manufactures, of their cos-
tumes, their weapons, their pipes, and their mystery things,
purchased o, great many others, for which, as I was
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
857
e
il
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S
,-
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m
" medicine " and a "great white chief 1" I was necessarily
obliged to pay very liberal prices.
The luxury of smoking is kuown to all the North
American Indians, in their primitive state, and that before
they have any knowledge of tobacco ; which is only iDtro-
duced amongst them by civilized adventurers, who teach
them the use and luxury of whisky at the same time.
In their native state they are excessive smokers, and
many of them (I would almost venture the assertion), would
seem to be 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 pro-
fession 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 harm-
less effects on the system. There are many weeds and
leaves, and barks of trees, which are narcotics, and of
spontaneous growth in their countries, which the Indians
dry and pulverize, and carry in pouches and smoke to
great excess — and which in several of the languages, when
thus prepared, is called Knick Knech.
As smoking is a luxury so highly valued by the Indians
they have bestowed much pains, and not a little ingenuity,
to the constructions .of their pipes. The bowls of these are
generally made of red steatite, or "pipe stone" (as it is
more familiarly called in this country), and many of them
designed and carved with much taste and skill, with
figures and groups in aUo relievo^ standing or reclining
upon them.
The red stone of which these pipe bowls are made, is, in
my estimation, 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 these pipes come ; and which are all traceable I have
found to one source; and that source as yet unvisited
I
858
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
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 forbidden
to be used for anything else.
The source from whence all these pipes come, is,
undoubtedly, somewhere between this place and the Mis-
sissippi River ; and as the Indians all speak of it as a great
medicine-ipl&oe, 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 the pipe, by drilling into it a hard stick,
shaped to the desired size, with a quantity of sharp sand
nnd water kept constantly in the hole, subjecting him
therefore to a very great labor and the necessity of much
patience.
The shafts or stems of these pipes, are from two to four
feet long, sometimes round, but most generally flat ; of an
inch or two in breadth, and wound half their length or
more with braids of porcupine's quills; and often orna-
mented with the beaks and tufts from the wood-pecker's
head, with ermine skins and long red hair, dyed from
white horse hair or the white buffalo's tail.
The stems of these pipes will be found to be carved iu
many ingenious fornis, and in all cases they are perforated
through the centre, quite staggering the wits of the en-
lightened world to gneas how the holes have been bored
NORTH AMERICAN INDIAMtf.
859
tbrough tbem; until it is simply and briefly explained,
tbat tbe stems are uniformly made of tbe stalk of tbe
young asb, v^rbicb generally grows straigbt, and has a
small pitb tbrougb the centre, which is easily burned out
with a hot wire ; or a piece of bard wood, by a much slower
process.
The ealumetf or pipe of peace ornamented with the war*
eagle's quills, is a sacred pipe, and never allowed to be
used on any otber occasion than tbat of peace-making;
when tbe 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 tbe treaty are agreed upon, as tbe means of aolemnizing
or signing^ by an illiterate people, who cannot draw up an
instrument, and sign their names to it, as it is done in tbe
civilized world.
The mode of solemnizing is by passing the sacred stem
to each chief, who draws one breath of smoke only tbrough
it, thereby passing the most inviolable pledge tbat they
can possibly give, for the keeping of the peace. This
sacred pipe is then carefully folded up, and stowed away
in tbe chief's lodge, until a similar occasion calls it out to
be used in a similar manner.
The weapons of these people, like their pipes, are
numerous, and mostly manufactured by themselves. In a
former place I have described a part of these, such as tbe
bows and arrows, lances, &c., and they have yet many
others, specimens of which I have collected from every
tribe.
The scalping-knives and tomahawks are of civilized
manufacture, made expressly for Indian use, and carried
into the Indian country by thousands and tens of thousands,
and sold at an enormous price. The scabbards of the
knives and handles for the tomahawks, the Indians con-
struct themselves, according to their own taste, and often-
times ornament them very handsomely. In his rude and
unapproached condition, the Indian is a stranger to ."uch
"»i^»»"P<«!l»?Wi»"
660
LBTTBHS AND NOTES ON THB
weapons as these — he works not in the metals; and hi»
untutored mind has not been ingenious enough to design
or execute anything so savage or destructive as these
civilized refinements on IncUa/n barbarity. In his native-
simplicity he shapes out his rude hatchet from a piece of
stone, heads his arrows and spears with flints; and hi»
knife is a sharpened bone, or the edge of a broken silex.
The war-club is also another civilized refinement, with &
blade of steel, of eight or ten inches in length, and set la
a club, studded around and ornamented with some
hundreds of brass nails.
Their primitive clubs are curiously carved in wood, and
fashioned out with some considerable picturesque form and
grace ; are admirably fitted to 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, are what are
denominated " pipe-tomahawks," as the heads of them are
formed into bowls like a pipe, in which their tobacco is
put, a^d they smoke through the handle. These are the
most valued of an Indian's weapons, inasmuch as they are
a matter of luxury, and useftil for cutting his fire- wood, &o.,
in time of peace; and deadly weapons in time of war,
which they use in the hand, or throw with unerring and
deadly aim.
The scalping-knife in a beautiful scabbard, which is
carried under the belt, is the form of knife most generally
used in all parts of the Indian country, where knives have
been introduced. It is a common and cheap butcher knife
with one edge, manufactured at Sheffield, in England,
perhaps for sixpence : and sold to the poor Indian in these
wild regions for a horse I If I should live to get home,
and should ever cross the Atlantic with my Collection, a
curious enigma would be solved for the English people,
who may enquire for a scalping-knife, when they find that
every one in my Collection (and here also, that nearly
every one that is to be seen in the Indian country, to the
I'
5e>v
I.KI'IKRH NNI" NOTKJ? OS THE
w»«fn.>«ni8 as tliL'se — he works not in tlie metairf ; aad liia
u .tutored itiiiui has i.ot bwn iugenioua onough to design
•>r oxeonV* aiivthinfr so suvaqf or d<.'structive as ti^eso
oiv'ili?:*^'! r«^'if» ^.m«?n/^ on Indum bcir'^KirUy. Tu nia wative-
simplicity he shapes oix^ hi« rtyle bftUh«t from a piece of
htonc, heads his arrows \m ^J{^<«l^» witJi finits; nud hia
kriifi; is a sharpcrietl bone, or the <jdge of a brok-m silex.
'I'hH v.-rir-'''Inb is also another civiV' u:d r ^r>.,unent, with ;k
Vihido of steel, of eight or ton inuhcs in length, ui.d sot in
a club, studded aroand snd orua:uented with aornc
}■■ mtlrods of brass nails.
Their primitive olubs are v'nrioiisly carved in wood, and
fashiimod ont wilh --omc OLiiyidtM-ablc picLuresque form and
grauc ; !ir>'' admirably fitted to tlie liand, and oalculatod io
dea! a doiKlly blow with the spike of iron or bone which
in imbedded in the ball <r br.^b at the end.
Two of the; tomahawks that T bave nam^d, are what are
deuonniiatel " pipe tnniahawk-." a«i the h-./^ls of thtra are
forrnod into b'lwl.s like &. »mj«5. in .vh'oh ihc.r tubaoco is
put, aijd they .s,':ioke throkSi^'ih .kf h^udl^. Ib^^y are the
most \alued of an Iiidiaa";- vi.'<*^jfK)u». ^.l■.i^:^mn.'^k sm they are
a matter of luxury, and useful for cutting hia riru-wcx>d, &d.,
in tint'} of peace: and d»;ad)y weapons in time of war,
which, they use ii* the liarid, or throw witlt innvrrina aud
deadly aim.
The soalj)ing-knife in a beautiiul scabbard, which is
carried under the bolt, is the form of knife most generally
u«(id in all part.'j of the Indian country, where knives have
Ix'cn )ntrodui;ed. It is a oomTnon and cheap bntcl'er knife
witft one edge, manufactured at Shefiield, in England,
perhaps' for sL\peui.'e : and sold to the por I'.dian in ^liese
wild regions for a horse! If I should live to got hoiae,
and should ever cross the Atlantic v.-ith iny ColL^c-ion, a
curious enigma would be solved for the EngliBh people,
who may enquire for a sfalping-knife, when they ilnd that
(iVOTj one in r.i y ''oUection (and hero ati^o, that nearly
every one that is to be aeon in llie India?! ecu n try, to the
V Milil,,
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i
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
861
Bocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean) bears on its blade
the impress of G. R., which they will doubtless understand.
The above weapons, as well as the bow and lance, of
which I have before spoken, are all carried and used on
horseback with great effect. The Indians in this country
of green fields, all ride for their enemies, and also for their
game, which is almost invariably killed whilst their horses
are at full-speed. They are all cruel masters for their
horses; and. in war or the chase, goad them on with a
heavy and cruel whip, the handle of which is generally
made of a large prong of the elk's horn or of wood, and
the lashes of rawhide 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 occasionally 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 chie& and medicine-
men turned out and agreed to compliment me with a dance.
I looked on with great satisfaction ; having been assured
by the Interpreters and Traders, that this was the highest
honor 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 given 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
862
^^TTERS AND NQTIM OH THK
the midst of the Sioux viii- • -
lodge, „d beside rtir/r'°''''«'»^°''irf'.
women standing i„ , „„ "?'),.? *"° *"" >-<>"■■«
for th. d«,«„; forming •o^^f"""^* «>" of chor„f
«.y P«t in .he dancing, Totr"?" "* '"•'"«» "> '«^«
tbe men. *' " """' 8«me or amusemene, with
This danoe who . ,.
"oand to witness wh.. moI."!f^,'"'o "O'e "Membled
rnV" -^^ ""• --"-h*!r„s in'*:!^:^
/fort'Jr.":i*;s^ff^->«'.'' »..W
the cnstomand .he mode Tit- "r""""' P'««of
practiced by all the Korth A^J"* 'l' «»'?; « custom
done when an enemy is "iniT™"",''"*'"'- "''"b is
'eft band into the l^i^on tt. '""''■ ''^^""Ptag the
passing the knife arow^d ^ ,?° 7T "'' ">« i^J, and
pi- of the skin With the h?r«t "^ '""' """"^ "iT a
band, or larger, which is drS J^^l'' *« P»'™ of the
»™ted and preserved, and htb °^° 0"™nsly „„».
Tbe soalpling is an o JLi *^ "*'"«* «» « tronhv
ifth" '^ °"'' "--rr ';::^^:t't'''.»^''»'^'o !^'
of the head; and necessarily to W "«""''«"" bone
"ontam and show the crown „, " «°""'°« "alp. must
P«;t of the skin which ~rdLT" "'*» ""^'^i "■"
■ologists call "self-esteeV ^^^^'1 "■"' "" P""*"
radiates from the centre „f i • u . ° '"'"' '''"des and
"™t jndges, and aS^T: di dl wtt^^ «" P-^- to be
™do to produce two or mor! ," '"' "^o" >'« been
Besides taking the acLn th "'"'P' *<"» one head
'»» to do itiithon.tnd.trir;.8^''='^%. ^ he^
.nd brings home .he «st "fT? ' T '°^P- O"" "S
drnde into a g„,. ma„;l°I, tk'"« Z'^'K'''' ^"' »'«
- '-.e seams Of h.shi^^d'htt;x::utrr
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
868
voru AS trophies and ornaments to the dress, ^nd then are
familiarly called " acalp-loekt*^ Of these there are many
dresses in my Collection, which exhibit a continuous row
f^om the top of each shoulder, down the arms to the wristH,
and down the seams of the leggings, from the hips to the
feet, rendering them a very costly article to buy from the
Indian, who is not sure that his success in his military
exploits will ever enable him to replace them.
The scalp, then, is a patch of the skin taken from the
head of an enemy killed in battle, and preserved and
highly appreciated as the record of a death produced by
the hand of the individual who possesses it; and may
oftentimes during his life, be of great service to a man
living in a community where there is no historian to enrol
the names of the famous — to record the heroic deeds of the
brave, who have gained their laurels in mortal combat with
their enemies ; where it is as lawful and as glorious to slay
an enemy in battle, as it is in Christian communities, and
where the poor Indian is bound to keep the record himself,
or be liable to lose it and the honor, for no one in the tribe
will keep it for him. As the scalp is taken then as the
evidence of a death, it will easily be seen, that the Indian
has no business or inclination to take it from the head of
the living ; which I venture to say is never done in North
America, unless it be, as it sometimes has happened, where
a man falls in the heat of battle, stunned with the blow of
a wea))on or a gunshot, and the Indian, rushing over his
body, snatches off his scalp, supposing him dead, who
afterwards rises from the field of battle, and easily
recovers from this superficial wound of the knife, wearing
a bald spot on his head during the remainder of his life, of
which we have frequent occurrences on our Western
frontiers. The scalp must be from the head of an enemy
also, or it subjects its possessor to disgrace and infamy who
carries it. There may be many instances where an Indian
is justified in the estimation of his tribe in taking the life
of one of his own people; and their laws are such, a#
364
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
oftentimes make it his imperative duty ; and yet no ciroum
stances, however aggravating, will justify him or release
him from the disgrace of taking the scalp.
There is no custom practiced by the Indians, for which
they are more universally condemned, than that of taking
the scalp; and, at the same time, I think there is some
excuse for them, inasmuch 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
necessities 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 may 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 St to do it.
One of the principal denunciations against the customs
of taking the scalp, is on account of its alleged cruelty,
which it certainly has not ; as the cruelty would be in the
killing, 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 dis-
gusting custom, and I wish I could be quite sure that the
civilized and Christian world (who kill hundreds, to where
the poor Indians kill one), do not often treat their enemies
dead, in equally as indecent and disgusting a manner, as
the Indian does by taking the 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 I have learned the necessities
of Indian life in which these customs are founded; and
also, that I have met with so many acts of kindness and
hospitality at the hands of the poor Indian, that I feel
-*
NORTH AMKRICAX INDIANS.
865
"bouid, when I can do it, to render what excuse I can for
a people, vrho are dying with broken hearts, and never can
speak in the civilized world in their own defence.
And even yet, reader, if your education, and your
reading of Indian cruelties and Indian barbaritiea^f
scalps, and scalping-knives, and s'talping, should have
osssified a corner of your heart against these unfortunate
people, and would shut out their advocate, I will annoy
you no longer on this subjecfr, but withdraw, and leave ycu
to cherish the very beautiful, humane and parental moral
that was carried out by the United States and British
Governments during the last, and the revolutionary wars,
when they mutually employed thousands of their ^^ Hed
children,^^ to aid and to bleed, in fighting their battles, and
paid them, according to contract, so many pounds, shillings
and pence or so many dollars and cents for every " scalp"
of a " red" or a " blue coat" they could bring in !
The most usual way of preparing and dressing the scalp
is that of stretching it on a little hoop at the end of a stick
two or three feet long, for the purpose of " dancing it," as
as they term it ; which will be described in the scalp-dance,
in a few moments. There are many again, which are
small, and not "dressed;" sometimes not larger than a
crown piece, and hung to different parts of the dress. In
public shows and parades, tliey are often suspended from
the bridle bits or halter when they are paraded and carried
as trophies. Sometimes they are cut out, as it were into a
string, the hair forming a beautiful fringe to line the handle
of a war-club. Sometimes they are hung at the end of a
club, and at other times, by the order of the chief, are
hung out, over the wigwams, suspended from a pOle, which
is called the ^^scalp-pole" This is often done by the chief
of a village, on a pleasant day, by his erecting over his
wigwam a pole with all the scalps that he had taken,
arranged upon it, at the sight of which all the chiefs and
warriors of the tribe, who had taken scalps, " follow suit;"
enabling every member of the community to stroll about
866
LETTERS AND NOTES.
the village on that day and " count scalps," learning
thereby the standing of every warrior, which is decided
in a great degree by the number of scalps they have taken
in battles with their enemies.
So much for scalps and scalping, of which I shall yet
say more, unless I should unluckily lose one before I get
out of the country
LETTER No. XXX.
MOUTH OP TETON RIVER, UPPER MISSOURI
In the last letter I gave an account of many of tbe
weapons and other manufactures of these wild folks ; and
as this has beeu a day of packing and casing a great many
of these things, which I have obtained of the Indians, to
add to my MusSe Indienne, I will name a few more, which
I have just been handling over ; some description of which
may be necessary for the reader in endeavoring to
appreciate some of their strange customs and amusements,
which I am soon to unfold. The process of " smohing th$
shielcP^ is a very curious, as well as an important one in
their estimation. For this purpose a young man about to
construct him a shield, digs a hole of two feet in depth, in
the ground, and as large in diameter as he designs to
make his shield. In this he builds a fire, and over it, a
few inches higher than the ground, he stretches the raw
hide horizontally over the fire, with little pegs driven
(367)
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368
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THl
through holes made near the edges of the skin. This skin
is at first, twice as large as the size of the rei^uired shield ;
but having got his particular and best friends (who are
invited on the occasion,) into a ring, to dance and sing
around it, and solicit the Great Spirit to instil into it tho
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 con-
traction of the skin. By this curious process, which is
most dexterously done, the skin is kept tight whilst it
contracts to one-half of its size, taking up the gluo and
increasing in thickness until it is rendered ns 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 fire is put out. When it is
cooled and cut into the shape that he desires, it is often
painted with his medicine or totem upon it, the figure of an
eagle, an owl, a buflfalo or other animal, as the case may
be, which he trusts will guard and protect him from harm ;
it is then fringed with eagles's quills, or other ornaments
he may have chosen, and sluny 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 invariably fought from their horses' backs.
Of pipes, and the custom of smoking, I have already
spoken; and I then said, that the Indians use several
substitutes for tobacco, which they call K^nick K^nech
For the carrying of this delicious weed or bark, and pre-
serving its flavor, the women construct very curious
pouches of otter, or beaver, or other skins, which are
ingeniously ornamented with porcupine quills and beads,
and generally carried hanging across the left arm, con
taining a quantity of the precious narcotic^ with flint and
ateel, and punk, for lighting the pipe.
The musical imMruments used amongst these people are
*-it.
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yORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
8()9
few, and exceedingly rude and imperfect, consisting hiefly
of rattles, drums, -whistles, and lutes, all of which are used
in the different tribes.
Tli'ii rattles {oT Sheslie-quois) most generally used, are
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 and
songs. Their drums are made in a very rude manner, often-
times with a mere piece of rawhide stretched over a hoop,
very much in the shape of a tambourine ; and at other
times are made in the form of a keg, with a head of raw-
hiilo at each end ; on these they bcut with a drum-stick,
which oftentimes itself is a rattle, the bulb or head of it
being ma<le of rawhide and filled 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-insjnring sound for all their dances, and also as
an accompaniment for their numerous and never-ending
songs of amusement, of thanksgiving, and medicine or
metau The mystery whistle^ is another instrument of their
invention, and very ingeniously made, the sound being
produced on a principle entirely different from that of any
wind instrument known in civilized inventions; and the
notes produced on it, by the sleight or trick of an Indian
boy, in so simple and successful a manner, as to baflfle
entirely all civilized ingenuity, even when it is seen to be
played. An Indian boy would stand and blow his notes
on this repeatedly, for 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 I 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 me, 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
24
870
LETl'KRS AND NOTES ON THE
immediately before my eyes, and handed to me for my
vain and amusing endeavors. The sounds of this little
simple toy are liquid and sweet beyond description ; and,
tliough here only given in harmonies, I am inclined to
think, might, by some ingenious musician or musical
instrument-maker, be modulated and converted into some-
thmg very pleasing,
The War-whistle is a well known and valued little
instrument, of six or nine inches in length, invariably
made of the bone of the deer or turkey's leg, and generally
ornamented with porcupine quills of difiereut colors
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 blowing in the ends of it.
The note produced in one end, being much more shrill
than the other, gives the signal for battle, whilst the other
sounds a retreat ; a thing that is distinctly heard and under*
stood by every man, even in the heat and noise of battle,
where all are barking and yelling as loud as possible, and
of course unable to hear the commands of their leader.
There is yet another wind instrument which I have
added to my Collection, and from its appearance would
seem to have been borrowed, in part, from the civilized
world. This is what is often on the frontier called a ** deer-
skin flute," a "Winnebago courting flute," a "tsal-eet-
quash-to," &c. ; it is perforated with holes for the fingers,
sometimes for six, at others for four, and in some instances
for three only, having only so many notes with their
octaves. These notes are very irregularly graduated,
showing clearly that they have very little taste or ear for
melody. These instruments are blown in the end, and
the sound produced much on the principle of a whistle.
In the vicinity of the Upper Mississippi, I often and
familiarly heard this instrument, called the Winnebago
courting flute ; and was credibly informed by traders and
others in those regions, that the young men of that tribe
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
871
meet with signal sucess, oftentimes, in wooing their sweet-
hearts with its simple notes, which they blow for hours
together, and from day to day, from the bank of some
stream — some favorite rock or log on which they are
seated, near to the wigwam which contains the object of
their tender passion; until her soul is touched, and she re-
sponds by some welcome signal, that she is ready to repay
the young Orpheus for his pains, with the gift of her hand
and her heart. How true these representations may have
been made, I cannot say, but there certainly must have
been some ground for the present cognomen by which it is
known in that country.
From these rude and exceedingly defective instruments,
it will at once be seen, that music has made but little
progress with these people ; and the same fact will be still
more clearly proved, to those who have an opportunity to
hear their vocal exhibitions, which are daily and almost
hourly serenading the ears of the traveller through their
country.
Dancing is one of the principal and most frequent
amusements of all the tribes of Indians in America ; and,
in all of these, both vocal and instrumental music are in-
troduced. These dances consist in about four different
steps which constitute all the different varieties ; but the
figures and forms of these scenes are very numerous, and
produced by the most violent jumps and contortions, ac-
companied with the song and beats of the drum, which
are given in exact time with their motions. It has been
said by some travellers, that the Indian has neither
harmony nor melody in his music, but I am unwilling to
subscribe to such an assertion : although I grant, that for
the most part of their vocal exercises, the^re is a total
absence of what the musical world would call melody :
their songs being made up chiefly of a sort of violent
chaunt of harsh and jarring gutturals, of yelps and barks^
and screams, which are given out in perfect time, not only
with "method (but with harmony) in their madness."
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LETIKKS AND NOTKS OX THE
There are times too, as every traveller of the Indian
country will attest, if he will recall them to his recollection,
when the Indian lays down by his fire side with his drum
in his hand, which he lightly and almost imperceptibly
touches over, as he accompanies it with his stifled voice of
dulcet sounds that might come from the most tender and
delicate female.
These quiet and tender songs are very different from those
which are sung at their dances, in full chorus and violent
gesticulation ; and many of them seem to be quite rich in
plaintive expression and melody, though barren of change
and variety.
Dancing, I have before said, is one of the principal and
most valued amusements of the Indians, and much more
frequently practised by them than by any civilized so-
ciety ; inasmuch as it enters into their forms of worship,
and is often their mode of appealing to the Great Spirit —
of paying their usual devotions to their medicine — and of
honoring and entertaining strangers of distinction in their
country.
Instead of the "giddy maze" of the quadrille or the
country dance, enlivened by the cheering smiles and graces
of silkejied beauty, the Indian performs his rounds with
jumps, and starts, and yells, much to the satisfaction of his
own exclusive self, and infinite amusement of the gentler
sex, who are always lookers on, but seldom allowed so
great a pleasure, or so signal an honor, as that of joining
with their lords in this or any other entertainment.
Whilst staying with these people on my way up the river,
I was repeatedly honored with the dance, and I as often
hired them to give them, or went to overlook where they
were performing them at their own pleasure, in pursuance
of their peculiar customs, or for their own amusements,
that I might study and correctly herald them to future
ages. I saw so many of their different varieties of dances
amongst the Sioux, that I should almost be disposed tc
denominate them the ^^ dancing Indiana" It would ac-
*.?'■
NORTH AMEUICAX INDIANS.
873
tually seem as if they had dances for every thing. And in
BO large a village there was scarcely an hour in any day or
night, but what the beat of the drum could somewhere be
heard. These dances are almost as various and different in
their character as they are numerous — some of them so
exceedingly grotesque and laughable, as to keep the by-
standers in an irresistible roar of laughter — others are
calculated to excite his pity, and forcibly appeal to his
sympathies, whilst others disgust, and yet others terrify
and alarm him with their frightful threats and contortions.
All the world have heard of the " hear-dance,^^ though I
doubt whether more than a very small proportion have ever
seen it ; here it is. The Sioux, like all the others of these
western tribes, are fond of bear's meat, and must have
good storey of the "bear's grease" laid in, to oil their long
and glossy locks, as well as the surface of their bodies.
And they all like the fine pleasure of a bear hunt, and also
a participation in the bear dance, which is given several
days in succession, previous to their starting out, and in
which they all join in a song to the Bear Spirit; which
they think holds somewhere an invisible existence, and
must be consulted and conciliated before they can enter
upon the excursion with any prospect of success. For this
grotesque and amusing scene, one of the chief medicine-
men placed over his body the entire skin of a bear, with a
war-eagle's quill on his head, taking the lead in the dance,
and looking through the skin which formed a masque that
hung over his face. Many others in the dance wore
masques on their faces, made of the skin from the bear's
head ; and all, with the motions of their hands, closely
imitated the movements of that animal; some representing
its motion in running, and others the peculiar f.i fitude and
hanging of the paws, when it is sitting up on its hind feet,
and looking out for the approach of an enemy. This
grotesque and amusing masquerade oftentimes is continued
at intervals, for several days previous to the starting of a
party on the bear hunt, who would scarcely count upon a
874
LETTERS AND NOTES OX TUB
tolerable prospect of succeHs, without a strict adherence to
this moiit important and indispensable form I
Dancing is done here too, as it is oftentimes done in
tho enlightened world, to get favors — to buy the world's
giods; and in both countries danced with about equal
merit, except that the Indian has surpassed us in honesty
by chrii^tening it in his own country, the ^* beggar's dance."
This spirited dauce, was given, not by a set of beggars
though, literally speaking, but by the first and most inde-
pendent young men in the tribe, beautifully dressed, (i. e,
not dressed at all, except with their breeoh-olouts or helts,
made of eagles' and ravens' quills,) with their lances, and
pipes, and rattles in their hands, and a medicine-man
beating the drum, and joining iu the song at the highest
key of his voice. In this dance every one sings as loud as
he can halloo ; uniting his voice with the others, in an
appeal to the Great Spirit, to open the hearts of the by*
standers 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.
The Scalp-dance is given as a celebration of a victory ;
and amongst this tribe, as I 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
of their enemies, they generally "dance them" for fifteen
nights in succession, vaunting forth the most extravagant
boasts of their wonderful prowess in war, whilst they bran-
dish their war weapons in their hands. A number of
young women are selected to aid (though they do not
actually 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 simultaneous stamp, and blow, and
thrust of their weapons; with which it would seem as if
^U
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
875
they were actually cutting and carving eaah other to piecea.
During these frantic leaps, and yelps, and thrusts, every
man distorts hia face to the utmost of his muscles, darting
about his glaring eye-balls and snapping his teeth, as if he
were in the heat (and actually breathing through his infla-
ted nostrils the very hissing death) of battle! No descrip-
tion 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 the 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 ex-
plained ; 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 nut
satisfactorily settled 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 awarding 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 the precise care and solem-
nity 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 concilatory offices
to perform, to ensure their own peace ; one of which is the
ceremony above described.
LETTER No. XXXI.
MOUTH OP TETON RIVER, UPPER MISSOURI.
In former Letters I have given some account of the
Bisons^ or (as they are more familiarly denominated in thit)
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 described 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 — and like him and his character,
in a very few years, to live only in books or on canvass.
The word buf&lo is undoubtedly most incorrectly
applied to these animals, and I can scarcely tell why they
have been so called; for they 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
1376)
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
877
(fesoriptions I have read of them, T should be inclined to
think, there was yet a wide diflference between the bison of
the American prairies, and those in the North of Europe
and Asia. The American bison, or (as I shall hereafter 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. Their color is a dark brown, but changing \Qry
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
two thousand pounds, and shakes a long and shaggy black
mane, that falls in great profusion and confusion over his
head and shoulders ; and oftentimes falling down quite to
the ground. The horns are short, but very large, and have
but one turn, t. e. they are a simple arch, without the least
approach to a spiral form, like those of the common ox, or
of the goat species.
The female is much smaller than the male, and always
distinguishable by 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 buffalo,
is the peculiar formation and expression of the 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 quite open,
and the ball rolling forward and down; so that a consider"
able part of the iris is hidden behind the lower lid, while
the pure white of the eyeball glares out over it in an arch,
iu the shape of a moon at the end of its first quarter.
These animals are, tmly speaking, gregarious, but not
migratory — they graze in immense and almost incredible
i
w
378
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
numbers at times, and roam about 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 sup-
posed they naturally and habitually did to accommodate
themselves to the temperature of the climate in the differ-
ent latitudes. The limits within which they are found in
America, are from the thirtieth to the fifty-fifth 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 different causes, than those which the degrees of
temperature have prescribed to them on the North and the
South. Within these twenty-five degrees of latitude, the
buffaloes seem to flourish, and get their living without the
necessity of evading the rigor 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 buffalo
subsists itself through the severest winters ; getting its food
chiefly by browzing 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 gene-
rally, supporting the animal in better flesh during these
difficult seasons of their lives, than they are found to be in,
in the thirtieth 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
influence of a burning sun, is gradually dried away to a
mere husk, and its nutriment gone, leaving these poor
creatures, even in 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 where I am now writing, may be said to
Is',-,
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t
NORTH AM£iUCAN INDIANS.
879
be the very heart or nucleus of the buffalo country, about
«qui-distant between the two extremes ; and of course, the
most congenial temperature for them to flourish in. The
finest animals that graze on the prairies are to be found in
this latitude; and I am sure I never could send from a
better scource, some further account of the death and des>
truction that is dealt among these noble animals, and
hurrying on their final extinction.
The Sioux are a bold and desperate set of horsemen,
and great hunters ; and in the heart of their country is one
of the most extensive assortments of goods, of whisky, and
other saleable commodities, as well as a party of the most
indefatigable men, who are constantly calling for every robe
that can be stripped from these animals' backs.
These are the causes which lead 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 shorn country.
The almost countless herds of these animals that are
sometimes met with on these 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 regions.
The " running aeason,^^ which is in August and September,
is the time when they congregate in such masses in some
places, as literally to blacken the prairies for miles together.
It is no uncommon thing at this season, at these gatherings,
to see several thousands in a mass, eddying and wheeling
about under a cloud of dust, which is raised by the bulls aa
they are pawing in the dirt, or engaged in desperate
combats, as they constantly are, plunging and butting at
«ach other in the most furious manner. In these scenes,
the males are continually following the females, and the
whole mass are in constant motion; and all bellowing
(or "roaring") in deep and hollow sounds ; which, mingled
altogether, appear at the distance of a mile or two, like the
sound of distant thunder.
Si'i
St
3S0
LXTT£RS AND NOTES ON THE
During the season whilst they are congregated together
iu 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.
In the heat of summer, these huge animals, which, no
doubt, suffer very much with the great profusion of their
long and shaggy hair of fur, often graze on the low grounds
in the prairies, where there is a little stagnant water lying
amongst the grass, and the ground underneath being
saturated with it, is soft, into which the enormous bull,
lowered down upon one knee, will plunge his horns, and at
last his head, driving up the earth, and soon making an
excavation in the ground, into which the water filters from
amongst the grass, forming for him in a few moments, a
cool and comfortable bath, into which he plunges like a
hog in his mire.
In this delectable laver, be throws himself flat upon his
side, and forcing himself violently around, with his horns
and his huge hump on his shoulders presented to the sides,
he ploughs up the ground by his rotary motion, sinking
himself deeper and deeper in the ground, continually
enlarging his pool, in which he at length becomes nearly
immersed ; and the water and mud about him mixed into
a complete mortar, which changes his color, and drips
in streams from every part of him as he rises up upon his
feet, a hideous monster of mud and ugliness, too frightful
and too eccentric to be described !
It is generally the leader of the herd that takes upon him
to make this excavation ; and if not (but another one opens
the ground), the leader (who is conqueror) marches forward,
and driving the other from it plunges himself into it ; and
having cooled his sides, and changed his color to a walking
mass of mud and mortar ; he stands in the pool until
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
881
inclination induces him to step out, and give place to the
next in command, who stands ready ; and another, and
another, who advance forward in their turns, to enjoy the
luxury of the wallow; until the whole band (sometimes
an hundred or more) will pass through it in turn; each one
throwing his body around in a similar manner ; and each
one adding a little to the dimensions of the pool, while he
carries away in his hair an equal share of the clay, which
dries to a grey or whitish color, and gradually falls oflf. By
this operation, which is done, perhaps, in the space of half
an hour, a circular excavation of fifteen or twenty feet in
diameter, and two feet in depth, is completed, and left for the
water to run into, which soon fills it to the level of the
ground.
To these sinks, the waters lying on the surface of the
prairies, are continually draining, and in them lodging
their vegetable deposits ; which, after a lapse of years, fill
them up to the surface with a rich soil, which throws up an
unusual growth of grass and herbage ; forming conspicuous
circles which arrest the eye of the traveller, and are
calculated to excite his surprise for ages to come.
Many travellers who have penetrated not quite far enough
into the Western country to see the habits of these animals,
and the manner in which these mysterious circles are made ;
but who have seen the prairies strewed with their bleached
bones, and have beheld these strange circles, which often
occur in groups, and of different sizes — have come home
with beautiful and ingenious theories (which must needs he
made), for the origin of these singular and unaccountable
appearances, which, for want of a rational theory, have
generally been attributed to fairy feet, and gained the
appellation 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 probability,
inasmuch as the Indians always select the ground for tli
'ff
IV
382
LK'ITEBS AND NOTES ON THE
dancing near the sites of their villages, and that always on
a dry and hard foundation : when these " fairy circles" are
uniformly found to be on low and wet ground.
As my visit to these parts of the " Oreat Far Weat''^ has
brought me into the heart of the 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 buffalo, which is almost
invariably done on horseback, with bow and lance. In this
exercise, wVch is highly prized by them, as one of their
most valued amusements, as well as for the principal mode
of procuring meat for their subsistence, they become ex-
ceedingly 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 running wild in numerous bands. The
Indian, then, mounted on his little wild horse, which has
been through some years of training, dashes off 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 and quiver, and every part of his dress, which
might be an encumbrance 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 to the wrist) is a heavy whip, which lie uses
V ■> '
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS,
883
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 the rein, which hangs on the neck, whilst the horse
approaches the animal on the right side giving his rider the
chance to throw his arrow to the left ; which he does at the
instant when the horse is passing — bringing him 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 from the throng as soon as he can,
by dashing his horse between it and the herd, and forcing
it off by itself ; where he can approach it without the
danger of being trampled to death, to which he is often
liable by too closely escorting the multitude.
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
guide the horse. This halter is called by the French
Traders in the country, Varrit, 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 freedom 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 company ; while
the halter lies loose and untouched upon his 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 tliu animal (though he
generally brings his rider within the rujch of the enu of
884
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
his bow), keeps his eye strained upon the furious enemy
he is so closely encouc^ering; and the moment he has
approached to the nearest distance required, and has passed
the animal, whether the shot is given or not, he gradually
sheers off to prevent coming 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
frightful 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 instinct
and reason, both horse and rider often seem rushing on to
destruction, as if it were mere pastime and amusement.
For the novice in these scenes there is much danger of
his limbs and his life, and he finds it a hard and desper-
ate 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
the Indian, who has made this the every day sport and
amusement of his life, there is less difficulty and less danger;
he rides without "loosing his breath," and his unagitated
hand deals certainty in its deadly blows.
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 avail, the Indian runs upon
the surface of the snow by the aid of his snow shoes, which
buoys him up, while the great weight of the buffaloes, sinks
them down 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. The snow iu
these regions often lies during the winter, to the 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
and ravines to a very great depth, and rendered almost
entirely impassable to these huge animals, which whon
closely pursued by their enemies, endeavor to pluu,,e
NORTH AMEIUCAX INDIANS.
885
tlirough it, but are soon wedged in and almost unable to
move where they fall an easy prey to the Indian, who runs
uj) lightly upon his snow shoes and drives hiij lance to their
hearts. The skins are then stripped o.T, to be sold to the
Fur Traders, and the carcasses left to be devoured by the
wolves. This is the season in which the greatest number
ol' these animals are destroyed for their robes — they are
most easily killed at this time, and their hair or fur being
longer and more abundant, gives greater value to the robe.
The Indians, generally kill and dry meat enough in the
fall, when it is fat and juicy, to last them through the win-
ter : 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 in
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 to
which they are fastened with straps somewhat like a skate.
With these the Indian will glide over the snow with
astonishing quickness, without sinking down, or scarcely
leaving his track where he has gone.
The poor buffaloes have their enemy man, besetting and
beseiging them at ull 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 theij
destroyers, and they also stand unwittingly 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.
There are several varieties of the wolf species in this
country, the most formidable and most numerous pf which
are white, often sneaking about in gangs or families of fifty
25
4
886
LBTTEKS AXD N0TE3 ON THS
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 pre-
sent whilst the buffaloes are so abundant, and these fero-
cious animals are glutted with the buffalo's flesh, they are
harmless, and everywhere sneak away from man's presence ;
which I scarcely think will be the case after the 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 overtake 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 of the
wolf, and allow them to come in close company with thenu
■nrniia vn bvvpalo ni Dtiovni.
Tlie Indian then has taken advantage of this fact, and often
places himself under the skin of this animal, and crawls
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
387
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 buflfalo is a very timid animal, and shuns the vicin-
ity of man with the keenest sagacity ; yet when overtaken,
and harassed or wounded, turns upon its assailants with the
utm'st fury, who have only to seek safety in flight. In
their desperate resistance the finest horses are often des-
troyed ; but the Indian, with his superior sagacity and
dexterity, generally finds some effective mode of escape.
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
which time it is exceedingly hazardous to attack them, as
they are sure to turn upon their pursuers, who have often
to fly to each other's assistance. The buffalo 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 be
mingled and mistaken amongst them. In the fall, when
it changes its hair it takes a brown coat for the winter,
which it always retains. In pursuing a large herd of
buffaloes at the season when their calves are but a few
weeks old, I have often been exceedingly amused with thj
curious manoeuvres of these shy little things. Amidst the
thundering confusion of a throng of several hundreds or
several thousands of these animals, there will be many of
the calves that lose sight of their dams ; and being left
behind by the throng, and the swift passing hunters, they
endeavor to secrete themselves, when they are exceedingly
put to it on a level prairie, where nought can be seen but
the short grass of six or eight inches in height, save an
occasional bunch of wild sage, a few inches higher, to which
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 their eyes shut,
imagining themselves securely hid, whilst they are stand-
ing up quite straight upon their hind feet and can easily be
ill
388
LETTERS AND XOTES ON' THE
aeeii at several miles distance. It is a familiar amasemont
for us acGUstome<l to these scenes, to retreat back over the
ground where we have just escorted the herd, and approach
these little trembling things, which stubbornly maintain
their positions, with their noses pushed under the grass, and
their eyes strained upon us, as we dismount from our horses
and arc 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 'o con-
gratulate him on his signal success and good luck. In these
desperate struggles for a moment, the little thing is con-
quered, and makes no further resistance. And I have
often, in concurrence 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 following the
heels of my horse the whole way, as closely and as affec-
tionately as its instinct would attach it to the company of
its dam 1
This is one of the most extraordinary things that I have
met with in the habits of this wild country, and although I
had often heard of it, and felt unable exactly to believe it,
I am now willing to bear testimony to the fact, from the
numerous instances which I have witnessed since I came
into the country. During the time that I resided at this
post, in the spring of the year, on ray way up the river, I
assisted (in numerous hunts of the buffalo, with the Fur
Company's men,) in bringing in, in the above manner,
several of these little prisoners, which sometimes followed
for five or six miles close to our horses' heels, and even
into the Fur Company's Fort, and into the stable where our
horses were led. In thisj way, before I left for the head
waters of the Missouri, I think we had collected about a
dozen, which Mr. Laidlaw was successfully raising with th«
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
8d»
aid of a good milch cow, and which were to bo committed
to the care of Mr. Chouteau to be transported by the return
of the steamer, to his extensive phintation in the vicinity
of St. Louis.*
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
i^rovident rapacity ; leaving these beautiful green fields,
a vast and idle waste, unstocked and unpeopled for ages to
come, until the bones of the one and the traditions of the
other will have vanit^hed, and left scarce an intelligible
trace behind.
That the reader should not think me visionary in these
contemplations, or romancing in making such assertions, I
will hand him the following item of the extravagances
which are practiced in these regions, and rapidly leading to
the results which I have just named.
When I first arived 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 the Fur Company's Fort, Mr.
Laidlaw, of whom I have before spoken, and also his chief
clerk, Mr. Halsey, and many of their men, as well as the
chiefs of the Sioux, told me, that only a few days before I
arrived, (when an immense herd of buflEiloes had showed
themselves on th« opposite side of the river, almost black-
ening the plains for a great distance,) a party of five or six
hundred Sioux Indians on horseback, forded the river
about mid-day, and spending a few hours amongst them
reerossed the river at sun-down and came into the Fort
with fourteen hundred fresh huffah tongue, which wero
* The fate of these poor little prisoners, I was informed on my return
to St. Louis a year afterwards, was a very disastrous one. The
steamer having a distance of sixteen hundred miles to perform, and
lying a week or two on sand bars, in a country where milk could not be
])rocured, they all perished but one, which is now flourishing in the
oAteusive iivlds of this gentleman.
890
LKTTERS AND N0TK8 ON TIIK
llJ
.
thrown clown in a mass, and for which they required but
a few gallons of whisky, whioh was soon demolished,
indulging them in a little, and harmless carouse.
This profligate waste of the lives of these noble and use-
ful animals, when, from all that I could learn, not a skin or
a pound of the meat (except the tongues), was brought in,
fully supports me in the seemingly extravagant predictions
that I have made as to their extinction, which I am certain
is near at hand. In the above extravagant instance, at a
season when their skins were without far and not worth
taking off, and their camp was so well stocked with fresh
and dried meat, that they had no occasion for using the
flesh, there is a fair exhibition of the improvident character
of the savage, and also of his recklessness in catering for
his appetite, so long as the present inducements are held
out to him in his country, for its gratification.
Tn this singular country, where the poor Indians have
no laws or regulations of society, making it a vice or an
impropriety to drink to excess, they think it no harm to
indulge in the delicious beverage, as long as they are able
to buy whisky to drink. They look to white men as
wiser than themselves, and able to set them examples —
they see none of these in their country but sellers of
whisky, who are constantly tendering it to them, and most
of them setting the example by using it themselves ; and
they easily acquire a taste, that to be catered for, where
whisky is sold at sixteen dollars per gallon, soon impove-
rishes them, and must soon strip the skin from the last
buffalo's back that lives in their country, to '* be dressed
by their squaws" and vended to the Traders for a pint of
diluted alcohol.
From the above remarks it will be seen, that not only
the red men, but red men and white, have aimed destruc-,
tion at the race of these animals; and with them, beasts
have turned hunters of buffaloes in this country, slaying
them, however, in less numbers, and for far more laudable
purpose than that of selling their skins. The white wolves,
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
891
i>f wliich I have spoken in a former epistle, follow tlie
herds uf buffaloes aa I have said, from one aeadon to
another, glutting themselves on the carcasses of those that
fall by the deadly shafts of their enemies, or linger with
disease or old age to be dispatched by these sneaking
cormorants, who are ready at all times kindly to relieve
them from the pangs of a lingering death.
Whilst the herd is together the wolves never attack
them, as they instantly gather for combined resistanoe,
which they effectually make. But when the herds arc
travelling, it often happens that an aged or wounded op.o
lingers at a distance behind, and when fairly out of sight
of the herd, is set upon by these voracious hunters, which
often gather to the number of fifty or more, and are sure at
last to torture him to death, and use him up at a meal.
The buffalo, however, is a huge and furious animal, and
when his retreat is cut off, makes desperate and deadly
resistance, contending to the last moment for the right of
life — and oftentimes deals death by wholesale, to his canine
assailants, whica he is tossing into the air or stamping to
death under his feet.
During my travels in these regions, I have several times
come across such a gang of these animals surrounding an
old or a wounded bull, where it would seem, from appear*
ances, that they had been for several days in attendance,
and at intervals desperately engaged in the effort to take
his life. But a short time since, as one of ray hunting
companions and myself were returning to our encampment
with our horses loaded with meat, we discovered at a
distance, a huge bull, encircled with a gang of white
wolves ; we rode up as near as we could without driving
them away, and being within pistol shot, we had a remark-
ably good view, where I sat for a few moments and made a
sketch in my note-book ; after which, we rode up and gave
the signal for them to di-sperse, which they instantly did,
withdrawing themselves to the distance of fifly or sixty
rods, when we found, to our great surprise, that the
392
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
animal had made desperate resistance, until his eyes were
entirely eaten out of his head — the gristle of his nose was
mostly gone — his tongue was half eaten off, and the skin
and flesh of his legs torn almost literally into strings. In
this tattered and torn condition, the poor old veteran stood
bracing up in the midst of his devourers, who had ceased
hostilities for a few minutes, to enjoy a sort of parley,
recovering strength and preparing to resume the attack in
a few moments again. In this group, some were reclining,
to gain breath, whilst others were sneaking about and
licking their chaps in anxiety for a renewal of the attack ;
and others, less lucky, had been crushed to death by the
feet or the horns of the bull. I rode nearer to the pitiable
object as he stood bleeding and trembling before me, and
said to him, " Now is your time, old fellow, and you had
better be off." Though blind and nearly destroyed, there
seemed evidently to be a recognition of a friend in me, as
he straightened up, and trembling with excitement, dashed
off at full speed upon the prairie, in a straight line. We
turned oar horses and resumed our march, and when we
had advanced a mile or more, we looked back, and on our
left, where we saw again the ill-fated animal surrounded
by his tormentors, to whose insatiable voracity he unques
tionably soon fell a victim.
Thus much I wrote of the buffaloes, and of the accidents
that befall them, as well as of the fate that awaits them ;
and before I closed my book, I strolled out one day to the
shade of a plum-tree, where I laid in the grass on a favorite
blufl^ and wrote thus: —
" It is generally supposed, and familiarly said, that a
man ^faW into a reverie ; but I seated myself in the shade
a few minutes since, resolved to force myself into one ; and
foi this purpose I laid open a small pocket-map of North
America, and excluding my thoughts from every other
object in the world, I soon succeeded in producing the
desired illusion. This little chart, over which I bent, was
aeen in all its parts. Jis nolhing but the green and vivid
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
893
reality. I was lifted up upon an imaginary pair of wings,
which easily raised and held me floating in the open air,
from whence I could behold beneath me the Pacific and
the Atlantic Oceans — the great cities of the East, and the
mighty rivers. I could see the blue chain of the great
lakes at the North — the Rocky Mountains, and beneath
thera and near their base, the vast, and almost boundless
plains of grass, which were speckled with the bands of
grazing buffaloes I
" The world turned gently around, and I examined its
surface; continent after continent passed under my eye,
and yet amidst them all, I saw not the vast and vivid
green, that is spread like a carpet over the Western wilds
of my own country. I saw not elsewhere in the world, the
myriad herds of buffaloes — my eyes scanned in vain, for
they were not. And when I turned again to the wilds of
my native land, I beheld them all in motion ! For the
distance of several hundred miles from North to South;
they were wheeling about in vast columns and herds —
some were scattered, and ran with furious wildness — some
lay dead, and others were pawing the earth for a hiding-
place — some were sinking down and dying, gushing out
their life's blood in deep drawn sighs — and others were
contending in furious battle for the life they possessed, and
the ground that they stood upon. They had long since
assembled from the thickets, and secret haunts of the deep
forest, into the midst of the treeless and bushless plains, as
the place for their safety. I could see in an hundred
places, amid the wheeling bands, and on their skirts and
Banks, the leaping wild horse darting among them. I saw
not the arrows, nor heard the twang of the sinewy bows
that sent them; but I saw their victims fall! — on other
«teeds that rushed along their sides, I saw the glistening
lances, which seemed to lay across thera ; their blades were
blazing in the sun, till dipped in blood, and then I lost
them ! In other parts (and there were many), the vivid
flash oi fire-arms was sjcn — their victims fell too, and over
894
LBTTERS AND NOTES ON THE
their dead bodies hung suspended in air, little clouds of
whitened smoke, from under which the flying horsemen
had darted forward to mingle again with, and deal death
to, the trampling throng.
" So strange were men mixed (both red and white) with
the countless herds that wheeled and eddyed about, that all
below seemed one vast extended field of battle — whole
armies, in some places, seemed to blacken the earth's
surface; — in other parts, regiments, battalions, wings,
platoons, rank and file, and ^^ Indian fik^^ — all were in
motion : and death and destruction seemed to be the
watch- word amongst them. In their turmoil, they sent up
great clouds of dust, and with them came the mingled din
of groans and trampling hoofs, that seemed like the rum-
bling of a dreadful cataract, or the roaring of distant
thunder. Alternate pity and admiration harrowed up in
my bosom and my brain, many a hidden thought; and
amongst them a few of the beautiful notes that were once
sung, and exactly in point ; ' Qiuidrujiedante putrem sonitu
quatit ungula camputn. ' Even such was the din amidst the
quadrupeds of these vast plains. And from the craggy
clif& of the Bocky Mountains also were seen descending
into the valley, the myriad Tartars who had not horses to
ride, but before their well-drawn bows the fattest of the
herds were falling. Hundreds and thousands were strewed
upon the plains — they were flayed, and their reddened car-
casses left; and about them bands of wolves, and dogs,
and buzzards were seen devouring them. Contiguous, and
in sight, were the distant and feeble smokes of wigwams
and villages, where the skins were dragged, and dressed for
white man's luxury 1 where they were all sold for whisky,
and the poor Indians laid drunk and were crying. I cast
my eyes into the towns and cities of the East, and there I
beheld buffalo robes hanging at almost every door for
traffic; and I saw also the curling smokes of a thousand
Stills — and I said, ' Oh insatiable man, is thy avarice such !
wouldst thou tear the skin from the back of the la»«.
XOBTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
895
animal of this noble raoe, and rob thy/ellow-man o/hii meat,
«nd/or it give him poison | "• ♦ * , * * *
Many are the rudenesses and wilds in Nature's works
which are destined to fall before the deadly axe and deso-
lating hands of cultivating man; and so amongst her
ranks of living, of beasts and human, we often find noble
stamps, or beautiful colors, to which our admiration
clings ; and even in the overwhelming march of civilized
improvements and refinements do we love to oherish their
existence, and lend our e£forts to preserve them in their
primitive rudeness. Such of Nature's works are always
worthy of our preservation and protection ; and the further
we become separated (and the face of the country) from
that pristine wildness and beauty, the more pleasure does
the mind of enlightened man feel in recurring to those
scenes, where he can have them preserved for his eyes and
his mind to dwell upon.
Of such " rudenesses and wilds," Nature has no where
presented more beautiful and lovely scenes, than those of
the vast prairies of the West ; and of man and beast, no
nobler specimens than those who inhabit them — the Indian
and the buffalo — joint and original tenants of the soil, and
fugitives together from the approach of civilized man ;
they have fled to the great plains of the West, and there,
under an equal doom, they have taken up their last abode,
where their race will expire, and their bones will bleach
together.
Tt may be th&t power is right and voracity a virtue; and
that these people, and these noble animals, are righteously
doomed to an issue tliat will not be averted. It can be
easily proved — we have a civilized science that can easily
do it, or anything else that may be required to cover the
iniquities of civilized man in catering for his unholy appe-
tites. It can be proved that the weak and ignorant have no
rights — that there can be no virtue in darkness — that God's
gifts have no moaning or merit until they are appropriate 1
396
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
by civilized man — by him brought into the light, and con.
verted to his use and luxury. We have a mode of
reasoning (I forget what it is called) by which all this can
be proved, and even more. The word and the ayatem are
entirely of civilized origin ; and latitude is admirably given
to them in proportion to the increase of civilized wantd,
which often require a judge to overrule the laws of nature.
I say that tve can prove such things ; but an Indian cannot.
It is a mode of reasoning unknown to him in his nature's
simplicity, but admirably adapted to subserve the interests
of the enlightened world, who are always their own judges
when dealing with the savage ; and who, in the present
refined age, have many appetites that can only be lawfully
indulged, by proving God's laws defective.
It is not enough in this polished and extravagant age,
that we get from the Indian his lands, and the very clothes
from his back, but the food from their mouths must bo
stopped, to add a new and useless article to the fashionable
world's luxuries. The ranks must be thinned, and the race
exterminated, of this noble animal, and the Indians of the
great plains left without the means of supporting life, that
white men may figure a few years longer, enveloped in
buflfe,lo robes — that they may spread them, for their
pleasure and elegance, over the backs of their sleighs, and
traiF them ostentatiously amidst the busy throng, as
things of beauty and elegance that had been made for
them !
Reader 1 listen to the following calculations, 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 appalling 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
forost, has lead them to seek the midst of the vast and
NORTH AMERICAN' INDIANS.
89T
treeless plains of grass, as the spot where they would be
least exposed to the assaults of their enemies ; and it is ex-
clusively 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 "set-
ting sun ;" until their bands have been crowded together,
and their limits confined to a narrow strip of country on
this side of the Rocky Mountains.
This strip of country, which extends from the province
of Mexico to Lake Winnepcg on the North is almost one
entire plain of grass, which is, and eyer must be, oselesf*
to cultivating man. It is here, and here chiefly, that the
buflfe,loes dwell ; and with, and hovering about them, live
and flourish the tribes of Indians, whom God made for
the enjoyment of that fair land 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 it so
rapidly wasting from the world, drawing the irresistible
conclusion, too, which one must do, that its species is soon
to be extinguished, 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, v/here
the world could see for ages to come, the native Indian in
his classic attire, galloping hia wild horse with sinewy bow,
and shield and lance, amid the fleeting herds of elks and
buffaloes. What a beautiful and thrilling specimen for
America to preserve and hold up to the view of her refined
citizens and the world, in future ages! A nation'e Park,
oontaining man and beast, in all the wildness and fresh-
ness of their nature's beauty I
398
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
I would ask no other monument to my memory, nor
any other enrolment of my name amongst the famous dead,,
than tlie reputation of having been the founder of such an
Institution.
Such scenes might easily have been preserved, and still
could be cherished on the great plains of the West, with-
<jut detriment to the country or its borders ; for the tracts
of country on which the buffaloes have assembled, 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 aie to be seen.
It is here, that the savage is decorated in the richest oos>
tume. It is here, 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 honorable
man (before he has had teachers or laws, about the im-
portant wants, which beget meanness and vice) ; stimulated
by ideas of honor and virtue, in which the God of Nature
has certainly not curtailed him.
There are, by a fair calculation, more than three hun
dred thousand 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 ' nd other parts of that animal, are almost in-
credible 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'arrSts, 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 club?,
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
899
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 uhoidders,
which is long, is twisted and braided into halters, and the
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 sporia, its
wildnesses, its languages, and all its manners and customs,
could be perpetuated, and also the buffaloes, whose numbers
would increase and supply them with food for ages and
centuries to come, if a system of non-intercourse could be
established and preserved. But such is not to be the case
— the buflfelo'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 fail 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, should 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 should draw from that
country, some one hundred and fifty or two hundred
thousand 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 whisky.
Such is the fact, and that number or near it are annually
..>■
4^J
LEITERS AND NOTES ON THE
destroyed, in addition to the number that is necessarily
killed for the subsistence of three hundred thousand
Indians, who live entirejy 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 great 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 the weal of the country and
for the owners, if it were invested in machines for the
manufacture of woolen robea, 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 exchange for these robes ; but what, I would
ask, are the necessities in Indian life, where they have
buffidoes 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 to 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 skins shall have been stripped from the
back of the last animal, who is to resist the ravages of
three hundred thousand starving savages; and in their
trains, one million five hundred thousand wolves, whom
direst necessity will have driven from their 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.
NORTU AMERICAN INDIANS.
401
Amongst the tribes who have been impoverished and
repeatedly removed, the necessaries of life are extended
yrith a better grace from the hands of civilized man;
ninety thousand of such have already been removed, and
they draw from Government some five or six hundred
thousand dollars annually in cash ; which money paaaea
immediately into the Iiands 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
necessaries, 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 ?
Header, I will stop here, lest you might forget to answer
these important queries — these are questions which I know
will puzzle the world — and, perhaps 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 ; and have 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 their doings,
which I met with here ; but at present, I throw my note-
Isook, 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 steering-oar, as usual; and
with Ba'tiste and Bogard to paddle, of whom, I beg the
reader's pardon for haying 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 drift logs (for there is a sweeping freshet on her
2G
402
LETTERS AND NOTES.
waters), and many a day will pass before other Letters will
come from me ; and possibly, the reader may have to look
to my biographer for the rest. Adieu.
I ,
LETTER No. XXXH.
^i
PORT LEAVENWORTH. LOWER MISSOURI.
Thk readers, I presume, will have felt some anxiety for
me and the fate of my little craft, after the close of my last
Letter ; and I have the very great satisfaction of announcing
to them that we escaped snaga and sawyers^ and every other
danjfj'er, and arrived here safe from the Upper Missouri,
where my last letters were dated. We, (that is, Ba'tiste,
Bogard and I,) are comfortably quartered for awhile, in
(he barracks of this hospitable Cantonment, which is now
the extreme Western military post on the frontier, and
under the command of Colonel Davenport, a gentleman of
great urbanity of manners, with a Roman head and a
Grecian heart, restrained and tempered by the charms of
(403)
401
LBn'KBS AND NOTES ON THK
an Arnoricau lady, who has elegantly piotieered t'le graces
of civilized reflueineutd into the^^e uncivilized regions.
This Cantonment, which is beautifully situated on the
west bank of the Missouri River, and six hundred miles
above its mouth, was constructed some years since by
(Jeneral Leavenworth, from whom it has taken its nanie.
Its location is very beautiful, and so is the country around
it. It is the concentration point of a number of hostile
tribes in the vicinity, and has its influence in restraining
their warlike propensities.
There is generally a regiment of men stationed here, for
the purpose of holding the Indians in check, and of pre-
serving the peace amongst the hostile tribes. I shall visit
several tribes in this vicinity, and most assuredly give you
some further account of them, as fast as I get it.
Since the date of my last epistle, I succeeded in
descending the river to this place, in my little canoe,
with my two men at the oars, and myself at the helm,
steering its course the whole way amongst snags and
■aad-ban.
Before I give further account of this downward voyage,
however, I must recur back for a few moments, to the
Teton River, from whence I started, and from whence my
last epistles were written, to record a few more incidents
which I then overlooked in my note-book. Whilst
painting my portraits amongst the Sioux, as I have
described, I got the portrait of a noble Shienne chief, by
the name of Nee-hee-o-ee-woo-tis (the wolf on the hill).
The chief Oi a party of that tribe, on a friendly visit to the
Sioux, and the portrait also of a woman, Tis-see-woo-na-tis
(she who bathes her knees). The Shiennes are a small
tribe of about three thousand in numbers, living neighbors
to the Sioux, on the west of them, and between the Black
Hills and the Rocky Mountains. There is no finer race of
men than these in North America, and none superior in
stature, excepting the Osages ; scarcely a man in the tribe,
full grown, who is less than six feet in height. Tho
NORTH AMEUICAX INDIANS.
406
Shionnes are undoubtedly the richest in horses of any
tribe on the Continent, living in a country as they do,
where the greatest herds of wild horses are grazing on the
prairies, which they catch in great numbers and vend to
the Sioux, Mandans and other tribes, as well as to the Fur
Traders.
These people are the most desperate set of horsemen,
and warriors also, having carried on almost unceasing wars
with the Pawnees and Blackfeet,. " time out of mind." The
chief was clcjthed in a handsome dress of deer skins, very
neatly garnished with broad bands of porcupine quill
work down the sleeves of his shirt and his leggings, and
all the way fringed with scalp-locks. His hair was very
profuse, and flowing over his shoulders ; and in his hand
he held a beautiful Sioux pipe, which had just been pre-
sented to him by Mr. M'Kenzie, the Trader. This was
one of the finest-looking and most dignified men that I
have met in the Indian country ; and from the account
given of him by the Traders a man of honor and strictest
integrity. The woman was comely, and beautifully
dressed ; her dress of the mountain-sheep skins, tastefully
ornamented with quills and beads, and her hair plaited
in large braids, that hung down on her breast. *
After I had painted these and many more, whom I have
not time at present to name, I painted the portrait of a
celebrated warrior of the Sioux, by the name of Mah-to-
chee-ga (the little bear), who was unfortunately slain in
a few moments after the picture was done, by one of his
own tribe ; and which was very near costing me my life
for having painted a side view of his face, leaving one-half
of it out of the picture, which had been the cause of the
affray; and supposed by the whole tribe to have been
intentionally left out by me, as " good for nothing." This
was the last picture that I painted amongst the Sioux, and
the last, undoubtedly, that I ever shall paint in that place.
So tremendous and so alarming was the excitement about it,
my brushes were instantly put away, and I embarked tlie
«)(>
LETIERS AND NOTES ON THE
next diij ou thj steamer for the sources of the Missouri,
aad was glad to get underweigh.
The man who slew this noble warrior was a troublesome
fellow of the same tribe, by the name of Shon-ka (the dog).
A "hue and cry" has been on his track for several
months; and my life having been repeatedly threatened
during my absence up the river, I shall defer telling the
whole of this most extraordinary affair, until I see that my
own scalp is safe, and I am successfully out of the country.
A few weeks or months will decide how many are to fall
victims to the vengeance of the relatives of this murdered
brave; and if I outlive the affair, I shall certainly give
some further a<icount of it.*
My voyage from the mouth of the Teton River to this
place has been the most rugged, yet the most delightful, of
my whole Tour. Our canoe was generally landed at night
on the point of some projecting barren sand-bar, where we
straightened our limbs on our buffalo robes, secure from
the annoyance of mosquitoes, and out of the walks of
Indians and grizzly bears. In addition to the opportunity
which this descending Tour has afforded me, of visiting all
the tribes of Indians ou the river, and leisurely filling my
portfolib with the beautiful scenery which its shores
present-r-the sportsman's fever was roused and satisfied;
the swan, ducks, geese, and pelicans — the deer, antelope,
elk, and buffaloes, were " stretchecF^ by our rifles ; and some
times — "pull, boys! pull II a war party! for your lives
pull I or we are gone!"
I often landed my skiff, and mounted the green-carpeted
bluffs, whose soft grassy tops, invited me to recline, where
I was at once lost in contemplation. Soul-melting scenery
that was about me 1 A place where the mind could think
volumes ! but the tongue must be silent that would speak,
and the hand palsied that would write. A place where a
* Some months after writing the above, and after I had arrived safe
in St. Louis, the news reached there that the Dog had been overtaken
and killed, and a brother of his also, and the affiur thns settled.
NORTH AMERICAN' IXDIAN'S,
407
divme would confess that he never had fancied Paradise —
where the painters' palette would lose its beautiful tints
— the blood-stirring notes of eloquence would die in their
utterance — and even the soft tones of sweet music would
scarcely preserve a spark to light the soul again that had
passed this sweet delirium. I mean the prairie, whose
enamelled plains that lie beneath me, in distance soften
into sweetness, like an essence ; whose thousand thousand
velvet-covered hills, (surely never formed by chance, but
grouped in one of Nature's sportive moods) — tossing and
leaping down with steep or graceful declivities to the
river's edge, as if to grace its pictured shores, and make it
*' a thing to look upon." T mean the prairie at sunset;
when the green hill-tops are turned into gold — and their
long shadows of melancholy are thrown over the valleys —
when all the breathings of day are hushed, and nought but
the soft notes of the retiring dove can be heard ; or the
still softer and more plaintive notes of the wolf, who sneaks
through these scenes of enchantment, and mournfully
how — 1 s, as if lonesome, and lost in the too-beautiful
quiet and stillness about him. I mean this prairie ; where
Heaven sheds its purest light, and lends its richest tints
— this roundtop'd bluff.
" Floyd's Grave" is a name given to one of the most
lovely and imposing mounds or bluffs on the Missouri
River, about twelve hundred miles above St. Louis, from
the melancholy fate of Serjeant Floyd, who was of Lewis
and Clarke's expedition, in 1806 ; who died on the way, and
whose body was taken to this beautiful hill, and buried in
its top where now stands a cedar post, bearing the initials
of his name.
I landed my canoe in front of this grass-covered mound ,
and all hands being fatigued, we encamped a couple of
days at its base. I several times ascended it and sat upon
his grave, overgrown with grass and the most delicate wild
flowers, where I sat and contemplated the solitude and
stillness of this tenanted mound; and beheld from its top,
11
i08
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
the windings infinite of the Missouri, and its thousand
hills and domes of green, vanishing into blue in distance,
when nought but the soft-breathing winds were heard, to
break the stillness and quietude of the scene. Where n t
the chirping of bird or sound of cricket, nor soaring eagle's
scream, were interposed 'tween God and man ; nor aught to
check man's whole surrender of his soul to his Creator. I
could not hunt upon this ground, but I roamed from hill-top
to hill-top, and culled wild flowers, and looked into th&
valley below me, both up the river and down, and contem-
plated the thousand hills and dales that are now carpeted
with green, streaked as they will be, with the plough, and
yellow with the harvest sheaf; spotted with lowing kine —
with houses and fences, and groups of hamlets and villas —
and these lovely hill-tops ringing with the giddy din and
maze, or secret earnest whispers of love-sick swains — of
pristine simplicity and virtue — wholesome and well-earned
contentment and abundance — and again, of wealth and
refinements — of idleness and luxury — of vice and its de-
formities — of fire and sword, and the vengeance of offended
Heaven, wreaked in retributive destruction ! — and peace,
and quiet, and loveliness, and silence, dwelling again, over
and through these scenes, and blending them into futurity.
Many such scenes there are, and thousands, on the
Missouri shores. My canoe has been stopped, and I have
clambered up their grassy and flower-decked sides; and
sighed all alone, as I have carefully traoied and fastened
them in colors on my canvass.
This voyage in my little canoe, amid the thousand
islands and grass-covered blufi& that stud the shores of this
mighty river, afforded me infinite pleasure, mingled with
pains and privations which I never shall wish to forget.
Gliding along from day to day, and tiring our eyes on the
varying landscapes that were continually opening to our
view, my merry voyageura were continually chaunting their
cheerful boat songs, and " every now and then," taking up
their unerring rifles to bring down the stately elks or
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
40»
anttilopes, which were often gazing at us from the shore*
of the river.
But a few miles from " Floyd's Bluff" we lauded our
canoe, and spent a day in the vicinity of the " Black Bird's
Graved This is a celebrated point oa the Missouri, and a
sort of telegraphic place, which all the travellers, in these
realms, both white and red, are in the habit of visiting :
the one to pay respect to the bones of one of their dis-
•nguished leaders; and the others, to indulge their eye*
-In* lovely landscape that spreads out to an almost
li) ■ Ti able extent in every direction about it. This ele-
vated bluff, which may be distinguished for several leagues
in distance, has received the name of the '* Black Bird'a
Grave," from the fact, that a famous chief of the 0-ma-
haws, by the name of the Black Bird, was buried on its
top, at his own peculiar request ; over whose grave a cedar
post was erected by his tribe some thirty years ago, which
is still standing. The 0- ma-haw village was about sixty-
miles above this place ; and this very noted chief, who had
been on a visit to Washington City, in company with the
Indian agent, died of the small-pox, near this spot, on hia
return home. And, whilst dying, enjoined on his warriors
who were about him, this singular request, which was
literally complied with. He requested them to take hia
body down the river to this his favorite haunt, and on
the pinnacle of this towering bluff, to bury him on the
back of his favorite war-horse, which was to be buried
alive, under him, from whence he could see, as he said,
" the Frenchmen passing up and down the river in their
boats." He owned, amongst many horses, a noble white
steed that was led to the top of the grass-covered hill ; and,
with great pomp and ceremony, in presence of the whole
nation, and several of the Fur Traders and the Indian
agent, he was placed astride of his horse's back, with his
bow in his hand, and his shield and quiver slung — with his
pipe and his medicine-bag — with his supply of dried meat,
and his tobacco-pouch replenished to last him through his
410
LKTTEBS AND NOTES ON THE
journey to the " beautiful hunting grounds of the sliadea
of his fathers" — with his flint and steel, and his tinder, to
light his pipe by the way. The scalps that he had taken
from his enemies' heads, could be trophies for nobody else,
and were hung to the bridle of his horse — he was in full
dress and fully equipped ; and on his head waved, to the
last moment, his beautiful head-dress of the war-eagle's
plumes. In this plight, and the last funeral honors having
been performed by the medicine-men^ every warrior of his
band painted the palm and fingers of his right hand with
vermilion ; which was stamped, and perfectly impressed
on the milk-white sides of his devoted horse.
This all done, turfs were brought and placed around the
feet and legs of the horse, and gradually laid up to its
sides ; and at last, over the back and head of the unsuspec-
ting animal, and last of all, over the head and even the
eagle plumes of its valiant rider, where altogether have
smouldered and remained undisturbed to the present day.
This mound which is covered with a green turf, and
spotted with wild flowers, with its cedar post in its centre,
can easily be seen at the distance of fifteen miles, by the
voyageur, and forms for him a familiar and useful land-
mark.
Whilst visiting this mound in company with M<\jor
Sanford, on our way up the river, I discovered in a hole
made in the mound, by a " ground hog" or other animal,
the skull of the horse ; and by a little pains, also came at
the skull of the chie^ which I carried to the river side, and
secreted till my return in my canoe, when I took it in, and
brought with me to this place, where I now have it, with
others which I have collected on my route.
There have been some very surprising tales told of this
man, which will render him famous in history, whether
they be truth or inatters of fiction. Of the many, one of
the most current is, that he gained his celebrity and
authority by the most diabolical series of murders in his
own tribe; by administering arsenic (with which he had
NOBTH AMKBICAK INDIANS.
41i
been supplied by the Fur Traders) to such of bis enemies
as he wished to get rid of— and even to others in his tribe
whom he was willing to sacrifice, merely to establish his
superhuman powers, and the most servile dread of the
tribe, from the certainty with which his victims fell around
him, precisely at the times ho saw fit to predict their death 1
It has been said that he administered this potent drug, and
to them unknown medicine, to many of his friends as well
as to foes; and by such an inhuman and unparalleled
depravity, succeeded in exercising the most despotic and
absolute authority in his tribe, until the time of his deatl^ I
This story may be true, and it may not. I cannot
contradict it; and I am sure the world will forgive me,
if I say, I cannot believe it. If it be true, two things are
also true ; the one, not much to the credit of the Indian
character; and the other, to the everlasting infamy of the
Fur Traders. If it be true, it furtiishes an instance of
Indian depravity that I never have elsewhere heard of in
my travels ; and carries the most conclusive proof of the
incredible enormity of white man's dealings in this country ;
who, for some sinister purpose must have introduced the
poisonous drug into the country, and taught the poor chief
how to use it ; whilst they were silent accessories to the
murders he was committing. This story is said to have
been told by the Fur Traders ; and although I have not
always the highest confidence in their justice to the Indian,
yet, I cannot for the honor of my own species, believe
them to be so depraved and so wicked, nor so weak, as to
reveal such iniquities of this chief, if they were true, whicli
must directly implicate themselves as accessories to his
most wilful and unprovoked murders.
Such he has been heralded, however, to future ages, as a
murderer — like hundreds and thousands of others, as
" horse thieves" — as "druiikards" — as "rogues of the first
order," &c., &c., — by the historian who catches but a
glaring story (and perhaps fabrication) of their lives, and
bas no time nor disposition to enquire into and record
412
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
their long and brilliant list of virtues, which must be lost
in the shade of infamy, for want of an historian.
I have learned much of this noble chieftain, and at a
proper time shall recount the modes of his civil and
military life — how he exposed his life, and shed his blooil
in rescuing the victims to horrid torture, and abolished
that savage custom in his tribe — how he led on and headed
his brave warriors, against the Sacs and Foxes ; and saved
the butchery of his women and children — how he received
the Indian agent, and entertained him in his hospitable
wigwam, in his village — and how he conducted and
acquitted hiraodii on his embassy to the civilized world.
So much I will take pains to say, of a man whom I
never saw, because other historians have taken equal pains
just to mention his name, and a solitary (and doubtful; act
of his life, as they have said of hundreds of others, for the
purpose of consigning him to infamy.
How much more kind would it have been for the
historian, who never saw him, to have enumerated with
this, other characteristic actions of his life (for the verdict
of th ■ world) ; or to have allowed, in charity, his bones
and his name to have slept in silence, instead of calling
them up from the grave, to thrust a dagger through them,
and throw them back again.
Book-making now-a-days, is done for money-making ;
and he who takes the Indian for his theme, and cannot go
and see him, finds a poverty in his matter that naturally
begets error, by grasping at every little tale that is brought
or fabricated by their enemies. Such books are standards,
because they are made for white man's reading only ; and
herald the character of a people who never can disprove
them. They answer the purpose for which they are
written ; and the poor Indian who has no redress, stands
stigmatized and branded, as a murderous wretch and
beast.
If the system of book-making and newspaper printing
were in operation in the Indian country awhile^ to herald
■■\
^'^RT•" lERICAN INDIANS.
413
the iniquities and horribic barbarities of white inen in these
Western regions, which now are sure to be overlooked ; 1
venture to say, that chapters would soon be printed, which
would sicken the leader to his heart, and set up the Indian,
a fair and tolerable man.
There is no more beautiful prairie country in the world,
than that which is to be seen in this vicinity. In looking
back from this bluff, towards the West, there is, to an
almost boundless extent, one of the most beautiful scenes
imaginable. The surface of the country is gracefully and
slightly undulating, like the swells of the retiring ocean
after a heavy storm. And everywhere covered with a
beautiful green turf, and with occasional patches and
clusters of trees. The soil in this region is also rich, and
capable of making one of the most beautiful and pro*
ductive countries in the world.
Ba'tiste and Bogard used their rifles to some effect
during the day that we loitered here, and also gathered
great (juantities of delicious grapes. From this lovely
spot we embarked the next morning, and glided through
constantly changing scenes of beauty, until we landed our
canoe at the base of a beautiful series of grass-covered
bluffe, which, like thousands and thousands of others on
the banks of this river, are designated by no name, that I
know of.
My canoe was landed at noon, at the base of these
picturesque hills — and there rested till the next morning.
As soon as we were ashore, I scrambled to their summits,
took iny easel, and canvass and brushes, to the top of the
bluft^ and painted two views from the same spot ; the one
looking up, and the other down the river. The reader, by
imagining these hills to be five or six hundred feet high,
and every foot of them, as far as they can be discovered in
distance, covered with a vivid green turf, whilst the sun is
gilding one side, and throwing a cool shadow on the
other, will be enabled to form something like an adequate
idea of the shores of the Missouri. From this enchanting
.iS:
,
414
LETTERS AND NOTSi OX THI
spot tliere was nothing to arrest the eye from ranging ovui
its waters for the distance of twenty or thirty miles, where
it quietly glides between its barriers, formed of thousands
wf green and gracefully sloping hills, with its rich and allu-
vial meadows, and woodlands — and its hundred islands,
covered with stately cotton- wood. The rains are wearing
down the clay-bluffs, cutting gullies or sluices behind
them, and leaving them at last to stand out in relief, in
these rounded and graceful forms, until in time they get
seeded over, and nourish a growth of green grass on their
sides, which forms a turf, and protects their surface, pre-
serving them for centuries, in the forms that are here seen.
The tops of the highest of these bluffs rise nearly up to
the summit level of the prairies, which is found as soon as
one travels a mile or so from the river, amongst these
picturesque groups, and comes out at their top; from
whence the country goes off to the East and the West,,
with an almost perfectly level surface.
These two views were taken about thirty miles above
the village of the Punchas, and five miles above "the
Tower;" the name given by the travellers through the
country, to a high and remarkable clay bluff, rising to the
height of some hundreds of feet from the water, and having
in distance, the castellated appearance of a fortification.
My canoe was not unmoored from the shores of tliis
lovely spot for two days, except for the purpose of crossing
the river; which I several times did, to ascend and
examine the hills on the opposite side. I had Ba'tiste and
Bogard with me on the tops of these green-carpeted blufl's,
and tried in vain to make them see the beauty of scenes
that were about us. They dropped asleep, and ^ strolled
and contemplated alone; clamoering "wp ow tZF' and
sliding or running " down another, ^^ with no o..ier living
being in sight, save now and then a bristling wolf, which,
from my approach, was reluctantly retreating from his
shady lair — or sneaking behind me and smelling on my
track.
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
415
Whilst strolling about on the western bank of the river
at this place, I found the ancient site of an Indian village,
which, from the character of the marks, I am sure was once
the residence of the Mandane. I said in a former Letter,
when speaking of the Mandans, that within the recollection
of some of their oldest men, they lived some sixty or
eighty miles down the river from the place of their present
residence ; and that they then lived in nine villages. On
my way down, I became fully convinced of the fait:
having landed my canoe, and examined the ground where
the foundation of every wigwam can yet be distinctly
seen. At that time, they must have been much more
numerous than at present, from the many marks they have
left, as well as from their own representations.
The Mandans have a peculiar way of building their wig-
wams, by digging down a couple of feat in the earth, and
there fixing the en Is of the poles which form the walls of
their houses. There :ire other marks, such as their caches
— and also their mode of depositing their dead on soa£folds
— and of preserving the skulls in circles on the prairies ;
which peculiar customs I have before described, and most
of which are distinctly to be recognized in each of these
places, as well as in several similar remains which I have
met with on the banks of the river, between here and the
Mandans ; which » fully convince .me, that they have
formerly occupied the lower parts of the Missouri, and
have gradually made their way quite through the heart of
the great Sioux country ; and having been well fortified
in all their locations, as in their present one, by a regular
stockade and ditch, they have been able successfully to
resist the continual assaults of the Sioux, that numerous
tribe, who have been, and still are, endeavoring to effect
their entire destruction. I have examined, at least fifteen
or twenty of their ancient locations on the banks of this
river, and can easily discover the regular diflferences in the
ages of these antiquities ; and around them all I have
found numerous bits of their broken pottery, corresponding
416
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THK
with that which they are novr nianufacturing in great
abundance ; and which is certainly made by no other tribe
in these regions. These evidences, and others which I
shall not take the time to mention in this place, go a great
way in my mind towards strengthening the possibility of
their having moved from the Ohio river, and of their being
a remnant of the followers of Madoc. I have much further
to trace them yet, however, and shall certainly have more
to say on so interesting a subject in future.
Almost every mile I have advanced on the banks of
this river, I have met evidences and marks of Indians in
some form or other; and they have generally been those
of the Sioux, who occupy and own the greater part of this
immense region of country. In the latter part of my
voyage, however, and of which I have been speaking in
the former part of this Letter, I met the ancient sites of
the 0-ma-haw and Ot-to towns, which are easily detected
when they are met. The usual mode of the.O-ma-haws, of
depositing their dead is in the crotches and on the branches
of trees, enveloped in skins, and never without a wooden
dish hanging by the head of the corpse ; probably for the
purpose of enabling it to dip up water to quench its thirst
on the long and ?«dious journey, which they generally
expect to enter on after death. These corpses are so
frequent along the bapks of the river, that .n some places
a dozen or more of them may be seen at on*} view.
Traces of the customs of the Sioux, are found in endless
numbers on the river ; and in fact, through every part of
this country. The wigwams of these people are only
moveable tents, and leave bi>. a temporary mark to be
discovered. Their burials, however, are peculiar and
lasting remains, which can I e long detected. They often
deposit their dead on trees, and on scaffolds; but more
generally bury in the tops of Lluffs, or near their villages :
when they often split out staves and drive in the ground
around the grave to protect it from the trespass of dogs or
wild animals.
.1 111
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
417
The NfaiiduQ mode of resting their dead upon scaffolds
is not so peouliar to them as positively to distinguish
them from Sioux, who sometimes bury in the same way ;
but the excavations for their earth-covered wigwams,
which I have said are two feet deep in the ground with
the cads of the decayed timbers remaining in them, are
{jeculiar and conclusive evidence of their being of Mandan
construction ; and the custom of leaving the skulls
bleached upon the ground in circles, as I have formerly
described, instead of burying them as the other tribes do,
forms also a strong evidence of the fact that they are
Mandan remains.
In most of these sites of their ancient towns, however, I
have been unable to find about their burial places, these
characteristic deposits of the skulls; from which I con-
clude, that whenever they deliberately moved to a different
region, they buried the skulls out of respect to the dead.
I found, just back of one of these sites of their ancient
towns, however, and at least five hundred miles below
where they now live, the same arrangement of skulls ai
that I before described. They had laid so long, how-
ever, exposed to the weather, that they were reduced
almost to a powder, except the teeth, which mostly seemed
polished and sound as ever. It seems that no human
hands had dared to meddle with the dead ; and that even
their enemies had respected them ; for every one, and there
were at least two hundred in one circle, bad mouldered to
chalk, in its exact relative position, as they had been
placed in a circle. In this case, I am of opinion that the
village was besieged by the Sioux, and entirely destroyed,
or that the Mandans were driven off without the power to
stop and bury the bones of their dead.
Belle Vite is a lovely scene on the West bank of the
liver, about nine miles above the mouth of the Platte, and
is the agency of Major Dougherty, one of the oldest and
most effective agents on our frontiers. This ppot is, as I
said, lovely in itself; but di)ubly so to the eye of the
27
^\
■■■ •■ I
f
118
LETTERS AND NOTKS ON THE
V-.
weather-beatea voyageur from the sources of the Missouri,
who steers his canoe in, to the shore, as I did, and soon
linds himself a welcome guest at the comfortable board of
the Major, with a UihU again to cat from — and that (not
'^groaning ," but) standing under the comfortable weight of
meat and vegetable luxuries, products of the labor f/f
cultivating man. It was a pleasure to see again, in this
great wilderness, a civilized habitation ; and still moro
pleasant to find it surrounded with corn-fields, and
potatoes, with numerous fruit-trees, bending under the
weight of their fruit — with pigs and poultry, and kine;
and what was best of all, to see the kind and benevolent
face, that never looked anything but welcome to the half-
starved guests, who throw themselves upon him from the
North, from the South, the East, or the West.
At this place I was in the country of the Pawnees, a
numerous tribe, whose villages are on the Platte river, and
of whom I shall say more anon. Major Dougherty has
been for many years the agent for this hostile tribe ; and
by his familiar knowledge of the Indian character, and his
strict honesty and integrity, he has been able to effect a
friendly intercourse with them, and also to attract the
applause and highest confidence of the world, as well as
of the authorities who sent him there.
An hundred miles above this, I passed a curious feature,
called the " Square Hills." I landed my canoe, and went
ashore, and to their tops, to examine them. Though they
appeared to be near the river, I found it half a day's
journey to travel to and from them ; they being several
miles from the river. On ascending them I found them to
be two or three hundred feet high, and rising on their
sides at an angle of forty -five degrees ; and on their tops,
in some places, for half a mile in length, perfectly level,
with a green turf, snd corresponding exactly with the
tabular hills before spoken of above the Mandaas. I
therein said, that I should visit these hills on my way
down the river; and I am fully convinced, from close
NORTH AMKRICAX INDIANS.
410
examination, that they are a part of the same original
superstratum, which I therein described, though seven or
eight hundred miles separated from them. They agree
exactly in character, and also in the matoiials ot which
they are composed ; and I believe, that some unaccountable
gorge of waters has swept away the intervening earth,
leaving these solitary and isolated, though inoontrovertiblt'
evidences, that the summit level of all this great valley ha'
at one time been where the level surface of these hills now
is, two or three hundred feet above what is now generally
denominated the summit level.
The mouth of the Platte is a beautiful scene, and no
doubt will be the site of a large and flourishing town, soon
after Indian titles shall have been extinguished to the
lands in these regions, which will be done within a very
few years. The Platte is a long and powerful stream,
pouring in from the Rocky Mountains and joining with the
Missouri at this place.
In this voyage, as in all others that I have f iformed, I
kept my journal, but I have riot room, it will be seen, to
insert more than an occasional extract from it for my
present purpose. In this voyage, Ba'tiste and Bogard
were my constant companions ; and we all had our rifles,
and used them oflen. . We often went ashore amongst the
herds of buft'aloes, and were obliged to do so for our daily
food. We lived the whole way on buffaloes' flesh and
venison — we had no bread : but laid in a good stock of
cofifee and sugar. These, however, from an unforeseen
accident availed us but little; as on the second or third
day of our voyage, after we had taken our colfee on the
shore, and Ba'tiste and Bogard had gone in pursuit of a
herd of buffaloes, I took it in my head to have an extra
very fine dish of coffee to myself, as the fire was fine. For
this purpose, I added more coffee-grounds to the pot, ami
placed it on the fire, which I sat watching, when I saw a
fine buffalo cow wending her way leisurely over the hilbt,
but a little distance from me, for whom I starte 1 at once,
'4^
420
LETTEBS AND NOTES ON THE
i!
with my ride trailed in my hand ; and after creeping, and
running, and heading, and all that, for half an hour, with-
out getting a shot at her; I came back to the encampment,
where I found my two men with meat enough, but in the
most uncontrollable rage, for my coffee had all boiled out,
and the coffee-pot was melted to pieces I
This was truly a deplorable accident, and one that could
in no effectual way be remedied. We afterwards botched
up a mess or two of it in our frying-pan, but to little
purpose, and then abandoned it to Bogard alone, who
thankfully received the dry coffee-grounds and sugar, at
his meals, which he soon entirely demolished.
We met immense numbers of buffaloes in the early part
of our voyage and used to land our canoe almost every
hour in the day ; and oftentimes all together approach the
unsuspecting herds, through some deep and hidden ravine
within a few rods of them, and at the word, " pull trigger,"
each of us bring down our victim.
In one instance, near the mouth of White Biver, we
met the most immense hei'd crossing the Missouri River —
and from an imprudence got our boat into imminent
danger amongst them, from which we were highly de-
lighted to make our escape. It was in the midst of the
'' running season," and we had heard the " roaring" (as it
is called) of the herd, when we were several miles from
them. When we came in sight, we were actually terrified
at the immense numbers that were streaming down the
green hills on one side of the river, and galloping up and
over the bluffs on the other. The river was filled, and in
parts blackened, with their heads and horns, as they were
swimming about, following up their objects, and making
desperate battle whilst they were swimming.
I deemed it imprudent for our canoe to be dodging
amongst them, and ran it ashore for a few hours, where we
laid, waiting for the opportunity of seeing the river clear ;
but we waited in vain. Their numbers, however, got
somewhat diminished at last, and we pushed off, and
I
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
421
Buccessfully made our way amongst them. From the
immense numbers that had passed the river at that place,
they had tora down the prairie bank of fifteen feet in
height, so as to form a sort of road or landing-place,
where they all in succession clambered up. Many in their
turmoil had been wafted below this landing, and unable to
regain it against the swiftness of the current, had fastened
themselves along in crowds, hugging close to the high
bank under which they were standing. As we were
drifting by these, and supposing ourselves out of danger, I
drew up my rifle and shot one of them in the head, which
tumbled into the water, and brought with him a hundred
others, which plunged in, and in a moment were swimming
about our canoe, and placing it in great danger. No
attack was made upon us, and in the confusion the poor
beasts knew not, perhaps, the enemy that was amongst
them ; but wc were liable to be sunk by them, as they
were furiously hooking and climbing on to each other. I
rose in my canoe, and by my gestures and hallooing, kept
them from coming in contact with us, until we were out of
their reach.
This was one of the instances that I formerly spoke of,
where thousands and tens of thousands of these animals
congregate in the running season^ and move about from
East and West, or wherever accident or circumstances
may lead them. In this grand crusade, no one can know
the numbers that may have made the ford within a few
days; nor in their blinded fury in such scenes, would
feeble man be much respected.
During the remainder of that day we paddled onward,
and passed many of their carcasses floating on the current,
or lodged on the heads of islands and sand-bars. And, in
the vicinity of, and not far below the grand turmoil, we
passed several that were mired in the quicksand near the
shores ; some were standing fast and half immersjd ;
whilst others were nearly out of sight, and gasping for the
last breath ; others were standing with all legs fast, and
N
n
422
LBTTEBS AND NOTES.
one half of their bodies above the water, and their heads
Buak under it, where they had evidently remained several
days; and flocks of ravens and crows were covering their
backs and picking the flesh from their dead bodies.
So much of the Upper Missouri and its modes, at
present; though I have much more in store for some
future occasion.
Fort Leavenworth, which is on the Lower Missouri,
being below the mouth of the Platte, is the nucleus of
another neighborhood of Indians, amongst whom I am to
commence my labors, and of whom I shall soon be enabled
to give some account. So, for the present, Adieu.
%'.
LETTER No. XXXHI.
PORT LEAVENWORTH, LOWER MISSOURI
I MENTIONED in a former epistle, that this is the extreme
outpost on the Western Frontier, and built, like several
others, in the heart of the Indian . country. There is no
finer tract of lands in North America, or, perhaps, in 4he
world, than that vast space of prairie country, which lies
in the vicinity of this post, embracing it on all sides. This
garrison, like many others on the frontiers, is avowedly
placed here for the purpose of protecting our frontier
inhabitants from the incursions of Indians ; and also for
the purpose of preserving the peace amongst the different
hostile tribes, who seem continually to wage, and glory in,
(423)
424
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THB
their deadly wars. How far these feeble garrisons, whioh
are generally but half manned, have been, or will be, able
to intimidate and control the warlike ardour of these rest-
less and revengeful spirits ; or how fur they will be able in
desperate necessity, to protect the lives and property of
the honest pioneer, is yet to be tested.
They have doubtless been designed with the best views,
to effect the most humane objects, though I very much
doubt the benefits that are anticipated to flow from them,
unless a more efficient number of men are stationed in
them than I have generally found; enough to promise
protection to the Indian, and then to ensure it ; instead of
promising, and leaving them to seek it in their own way
at last, and when they are least prepared to do it.
When I speak of this post as being on the Lower
Missouri, I do not wish to convey the idea that I am down
near the sea-coast, at the mouth of the river, or near it ; I
only mean that I am on the lower part of the Missouri, yet
six hundred miles above its junction with the Mississippi,
and near two thousands from the Gulf of Mexico, into
which the Mississippi discharges its waters.
In this delightful Cantonment there are generally
stationed six or seven companies of infantry, and ten or
fifteen officers; several of whom have their wives and
daughters with them, forming a very pleasant little com-
munity, who are almost continually together in social
enjoyment of the peculiar amusements and pleasures of
this wild country. Of these pa,ptime8 they have many,
such as riding on horseback or in carriages over the
beautiful green fields of the prairies, picking strawberries
and wild plums — deer chasing — grouse shooting — horse-
racing, and other amusements of the garrison, in whioh
they are almost constantly engaged; enjoying life to a
very high degree.
In these delightful amusements, and with these pleasing
companions, I have been for a while partioipatiug with
great satisfaction ; I have joined several times in the deer-
"m
1^^
Km
K^;'
9
m^^
,yS
fm.
■■'/■";■
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
426
hunts, and more frequeutly in grouse shooting, which
constitutes the principal amusement of this place.
This delicious bird, which is found in great abundance
in nearly all the North American prairies, and most
generally called the Prairie Hen, is, from what I can
learn, very much like the English grouse, or heath hen,
both in size, in color, and in habits. They make their
appearance in these parts in the months of August and
September, from the higher latitudes, where they go in the
early part of the summer, to raise their broods. This is the
^eas(a for the best sport amongst them; and the whole
garrison, in fact are almost subsisted on them at this time,
owing to the facility with which they are kUled.
PRAIBIl Hlir
I was lucky enough the other day, with one of the
officers of the garrison, to gain the enviable distinction of
haying brought in together seventy-five of these fine birds,
which we killed in one afternoon ; and although 1 am quite
ashamed to confess the manner in which we killed the
greater part of them, I am not so professed a sportsman as
to induce me to conceal the fact. We had a fine pointer,
and had legitimately followed the sportsman's style for a
part of the afternoon ; but seeing the prairies on fire
several miles ahead of us, and the wind driving the fire
426
LBTTBRS AND NOTES ON THB
gradually towards us, we found these poor birds driven
before its long line, which seemed to extend from horizon
to horizon, and they were flying in swarms or flocks that
would at times almost fill the air. They generally flew
half a mile or so, and lit down again in the grass, where
they would sit until the fire was close upon them, and then
thoy would rise again. We observed by watching their
motions, that they lit in great numbers in every solitary
tree ; and we placed ourselves near each of these trees in
turn, and shot them down as they settled in them ; some-
times killing five or six at a shot, by getting a range
upon them.
In this way we retreated for miles before the flames, in
the midst of the flocks, and keeping company with them
where they were carried along in advance of the fire, in
accumulating numbers ; many of which had been driven
along for many miles. We murdered the poor birds in
this way, until we had as many as we could well carry,
and laid our course back to the Fort, where we got much
credit for our great shooting, and where we were mutually
pledged to keep the secret.
The prairies burning form some of the most beautiful
scenes that are to be witnessed in this country, and also
some of the most sublime. Every acre of these vast
prairies (being covered for hundreds and hundreds of
miles, with a crop of grass, which dies and dries in the
fall) burns over during the fall or early in the spring,
leaving the ground of a black doleful color.
There are many modes by which the fire is communi-
cated to them, both by white men and by Indians— ^ar
accident; and yet many more where it is voluntarily done
for the purpose of getting a fresh crop of grass, for the
grazing of their horses, and also for easier travelling
during the next summer, when there will be no old grass
to lie upon the prairies, entangling the feet of man and
horse, as they are passing over them.
Over the elevated lands and prairie bluffs, where thf
' ■'■1
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
427
grass is tbin and short, the fire siowlj creeps with a feeble
flame, which one can easily step over ; where the wild ani
mals often rest in their lairs until the flames almost bum
their uoses, when they will reluctantly rise, and leap over
it, and trot off amongst the cinders, where the fire has passed
and left the ground as black as jet. These scenes at night
become indescribably beautiful, when their flames are seen
at many miles distance, creeping over the sides and tops of
the bluffs, appearing to be sparkling and brilliant chains of
lic^uid fire (the hills being lost to the view), hanging sua
pended in graceful festoons from the skies.
But there is yet another character of burning prairies,
that requires another Letter, and a different pen to describe
— the war, or hell of fires 1 where the grass is seven or eight
feet high, as is often the case for many miles together, on
the Missouri bottoms ; and the flames are driven forward by
the huricanes, which often sweep over the vast prairies of
this denuded country. There are many of these meadows
on the Missouri, the Platte, and the Arkansas, of many
miles in breadth, which are perfectly level, with a waving
grass, so high, that we are obliged to stand erect in
our stirrups, in order to look over its waving tops as we are
riding through it. The fire in these, beibre such a wind,
travels at an immense and frightful rate, and often destroys,
on their fleetest horses, parties of Indians, who are so un-
lucky as to be overtaken by it ; not that it travels as fast as
a horse at full speed, but that the high grass is filled with
wild pea-vines, and other impediments, which render it
necessary for the rider to guide his horse in the zig-zag
paths of the deers and buffialoes, retarding his progress,
until he is overtaken by the dense column of smoke that
is swept before the fire — alarming the horse, which stops
and stands terrified and immutable, till the burning grass
which is wafted in the wind, falls about him, kindling up
in a moment a thousand new fires, which are instantly
wrapped in the swelling flood of smoke that is moving
'/
BBS
r28
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
on like a black thunder-cloud, ivilling on the earth, with
its lightning's glare, and its thunder rumbling as it goes.
■:» #*#*'» *
When Ba'tiste, and Bogard, and I, and Patrick Ramond
(who like Bogard had been a free trapper in the Rocky
Mountains), and Puh-meo-ne-qua (the red thunder), our
guide back from a neighboring village, were jogging
along on the summit of an elevated bluflf overlooking an
immense vul'ey of high grass, through which we were
about to lay our course. » » » *
" Well, then, you say you have seen the prairies on fire ?'^
Yes. " You have seen the tire on the mountains, and
beheld it feebly creeping over the grassy hills of the North,
where the toad and the timid snail were pacing from its
approach — all this you have seen, and who has not ? But
who has seen the vivid lightnings, and heard the roaring
thunder of the rolling conflagration which sweeps over the
deep-clad prairies of the West? Who has dashed, on his-
wild horse, through an ocean of grass, with the raging
tempest at his back, rolling over the land its swelling waves
of liquid fire?" What! "Aye, even so. Ask the red
savage of the wilds what is awful and sublime. Ask him
where the Great Spirit has mixed up all the elements of
death, and if he does not blow them over the iand in a storm
of fire ? Ask him what foe he has met, that regarded not
his frightening yells, or his sinewy bow ? Ask th&se lords'
of the land, who vauntingly challenge the thunder and
lightning of Heaven — whether there is not one foe that
travels over their land, too swift for their feet, and too-
mighty for their strength — at whose approach their stout
I hearts sicken, and their strong-armed courage withers to
nothing ? Ask him again (if he is sullen, and his eyes set in
their sookets)— * Hush I ^sh! shl' — he will tell
you, (with a soul too proud to confess — his head sunk on hia,
breast, and his hand over his mouth) — ' that's medicine /' "
« • « * « « «
NOUTil AMERICAN I>DIANS.
429
eI
I said to my comrades, as we were about to descend
from the towering bluffs into tlie prairie — " We will take
that buffalo trail, where the travelling herds have slashed
down the high grass, and making for that blue point,
rising, as you can just discern, above this ocean of grass :
a good day's work will bring us oyer this vast meadow
before sunset." We entered the trail, and slowly progressed
on our way, being obliged to follow the winding paths
of the buffaloes, for the grass was higher than the backs of
our horses. Soon after we entered, my Indian guide dis-
mounted slowly from his horse, and lying prostrate on the
ground, with his face in the dirt, he cried, and was talking
to the Spirits of the brave — ''For," said he, "over this
beautiful plain dwells the Spirit of fire ! he rides in yonder
cloud — his face blackens with rage at the sound of the
trampling hoofs — the fire-how is in his hand — he draws it
across the path of the Indian, and quicker than lightning, a
thousand flames rise to destroy him; such is the talk of my
fathers, and the ground is whitened with their bones. It
was here," said he, " that the brave son of Wah-chee-ton,
and the strong-armed warriors of his band just twelve
moons since, licked the fire from the blazing wand of that
great magician. Their pointed spears were drawn upon
the backs of the treacherous Sioux, whose swifter-flying
horses led them, in vain, to the midst of this valley of
death. A circular cloud sprang up from the prairie around
them I it was raised, and their doom was fixed by the
Spirit of fire. It was on this vast plain of fire-grass that
waves over our heads, that the swift foot of Mah-to-ga was
laid. It is here, also, that the fleet-bounding wild horse
mingles his bones with the red man ; and the eagle's wing
is melted as he darts over its surface. Friends I it is the
season of fire ; and I fear, from the smell of the wind, that
the Spirit is awake!"
Pah-Die-o-ne-qua said no more, but mounted his wild
horse, and waving his hand, his red shoulders were seen
rapidly vanishing as he glided through the thick mazes of
480
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
waving grasd. Wo were on his trail, and busily traced
him until the midday-sun had brought us to the ground,
with our refreshments spread before us. He partook of
them not, but stood like a statue, while his black eyes, in
sullen silence, swept the horizon round; and then with a
deep-drawn sigh, he gracefully sunk to the earth, and laid
with his face to the ground. Our buffalo tongues and
pemican, and marrow-fat, were spread before us; and wo
were in the full enjoyment of these dainties of the Western
world, when, quicker than the frightened elk, our Indian
friend sprang upon his feet! His eyes skimmed again
slowly over the prairies' surface, and he laid himself as
before on the ground.
" Red Thunder seems sullen to-day," said Bogard — " lie
startles at every rush of the wind, and scowls at the whole
world that is about him."
" There's a rare chap for you — a fellow who would shake
his fist at Heaven, when he is at home; and here in a
grass-patch, must make bis fire-medicine for a circumstance
that he could easily leave at a shake of his horses' heels."
" Not sae sure o' that, my hooney, though we'll not be
making too lightly of the matter, nor either be frightened
at the mon's strange octions. But, Bogard, I'll tell ye in a
'ord (and thot's enough), there's something more than odds
in all this 'meiiomc' If this mon's a fool, he was born out
of his own country, that's all — and if the divil iver gits
him, he must take him cowld, for he is too swift and too
wide-awake to be taken alive — you understond thot, I
e ippouse? But, to come to the plain matter — supposia
that the Fire Spirit (and I go for somewhat of witchcraft),
I- say supposin that this Fire Spirit should jist impty his
pipe on tother side of this prairie, and strike up a bit of a
blaze in this high grass, and send it packing across in this
direction, before sich a death of a wind as this is 1 By the
bull barley, I'll bet you'd be after ' making mediciney and
taking a bit of it, too, to get rid of the racket."
" Yes, but you see, Patrick —
NORTH AMKKICAN INDIAN'S.
481
"Ncever mind thot (not wishiii to distaib you); and
suppouse the blowia wind was coming fast ahead, jist
blowin about out ears a warld of smoke and chokin us to
dith, and we were dancin about a Varginny reel among
these little paths, where the divil would we be by the time
we got to that blufl^ for it's noo fool of a distance ? Given
you time to spake, I would say a word more (askin your
pardon), I know by the expression oi your face, mon, you
never have seen the world on fire yet, and therefore you
know nothin at all of a hurly burly of this kind — did ye ?
— did ye iver see (and I jist want to know,) did ye iver see
the fire in high-grass, runnin with a strong wind, about
five mile and the half, and thin hear it strike into a skuh
of dry cane brake II I would jist ax you that? By
thuneder you niver have — for your eyes would jist stick
out of your head at the thought of it ! Did ye iver look
way into the backside of Mr. Maelzel's Moscow, and see
the flashin flames a runniu up ; and then hear the poppin
of the militia fire jist afterwards? then you have jist a
touch of itl ye're jist beginnin — ye may talk about fires
— but this is sich a haste of a fire I Ask Jack Sanford, he's
a chop that can tell you all aboot it. Not wishin to
distarb you, I would say a word more — and that is this —
If I were advisin, I would say that we are gettin too far
into this imbustible meadow ; for the grass is dry, and the
wind is too strong to make a light matter of, at this season
of the year; an now I'll jist tell ye how M'Kenzie and I
were sarved in this very place about two years ago ; and
he's a worldly chop, and niver aslape, my word for that
^hollo, what's thatl"
Bed Thunder was on his feet! — his long arm was
stretched over the grass, and his blazing eye-balls starting
from their sockets! "White man (said he), see ye that
small cloud lifting itself from the prairie? he rises! the
hoofs of our horses have waked him ! The Fire Spirit is
awake — this wind is from his nostrils, and his face is this
wav !" No more — but his swift horse darted under him,
432
LETTERS AND N0TB3 ON THF
ami he gracefully slid over the waving grass as it was bent
by the wind. Our viands were left, and we were swift on
his trail. The extraordinary leaps of his wild horse, occa-
sionally raised his red shoulders to view, and he sank
again in the waving billows of grass. The tremulous
wind was hurrying by us fast, and on it was borne the
agitated wing of the soaring eagle. His neck was stretched
for the towering bluff, and the thrilling screams of his
voice told the secret that was behind him. Our horses
were swift, and we struggled hard, yet hope was feeble, for
the bluff was yet bltie, and nature nearly exhausted 1 The
sunshine was dying, and a cool shadow advancing over the
plain. Not daring to look back, we strained every nerve.
The roar of a distant cataract seemed gradually advancing
on us — the winds increased, the howling tempest was
maddening behind us — and the swift-winged beetle and
heath hena, instinctively drew their straight lines over our
heads. The fleet-bounding antelope passed us also; and
the atill amfter long-legged hare, who leaves but a shadow
as he flies 1 Here was no time for thought — but I recollect
the heavens were overcast — the distant thunder was heard
— the lightning's glare was reddening the scene — and the
smell that came on the winds struck terror to my soul 1 *
* * * * * The piercing yell of
my savage guide at this moment came back upon the
winds — his robe was seen waving in the air, and his
foaming horse leaping up the towering bluff.
Our breath and our sinews, in this last struggle for life,
were just enough to bring us to its summit. "We had risen
from 9, 8M. of fire I "Great Godl (I exclaimed) how
sublime to gaze into that valley, where the elements of
nature are so strangely convulsed I" Ask not the poet or
painter how it looked, for they can tell you not; but ask
the naked savage, and watch the electric twinge of his
manly nerves and muscles, as he pronounces the length-
ened " hush sh ^" his hand on his mouth, and hi^
glaring eye-balls looking you to the very soul !
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
438
I beheld beneath me an immense cloud of black smoke,
which extended fVom one extremity of this vast plain to the
other, and seemed majestically to roll over its surface in a
bed of liquid fire ; and above this mighty desolation, as it
rolled along, the whitened smoke, pale with terror, was
streaming and rising up in magnificent cliffs to heaven I
I stood aeeurej but tremblingly, and heard the maddening
wind, which hurled this numster o'er the land — I heard the
roaring thunder, and saw its thousand lightnings flash ; and
then I e>aw behind, the black and smoking desolation of tbi<
ofjhre/
28
LETTER No. XXXIV.
FORT LEAVENWORTH, LOWER MISSOURI
Since writing tHe last epistle, some coDsiderable time haa
olapsed, which has, nevertheless, been filled up and used to
advantage, as I have been moving about and using my brush
amongst different tribes in this vicinity. The Indiana
that may be said to belong to this vicinity, and who-
constantly visit this post, are the loways — Konzas —
Pawnees — Omahas — Ottoes, and Missouries (primitive),,
and Delawares — Kickapoos — Potawatomies — Weahs — Peo-
rias — Shawanos, Kaskaskias (semi-civilized remnants of
tribes that have been removed to this neighborhood by
the Government, within the few years past). These latter*
named tribes are, to a considerable degree, agriculturalists ;.
getting their living principally by ploughing, and raising;
(434)
! f
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
4»5
Ht
m^'
corn and cattle and horses. They have been left on the
frontier, surrounded by civilized neighbours, where they
have at length been induced to sell out their lands, or ex-
change thera for a much larger tract of wild lands in these
regions, which the Government has purchased from the
wilder tribes.
Of the first named, the loways may be said to be the
farthest departed from primitive modes, as they are depend-
ing chiefly on their corn-fields for subsistence ; though their
appearance, both in their dwellings and personal looks,
dress, modes, &c., is that of the primitive Indian.
The loways are a small tribe, of about fourteen hundred
persons, living in a snug little village within a few miles of
the eastern bank of the Missouri River, a few miles above
this place.
The present chief of this tribe is Notch-ee-ning-a (the
white cloud,) the son of a very distinguished chief of the
same name, who died recently, after gaining the love of his
tribe, and the respect of all the civilized world who knew
him. If my time and space will admit it, and I should not
forget it, I shall take another occasion to detail some of the
famous transactions of his signal life.
The son of White Cloud, who is now chief, was tastefully
dressed with a bufialo robe, wrapped around him, with a
necklace of grizzly bears' claws on his neck ; with shield,
bow, and quiver on, and a profusion of wampum strings on
his neck.
Wy-ee-yogh (the man of sense), is another of this tribe,
much distinguished for his bravery and early warlike
achievements. His head was dressed with a broad silver
band passing around it, and decked out with the crest of
horse-hair.
Pah-ta-coo-ohe (the shooting cedar), and Was-com-mun
(the busy man), are also distinguished warriors of the tribe*
tastefully dressed and equipped, tlie one with his war-club
on his arm, the other with bow and arrows in his hand ;
both wore around their waists beautiful buffalo robes, and
V
486
I,E ITERS AND NOTES ON THE
both had turbans made of varicolored cotton shawls, pur
chased of the Fur Traders. Around their necks were
necklaces of the bears' claws, and a profusion of beads ana
l! .
Ilii
$■']
m
TIIR NECKLACE OF BRARS' CLAWS.
wampum. Their ears were profusely strung with beads;
and tbeir nuked shoulders curiously streaked and daubed
with red paint.
The Konzas, of one thousand five hundred and sixty
souls, reside at the distance of sixty or eighty miles from
NOKTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
437
this place, on the Konzas River, fifty miles above its union
with the Missouri, from the West.
This tribe has undoubtedly sprung from the Osages, as
their personal appearance, language and traditions clearly
prove. They are living adjoining to the Osages at this
time, and although a kindred people, have sometimes
deadly warfare with them. The present chief of this tribe
is known by the name of the " White Plume ;" a very
urbane and hospitable man, of good portly size, speaking
some English, and making himself good company for all
white persons who travel through his country and have the
good luck to shake his liberal and hospitable hand.
It has been to me a source of much regret, that I did not
get the portrait of this celebrated chief; but I have painted
several others distinguished in the tribe, which are fair
specimens of these people. Sho-mecos-se (the wolf), a chief
of some distinction, with a bold and manly outline of head;
exhibiting, like most of this tribe, an Europ ./i;; outline of
features, signally worthy the notice of the en*;; airing world.
The head of this chief was most curiously; oraamentod, and
his neck bore a profusion of wampum striogs.
The custom of shaving the head, auA ornamenting it
with the crest of deer's hair, belongs to this tribe; and also
to the Osages, the Pawnees, the Sacs, and Foxes, and
loways, and to no other tribe that I know of; unless it be
in some few instances, where individuals have introduced
it into their tribes, merely by way of imitation.
With these tribes, the custom is one uniformly adhered
to by every man in the nation ; excepting some few
irrstances along the frontier, where efforts are made xo
imitate white men, by allowing the hair to grow out.
The hair is cut as close to the head as possible, except
a tuft the size of the palm of the hand, on the crown of the
head, which is left of two inches in length; and in the
centre of which is fastened a beautiful crest made of the
hair of the deer's tail (dyed red) and horse-hair, and often-
times surmounted with the war-eagle's quill. In the centra
438
LEITEBS AND NOTES ON THB:
/
of the patch of hair, which I said was left of a couple of
inches in length, is preserved a small lock, which is never
cut, but cultivated to the greatest length possible, and uni-
formly kept in braid, and passed through a piece of
curiously carved bone; which lies in the centre of the
crest, and spreads it out to its uniform shape, which they
study with great care to preserve. Through this little
braid, and outside of the bone, passes a small wooden or
bone key, which holds the crest to the head. This little
braid is called in these tribes, the "acaZp-focA;," and is
scrupulously preserved iu this way, and oflfered to their
enemy if they can get it, as a trophy ; which it seems in all
tribes they are anxious to yield to their conquerors, in case
tliey are killed in battle ; and which it would be considered
cowardly and disgraceful for a warrior to shave off, leaving
nothing for his enemy to grasp for, when ho falls into his
hands in the events of battle.
Amongst those tribes who thus shave and ornament their
heads, the crest is uniformly blood-red; and the u- per part
of the head, and generally a considerable part of the face, as
red as they can possibly make it with vermilion. I found
these people cutting off the hair with small scissors, which
they purchase of the Fur Traders ; and they told me that
previous to getting scissors, they cut it away with their
knives ; and before they got knives, they were in the habit
of burning it off with red hot stones, which was a very
slow and painful operation.
With the exception of these few, all the other tribes in
North America cultivate the hair to the greatest length
they possibly can ; preserving it to flow over their shoulders
and backs in great profusion, and quite unwilling to spare
the smallest lock of it for any consideration.
The Pawnees are a very powerful and warlike nation,
living on the river Platte, about one hundred miles from
its junction with the Missouri ; laying claim to, and exercising
Bway over, the whole country, from its mouth to the base
of the Rocky Mountains.
VV,
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
489
The present number of this tribe is ten or twelve
thousand; about one half the number they had in ''882,
t'
1 PAWNRIl! WARRIOR.
when tbat most appalling diseaao, the small-pox, was
accidentally introduced amongst them by the Fur Traders,
and whisky sellers ; when ten tboiiaund (or more) of them
perished in the course of a few months.
The Omahaws, of fifteen huudrud ; the OUuti of six
il
I
1 ■.3;
"i ^ 'f;
J J""'
II
i-LO
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
hundred ; and Missouries of four hundred, who are now
liv ; ui; under the protection and surveillance of the Pawnees^
ai!'l in the immediate vicinity of them, were all powerful
tribes, but so reduced by this frightful disease, and at the
sjji' time, that they were unable longer to stand against
so formidable enemies as they had around them, in the
oiou^, Pawnees, Sacs, and Foxes, and at last last merged
iTit,< ♦he Pawnee tribe, under whose wing and protection
tt'-y now live.
TLe period of this awful calamity in these regions, was
one that will be long felt, and long preserved in the tradi-
tions of these people. The great tribe of the Sioux, of
whom I have heretofore spoken, suffered severely with the
same disease ; as well as the Osages and Konzas ; and par*
ticularly the unfortunate Puncahs, who were almost extin-
guished by it.
The destructive ravages of this most fatal disease amongst
these poor people, who knew of no specific for it, is beyond
the knowledge, and almost beyond the belief, of the civil-
ized wrorld. Terror and dismay are carried with it and
awful despair, in the midst of which they plunge into the
river, when in the highest state of fever, and die in a
moment ; or dash themselves Vora precipices ; or plunge
their knives to their hearts, to rid themselves from the
pangs of slow and disgusting vieath.
Amongst the formidable tribe of Pawnees, the Fur Trad-
ers are yet doing some business ; but from what I can learn,
the Indians are dealing with some considerable distrust,
with a people who introduced so fatal a calamity amongst
them, to which one half of their tribe have fallen victims.
The Traders made their richest harvest amongst these peo-
ple, before this disease broke out; and since it subsided,
quite a number of their lives have paid the forfeit, acicording
to the Indian laws of retribution.*
* Since the above was written, I have had the yery great pleasure of
reading the notes of the HoAorable Charles A. Murray, (who was for
■everal months a guest among tt the Pawnees), and also of being several
nilM
ill
NORTH AMERICAX INDIANS.
Ui
The Pawnees have ever been looked upon, as a very
warlike and hostile tribe; and unusually so, since the
calamity which I have mentioned.
Major Dougherty, ol whom I have heretofore spoken.
has been for several years their agent ; and by his unre
mitted endeavor, with an unequalled familiarity with
the Indian character, and unyielding integrity of purpose,
has successfully restored and established a system of good
feeling and respect between them and the "pale faces,'*
upon whom they looked, naturally and experimentally, as
their destructive enemies.
The Pawnees are divided into four bands, or families —
designated by the names of Grand Pawnees — Tappage
Pawnees — Republican Pawnees, and "Wolf Pawnees.
Each of these bauds has a chief at its head ; which
times a fellow-traveller with him in America; and at last a debtor Uy
him for his signal kindness and friendship in London.
Mr. Murray's account of the Pawnees, as far as he saw them, is with
out donbt drawn with great fidelity, and he makes them out a pretty bad
set of fellows. As I have before mentioned, there is probaly not an-
other tribe on the Continent, that has been more abused and incensed
by the system of trade, and money-making, than the Pawnees ; and the-
Honorable Mr. Murray, with his companion, made hia way boldly into
the heart of their country, without guide or interpreter, and I consider
at great hazard to his life ; and, from all the circumstances, I have been
ready to congratulate him on getting out of their country as well as he
did.
J mentioned in a former page, the awful destruction of this tribe by
the small-pox ; a few years previous to which, some one of the Pur
Traders visited a threat upon these people, that if they did not comply
with some condition, " he would let the small-pox out of a bottle and
destroy the whole of them." The pestilence has since been introduced
accidently amongst them by the Traders ; and the standing tradition of
the tribe now is that " the Traders opened a bottle and let it out to
destroy them." Undf r such circumstances, from amongst a people who
have been impoverished by the system of trade, without any body to
protect him, I cannot but congratulate my Honorable friend for his
peaceable retreat, where others before him have been less fortunate }
Hiid regret at tbe F.f'.p' - ';ae, that he eould not have been my companioa
' some otiiars of thv : t oiote tribes.
ifi I
442
LETTERS AND NOTES.
chiefs, with all the nation, acknowledge a superior chief at
whose voice they all move.
The Pawnees live in four villages, some few miles apart,
on the banks of the Platte river, having their allies the
Omahas and Ottoes so near to them as easily to act in
concert, in oase of invasion from any other tribe ; and from
the fact that half or more of them are supplied with guns
and ammunition, they are able to withstand the assaults ot
any tribe that may come upon them.
Of these wild tribes I have much more in store to
say in future, and shall certainly make another budget of
Letters from this place, or from other regions from whence
I may wish to write, and possibly lack material! All of
these tribes, as well as the numerous semi- civilized rem-
nants of tribes, that have been thrown out from the borders
of our settlements, have missionary establishments and
schools, as well as agricultural efforts amongst them ; and
will furnish valuable evidence as to the success that those
philanthropic and benevolent exertions have met with, con-
tending (as they have had to do) with the contaminating
influences of whisky-sellers, and other mercenary men.
catering for their purses and their unholy appetites.
LETTER No. XXXV.
ST. LOUIS, Missoum.
Mt little bark has been soaked in the water again,
and Ba'tiste and Bogard have paddled, and I have
steered and dodged our litle craft amongst snags and
sawyers, until at last we landed the humble little thing
amongst the huge steamers and floating palaces at the
wharf of this bustling and growing city.
And first of all, I must relate the fate of my little boat,
which had borne us safe over two thousand miles of the
Missouri's turbid and boiling current, with no fault, except-
ing two or three instances, when the waves became too
saucy, she, like the best of boats of her size, went to the
bottom, and left us soused, to paddle our way to the shore,
and drag out our things and dry them in the sun.
(443)
u
LKTIKKH .VNI> NOTKS ON THK
r!
Wlh'ii we lumlr.l ill, \\u) wlmrf, my luggago was all lukoN
out, iin<l roiiiovod to my liotol; and when I returned ii I'ow
houi -1 alVerwardH, to look lor my little boat, to which T had
foiitrueted a pivuliiir att; ;hincnt (although I had leit it in
Hpooiid ( harge of a person at work on the wharf) ; some
mystery or medicine operation had relieved mo from any
further anxiety or trouble about it — it hud gone and never
returned, although it had safely piiHsed the countriott of
iiiysterios, and had often laid weekH and months at the
village.4 of red men, with no luws to guard it ; and where
it had id.so oilen been taken out of the water by my$tery-
men, and carried up tie bank, and turned against my
wigwuni; ail by then' again safely carried to the river's
edge, and put uiloat upon the water, when I was ready to
take a seat in it.
St. Louis, which is fourteen hundred miles west of Now
York, is a flourishing city, and destined to be the great
emporium of the West — the greatest inland town in
America. Its location is on the Western bank of the
Mississippi river, twenty miles below the mouth of the
Missouri, and fourteen hundred ibove the entrance of the
Mississippi into the Gulf of Mcmoo.
This is the great depot of all the Fur Trading Companies
to the Upper Missouri and Bocky Mountains, and their
starting-place ; and also for the Santa Fe, and other
Trading Companies, who reach the Mexican borders over-
land, to trade for silver bullion, fVom the extensive mines
of that rich country.
I have also made it my starting-point, and place of
deposit, to which I send from different quarters, my
packages of paintings and Indiati articles, minerals, fossils,
&o., as I collect them in various regions, here to be stored
till my return; and where on my last return, if I ever
make it, I shall hustle them altogether, and ren • them
to the East.
To this place I had transmitted by steamer her
oonveyanoe, about twenty boxes and packages at dillcrcnt
NOUTH AMKUK.'AN INDIA
446
i-WWj',
times, as my itotubuok slicwcd ; aiu i Uav< , on looking
thum up and oniiinurntiiig tlioin, bu< '-y enough to
r(!covor uiid rooogni/.o ubout lilloon < f tii. twoiii v, wliioh is
u prulty t'uir proportion ibr this wiM and denperate oountry,
and thu vury conscietUioua hands thoy oflon uro doomed to
piiMS througlu
Ha'tiste and IJogurd (poor fellows) I found, after re-
nudiiing here a ibw days, had been about as uncero-
nioniously snutohod olV, as my little canoe; and Bogard, in
purticulur, as he had mudu show of a few hundred dollars*
whiuli he had saved of his hard earnings in the Booky
Mountains.
He eame down with a liberal heart, which he had
learne*! in an Indian life of ten years, with a strong taste,
wliioh he had aoquirod, for whisky, in a country where it
was sold for twenty dollars per gallon ; and with an in-
dependent feeling, which ill harmonised with rules and
regulations of a country uf laws; and the consequence
soon was, that by the " Hawk \\rn\ Buzzard" system, and
Bouky Mountain liberality, and Kooky Mountain prod,
gality, the poor fellow was soon "jugged up;" where ho
oould deliberately dream of beavers, and the free and
cooling breezes of the mountain air, without the pleasure
of setting his trap for the one, or even indulging the hope
of ever again having the pleasure of breathing the other.
I had imbibed rather less of these delightful passions in
the Indian country, and consequently indulged less in
them when I cume back ; and of course, was rather more
fortunate than poor Bogard, whose feelings I soothed as
far as it laid in my power, and prepared to " lay my
course" to the South, with colors and canvass in readiness
for another campaign.
In my sojourn in St. Louis, amongst many other kind
And congenial friends whom I met, I have had daily
interviews with the venerable Governor Clarke, whose
whitened looks are still shaken in roars of laughter, and
good jests among the numerous citizens, who all love
^,
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IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)
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Photographic
Sciences
Corporation
23 WIST MAIN STREET
WEBSTER, N.Y. MSaO
(716)872-4503
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146
LETTERS AND NOTES.
him, and continually rally around him in his hospitable
mansion.
Governor Clarke, with Captain Lewis, were the first
explorers across the Eocky Mountains, and down the
0:)lumbiato the Pacific Ocean, thirty-two years ago; whose
tour has been published in a very interesting work, which
has long been before the world. My works and my design
have been warmly approved and applauded by this
excellent patriarch of the Western World; and kindly
recommended by him in such ways as have been of great
service to me. Governor Clarke is now Superintendent of
Indian Affairs for all the Western and North Western
regions ; and surely, their interests could never have been
intrusted to better or abler hands.*
So long have I been recruiting, and enjoying the society
of friends in this town, that the navigation of the river has
suddenly closed, being entirely frozen over; and the
earth's surface covered with eighteen inches of drifting
snow, which has driven me to the only means, and I start
in a day or two, witb a tough little pony and a packhorse,
to trudge through the snow drifts from this to New
Madrid, and perhaps further ; a distance of three or four
hundred miles to the South — where I must venture to
meet a warmer climate — the river open, and steamers
running, to waft me to the Gulf of Mexico. Of the fate or
success that waits me, or of the incidents of that travel, as
they have not transpired, I can as yet say nothing; and I
close my book for further time and future entries.
* Some year or two after writing the above, I saw the annonncement
of the death cf this veteran, whose life has beep one of faithfnl service
to his country, and, at the same time, of strictest fidelity as the gaardian
and firiead of the red man.
LETTER No. XXXVL
PENSACOLA, WEST FLORIDA.
Fbom my long silence of late, you will no doubt have
deemed me out of the eiviUzed and perhaps out of the
whole world.
I have, to be sure, been a great deal of the time out of
the Umita of one and, at times, nearly out ^the other. Yet
I am living, and hold in my possession a number of epistles
which passing events had dictated, but which I neglected
to transmit at the proper season. In my headlong transit
through the Southern tribes of Indians, I have "popped
otU" of the woods upon this glowing land, and I cannot
forego the pleasure of letting you into a few of the secrets
of this delightful place.
"Floa^floris" &o., every body knows the meaning of;
and Florida^ in Spanish, is a country of flowers. — Perdido
(447)
448
LETTERS AXD NOTES ON THE
is perdition, and Rio Perdido, River of Perditum. Looking
down its perpendicular banks into its black water, its
depth would seem to be endless, and the doom of the un>
wary to be gloomy in the extreme. Step not accidentally
or wilfully over its fatal brink, and Nature's opposite
extreme is spread about you. You are literally in the land
of the " cypress and myrtle"— where the ever-green live-
oak and lofty magnolia dress the forest in a perpetual
mantle of green.
The sudden transition from the ice-bound regions of the
North to this mild climate, in the midst of winter, is one of
peculiar pleasure. At a half-way of the distance, one's
cloak is thrown aside; and arrived on the ever- verdant
borders of Florida, the bosom is opened and bared to the
soft breeze from the ocean's wave, and the congenial
warmth of a summer's sun.
Such is the face of Nature here in the rude month of
February; green peas are served on the table — other
garden vegetables in great perfection, and garden flowers,
a& well as wild, giving their full and sweetest perftime to
the winds.
I looked into the deep and bottomless Perdido, and
beheld about it the thov ^ charms which Nature has
spread to allure the unw. : traveller to its brink. 'Twas
not enough to entangle him in a web of sweets upon its
borders, but Nature seems to have used an art to draw
him to its bottom, by the voluptuous buds which blossom
under its black waters, and whose vivid colors are softened
and enriched the deeper they are seen below its surface.
The sweetest of wild flowers enamel the shores and spangle
the dark green tapestry which hangs over its bosom — the
stately magnolia towers fearlessly over its black waters,
and sheds (with the myrtle and jessamine) the richest
perfume over this chilling pool of death.
How exquisitely pure and sweet are the delicate tendrils
which Nature has hung over these scenes of melancholy
and gloom t and how strong, also, has she fixed in man's
■iBP
?-'■, V
Si,
NORTH AMERICAN INDIAN'S,
4ii)
breast the passion to possess and enjoy them ! I couM
liave hung by the tree tops over that fatal strenm, ar
"blindly staggered over its thorny brink to have oulbd (b9
«weets which are found only in its bosom ; but the
voisonoua fang, I was told, was continually aimed At my
heel, and I left the sweetened atmosphere of its dark and
gloomy, yet enamelled shores.
Florida is, in a great degree, a dark and sterile wilddf'
ness, yet with spots of beauty and of lovelinegg, with
charms that cannot be forgotten. Her swamps and 6v@r'
glades, the dens of alligators, and lurking places of tbi9
•desperate savage, gloom the thoughts of the wary trav«ll@r,
whose mind is cheered and lit to admiration, when in th@
solitary pine woods, where he hears nought but the ecbaiag
notes of the sand-hill cranes, or the howliag wolf, b#
suddenly breaks out into the open savannahs, teeming
with their myriads of wild flowers, and palmetton; or
where the winding path through which he is wending bif
lonely way, suddenly brings him out upon the bsaeh,
where the rolling sea has thrown up her thousands of billi
and mounds of sand as white as the drifted snow, ov@r
which her green waves are lashing, and sliding back again
to her deep green and agitated bosom.
The hills of sand are as purely white as snow, and fifty Of
sixty feet in height, and supporting on their tops, and in
their sides, clusters of magnolia bushes — of rayrtle=»of
palmetto and heather, all of which are ever-greens, fbrming
the most vivid contrast with the snow-white sand in wbioh
they are growing. On the beach a family of Seminok
Indians are encamped, catching and drying red fiib, tbdif
chief article of food.
I have traversed the snow-white shores of Pensaook')!
beautiful bay, and I said to myself, "Is it possible that
Nature has done so much in vain— or will the mm\om of
man lead him to add to such works tlie embellishments of
art, and thus convert to his own use and enjoyment tb@
greatest luxuries of life?" As a travelling »trmmr
29
150
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THl
through the place, I said " yes : it must be so." Naturft
has hero tunned the finest harbour in the world ; and the
dashing waves of the ocean have thrown around its shores
the purest barriers of sund, as white as the drifted snow.
Unlike all other Southern ports, it is surrounded by living
fountains of the purest water, and its shores continually
faulted by the refreshing breathings of the sea. To a
Northern man, the winters in this place appear like a
continual spring time; and the intensity of a summer's
sun is cooled into comfort and luxury by the ever-cheering
sea-breeze.
This is the only place I have found in the Southern
country to which Northern people can repair with safety in
the summer season; and I know not of a place in the
world where they can go with better guarantees of good
health, and a reasonable share of the luxuries of life. The
town of Fensaoola is beautifully situated on the shore of
the bay, and contains at present about fifteen hundred
inhabitants, most of them Spanish Creoles. They live an
easy and idle life, without any energy further than for the
mere means of living. The bay abounds in the greatest
variety of fish, which are easily taken, and the finedt
quality of oysters are fraud in profusion, even alongside of
the wharves.
Government having fixed upon this harbor as the great
naval depot for all the Southern coast, the consequence will
be, that a vast sum of public money will always be put
into circulation in this place ; and the officers of the navy,
together with the officers of the army, stationed in the
three forts built and now building at this place, will oon*
Btitute the most polished and desirable society in our
country.
Of the few remnants of Indians remaining in this part ot
the country, I have little to say at present, that could
interest you. The sum total that can be learned or seen of
them (like all others that are half civilized) is, that they ard
to be pitied.
KOBTU AUKRICAN INDIANS.
461
The direful *' trump of war " is blowiug in East FloridSi,
ivhere I was " steering my ooursu ; " and I shall in a few
days turn my steps in a different direction.
Since you last heard from me, I have added un to my form-
er Tour " down the river, " the remainder of the Mississippi
(or rather Missouri), from St. Louis to New Orleans ; and I
find that, from its source to the Balize, the distance is four
thousand five hundred miles only I I shall be on the wing
again in a few days, for a shake of the hand with the Ca-
manches, Osages, Pawnees, Kiowi;ys, Arapahoe.s, &c. — some
hints of whom I shall certainly give you from their different
localities, provided I can keep the hair on my head.
This Tour will lead me up the Arkansas to its source,
and into the Bocky Mountains, under the protection of the
United States dragoons. You will begin to think ere long,
that I shall acquaint myself pretty well with the manners
and customs of our country — at least with the out-land-ish
part of it.
I shall hail the day with pleasure, when I can again reach
the free land of the lawless savage ; for far more agreeable
to my ear is the Indian yell and war-whoop, than the civilized
groans and murmurs about ^^ pressure" *^ deposits,^* ^^ banks"
^^ boundary questions" &c; and I vanish from the country
with the sincere hope that these tedious words may become
obsolete before I return. Adieu.
LETTER No. XXXVH.
FORT GIBSON, ARKANSAS TERRITORY.
SnroBthe date of my last Letter at Pensaoola, in Florida,
I trayelledto New Orleuis, «id from thence up tbeMia^
sissippi several hundred miles, to the mouth of the Arkansas ;
and up the Arkansas, seven hundred miles to this place.
We wended our way up, between the pictured shores of
this beautiful river, on the steamer "Arkansas," until
within two hundred miles of this post ; when we got aground,
and the water falling fast, left the steamer nearly on dry
ground. Hunting and fishing, and whist, and sleeping,
and eating, were our principal amusements to deceive away
the time, whilst we were waiting for the water to rise. Lieu-
tenant Seaton, of the army, was one of my companions in
misery, whilst we lay two weeks or more without prospect
of further progress — the poor fellow on his way to his post
(452)
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
458
to join his regiment, had left his trunk, unfortunately, with
all his clothes in it ; and by hunting and fishing in shirts
that I loaned him, or from other causes, we became yoked
in amusements, in catering for our table — in getting fish
and wild fowl ; and, after that, as the ♦• last kick " for amuse-
ment and pastime, with another good companion by the
name of Chad wick, we clambered up and over the rug-
ged mountains' sides, from day to day, turning stones
to catch centipedes and tarantuku, of which poisunous reptiles
we caged a number; and on the boat amused ourselves
by betting on their battles, which were immediately fought,
and life almost instantly taken, when they came to-
gether*
Tft this, and fifty other ways, we whiled away the heavy
time: but yet, at last we reached our destined goal, and
here we are at present fixed. Fort Gib'on is the extreme
south-western outpost on the Uni • ■ States frontier;
beautifully situated on the banks of the r ver, in the midst
of an extensive and lovely prairie ; and is at present occupied
by the seventh regiment of United States infantry, hereto-
fore under the command of General Arbuckle, one of the
oldest officers on the frontier, and the original builder of
the post.
Being soon to leave this little civilized world for a cam-
paign in the Indian country, I take this oppurtunity to
bequeath a few words before the moment of departure.
Having sometime since obtained permission from the Secre-
tary of War to accompany the regiment of the United
States dragoons in their summer campaign, I reported
myself at this place two months ago, where I have been
waiting ever since for their organization. — After the many
difficulties which they have had to encounter, they have at
* Several years after writing the above, I was shocked at the an-
nouncement of the death of this amiable and honorable young man,
Lieutenant Beaton, who fell a victim to the deadly disease of that
country ; severing another of the many fibres of my heart, which pecniiar
circumstances in these wild regions, had woven, but to be broken.
4^i
LEITKBS AND N0TB8 OV TUB
Ktngth all ussembled — the grassy plains arc ruHOunding
with the trampling hoofk of the prancing wur-liurse — and
already the hills are echoing back the notes of the spirit-
stirring trumpets, which are sounding for the onnet. The
natives are again " to be astonished," and I shall probably
again be a witness of the scene. But whether the approach
of eight hundred mounted dragoons amongst the Oaman-
chees and Pawnees, will afford me a better subject for a
picture of a gaping and tutounded multitude, than did the
first approach of our steamboat amongst the Mandans, &q.,
is a question yet to be solved. I am strongly inclined to
think that the scene will not be less wild and spirited, and
I ardently wish it ; for I have become so much Indian of
late, that my pencil has lost all appetite for subjects that
savors of tameness. I should delight in seeing these red
knights of the lance astonished, for it is then that they
shew their brightest hues — and I care not how badly we
frighten them, provided we hurt them not, nor frighten
them out of sketching distance. Vou will agree with me,
that I am going farther to get sitters, than any of my fellow-
artists ever did ; but I take an indescribable pleasure in
roaming through Nature's trackless wilds, and selecting my
models, where I am free and unshackled by.the killing re*
straints of society ; where a painter must modestly sit and
breathe away in agony the edge and i^oul of his inspiration,
waiting for the sluggish calls of the civil. Though the
toil, the privations, and expense of travelling to these
remote parts of the world to get subjects for my pencil
place almost insurmountable, and sometime)* paii\ful ob*
Btacles before me, yet I am encouraged by the continual
conviction that I am practising in the trw School 0/ the Arts ;
and that, though I should get as poor as Lazarus, I should
deem myself rich in models and studies for the future oc-
cupation of my life. Of this much I am certain, that
amongst these sons of the forest, where are continually
repeated the feats and gambols equal to the (Grecian Q-atnea,
I have learned more of the essential parts of my art in the
NOKTII AMKItlCAN INDIANS.
405
three latit yuan, than I could have learned in New York in
a lifo'time.
The landscape scenes of these wild and beautiful
regions, are, of thernHelves, a rich reward for the
traveller who can place them in his portfolio ; and being
myself the only one aucotnpanying the dragoons for
scientific purposes, there will be an additional pleasure to
be derived from those pursuits. The regiment of eight
hundred men, with whom I am to travel, will be an
effective force, and a perfect protection against any attacks
that will ever be made by Indians. It is composed princi-
pally of young men of respectable families, who would
act, on all occasions, from feelings of pride and honor in
addition to those of, the common soldier.
The day before yesterday the regiment of dragoons and
the 7th regiment of infantry, stationed here, were reviewed
by General Leavenworth, who has lately arrived at this
post, superseding Colonel Arbuckle in the command.
Both regiments were drawn up in battle array, in fatigue
dreaSf and passing through a number of the manoeuvres of
battle, of charge and repulse, &c., presenting a novel and
thrilling scene in the prairie, to the thousands of Indians
and others who had assembled to witness the display. The
proud and manly deportment of these young men remind
one forcibly of a regiment of Independent Volunteers, and
the horses have a most beautiful appearance from the
arrangement of colors. Each company of horses has been
aelected of one color entire. There is a company of bays, a
company of blaeJu, one of whites, one of sorrels, one of greys,
one of cream color, &o., &c., which render the companies
distinct, and the effect exceedingly pleasing. This regi-
ment goes out under the command of Colonel Dodge, and
from his well testified qualifications, and from the beautiful
equipment of the command, there can be little doubt but
that they will do credit to themselves and an honor to
their country ; so far as honors can be gained and laurels
can be plucked from their wild stems in a savage country..
456
LETTKRS AND NOTES ON TH«
The object of this sumiiier'a campaign seems to be to oul-
tivute an acquaintance with the Pawnees and Camanchees.
These are two extensive tribes of roaming Indians, who
from their extreme ignorance of ua, have not yet reoog
nized the United States in treaty, and have struck frequent
blows on our frontiers and plundered our traders who are
traversing their country. For this I cannot so much blame
them, for the Spaniards are gradually advancing upon them
on one side, and the Americans on the other, and fast
destroying the furs and game of their country, which God
gave them ^s their only wealth and means of subsistence.
This movement of the dragoons aeemt to be one of the most
liumane in its views, and I heartily hope that it may prove
so in the event, as well for our own sakes as for that of
the Indian. I can see no reason why we should march
upon them with an invading army carrying with it the
spirit of chastisement. The object of Government un-
doubtedly is to effect a friendly meeting with them, that
they may see and respect us, and to establish something
like a system of mutual rights with them. To penetrate
their country with the other view, that of chastising them,
even with five times the number that are now going, would
be entirely futile, and perhaps disastrout in the extreme.
It is a pretty thing (and perhaps an easy one, in the esti-
mation of the world) for an army of mounted men to be
gaily prancing over the boundless green fields of the West^
and it is so for a little distance — but it would be well that
the world should be apprised of some of the actual diffi-
culties that oppose themselves to the success of such a
campaign, that they may not censure too severely, in case
this command should fail to accomplish the objects for
which they were organized.
In the first place, from the great difficulty of organizing
and equipping, these troops are starting too late in the
season for their summer's campaign, by two months. The
journey which they have to perform is a very long one,
and although the first part of it will be picturesque and
XORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
467
plea -ting, the after part of it will be tiresome and fatiguing
in the extreme. As they advance to the West, the grass
(and consequently the game) will be graduallj diminishing,
and water in many parts of the country not to be found
As the troops will be obliged to subsist themselves a
great part of the way, it will be extremely difficult to do it
under such circumstances, and at the same time hold
themselves in readiness, with half-famished horses and men
nearly exhausted, to contend with a numerous enemy who
are at home, on the ground on which they were born, with
horses fresh and ready for action. It is not probable,
however, that the Indians will venture to take advantage
of such circumstances; but I am inclined to think, that
the expedition will be more likely to fail from another
source : it is my opinion that the appearance of so large a
military force in their country, will alarm the Indians to
that degree, that they will fly with their families to their
hiding-places amongst those barren deserts, which they
themselves can reach only by great fatigue and extreme
privation, and to which our half-exhausted troops cannot
possibly follow them. From these haunts their warriors
would advance and annoy the regiment as much as they
could, by striking at their hunting parties and cutting off
their supplies. To attempt to pursue them, if they cannot
be called to a council, would be as useless as to follow the
wind ; for our troops in such a case, are in a country where
they are obliged to subsist themselves, and the Indians
being on fresh horses, with a supply of provisions, would
easily drive all the buffaloes ahead of them ; and endeavor,
as far as possible, to decoy our troops into the barren parts
of the country, where they could not find means of
subsistence.
The plan designed to be pursued, and the only one that
can succeed, is to send runners to the different bands,
explaining the friendly intentions of our Government, and
to invite them to a meeting. For this purpose several
Gamanchee and Pawnee prisoners have been purchased
458
\
LBTTERS AND NOTES.
from the Osages, who may be of great servioe in bringing
about a friendly interview.
I ardently hope that this plan may succeed, for I am
antioipating great fatigue and privation in the endeavor
to see these wild tribes together ; that I may be enabled to
lay before the world a just estimate of their manners and
customs.
I hope that my suggestions may not be truly prophetic ;
but I am constrained to say, that I doubt very much
whether we shall see anything more of them than their
trails, and the sites of their deserted villages.
Several companies have already started from this place ;
and the remaining ones will be on their march in a day or
two. General Leavenworth will accompany them two
hundred miles, to the mouth of False Washita, and I shall
be attached to his staff. Incidents which may occur, I
ahall record. Adieu.
Non— In the meantime, aa it may be long before I can write again,
I send yon some aocoant of the Osages ; whom I have been visiting
•od painting daring the two months I have been staying here.
I
r t
m
p.:
i^.
■\X' ■ '« ■♦',
mm.
LETTER No. XXXVm.
FOBT GIBSON, ARKANSAS.
Nbablt two moDths have elapsed since I arrived at thia
post, on my way up the river from the Mississippi, to join
the regiment of dragoons on their campaign into the
country of the Oamanchees and Pawnee Piots; during
which time, I have been industriously at work with my
brush and my pen, recording the looks and the deeds of
the Osages, who inhabit the country on the North and the
West of this.
The Osage, or (as they call themselves) Wa-saw-see^ are a
tribe of about five thousand two hundred in numbers,
inhabiting and hunting over the head-waters of the
Arkansas, and Neosho or Grand Bivers. Their present
residence is about seven hundred miles West of the
Mississippi river ; in three villages, constituted of wigwams,
built of barks and flags or reeds. One of these villages is
(459)
400
LBTfBRS AND NOTES ON THB
Within forty miles of this Fort ; another within sixty, and
the third about eighty miles. Their chief place of trade ia
with the sutlers at this post ; and there are constantly mure
or less of them encamped about the garrison.
The Osages may justly be said to be the tallest race ot
men in North America, either of red or white skins ; there
being very few indeed of the men, at their full growth, who
are less than six feet in stature, and very many of them six
and a half, and others seven feet. They are at the same
time well-proportioned in their limbs, and good-looking:
being rather narrow in the shoulders, and like most all
very tall people, a little inclined to stoop ; not throwing the
chest out, and the head and shoulders back, quite as much
as the Crows and Mandans, and other tribes amongst which
I have been familiar. Their movement is graceful and
quick ; and in war and the chase, I think they are equal to
any of the tribes about them.
This tribe, though living, as they long have, near the
borders of the civilized community, have studiously re-
jected everything of civilized customs ; and are uniformly
dressed in skins of their own dressing — strictly maintain-
ing their primitive looks and manners, without the slightest
appearance of innovations, excepting in the blankets^ which
have been recently admitted to their uae instead of the
bufifalo robes, which are now getting scarce amongst them.
The Osages are one of the tribes who shave the head, as
I have before described when speaking of the Pawnees and
KoDzas, and they decorate and paint) it with great care,
and considerable taste. There is a peculiarity in the heads
of these people which is very striking to^ the eye of a
traveller ; and which I find is produced by artificial means
in infancy. Their children, like those of all the other tribes,
are carried on a board, and slung upon the mother's back.
The infants are lashed to the boards, with their backs upon,
them, apparently in a very uncomfortable condition ; and
with the Osages, the head of the child bound down so tight
to the board, as to force in the occipital bone, and create
MB
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
461
:!^i
ftn unnatural deficiency on the back part, and consequently
more than a natural elevation of the top of the head. Thia
custom, they told me they practised, because " it pressed
out a bold and manly appearance in front." This I think
from observation, to be rather imaginary than real, as I
cannot see that they exhibit any extraordinary development
lu front ; though they evidently shew a striking deficiency
on the back part, and also an unnatural elevation on the
top of the head, which is, no doubt, produced by this
custom. The difference between this mode and the otio
practiced by the Flat-head Indians beyond the Bocky Moun-
tains, consists in this, that the Flat-beads press the head
between two boards ; the one pressing the frontal bone down,
whilst the other is pressing the occipital up, producing the
most frightful deformity ; whilst the Osages merely press
the occipital in, and that but to a moderate degree, occasion-
ing but a slight, and in many cases, almost immaterial, de-
parture from the symmetry of nature.
These people, like all those tribes who shave the head,
cut and slit their eais very much, and suspend &om them
great quantities of wampum and tinsel ornaments. Their
ne ks are generally ornamented also with a profusion of
watnpum aad beads ; and as they live in a warm climate
where there is not so much necessity for warm clothingi
as amongst the more Northern tribes, of whom I have been
heretofore speaking, their shoulders, arms, and chests are
generally naked, and painted in a great variety of pictur-
esque ways, with silver bands on the wrists, and oftentimes
a profusion of rings on the fingers.
The head-chief of the Osages at this time, is a young
man by the name of Clermont, the son of a very distin-
guished chief of that name, who recently died ; leaving his
son his successor, with the consent of the tribe. I painted
the portrait of this chief at full length, in a beautiful dress,
his leggings fringed with scalp-locks, in his hand his
favorite and valued war-club.
By his side I have p.iinted also at full length, his wife
- '■.:■
4d2
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THB
and child. She was richly dressed in costly clothes of
civilized manufacture, which is almost h solitary instance
amongst the Osages, who so studiously reject every luxury
and every custom of civilized people ; and amongst those,
the use of whisky, which is on all sides tendered to them—
but almost uniformly rejected I This is an unusual and
unaccountable thing, unless the influence which the mis-
sionary and teachers have exercised over them, has induced
them to abandon the pernicious and destructive habit of
drinking to excess. From what I can learn, the Osages
were fond of whisky ; and like all other tribes who have
had the opportunity, were in the habit of using it to excess.
Several very good and exemplary men have been for years
past exerting their greatest efforts, with those of their fami-
lies, amongst these people ; having established schools and
agricultural experiments amongst them. And T am fully
of the opinion, that this decided anomaly in the Indian
country, has resulted from the devoted exertions of these
pious and good men.
Amongst the chiefs of the Osages, and probably the next
in authority and respect in the tribe, is Tchong-tas-sab-bee
(the black dog), whom I painted also at full length, with his
pipe in one hand, and his tomahawk in the other ; his head
shaved, and ornamented with a beautiful crest of deers'
hair, and his body wrapped in a huge mackinaw blanket.
This dignitary, who is blind in the lefl eye, is one of the
most conspicuous characters in all this country, rendered
so by his huge size (standing in height and id girth, above
all of his tribe), as well as by his extraordinary life. The
Black Dog is familiarly known to all the officers of the
army, as well as to Traders and all other white men, who
have traversed these regions, and I believe, admired and
respected by most of them.
His height, I think is seven feet ; and his limbs full and
rather fat, making his bulk formidable, and weighing per-
haps, some two hundred and fifty or three hundred pounds
This man is chief of one of the three bands of the Osages
■S K-
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't'j
LtTl'EKS AVI) NOTK^ 0?f THK
ft-avi cliild. She wsis riohlj (lr'J«^*fKl in co.^'!y ol^'tlio?' of
i\iiized raa«!*fnoture, which is ulm>»i. a solitary iustaiK^a
aiuv«ng8t the Osagcs, who so studiuualv f^jecl every luxury
and every cvistom of oivilize<l peopk* ; aed amongst those,
the urn: of whisky, which is on all aid©:? t Ddered to them —
but almost uniformly rejected I Tliis b i^a unusual and
unacGountablf thing, unless the influence whieh the niia-
sioaary and teachers li a ve exercised over ihe.m, htw ind'iced
them to abandon the pernicious and destruciive habit of
diinking to excess. From wliat I can learn, the Osages
v/cre fond of whisky ; and like all other tribes who have
had the opportunity, were in the habit of uaing it to excess,
Sevt^ral v^ny ^hxI :in(i . 5,.eraplary men have been for years
past exiTiin^j iJ-.'.-iv ^rp*t,.. «t effoitSj with tho^o of their iiami-
lies, arnungst tiit'wj p«ojn0* Jmvitig ©♦•tabrmhed schools and
agricultural experimeui?' arnoiigst thtm.. And I am fully
of the opinion, that this dcci'ied anomaly in the Indian
coui.:ry, ha.s lesuited fr<nn tlie devott-id exertions of these
pious and good rne'i.
Amongst the chiefs of the Osage*, Mid probably '\w next
in authority and respect in the tril>«, is Tchon-^-tas-siib-bee
(the black dog), whoml painted also at full leiigth, with his
pipe in one hand, and his i ^juahawk i-t the other; hi.s head
shaved, and ornamented .v th a beautiful crest of deers'
hair, and his body wrappe-i In a huge raackinaw blanket.
This dignitary, who is !■'• .d in the left eye, is one of the
most conspicuous characlura iu all this countiy, reud-n-i'd
30 by his huge size (standm^ in height and in girth, above
all of his tribe), as well a-: ly hin extraordinary lifs:- Tiie
Black l>og Is t'amiliarly known to all the offie«r'i <>f the
army, as well m to Traders and all other whit* men, v^'ho
have traversed these regions, and I believe, udmirtd and
respected by most of them.
His height, I tliink is seven feet ; and h\n ll.mbi? full ar.d
rather fat, making his bulk fornnda'ole, and weighing r-er-
haps, some two hundred and fifty or three hundred pounds
This man ischief of one of .the three baivh of i''<n Osagea
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NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
463
divided as they are into three families occupying, as I
before said, three villages, denominated, ** Clermont's Vil*
lage," "Black Dog's Village," and " White Hair's Village."
The White Hair is another distinguished leader of the
Oaages ; and some have awarded him the title of Head
Chief; but in the jealous feelings of rivalry whioh have
long agitated this tribe, and some times, even endangered
its peace, I believe it has been generally agreed that his
claims are third in the tribe ; though he justly claims the
title of a chief, and a very gallant and excellent man.
The portrait of this man, I regret to say, I did not get.
Amiongst the many brave and distinguished warriors of
the tribe, one of the most noted and respected is Tal-lee,
painted at full length, with his lance in his hand — his shield
on his arm, and his bow and quiver slung upon his back.
If I had the time, at present, I would unfold co the reader
some of the pleasing and extraordinary inoidei^ts of this gal-
lant fellow's military life ; and also the anecdotes that have
grown out of the familiar life I have led -nrith this hand>
some and high-minded gentleman of the wild woods and
prairies. Of the Black Dog I should say more also ; and most
assuredly will not fail to do justice to these extraordinary
men, when I have leisure to write oS all my notes, and
turn biographer. At present, I shake hands with two
noblemen, and bid them good-bye; promising them, that
if I never get time to say more of their virtues — ^I shall
say nothing against them.
The Osages have been formerly, and until quite recently,
a powerful and warlike tribe; carrying their arms fearlessly
through all these realms ; and ready to cope with foes of any
kind that they were liable to meet. At present the case is
j[uite different; they have been repeatedly moved and
lostled along, from the head waters of the White river, and
<ven from the shores of the Mississippi, to where they now
\re ; and reduced by every war and every move. The small-
pox has taken its share of them at two or three different
times ; and the Konzas, as they are now called, having been
464
LETTEUS AND NOTUM.
I '
a part of the Osages, and receded from them, impaired their
strength ; and have at last helped to lessen the number of
their warriors : so that their decline has been very rapid,
bringing them to the mere handful that now exists of them ;
though still preserving their valor as warriors, which they
are oontinually shewing off as bravely and as professionally
as they can, with the Pawnees and the Oamanohees, with
whom they are waging incessant war ; although they are
the principal sufferers in those scenes which they fearlessly
persist in, as if they were actually bent on their solf'destruc-
tion. Very great efforts have been, and are being made
amongst these people to civilize and christianize them ; and
still I believe with but little success. Agriculture they
have caught but little of; and of religion and civilization still
less. One good result has, however, been produced by these
faithful laborers, which is the conversion of these people
to temperance; which I consider the first important step
towards other results, and which of itself is an achievement
that redounds much to the credit and humanity of those
whose lives have been devoted to its accomplishment.
Here I must leave the Osages for the present, but not the
reader, whose company I still hope to have awhile longer,
to hear how I get along amongst the wild and untried
scenes, that I am to start upon in a few days, in company
with the first regiment of dragoons, in the first grand civilized
foray, into the country of the wild and warlike Camanchees.
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LETTER No. XXXIX.
MOUTH OF FALSE WASHITA, RED RIVER.
Undbb the protection of the United States' dragoons, I
arrived at this place three days since, on my way again in
search of the " Far West." How far I may this time follow
the flying phantom, is uncertain. I am already again in
the land of the iu^foZoef and the fleet-hounding antehpea ; and
I anticipate, with many other beating hearts, rare sport and
Amusement amongHt the wild herds ere long.
We shall start from hence in a few days, and other
opistles I may occnHJonally drop you from terra incognita,
for such is the groat expanse of country which we expect
to range over; and names we are to give, and country to
explore, as far as we proceed. We are at this place, on
the banks of the Red River, having Texas under our eye
on the opposite bank. Our eneampment is on the point of
30 (46.5)
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4W
LXnERS AND NOTES ON THE
h !
land between the Red and False Washita rivers, at their
junction: and the oouiitry about ^s is a panorama too beau*
tiful to be painted with a pen ; it is, like most of the oountr/
in these regions, composed of prairie and timber, alternating
in the most delightful shapes and proportions that the eye
of a connoisseur could desire. The verdure is everywhere
of the deepest green, and the plains about us are literally
speckled with buffalo. We are distant from Fort Gibsoa
about two hundred miles, which distance we accomplished
in ten days.
A great part of the way, the country is prairie, grace-
fully undulating — well watered, and continually beautified
by copses and patches of timber. On our way my attention
was rivetted to the tops of some of the prairie blu£&, whose
summits I approached with inexpressible delight. I rode
to the top of one of these noble mounds, in company with
my friends, Lieut. Wheelook and Joseph Chadwick, where
we agreed that our fiorses instinctively hoked and admired.
They thought not of the rich herbage that was under their
feet, but, with deep-drawn sighs, their necks were loftily
curved, and their eyes widely stretched over the landscape
that was beneath us. From this elevated spot, the horizon
was bounded all around us by mountain streaks of blue,
softening into azure as they vanished, and the pictured
vales that intermediate lay, were deepening into green as
the eye was returning from its roamings. Beneath us, and
winding through the waving landscape was seen with
peculiar effect, the " bold dragoons," marching in beautiful
order forming a train of a mile in length. Baggage wag-
ons and Indians (engages) helped to lengthen the procession.
From the point where we stood, the line was seen in
miniature; and the undulating hills over which it was
bending its way, gave it the appearance of a huge black
snake, gracefully gliding over a rich carpet of green.
This picturesque country of two hundred miles, over
which we have passed, belongs to the Greeks and Choctaws,
NO«rH AMKUICAX INDIAX.S.
467
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nnl iifturcl!) one of tlio richest and most desirable oountriei
in the world for agricultural pursuits.
Scarcely a day has passed, in which we have not crossed
oak ridges, of several miles in breadth, with a sandy soil
and scattering timber; where the ground was almost
literally covered with vines, producing the greatest profusion
of delicious grapes, of five-eighths of an inch in diameter,
atid hanging in such endless clusters, as justly to entitle
this singular and solitary wilderness to the style of a vine*
yard (and ready for the vintage), for many miles together.
The next hour we would be trailing through broad and
verdant valleys of green prairies, into which we had de-
scended ; and oftentimes find our progress completely
arrested by hundreds of acres of small plum-trees, of four
or six feet in height; so closely woven and interlocked
together, as entirely to dispute our progress, and sending us
several miles around ; when every bush that was in sight
was so loaded with the weight of its delicious wild fruit,
that they were in many instances literally without leaves on
their branches, and bent quite to the ground. Amongst
these, and in patches, were intervening beds of wild roses,
wild currants, and gooseberries. And underneath and about
them, and occasionally interlocked with them, huge masses
of the prickly pears, and beautiful and tempting wild flowers
that sweetened the atmosphere above ; whilst an occasional
huge yellow rattlesnake, or a copper-head, could be seen
gliding over, or basking across their vari-oolored tendrils
and leaves.
On the eighth day of our march we met, for the first time,
a herd of buffaloes; and being in advance of the command,
in company with General Leavenworth, Colonel Dodge, and
several )ther officers, we all had an opportunity of testing
the mettle of our horses and our oum tact at the wild and
spirited death. The inspiration of chase took at once, and
alike, with the old and the young ; a beautiful plain lay
before us, and we all gave spur for the onset. General
Leavenworth and Colonel Dodge, with their pistols, gal
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liKTTERS AND NOTES ON THE
liuitly au 1 handsomely belabored a fat cow, and were in
together at the death. I was not quite so fortunate in my
selection, for the one which I saw fit to gallant over the
plain alone, of the same sex, younger and coy, led me a
hard chase, and for a long time, disputed my near approach ;
when, at length, the full speed of my horse forced us to close
company, and she desperately assaulted his shoulders with
her horns. My gun was aimed, but missing its fire, the
muzzle entangled in her mane, and was instantly broken in
two in my hands, and fell over my shoulder. My pistols
were then brought to bear upon her ; and though severely
wounded, she succeeded in reaching the thicket, and left
zs\e without " a deed of chivalry to boast." — Since that day,
the Indian hunters in our charge have supplied us abun-
dantly with buffalo meat ; and report says, that the country
»head of us will a^ord us continual sport, and an abundant
supply.
We are halting here for a few days to recruit horses and
men, after which the line of march will be resumed ; and if
the Pawnees are aa near to us as we have strong reason to
believe, from their recent trails and fires, it is probable that
within a few days we shall "thrash" them or "gre< thrashed ;^^
unless through their sagacity and fear, they elude our search
by flying before us to their hiding-places.
The prevailing policy amongst the officers seems to be,
that of flogging them first, and then establishing a treaty of
peace. If this plan were morally right, I do not think it
practicable ; for, as enemies, I do not believe they will stand to
meet us ; but m friends, I think we may bring them to a talk,
if the proper means are adopted. We are here encamped
on the ground on which Judge Martin and servant were
butchered, and his son kidnapped by the Pawnees or
Oamanchees, but a few weeks since ; and the moment they
discover us in a large body, they will presume that we are
relentlessly seeking for revenge, and they will probably be
very shy of our approach. We are over the Washita — the
*• Bubieon is p.'ssed." We are invaders of a sacred soil. We
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NOIiTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
469
ate carrying war in our front, and " we shall soon see, what
we shall see"
The cruel fate of Judge Martin and family has been pub-
lished in the papers ; and it belongs to the regiment of dra-
goons to demand the surrender of the murderers, and get for
the information of the world, some authentic account of the
mode in which this horrid outrage was committed.
Judge Martin was a very respectable and independent man,
living on the lower part of the Bed River, and in the habit
of taking his children and a couple of black men-servants
with him, and a tent to live in, every summer, into these
wild regions; where he pitched it upon the prairie, and spent
several months in killing buffaloes and other wild game, for
his own private amusement. The news came to Fort Gibson
but a few weeks before we started, that he had been set upon
by a party of Indians and destroyed. A detachment of
troops was speedily sent to the spot, where they found his
body horridly mangled, and also of one of his negroes ; and
it is supposed that his son, a fine boy of nine year's of age,
has been taken home to their villages by them ; where they
still retain him and where it is our hope to recover him.
Great praise is due to General Leavenworth for his early
and unremitted efforts to facilitate the movements of the
regiment of dragoons, by opening roads from Gibson and
Towson to this place. We found encamped two companies
of infantry from Fort Towson, who will follow in the rear
of the dragoons, as far as necessary, transporting with wag-
ons, stores and supplies, and ready at the same time, to
co-operate with the dragoons in case of necessity. General
Leavenworth will advance with us from this post, but how
far he may proceed is uncertain. We know not exactly the
route which we shall take, for circumstances alone must
decide that point. We shall probably reach Cantonment
Leavenworth in the fall ; and one thing is certain (in the
opinion of one who has already seen something of Indian
life and country), we shall meet with many severe privations
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LETTEKS AND NOTES.
and reach that place a jaded set of fellows, and as ragged aa
Jack Falstaff's famous band.
You are no doubt inquiring, who are these Pawnees,
Camanchees, and Arapahoes, and why not tell us all about
them? Their history, numbers and limits are still in
obscurity ; nothing definite is yet known of them, but I
hope I shall soon be able to give the world a clue to them.
If my life and health are preserved, I anticipate many a
pleasing scene for my pencil, as well as incidents worthy of
reciting to the world, which I shall occasionally do^ aa
opportunity may occur.
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LETTER No. XL.
MOUTH OF FALSE WASHITA.
SmcB I wrote mj last Letter from this place, I have
been detained here with the rest of the cavalcade from the
extraordinary sickness which is afflicting .the regiment, and
actually threatening to arrest its progress.
It was, as I wrote the other day, the expectation of the
commanding officer that we should have been by this time
recruited and recovered from sickness, and ready to start
again on our march; but since I wrote, nearly one half of
the command, and included amongst them, several officers,
with General Leavenworth, have been thrown upon their
(471)
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LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
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backs — with the prevailing epidemic, a slow and distressing
bilious fever. The horses of the regiment are also sick,
about an equal proportion, and seemingly suffering with
the same disease. They are daily dying, and men are
falling sick, and General Leavenworth has ordered Col.
Dodge to select all the men, and all the horses that are able
to proceed, and be off" to-morrow at nine o'clock upon the
march towards the Camanchees, in hopes thereby to pre-
serve the health of the men, and make the most rapid
advance towards the extreme point of destination.
General Leavenworth has reserved Col. Kearney to take
command of tho remaining troops and the little encamp-
ment ; and promises Col. Dodge that he will himself be well
enough in a few days to proceed with a party on his trail
and overtake him at the Cross Timbers.
I should here remark, that when we started from Fort
Gibson, the regiment of dragoons, instead of the eight
hundred which it was supposed it would contain, had only
organized to the amount of four hundred men, which was
the number that started from that place ; and being at this
time half disabled, furnishes but two hundred effective men
to penetrate the wild and untried regions of the hostile
Camanchees. All has been bustle and confusion this day,
packing up and preparing for the start to-morrow morning
My canvass and painting apparatus are prepared and ready
for the packhorse, which carries the goods and chattels of
my esteemed companion Joseph Chadwiok and myself, and
we shall be the two only guests of the procession, and
consequently the only two who will be at liberty to gallop
about where we please, despite military rules and regula-
tions, chasing the wild herds, or seeking our own amuse-
ments in any such modes as we choose. Mr. Chadwick is a
young man from St. Louis, with whom I have been long
acquainted, and for whom I have *He highest esteem. He
has so far stood by me as a faithful friend, and I rely
implicitly on his society during this campaign for much
good company and amusement. Though I have an order
GjHMMWM
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
478
from the Secretary at War to the commanding oflHoer, to
protect and supply ine, I shall ask but for their prot(?ctlof» ;
as I have, with my friend Joe, laid in our own supplieM lor
the campaign, not putting the Government to any QKimum
on my account, in pursuit of my own private objecti,
I am writing this under General Leaven worth'** tent,
where he has generously invited me to take up roy quart@ra
during our encampment here, and he promiscii to mnA it
by his express, which starts to-morrow with a mall from
this to Fort Towson on the frontier, some hundred* of milei
below this. At the time I am writing, the General U^a
pallid and emaciated before me, on his couch, wittt A
dragoon fanning him, while he breatheg forty or fifty
breaths a minute, and writhes under a burning fev©r,
although he is yet unwilling even to admit that be li iiak.
In my last Letter I gave a brief account of a buf^tl^)
chase where General Leavenworth and Col. Dodgd took
parts, and met with pleasing success. The next day, whili
on the march, and a mile or so in advance of the reglm©nt,
and two days before we reached this place, General Leavtn*
worth. Col. Dodge, Lieut. Wheelock and myself were jog*
ging along, and all in turn complaining of the l&monmi of
our bones, from the chase on the former day, when th©
General, who had long ago had his surfeit of pleaNur© of
this kind on the Upper Missouri, remonstrated againit
further indulgence, in the following manner : " Well, Ool»
onel, this running for buffaloes is bad businesi for iii=-w@
are getting too old, and should leave such amusemtnts to
the young men ; I have had enough of this fun in my life,
and I am determined not to hazard my limbs or weary my
horse any more with it — it is the height of folly for ui, but
will do well enough for boys." Col. Dodge asiente^l nt
once to his resolves, and approved them ; whilst I, who hfldl
tried it in every form (and I had thought, to my buiart'f
content), on the Upper Missouri, joined my assent to tb«
folly of our destroying our horses, which had a long jour-
ney to perform, and agreed that I would join no more is
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LETTERS AND NOTES DX THE
ihe buffalo chase, however near and inviting they might
tiome to me.
In the -nidst of this conversation, and these mutual
declarations (or rather just at the end of them), as we were
jogging along in "Indian fiU^^ and General Leavenworth
taking the lead, and just rising to the top of a little hill
over which it seems he had had an instant peep, he dropped
himself suddenly upon the side of his horse and wheeled
backl and rapidly informed us with an agitated whisper,
and an exceeding game contraction of the eye, that a snug
little band of buffaloes were quietly grazing just over the
knoll in a beautiful meadow for running, and that if I
would take to the left ! and Lieut. Wheelock to the right !
and let him and the Colonel dash right into the midst of
them I we could play the devil with them II one half of this
at least was said afler he had got upon his feet and taken
off his portmanteau and valise, in which we had all followed
suit, and were mounting for the start I and I am almost sure
nothing else was said, and if it bad been I should not have
heard it, for I was too far off! and too rapidly dashing over
the waving grass 1 and too eagerly gazing and plying the
•whip, to hear or to see, anything but the trampling hoofs I
and the blackened throng 1 and the darting steeds I and the
flashing of guns 1 until I had crossed the beautiful lawn !
and the iimb of a tree, as my horse was darting into the
timber, had crossed my horse's back, and had scraped me
into the grass, from which I soon raised my head 1 a"^ ;> all
was silent 1 and all out of sight I save the dragoon rogiment,
which I could see in the distance creeping along on the top
of a high hill. I found my legs under me in a few moments
and put them in their accustomed positions, none of which
would, for some time, answer the usual purpose ; but I at
last got them to work, and brought "Charley" out of the
bushes, where he had "brought up" in the top of a fallen
tree, without damage.
No buffalo was harmed in this furious assault, nor horse
nor rider. Col. Dodge and Lieut. Wheelock had joined the
p..
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
475
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reguaunt, and General Leavenworth joined me, with too
much game expression yet in his eye to allow him more
time than to say, " I'll have that calf before I quit I " and
away he sailed " up hill and down dale," in pursuit of a
fine calf that had been hidden on the ground during the
chase, and was now making its way over the prairies in
pursuit of the herd. I rode to the top of a little hill to
witness the success of the General's second effort, and
after he had come close upon the little affrighted animal, it
dodged about in such a manner as evidently to bafSe his
skill, and perplex his horse, which at last fell in a hole, and
both were instantly out of my sight. I ran my horse with
all possible speed to the spot, and found him on bis hands
and knees, endeavoring to get up. I dismounted and
raised him on to his fee*, when I asked him if he was hurt;
to which he replied " no, but I might have been," when he
instantly fainted, and I laid him on the grass. I had left
my canteen with my portmanteau, and had no))hing to ad-
minister to him, uor was there water near us. I took my
lancet from my pocket and was tying his arm to open a
vein, when he recovered, and objected to the operation,
assuring me that he was not in the least injured. I caught
his horse and soon got him mounted again, when we rode
on together, and after two or three hours were enabled to
join the regiment.
Fi'om that hour to the present, I think I have seen a
decided change in the General's face ; he has looked pale
and feeble, and been continually troubled with a violent
cough. I have rode by the side of him from day to day,
and he several times told me that he was fearful he was
badly hurt. He looks very feeble now, and I very much
fear the result of the fever that has set in upon him.
We take up our line of march at bugle-call in the
morning, and it may be a long time before I can send a
Letter again, as there are no post*offices nor mail carriers
in the country where we are now going. It will take a
great deal to stop me from writing, however, ind as I am
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LKTTXBS AND NOTBl.
uow to enter upon one of the most interesting parts of tba-
Indian conntry, inasmuch as it is one of the wildest and
most hostile, I shall surely scribble an oooasional Letter^
if I have to oarry them in my own pocket, and bring tham
in with me on my retom
LETTER No. XLL
OBEAT OAMANOHEE VILLAGE.
We are again at rest, and I am with aubjeota rude and
almost iDfinite around me, for my pen and my brush. The
little band of dragoons are encamped by a fine spring of
cool water, within half a mile of the principal town of the
Oamanchees, and in the midst of a bustling and wild scene,
I assure you ; and before I proceed to give an account of
things and scenes that are about me, I must return for a
few moments to the place where I left the reader, at the
, encampment at False Washita, and rapidly travel with him
over the country that lies between that place and the
Camanohee Village, where I am now writing.
478
LE'ITKRS AND N0TK8 ON TIIK
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Ou the morning after my last Letter wus written, the
sound ami efficient part of the regiment wni in motion at
nine o'clock. And with them, my friend "Joe" and I, with
our provisions laid in, and all snugly arranged on our
pack-horse, which we alternately led or drove between xxa.
Our course was about due Wext, on tlie divide between
the TiYashita and Red Bivers, with our fiiucM looking to-
wards the Rocky lilountains. The country over whiQh we
passed from day to day, was inimitably bouutiAil; being
the whole way one continuous prairie of groeri fieldH, with
occasional clusters of timber and shrubbery, ju8t enough
for the uses of cultivating-man, and for tlie pleasure of his
eyes to dwell upon. The regiment was rather more than
half on the move, consisting of two hundred and fifty men,
instead of two hundred as I predicted in my Letter from
that place. All seemed gay and buoyant at the fresh start,
which all trusted was to liberate us from the fatal miasma
which we conceived was hovering about the mouth of the
False Washita. We advanced on happily, and met with
no trouble until the second night of our encampment, in
the midst of which we were thrown into *' pi" (os printers
would say,) in an instant, of the most appalling alarm and
confusion. We were encamped ou a beautiful prairie,
where we were every hour apprehensive of the lurking
enemy. And in the dead of night, when all seemed to be
sound asleep and quiet, the instant sound and flash of a gun
within a few paces of us 1 and then the most horrid and
frightful groans that instantly followed it, brought us all
upon our hands and knees in an instant, and our affrighted
horses (which were breaking their lasos,) in tall speed and
fury over our heads, with the frightful and mingled din of
snorting, and cries of " Indians! Indians! Pawnees!" &u.,
which rang from every part of our little encampment I In
a few moments the excitement was chiefly over, and silence
restored ; when we could hear the trampling hoofs of the
horses, which were making off in all directions (not unlike
a drove of swine that once ran into the sea, when they were
0-
WORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
47^
I'
pOHsetffled of duvi^; and leaving but now and then an indi*
vidual quadruped hanging at its stake within our little
camp. The mode of our encampment was, uniformly in
four lines, forming a sr^uare of fifteen or twenty rods in
diameter. Upon thuMe lines our saddles and packs were all
laid, at the distance of five feet from each other; and each
man, after grazing his horse, had it fastened with a rope or
laso, to a stake driven in the ground at a little distance
from hiH feet; thus enclosing the horses all within the
square, for the convenience of securing them in case of
attack or alarm. In this way we laid encamped, when we
were awakened by the alarm that I have just mentioned ;
and our hursos affrighted, dashed out of the camp, and over
the heads of their masters in the desperate " Stam^edor
After an instant preparation for battle, and a little
recovery from the fright, which was soon effected by wait-
ing a few moments in vain, for the enemy to come on ; — a
general explanation took place, which brought all to our
legs again, and convinced us that there was no decided
obstacle, as yet, to our reaching the Camanchee towns; and
after that, " sweet home,'* and the arms of our wives and
dear little children, provided we could ever overtake and
recover our horses, which had swept off in fifly directions,
and with impetus enough to ensure us employment for a
day or two to come.
At the proper moment for it to be made, there was a
general in<|uiry for the cause of this real misfortunt, when
It was ascertained to have originated in the following
manner. A " raw recruit," who was standing as one of the
sentinels on that night, saw, as he says " he supposed," an
Indian oreoping out of a bunch of bushes a few paces in
front of him, upon whom he levelled his rifle ; and as the
poor creature did not ^^ advance and give the countersign^^ at
his call, nor any answer at all, he "let offl" and popped a
bullet through the heart of a poor dragoon horse, which
had strayed away on the night before, and had faithfully
followed our trail all the day, and was now, with a beastly
1
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II
II
[I 'I
480
LETl'BRS AND NOTKS ON THE
mingiving, coining up, and slowly poking through a littla
thicket of buahea into camp, to join its comrades, in servi-
tude again !
The sudden shock of a gun, and the most appalling
groans of this poor dying animal, in the dead of night, and
so close upon the heels of sweet sleep, created a long vibra-
tion of nerves, and a day of great perplexity and toil which
followed, as we had to retrace our steps twenty miles or
more, in pursuit of affrighted horses; of which some fifteen
or twenty took up wild and free life upon the prairies, to
which they were abandoned, as they could not be found.
After a detention of two days in consequence of this
disaster, we took up the line of march again, and pursued
our course with vigor and success, over a continuation of
green fields, enamelled with wild flowers, and pleasingly
relieved with patches and groves of timber.
On the fourth day of our march, we discovered many
fresh signs ofbufi&loes; and at last immense herds of them
grazing on the distant hills. Indian trails were daily
growing fresh, and their smokes were seen in various direc-
tions ahead of us. And on the same day at noon, we dis-
covered a large party at several miles distance, sitting on
their horses and looking at us. From the glistening of the
blades of their lances, which were blazing as they turned
them in the sun, it was at first thought that they were Mexi-
can cavalry, who might have been apprized of our approach
into their country, and had advanced to contest the point
with us. On drawing a little nearer, however, and scanning
them closer with our spy-glasses, they were soon ascertained
to be a war<party of Camanchees, on the look out for their
enemies.
The regiment was called to a halt, and the requisite pre-
parations made and orders issued, we advanced in a direct
line towards them until we had approached to within two
or three miles of them, when they suddenly disappeared
over the hill, and soon after shewed themselves on another
mound farther off and in a different direction. The course
NORTir AMBHICAN INDIANS.
4S1
of the regiment was then changed, and another advance
towards them was commenced, and as before they disap-
peared and shewed themselves in another direction. After
several such efforts, which proved ineffectual, Col. Dodge
ordered the command to halt, while he rode forward with
a few of his sta£E) and an ensign carrying a white flag. I
joined this advance, and the Indians stood their ground until
we had come within half a mile of them, and could dis-
tinctly observe all their numbers and morements. We then
came to a halt, and the white flag was sent a little in ad-
vance, and waved as a signal for them to approach ; at which
one of their party galloped out in advance of the war-party,
on a milk-white horse, carrying a piece of white buffalo
skin on the point of his long lance in reply to our flag.
This moment was the commencement of one of the most
thrilling and beautiful scenes I ever witnessed. All eyes,
both from his own party and ours, were fixed upon the
manoeuvres of this gallant little fellow, and he well knew it.
The distance between the two parties was perhaps half a
mile, and that a beautiful and gently sloping prairie ; over
which he was for the space of a quarter of an hour, reining
and spurring his maddened horse, and gradually approaching
us by tacking to the right and the left, like a vessel beating
against the wind. He at length came prancing and leaping
along until he met the flag of the regiment, when he leaned
his spear against it, looking the bearer full in the face, when
he wheeled his horse, and dashed up to Col. Dodge, with
his extended hand, which was instantly grasped and shaken.
We all had him by the hand in a moment, and the rest
of the party seeing him received in this friendly manner,
instead of being sacrificed, as they undoubtedly expected,
started under " full whip" in a direct line towards us, and
in a moment gathered, like a black cloud, around us ! The
regiment then moved up in regular order, and a general
shake of the hand ensued, which was accomplished by each
warrior riding along the ranks, and shaking the hand of
every one as he passed. This necessary form took up con-
31
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482
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
siderable time, and during the whole operation, my eyes
were fixed upon the gallant and wonderful appearance of
ihe little fellow who bore us the white flag on the point of
his lance. He rode a fine and spirited wild horse, which
was as white as the drifted snow, with an exuberant mane,
and its long and bushy tail sweeping the ground. In his
hand he tightly drew the reins upon a heavy Spanish bit^
and at every jump, plunged into the animal's sides, till they
were in a gore of blood, a huge pair of spurs, plundered, no
doubt, from the Spaniards in their border wars, which are
continually waged on the Mexican frontiers. The eyes of
this noble little steed seemed to be squeezed out of its head ;
and its fright and its agitation had brought out upon its
skin a perspiration that was fretted into a white foam and
lather. The warrior's quiver was slung on the warrior's
back, and his bow grasped in his left hand, ready for instant
use, if called for. His shield was on his arm, and across his
thigh, in a beautiful cover of buckskin, his gun was slung
— and in his right hand his lance of fourteen feet in length.
Thus armed and equipped was this dashing cavalier ; and
nearly in the same manner, all the rest of the party ; and
very many of them leading an extra horse, which we soon
learned was the favorite war-horse ; and from which circum-
stances altogether, we soon understood that they were a war-
party in search of their enemy.
After a shake of the hand, we dismounted, and the pipe
was lit, and passed around. And then a *' talk " was held,,
in which we were aided by a Spaniard we luckily had with
us, who could converse with one of the Oamanchees, who
spoke some Spanish.
Colonel Dodge explained to them the friendly motives
with which we were penetrating their country — that we were
sent by the President to reach their villages — to see the chiefs
of the (yamanchees and Pawnee Picts — to shake hands with
them, and to smoke the pipe of peace, and to establish an
acquaintance, and consequently a system of trade that would
be beneficial to both.
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
483
They listened attentively, and perfectly appreciated ; and
taking Colonel Dodge at his word, relying with confidence
in what he told them; they informed us that their great town
was within a few days' march, and pointing in the direction
— offered to abandon their war-excursion, and turn about and
escort us to it, which they did in perfect good faith. We
were on the march in the afternoon of that day, and from day
to day they busily led us on over hill and dale, encamping
by the side of u's at night, and resuming the march in the
morning.
During this march over one of the most lovely and pictu-
resque countries in the world, we had enough continually
to amuse and excite us. The whole country seemed at times
to be alive with buffaloes and bands of wild horses.
We had with us about thirty Osage and Cherokee, Seneca
and Delaware Indians, employed as guides and hunters for
the regiment ; and with the war-party of ninety or a hun-
dred Camanchees, we formed a most picturesque appearance
while passing over the green fields, and consequently, caused
sad havoc amongst the herds of buffaloes, which we were
almost hourly passing. We were now out of the influence
and reach of bread stuffs and subsisted ourselves on buffa-
loes' meat altogether; and the Indians of the different
tribes, emulous to shew their skill in the chase, and prove
the mettle of their horses, took infinite pleasure in dashing'
into every herd that we approached ; by which means,
the regiment was abundantly supplied from day to day
with fresh meat.
In one of those spirited scenes when the regiment were
on the march, and the Indians with their bows and arrows
were closely plying a band of these affrighted animals,
they made a bolt through the line of the dragoons, and a
complete breach, through which the whole herd passed,
upsetting horses and riders in the most amusing manner^
and receiving such shots as came from those guns and
pistols that were aimed, and not fired off into the empty
air.
ill
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484
LEn'ERS AST) NOTES ON THK
The buffaloes are very blind animals, and owing, probably
in a great measure, to the profuse locks that hang over
their eyes, they run chiefly by the nose, and follow in tlx«
tracks of each other, seemingly heedless of what is about
them ; and of course, easily disposed to rush in a mass,
and the whole tribe or gang pass in the tracks of those that
have first led the way.
The tract of country over which we passed, between the
False Washita and this place, is stocked, not only with buf-
faloes, but with numerous bands of wild horses, many of
-which we saw every day. There is no other animal on the
prairies so wild and so sagacious as the horse ; and none
other so difficult to come up with. So remarkably keen is
their eye, that they will generally run " at the sight," when
they are a mile distant; being, no doubt, able to distinguish
the character of the enemy that is approaching when at
that distance; and when in motion, will seldom stop short
of three or four miles. I made many attempts to approach
them by stealth, when they were grazing and playing their
gambols, without ever having been more than once able to
succeed. In this instance, I left my horse, and with my
friend Chad wick, skulked through a ravine for a couple of
miles ; until we were at length brought within gun-shot
of a fine herd of them, when I used my pencil for some
time, while we were under cover of a little hedge of bushes
which effectually screened us from their view. In this
herd we saw all the colors, nearly, that can be seen in a
Kennel of English hounds. Some were milk white, some
'et black — others were sorrel, and bay and cream color
— many were of an iron grey ; and others were pied, con-
taining a variety of colors on the same animal. Their
manes were very profuse, and hanging in *hc wilaest
confusion over their necks and faces — and their long tails
swept the ground.
After we had satisfied our curiosity in looking at these
proud and playful animals, we agreed that we woul/i try
the experiment of " creasing" one, as it is termed in this
Ill
XORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
485
country ; which is done by shooting them through the
gristle on the top of the neck, which stuns them so that
they fall, and are secured with the hobbles on the feet;
after which they rise again without fatal injury. This is a
practice often resorted to by expert hunters, with good
rifles, who are not able to take them in any other way.
My friend Joe and I were armed on this occasion, each with
a light fowling piece ; which have not quite the preciseness
in throwing a bullet that a rifle has; and having both
levelled our pieces at the withers of a noble, fine-looking
iron grey, we pulled trigger and the poor creature fell, and
the rest of the herd were out of sight in a moment. We
advanced speedily to him, and had the most inexpressible
mortification of finding, that we never had thought of
hobbles or halters, to secure him — and in a few moments
more, had the still greater mortification, and even anguish,
to find that one of our shots had broken the poor creatures
neck, and that he was quite dead.
The laments of poor Chadwick for the wicked folly of de-
stroying this noble animal, were such as I never shall
forget ; and so guilty did we feel that we agreed that when
we joined the regiment, we should boast of all the rest of
our hunting feats, but never make mention of this.
The usual mode of taking the wild horses, is, by
throwing the Jaso, whilst pursuing them at full speed, and
dropping a noose over their necks, by which their speed is
soon checked, and they are " choked down. " The laso is a
thong of rawhide, some ten or fifteen yards in length, twisted
or braided, with a noose fixed at the end of it ; which, when
the coil of the laso is thrown out, drops with great certainty
over the neck of the animal, which is soon conquered.
The Indian, when he starts for a wild horse, mounts one
of the fleetest he can get, and coiling his laso on his arm,
starts off under the " full whip," till he can enter the band,
when he soon gets it over the neck of one of the number ;
when he instantly dismounts, leaving his own horse, and
runs as fast as he can, letting the laso pass out gradually
486
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
and carefully through his hands, until the. horse falls for
Wiint of breath and lies helpless on the ground ; at which
time the Indian advances slowly towards the horse's head,
keeping his laso tight upon its neck, until he fastens a pair
of hobbles on the animal's two forefeet, tind also loosens
the laso (giving the horse chance to breathe), and gives it
a noose around the under jaw, by which means he gets
great power over the affrighted animal, which is rearing
and plunging when it gets breath ; and by which, as he
advances, hand over hand towards the horse's nose, he is
able to hold down and prevent it from throwing itself over
its back, at the hazard of its limbs. By this means he
gradually advances, until he is able to place his hand on
the animal's nose and over its eyes ; and at length to breathe
in its nostrils, when it becomes docile and conquered ; so
that he has little else to do than to remove the hobbles
from its feet, and lead or ride it into camp.
This " breaking down " or taming, however, is not with-
out the most desperate trial on the part of the horse, which
rears and plunges in every possible way to effect its escape,
until its power is exhausted, and it becomes covered with
foam ; and at last yields to the power of man, and becomes
his willing slave for the rest of its life. By this very rigid
treatment, the poor animal seems to be so completely con-
quered, that it makes no further struggle for its freedom ;
but submits quietly ever after, and is led or rode away with
very little difficulty. Great care is taken, however, in this
and in subsequent treatment, not to subdue the spirit of
the animal, which is carefully preserved and kept up.
although they use them with great severity ; being, gene-
rally speaking, cruel masters.
. The wild horse of these regions is a small, but very power-
fal animal ; with an exceedingly prominent eye, sharp nose,
high nostril, small feet and delicate leg ; and undoubtedly,
have sprung from a stock introduced by the Spaniards, at
the time of the invasion of Mexico; which having strayed
off upon the prairies, have run wild, and stocked the plains
NORTH AMERICAN IXDIANS,
487
^
from this to Lake Winnipeg, two or three thousand mile!* tu
the north. *
This useful animal has been of great servico to th»j
Indians living on these vast plains, enabling them to tftka
their game more easily, to carry their burthens, &o,; ftnel n»)
doubt, render them better and handier service than If they
were of a larger and heavier breed. Vast numberi* of ihojo
are also killed for food by the Indians, at seasons when buf-
faloes and other game are scarce. They subsist themmlvct
both in winter and summer by biting at the grasi, which
tliey can always get in sufficient quantities for their f(m\,
Whilst on our march we met with many droven of the§©
beautiful animals, and several times had the opportunity of
seeing the Indians pursue them, and take them with the
laso. The first successful instance of the kind Wfli* wflfeeted
by one of our guides and hunters, by the name of B«fltt(i, n
Frenchman whose parents had lived nearly theif VfhnU
lives in the Osage village; and who, himself had b@€)a
reared from infancy amongst them ; and in a oontinuftl life
of Indian modes and amusements, had acquired all th^ ikill
and tact of his Indian teachers, and probably a little more }
for he is reputed, without exception, the best hii»t©r in
these Western regions.
This instance took place one day whilst the r@glffl@nt
was at its usual halt of an hour, in the middle of the day.
When the bugle sounded for a halt, and aU were dls*
mounted, Beatte and several others of the hunt@i'^ Aiked
permission of Ool. Dodge to pursue a drove of horses whi«h
were then in sight, at a distance of a mile or more from nn,
The permision was given, and they started off, and by fol-
lowing a ravine, approached necr to the unsi4sp©«tiiig
animals, when they broke upon them and pursued them for
* There are many very curions traditions about the drat Ap{)#srAfW'9
of horses amongst the difiPereat tribes, and many of whUih besr itHking
proof of the above fact. Most of the tribes have aou)9 atury Mbuut ttio
first appearance pf hortas ; and amongst the Sioux, tbey btivit bsiiutifall/
recorded the fact, by giving it the name of Shonka^wakoo (tli(» Hi§dkinc
•dog).
488
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
!
ii iii
1 -I
several miles in full view of the regiment. Several of ua
had good glasses, with which we could plainly see every
movement and every manoeuvre. After a race of two or
three miles Beatte was seen with his wild horse down, and
the band and the other hunters rapidly leaving him.
Seeing him in this condition, I galloped off to him as
rapidly as possible, and had the satisfaction of seeing the
whole operation of " breaking down," and bringing in the
wild animal. When he had conquered the horse in this
way, his brother, who was one of the unsuccessful ones
in the chase, came riding back, and leading up the horse
of Beatte which he had left behind, and after staying
with us a few minutes, a.ssisted Beatte in leading his
conqured wild horse towards the regiment, where it was
satisfactorily examined and commented upon, as it was
trembling and covered with white foam, until the bugle
sounded the signal for marching, when all mounted ; and
with the rest, Beatte, astride of his wild horse, which had a
buffalo skin girted on its back, and a halter, wit' . a cruel
noose around the under jaw. In this manner the command
resumed its march, and Beatte astride of his wild horse, on
which he rode quietly and without difficulty, until night j
the whole thing, the capture, and breaking, all having been
accomplished within the space of one nour, our usual and
daily halt at midday.
Several others of these animals were caught in a similar
manner during our march, by others of our hunters,
affording us satisfactory instances of this most extra*
ordinary and almost unaccountable feat.
The horses that were caught were by no means very
valuable specimens, being rather of an ordinary quality ;
and I saw to my perfect satisfaction, that the finest of these
droves can never be obtained in this way, as they take the
lead at once, when they are pursued, and in a few moments
will be seen half a mile oc more ahead of the bulk of the
drove, which they are leading off. There is not a doubt
but there are many very fine and valuable horses amongst
NORTH AMERICAX INDIANS.
480
these herds ; but it is impossible for the Indian or other
hunter to take thera, unless it be done by " creasing" them,
as I have before described ; which is often done, but
always destroys the spirit and character of the animal.
After many hard and tedious days of travel, we were at
last told by our Camanchee guides that we were near their
village; and having led us to the top of a gently rising
elevation on the prairie, they pointed to their village at
several miles distance, in the midst of one of the most
enchanting valleys that human eyes ever looked upi n.
The general course of the valley is from N. W. to S. E., of
several miles in width, with a magnificent range of moun-
tains rising in distance beyond ; it being, without doubt, a
huge " spur" of the Eocky Mountains, composed entirely
of a reddish granite or gneiss, corresponding with the other
links of this stupendous chain. In the midst of this lovely
valley, we could just discern amongst the scattering
shrubbery that lined the banks of the watercourses, the
tops of the Camanchee wigwams, and the smoke curling
above them. The valley, for a mile distant about the
village, seemed speckled with horses and mules that were
grazing' in it. The chiefs of the war-party requested thg
regiment to halt, until they could ride in, and inform their
people who were coming. We then dismounted for an
hour or so ; when we could see them busily running and
catching their horses ; and at length, several hundreds of
their braves and warriors came out at full speed to wel-
come us, and forming in a line in front of us, as we were
again mounted, presented a formidable and pleasing ap-
pearance. As they wheeled their horses, they very rapidly
formed in a line, and " dressed" like well-disciplined
cavalry. The regiment was drawn up in three columns,
with a line formed in front, by Colonel Dodge and his
staff, in which rank my friend Chadwick and I were also
paraded ; when we had a 3ne view of the whole manoeuvre,
which was picturesque and thrilling in the extreme.
In the centre of our advance was stationed a white flag,
490
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
w
and the Indians answered to it with one which they sent
forward and planted by the side of it. *
The two lines were thus drawn up face to face, within
twenty or thirty yards of each other, as inveterate foes that
never had met ; and, to the everlasting credit of the Caman-
chees, whom the world had always looked upon as murder-
ous and hostile, they had all come out in this manner, with
their heads uncovered, and without a weapon of any kind,
to meet a war-party bristling with arms, and trespassing to
the middle of their country. They had every reason to look
upon us as their natural enemy, as they have been in the
habit of estimating all pale faces ; and yet instead of arms or
defences, or even of frowns, they galloped out and looked us
in our faces, without an expression of fear or dismay, and
evidently with expressions of joy and impatient pleasure, to
shake us by the hand, on the bare assertion of Colonel Dodge,
which had been made to the chiefs, that " we came to see
them on a friendly visit."
After we had sat and gazed at each other in this way for
some half an hour or so, the head chief of the band came
galloping up to Colonel Dodge, and having shaken him by
the hand, he passed on to the other officers in turn, and then
rode alongside of the different columns, shaking hands with
every dragoon in the regiment ; he was followed in this by
his principal chiefs and braves, which altogether took up
nearly an hour longer, when the Indians retreated slowly
towards their village, escorting us to the banks of a fine
dear stream, and a good spring of fresh water, half a mile
from their village, which they designated as a suitable place
* It is a fact which I deem to be worth noting here, that amongst all
Indian tribes, that I have yet visited, in their primitive, as well as im-
proved state, the white flag is used as a flag of trace, as it is in the civi-
lized parts of the world, and held to be sacred and inviolable. The
chief going to war always carries it in some form or other, generally of n
piece of white skin or bark, rolled on a small stick, and carried under
/-his dress, or otherwise ; and also a red flag, either to be unfurled when
occasion requires, the white flag as a trace, and the red one for battle,
or, as they say, " for blood."
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
491
for our encampment, and we were soon bivouacked at the
place from which I am now scribbling.
No sooner were we encamped here (or, in other words, «a
soon as our things were thrown upon the ground, ) Major
Mason, Lieutenant Wheelock, Captain Brown, Captain
Duncan, my friend Chad wick and myself, galloped off to the
village and through it in the greatest impatience to the
prairies, where there were at least three thousand horses
and mules grazing ; all of us eager and impatient to see and
to appropriate the splendid Arabuin horses^ which we had so
often heard were owned by the Camanchee warriors. We
galloped around busily, and glanced our eyes rapidly over
them and all soon returned to the camp, quite " crest fallen,"
and satisfied, that, although there were some tolerable nags
amongst this medley group of all colors and all shapes, the
beautiful Arabian we had so often heard of at the East, as
belonging to the Camanchees, must either be a great ways
further South than this, or else it must be a horse of the
imagination.
The Camanchee horses are generally small, s 11 of them
being of the wild breed, and a very tough and serviceable
animal ; and from what I can learn here of the chiefs, there
are yet farther South, and nearer the Mexican borders, some
of the noblest animals in use of the chiefs, yet I do not know
that we have any more reason to rely upon this information,
than that which had made our horse-jockeys that we have
with us, to run almost crazy for the possession of those we
were to find at this place. Amongst the immense h«rds we
found grazing here, one-third perhaps are mules, which are
much more valuable than the horses.
Of the horses, the officers and men have purchased a num-
ber of the best, by giving a very inferior blanket and
butcher's knife, costing in all about four dollars! These
horses in our cities at the East, independent of the name,
putting them upon their merits alone, would be worth from
isighty to one hundred dollars each, if not more.
A vast many of such could be bought on such terms, and
i92
LETTERS AND NOTKH ON THE
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are hourly brought into camp for hoIo. If wo had goods to
trade for them, and meanH of gotting them home, a great
prdfit could be made, which can oanily be learned from the
following transaction that took place yesterday. A fine
looking Indian was hanging about my tent very closely for
several days, and continually Bcaiming an old and half-worn
cotton umbrella, which I carried over mo to keep off the sun,
as I was suffering with fever and ague, and ot last proposed
to purchase it of me, with a very neat limbed and pretty pied
horse which he was rid'ag. Ho proposed at first, that I
should give him a knife and the umbrella, but as I was not
disposed for the trade (the umbrella being so useful an article
to me, that I did not know how to part with it, not knowing
whether there was another in the regiment) ; ha cunie a
second time, and offered me the horse for the umbrellii alone,,
which offer I still rejected ; and ho went back to the village,
and soon returned with another horse of a much better
quality, supposing that I had not valued the former one
equal to the umbrella.
"With this he endeavored to push the trade, and after I
had with great difficulty made him understand that I was
sick, and could not part with it, he turned and rode back
towards the village, and in a short time returned again with
one of the largest and finest mules I ever saw, proposing
that, which I also rejected ; when he disappeared again.
In a few moments my friend Captain Duncan, in whose
hospitable tent I was quartered, came in, and the circum-
stance being related to him, started up some warm jockey
feelings, which he was thoroughly possessed of, when -he-
instantly sprang upon his feet, and exclaimed," d mn
the fellow ! where is he gone ? here, Gosset ! get my old
umbrella out of the pack, I rolled it up with my ^o^per and
the frying-pan — get it as quick as lightning 1" With it in
his hand, the worthy Captain soon overtook the j /ung
man, and escorted him into tho village, and returned in a
short time — not with the mule, but with the second horse
that liad been offered to me.
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• I •.".I Ahmm, .idil /'t-'-Mv* 'tf ;»»r»lin,.: liifjri Ix/rriH, ft grfjit
: '•»')». cu'ild K*( roailo, wiii<h .-iv, <mHi!t b»-, Jearrictl from tlio
I'lllowiiij/ trnn^ontion that t»-x->k plu.«} \ .'-(U^nlay. A ^n<*.
I('ok'i»;.' liidi:\ti vviiH njin^inv ahout mv tunt vew <;]tj««»lv for
-vi.'ral ilay.s, unj «o7i»iini,i:!y HdtmiliAL^ -in o1«i aivl l.k'i'worii
•«>tti.!i uinbrolli, which 1 ..urrieil over m*; c.' kt'C[> ort'tboK'-a,
iis T \va)« suliV.'riug w'thlVviT i\n'j a^jue. arut it* liis^ nrouosed
to piiroljji.st' it ii\ nil', wi'lia very m^at litribe<i uu'l pn.'rtv pi,«»d
liorso whio.1) liu was ri(ling. flf proposed ai liMt, t'lut I
y])''uil<l ^ive liitn a Knifo and the nmbrella, but a.s I waa not.
('iisp<>3»;.'"* (or thf tr!i'ie|^t1muu;t)rti!lla being so UHotui .in artiolw
to :a»», tb^t i d'fi not j-uuw iiow to purl wi'h it, not knovnn.^
whetlier then? was iiiu*K)"r in j.ht*, rogiincnt) : lie came ft
F«'i'<.tKi timti, and ufFei>."? lU':- tlif t/^r?.- for Itit; ainbrolhi ,'iJone,
•rlucii Mt^^.T I stiil rejected , .,n\i V-.. ♦->*>; ba«ikto the village,
R<id rt<>.»r rcr,r,cned with anni:M'.' »i tr.r r. ^ muvh l)ettor
quality, enppohfing thai I had t»ot \ui-%*4i'- v- ■s:nn')r one
equid to the unibioll \.
With this he etidoavored lo piwh the ti-adc, and aft<T I
had witli gi-'!at liiHi^Mthy made him i:nd«rstan'.l that 1 was
sick, and could not part v/ith it, \\r. turM'.:;! atui rodo bar^k-
towarda the village, and in a short time ii'tuivied sgaiii with
one of ■ the largCijt and (lDti.st inuli-a T ev^r ^aw, proposing
that, which I also ryjiKrtfld ; whcu h« dmappmred agjun.
Ill a tow moments ms friend ' 'apiam Duncan, in wiiose
h'Spi table toat I was itnarteifid, oatnf^ in, and tho circum-
stance being rfdated to blin, startAMi up some warm joekev
feelings, which he waf- ihoroniirhiy popseastd of, when -be
inptanily sprang npoa h:- fee-f, aiul ^'xclairned,"d nui
the fellow! where is h« «;one;' here, Goaset! ^{'i niv old
'Jinbndla out of iho pa k, \ rollc^l it up wdth my wip^r an(i
the. frying-jian — get it »i<< qru-ik as •ightuing!" With it in
his hand, the w.^rthy Captain .mkh overtook the yonnjij
mar., and escorted hint -ti*) the village, and returi'.ed in a
.ihoit tii'.ie — not with the mtile, btit with the second hoirfo
taut i).id been oiTered 'o *ne.
IU>
LETTER No. XLII
\
GREAT OAMANOHEE VILLAGE.
Thb village of the Oamanchees bj the side of which wa
are enoamped, is composed of six or eight hundred skin-
covered lodges, made of poles and buffalo skins, in the
manner precisely as those of the Sioux and other Missouri
tribes, of which I have heretofore given some account.
This village with its thousands of wild inmates, with horses
and dogs, and wild sports and domestic occupations,
presents a most curious scene ; and the manners and looks
of the people, a rich subject for the brush and the pen.
These people, living in a country where buffaloes are
abundant, make their wigwams more easily of their skins,
than of anything else; and with them find greater facili-
ties of moving about, as circumstances often require,
(493)
494
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
when they drag them upon the poles attached to their
horses, and erect them again with little trouble in their
new residence.
"We white men, strolling about amongst their wigwams,
are looked upon with as much curiosity as if we had come
from the moon ; and evidently create a sort of chill in the
blood of children and dogs, when we make our appearance.
I was pleased to-day with the simplicity of a group which
came out in front of the chiefs lodge to scrutinize my
faithful friend Chadwick and I, as we were strolling about
the avenues and labyrinths of their village ; upon which I
took out my book and sketched as quick as lightning,
whilst "Joe" rivetted their attention by some ingenious
trick or other, over my shoulders, which I did not see,
having no time to turn my head. These were the juvenile
parts of the chiefs family, and all who at this moment were
at home ; the venerable old man, and his three or four
wives, making a visit, like hundreds of others, to the
encampment.
In speaking just above, of the mode of moving their
wigwams, and changing their encampmeints, I should have
said a little more, and should also have given to the reader,
a sketch of one of these extraordinary scenes, which I have
had the good luck to witness, where several thousands
were on the march ; and furnishing one of those laughable
scenes which daily happen, where so many dogs, and so
many squaws, are travelling in such a confused mass ; w^ith
BO many conflicting interests, and so many local and in-
dividual rights to be pertinaciously claimed and protected.
Each l:>orse drags his load, and each dog, i. e. each dog that
ivill do it (and there are many that will not), also dragging
his wallet on a couple of poles ; and each squaw with her
load, and all together (notwithstanding their burthens)
cherishing their pugnacious feelings, which often bring
them into general conflict, commencing usually amongst
the dogs, and sure to result in fisticuffs of the women ;
whilst the men, riding leisurely on the right or the left,
/
NORTH AMERICAN' INDIAN'S.
495
take infinite pleasure in overlooking these desperate con-
flicts, at which they are sure to have a laugh, and in which,
as sure never to lend a hand.
The Camanchees, like the Northern tribes, have many-
games, and in pleasant weather seem to be continually
practicing more or less of them, on the prairies, back of,
and contiguous to, their village.
In their ball-plays, and some other games, they are far
behind the Sioux and others of the Northern tribes ; but,
in racing horses and riding, they are not equalled by any
other Indians on the Continent. Eacing horses, it would
seem, is a constant and almost incessant exercise, and their
principal mode of gambling ; and perhaps, a more finished
set of jockeys are not to be found. The excercise of these
people, in a country where horses are so abundant, and the
country so fine for riding, is chiefly done on horseback ;
and it "stands to reason," that such a people, who have
been practicing from their childhood, should become
exceedingly expert in this wholesome and beautiful exer«
cise. Amongst their feats of riding, there is one that has
astonished me more than anything of the kind I have ever
seen, or expect to see, in my life : — a stratagem of war,
learned and practiced by every young man in the tribe ; by
which he is able to drop -his body upon the side of his
horse at the instant he is passing, effectually screened from
his enemies' weapons as he lays in a horizontal position
behind the body of his horse, with his heel hanging over
the horses' back ; by which he has the power of throwing
himself up again, and changing to the other side of the
horse if necessary. In this wonderful condition, he will
hang whilst his horse is at fullest speed, carrying with him
his bow and his shield, and also his long lance of fourteen
feet in length, all or either of which he will wield upon his
enemy as he passes ; rising and throwing his arrows over
the horse's back, or with equal ease and equal success under
the horse's neck. Since writing the above, I have con-
versed with some of the young men of the Pawnees, who
S)
%k
I;
I ■ !
496
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
practice the same feat, and who told me they could throw
the arrow from under the horse's belly, and elevate it upon
an enemy with deadly effect !
This feat I did not see performed, but from what I did
see, I feel inclined to believe that these young men were
boasting of no more than they were able to perform.
This astonishing feat which the young men have been
repeatedly playing off to our surprise as well as amuse-
ment, whilst they have been galloping about in front of
our tents, completely puzzled the whole of us; and
appeared to be the result of magic, rather than of skill
acquired by practice. I had several times great curiosity
to approach them, to ascertain by what means their bodies
could be suspended in this manner, where nothing could be
seen but the heel hanging over the horse's back. In these'
endeavors I was continually frustrated, until one day I
coaxed a young fellow up within a little distance of me
by offering him a few plugs of tobacco, and he in a moment
solved the difficulty, so far as to render it apparently more
feasible than before ; yet leaving it one of the most extra-
ordinary results of practice and persevering endeavors. 1
found on examination, that a short hair halter was passed
around under the neck of the horse, and both ends tightly
braided into the mane, on the withers, leaving a loop to
hang under the neck, and against the breast, which, being
caught up in the hand, makes a sling into which the elbow
falls, taking the weight of the body on the middle of the
upper arm. Into this loop the rider drops suddenly and
fearlessly, leaving his heel to hang over the back of the
horse, to steady him, and also to restore him when he
wishes to regain his upright position on the horse's back.
Besides this wonderful art, these people have several
other feats of horsemanship, which they are continually
showing off; which are pleasing and extraordinary, and of
which they seem very proud. A people who spend so very
great a part of their lives, actually on their horse's backs,
must needs become exceedingly expert in every thing that
NORTH AMEHICAN IXDIAXti.
4^7
pertains to riding — to war, or to the chase ; and I am rort^ly,
without hesitation, to pronounce the CamancbeeM tUy humI
extraordinary horsemen that I have seen yet in all my
travels, and I doubt very much whether any people itt th«
world can surpass them.
The Camanchees are in stature, rather low, and in peraotif
often approaching to corpulency. In their motremetttoi
they are heavy and ungraceful ; and on their feet, om of
the most unattractive and slovenly-looking races of Indiani
that I have ever seen ; but the moment they mounfc their
horses, they seem at once metamorphosed, and mrpf'im the
spectator with the ease and elegance of their movufMnUi,
A Gamanchee on his feet is out of his element, and mm-
paratively almost as awkward as a monkey on the ground,
without a limb or a branch to cling to ; but the moment be
lays his hand upon his horse, his face even, becomeii batid'
some, and he gracefully flies away like a different being.
Our encampment is surrounded by continual nwartm of
old and young — of middle aged— of male and female— of
dogs, and every moving thing that constitutes their com*
munity ; and our tents are lined with the chief)* and other
worthies of the tribe. So it will be seen there m no difli'
<5ulty of getting subjects enough for my brush, m well otf
for my pen, whilst residing in this place.
The head chief of this village, who is represented to u«
here, as the head of the nation, is a mild and pleottant
looking gentleman, without anything striking or peeuliur in
his looks; dressed in a very humble manner, with very
few ornaments upon him, and his hair carelessly falling
about his face, and over his shoulders. The name of thi«*
chief is Ee-shah-ko-nee (the bow and quiver), 'J'he only
ornaments to be seen about him were a couple of beautiful
shells worn in his ears, and a boar's tusk attached to h'\n
neck, and worn on his breast.
For several days after we arrived at this place, tliefe wm
A huge mass of flesh, Ta-wah-que-nah (the mountain of
rocks), who was put forward as head chief of the tribe '.
32
j.
498
LBrrERS AND NOTBS ON THE
and all honors were being paid to him by the regiment of
dragoons, until the above-mentioned chief arrived from the
country, where it seems he was leading a war-party ; and
had been sent for, no doubt, on the occasion. When he
arrived, this huge monster, who is the largest and fattest
Indian I ever saw, stepped quite into the back-ground,
giving way to this admitted chief, who seemed to have the
confidence and respect of the whole tribe.
This enormous man, whose flesh would undoubtedly
weigh three hundred pounds or more, took the most won-
derful strides in the exercise of his temporary authority ;
which, in all probability, he was lawfully exercising in the
absence of his superior, as second chief of the tribe.
A perfect personation of Jack Falstafif, in size and in
figure, with an African face, and a beard on his chin of two
or three inches of length. His name, he tells me, he got
from having conducted a large party of Camanchees through
a secret and subterraneous passage, entirely through the
mountain of granite rooks, which lies back of their village ;
thereby saving their lives from their more powerful enemy,
who had " cornered them up " in such a way, that there
was no other possible mode of their escape. The mountain
under which he conducted them, is called Tawah-que-nah
(the mountain of rocks), and^ from this he has received his
name, which would certainly have been far more appropriate
if it had been a mountain of flesh.
Corpulency is a thing exceedingly rare to be found in
»ny of the tribes, amongst the men, owing probably, to the
ixposed and active sort of lives they lead ; and that in the
absence of all the spices of life, many of which have their
effect in producing this disgusting, as well as unhandy
and awkward extravagance in civilized society.
Ish-a-ro-yeh (he who carries a wolf), and Is-sa-wah-tam-ah
(the wolf tied with hair), are also chiefs of some standing in
the tribe, and evidently men of great influence, as they
were put forward by the head chiefs, for their likenesses to
NORTH AMEIU'^'V INDIAN'S.
499
be painted in turn, after their own. The first of the two
seemed to be the leader of the war-party which we met, and
of which I have spoken ; and in escorting us to their village,
this man took the lead and piloted us the whole way, in
consequence of which Colonel Dodge presented him a very
fine gun.
His-oo-san-ches (the Spaniard), a gallant little fellow, ia
represented to us as one of the leading warriors of the tribe ;
and no doubt is one of the most extraordinary men at
present living in these regions. He is half Spanish, and
being a half-breed, for whom they generally have the most
contemptuous feelings, he has been all his life thrown into
the front of battle and danger ; at which posts he has sig-
nalized himself, and commanded the highest admiration and
respect of the tribe, for his daring and adventurous career.
This is the man of whom I have before spoken, who dashed
out so boldly from the war-party, and came to us with the
white flag raised on the point of his lance. I have repre-
sented him as he stood for me, with his shield on his
arm, with his quiver slung, and his lance of fourteen feet
in length in his right hand. This extraordinary little man
whose figure was light, seemed to be all bone and muscle,
and exhibited immense power, by the curve of the bones in
his legs and arms. We had many exhibitions of his extra-
ordinary strength, as well as agility ; and of his gentlemuuly
politeness and friendship, we had as frequent evidences.
As an instance of this, I will recite an occurrence which
took place but a few days since, when we were moving our
encampment to a more desirable ground on another side of
their village. We had a deep and powerful stream to ford,
when we had several men who were sick, and obliged to be
carried on litters. My friend " Joe" and I came up in the
rear of the regiment, where the litters with the sick were
passing, and we found this little fellow up to his chin in
the muddy water, wading and carrying one end of each
litter on his head, as they were in turn, passed over. After
they had all passed, this gallant fellow beckov.ed to me to
ooo
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
i I
' :i
dismount, and take a seat on his shoulders, which I de-
clined ; preferring to stick to my horse's back, which I did,
as he took it by the bridle and conducted it through the
shallowest ford. When I was across, I took from my belt
a handsome knife and presented it to him, which seemed to
please him very much.
Besides the above-named chie& and warriors, I painted
the portrait of Kotao-ko-ro-ho (the hair of the bull's neck) ;
and Hah nee (the beaver) ; the first, a chief; the second, a
warrior of terrible aspect, and also of considerable distinc-
tion.
From what I have already seen of the Camanchees, I am
fully convinced that they are a numerous and very powerful
tribe and quite equal in numbers and prowess, to the
accounts generally given of them.
It is entirely impossible at present to make a correct
estimate of their numbers ; but taking their own account of
villages they point to in such numbers. South of the banks
of the Bed Biver, as well as those that lie farther West
and undoubtedly North of its banks, they must be a very
numerous tribe ; and I think I am able to say, from esti-
mates that these chiefs have made me, that they number
some thirty or forty thousand — being able to show some
six or seven thousand warriors, well-mounted and well-
armed. This estimate I oflEer not as conclusive, for so
little is as yet known of these people, that no estimate can
be implicitly relied upon other than that, which in general
terms, pronounces them to be a very numerous and
warlike tribe.
We shall learn mu .. more of them before we get out of
their country ; and list that it will yet be in my power
to give something like a fair census of them before we have
done with them.
They speak much of their allies and friends, the Pawnee
Picts, living to the West some three or four days' march,
whom we are going to visit in a few days, and afterwards
return to this village, and then " bend our course" home-
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
501
ward, or, in other words, back to Fort Gibson. Besides
the Pawnee Picts, there are the Kiowas and "Wi'-os; small
tribes that live in the same vicinity, and also in the same
alliance, whom we shall probably see on car march. Every
preparation is now making to be off in a few days — and I
sliall omit further remarks on the Camanchees, until we
return, when I shall probably have much more to relate of
them and their customs. So many of the men and officers
are getting sick, that the little command will be very much
crippled, from the necessity we shall be under, of leaving
aoout thirty sick, and about an equal number of well to
take care of and protect them ; for which purpose, we are
constructing a fort, with a sort of breastwork of timbers
and bushes, which will be ready in a day or two ; and the
sound part of the command prepared to start with several
Camanohee leaders who have agreed to pilot the way.
i
UITTEB No. XLia
I
GREAT OA¥.ANOHEB TILLAOE.
The above Letter it \/ill be seen, was written some time
•go, and when all hands (save those who were too sick)
were on the start for the Pawnee village. Amongst those
exception? was I, before the hour of starting had arrived ;
and as the .ragoons have made their visit there and returned
in a most jaded condition, and I have again got well enough
to write, i will render some account of the excursion, which
is from t/'e pen and the pencil of mj friend Joe, who went
with them and took my sketch and note*books in his
pocket.
" We were four days travelling over a beautiful country,
most of the way prairie, and generally along near the base
of a stupendous range of mountains of reddish granite, in
(502)
-im
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
503
many |i1iu!um ])ilod up to an immense height without tree oi
shrubbery on them; looking as if they had actually droppe<l
from the olouds in Huoh a confused mass, and all lay where
they had fallen. Such we found thu mountains enclosing
the Pawnee village, on thu bank of Red River, about ninety
miles from the Oamanohoe town. The dragoon regiment
vfAA drawn up within half a mile or so of this village, and
enoumped in a 8<iuaro, wheri we remained three days. We
fourd hero a very numerous village, containing some five
or six hundred wigwams, all made of long prairie grass,
thatched over poles, which are fastened in the ground and
bent in at the top; giving to them, in distance, the
appoarunco of straw bee-hives.
"To our very great surprise, we have found these people
cultivating quite extensive fields of corn (maize), pumpkins,
melons, beans and squashes ; so, with these aids, and ok
abundant supply of bu£falo meat, they may be said to be
living very well.
"The next day after our arrival here, Colonel Dodge
opened a council with the chiefs, in the chiefs lodge, where
he had the most of his officers around him. He first ex<
plained to them the friendly views with which he came to
see them ; and of the wish of our Government to establish
a lasting peace with them, which they seemed at once to
appreciate and highly to estimate.
" The head chief of the tribe is a very old man, and be
several times replied to Colonel Dodge in a very eloquent
manner; assuring him of the friendly feelingo of his chiefs
and warriors towards the pale faces, in the direction from
whence we came.
" After Colonel Dodge had explained in general terms,
the objects of our visit, he told them that he should expect
from them some account of the foul murder of Judge
Martin and his family on the False "Washita, which had
been perpetrated but a few weeks before, and which the
Camanchees had told us v/as done by the Pawnee Picts.
The Colonel told them, also, that he learned from the
604
LETTERS AND N0TE8 ON THE
^1
Camanchees, that they had the little boy, the son of th«
murdered geutloinan, in their possession ; and that he
should expect them to deliver him up, as an indispensable
condition of the friendly arrangement that was now making.
They positively denied the fact, and all knowledge of it;
firmly assuring us that they knew nothing of the murder,
or of the boy. The demand was repeatedly made, and aa
often denied ; until at length a negro-man was discovered,
who was living with the Pawnees, who spoke good
English ; and coming into the coUncil-house, gave infor-
mation that such a boy had recently been brought into
their village, and was now a prisoner amongst them. This
excited great surprise and indignation in the council, and
Colonel Dodge then informed the chiefs that the council
would rest here ; and certainly nothing further of a
peaceable nature would transpire until the boy was
brought in. In this alarming dilemma, all remained in
gloomy silence for awhile; when Colonel Dodge further
informed the chiefs, that as an evidence of his friendly
intentions towards them, he had, on starting, purchased at
a very great price, from their enemies the Osages, two
Pawnee (and one Kiowa) girls ; which had been held by
them for some years as prisoners, and which he had
brought the whole way home, and had here ready to be
delivered to their friends and relations ; but whom he
certainly would never show, until the little boy was pro-
duced. He also made another demand, which was for the
restoration of an United States ranger, by the name of
Abb^, who had been captured by them during the summer
before. They acknowledged the seizure of this man, and
all solemnly declared that he had been taken by a party
of the Camanchees, over whom they had no control, and
carried beyond the Bed River into the Mexican provinces,
where he was put to death. They held a long consultation
about the boy, and seeing their plans defeated by the
evidence of the negro ; and also being convinced of the
friendly disposition of the Colonel, by bringing home their
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
606
prisoners from the Osages, thev scut out and hrd the boy
brought in from the midtlle of a corn-field, where he had
been secreted, lie is a smart and very intelligent boy of
nine years of age, and whcu he oame ir , ne was entirely
naked, as they keep thr.ir own boys at that ag . There
was a great excitement in the council when the 1vt.j fellow
was brought in ; and as he passed amongst theiu, he looked
around and exclaimed, with some si.;'p;.ie, "What I -io
there white men here ?" to which Coionei Dodge replied,
and asked his name; and he promptly answered, "my
name is Matthew Wright, Martin." He was then received
into Colonel Dodge's arms ; and an order was immediately
given for the Pawnee and Kiowa ^irls to be brought
forward; they were in a few minutes brought into the
council-house, when they were at once recognized by their
friends and relatives, who embraced them with the most
extravagant expressions of joy and satisfaction. The heart
of the venerable old chief was melted at this evidence of
white man's friendship, -jtm he rose upon his feet, and
taking Colonel Dodge in his arms, and placing his left
cheek against the left cheek of the Colonel, held him for
some minutes without saying a word, whilst tears were
flowing from his eyes. He then embraced each officer in
turn, in the same silent and affectionate manner ; which
form took half an hour or more, before it was completed.*
" From this moment the council, which before had been
a very grave and uncertain one, took a pleasing and
friendly turn. And this excellent old man ordered the
women to supply the dragoons with something to eat, as
they were hungry.
"The little encampment, which heretofore was in a
* The little boy of whom I have spoken, was brought in, the whole
distance to Fort Gibson, in the arms of the dragoons, who took tarns in
carrying him ; and after the command arrived there, he was transmitted
to the Bed River, by an oflBcer, who had the enviable satisfaction of
delivering him into the arms of his disconsolate and half-distracted
mother.
506
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
woeful condition, having eaten up their last rations twelve
hours before, were now gladdened by the approach of a
number of women, who brought their 'back- loads' of dried
buf&lo meat and green corn, and threw it down amongst
them. This seemed almost like a providential deliverance,
for the country between here and the Camancbees, was
entirely destitute of game, and our last provisions were
consumed. , *
" The council thus proceeded successfully and pleasantly
for several days, whilst the warriors of the Kiowas and
Wicos, two adjoining and friendly tribes, living further to
the West, were arriving ; and also a great many from other
bands of the Camanchees, who had heard of our arrival ;
until two thousand or more of these wild and fearless-
looking fellows were assembled, and all, from their horses'
backs, with weapons in hand, were looking into our pitiful
little encampment, of two hundred men, all in a state of
dependence and almost literal starvation ; and at the same
time nearly one-half the number too sick to have made a
suooessfhl resistance if we were to have been attacked."
»
»
The command returned to this village after an absence
of fifteen days, in a fatigued and destitute condition, with
scarcely anything to eat, or chance of getting anything
here; in consequence of which. Colonel Dodge almost
instantly ordered preparations to be made for a move to
the head of the Canadian river, a distance of an hundred or
more miles, where the Indians represented to us there
would be found immense herds of buffaloes ; a place where
we could get enough to eat, and by lying by awhile, could
restore the sick, who are now occupying a great number of
litters. Some days have elapsed, however, and we are not
quite ready for the start yet. And during that time, con-
tinual parties of the Pawnee Picts and Kioways have come
up ; and also Camanchees, from other villages, to get a
look at us, and many of them are volunteering to go in
with us to the frontier.
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
507
The world who know me, will see that I can scarcely be
idle under such circumstances as these, where so manj
subjects for my brush and my pen are gathering about me.
(See Frontispiece.)
The Pawnee Picts, Kioways, and Wicos are tbe subjects
that I am most closely scanning at this moment, and I have
materials enough around me.
The Pawnee Picts are undoubtedly a numerous and
powerful tribe, occupying, with the Kioways and Wicos, the
whole country on the head waters of the Eed River, and
quite into and through the southern part of the Eocky
Mountains. The old chief told me by signs, enumerating
with his hands and fingers, that they had altogether three
thousand warriors ; which, if true, estimating according to
the usual rule, one warrior to four, would make the whole
number about twelve thousand; and, allowing a fair per-
centage for boasting or bragging, of which they are
generally a little guilty in such cases, there would be a fair
calculation from eight to ten thousand. These, then, in an
established alliance with thj great tribe of Caraanchees,
hunting and feasting together, and ready to join in common
defence of their country, become a very formidable enemy
when attacked on their own ground.
The name of the Pawnee Picts, we find to be in their own
language, Tow-ee-ahge, the meaning of which I have not
yet learned. I have ascertained also, that these people are
in no way related to the Pawnees of the Platte, who reside
a thousand miles or more North of them, and know them
only as enemies. There is no family or tribal resemblance ;
nor any in their language or customs. The Pawnees of the
Platte shave the head, and the Pawnee Picts abominate the
custom ; allowing their hair to grow like the Camanchees
and other tribes.
The old chief of the Pawnee Picts, of whom I have before
spoken, and whose name is We-ta-ra-sho-ro, iB undoubtedly
a very excellent and kind-hearted old man, of ninety or
more years of age, and has consented to accompany us, with
n,,^
508
LETTERS AND NOTKS OX THE
!.1
I;
a large party of his people, to Fort Gibson ; where Colonel
Dodge has promised to return him liberal presents from
the Government, for the friendship he has evinced on the
present occasion.
The second chief of this tribe, Sky-se-ro-ka, we found to
be a remarkably clever man, and much approved and
and valued in his tribe.
The Pawnee Picts, as well as the Camanchees, are
generally a very clumsy and ordinary looking set of men,
when on their feet ; but being fine horsemen, are equally
improved in appearance as soon as they mount upon their
horses' backs.
Amongst the women of this tribe, there were many that
were exceedingly pretty in feature and in form ; and also
in expression, though their skins are very dark. The dress
of the men in this tribe, as amongst the Camanchees, con-
sists generally in leggings of dressed skins, and moccasins ;
with a flap or breech-clout, made also of dressed skins or
furs, and ofien very beautifully ornamented with shells, &c.
Above the waist they seldom wear any drapery, owing to
the warmth of the climate, which will rarely justify it ; and
their heads are generally uncovered with a head-dress, like
the Northern tribes who live in a colder climate, and
actually require them for comfort.
The women of the Camanchees and Pawnee Picts, are
always decently and comfortably clad, being covered
generally with a gown or slip, that reaches from the chin
quite down to the ancles, made of deer or elk skins ; often
garnished very prettily, and ornamented with long fringes
of elk's teeth, which are fastened on them in rows, and
more highly valued than any other ornament they can put
upon them.
The Kioways are a much finer looking race of men, than
either the Camanchees or Pawnees — are tall and erect, with
an easy and gt-aceful gait — with long hair, cultivated often-
times so as to reach nearly to the ground. They have
generally the fine and Boman outline of head, that is so
!1
('
1.
r
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
509
frequently found at the North, — and decidedly distinct
from that of the Camanchees and Pawnee Plots. These
men speak a language distinct from both of the thers ;
and in fact, the Camanchees and Pawnee Picts — and
Kioways, and Wicos, are all so distinctly different in their
languages, as to appear in that respect as total strangers to
each other.*
The head chief of the Kioways, whose name is Teh-toot-
sah, we found to be a very gentlemanly and high-minded
man, who treated the dragoons and officers with great
kindness while in his country. His long hair which was
.)ut up in several large clubs, and ornamented with a great
'aany silver brooches, extended quite down to his knees.
This distinguished man, as well as several others of his
tribe, have agreed to join us on the march to Fort Gibson ;
so I shall have much of their company yet, and probably
much more to say of them at a future period. Bon-son-gee
(the new fire), is another chief of this tribe, and called a
very good man ; the principal ornaments which he carried
on his person were a boar's tusk and his war- whistle, which
were hanging on his breast.
* I have several times, in former parts of this work, spoken of the
great number of different Indian languages which I have visited, and
given my opinion, as to the dissimilarity and distinctness of their
character. And would refer the reader for further information on this
subject, as well as for vocabulary of several languages, to the Appendix
to this Volume, letter B.
■^
a^^^^g^^um
(, ,■■'■/:•". ■••'"•'
:l
! t
LETTER No. XMV,
GAMP CANADIAN, TEZAS.
Six days of severe travelling have brought us from the
Oamanchee village to the north bank of the Oanadian,
where we are snugly encamped on a beautiM plain, and
in the midst of countless numbers of buffaloes ; and halt-
ing a few days to recruit our horses and men, and dry meat
to last us the remainder of our journey.
The plains around this, for many miles, seem actually
speckled in distance, and in every direction, with herds of
grazing buffaloes; and for several days, the officers and
men have been indulged in a general license to gratify
their sporting propensities ; and a scene of bustle and cruel
(510)
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS,
6U
daughter it has been, to be sure ! From morning till night,
the camp has been daily almost deserted ; the man havd
dispersed in little squads in all directions, and aro tkflling
death to these poor creatures to a most cruel and wanton
extent, merely for the pleasure of destroying, gen@mlly
without stopping to cut out the meat. During yenterHay
and this day, several hundreds have undoubtedly hmn
killed, and not so much as the flesh of half a d&z$n twed.
Such immense swarms of tbem are spread over tbii tract
of country ; and so divided and terrified have they beoofflo,
finding their enemies in all directions where they fttn, that
the poor beasts seem completely bewildered— running here
and there, and as often as otherwise, come singly advaneing
to the horsemen, as if to join them for their company, and
are easily shot down. In the turmoil and confiwion, when
their assailants have been pushing them forward, they havct
galloped through our encampment, jumping over oar fires,
upsetting pots and kettles, driving horses from their foiteU'
ings, and throwing the whole encampment into the greatei>«t
instant consternation and alarm. The hunting &v»r will be
satiated in a few days amongst the young men, who are
well enough to take parts in the chase ; and the bUidtii
fever, it is to be hoped, will be abated in a short time,
amongst those who are invalid, and meat enough will be
dried to last urf to Fort Gibson, when we shall be OB the
march again, and wending our way towards that garriioo.
Many are now sick and unable to ride, and are earried
on litters between two horses. Nearly every tent belonging
to the officers has been converted into hospitals for the sick ;
and sighs and groaning are heard in all directions, From
the Camanchee village to this place, the country htm been
entirely prairie ; and most of the way high and Ary ground,
without water, for which we sometimes suflTered very much.
From day to day we have dragged along exposeil to the
hot and burning rays of the sun, without a cloud to relieve
its intensity, or a bush to shade us, or anything to cast a
shadow, except the bodies of our horses. The grass, for a
512
LETTKRS A.XD NOTES ON THE
great part of the way, was very much dried up, scarcely
af!brding a bite for our horses; and sometimes for the
distance of many miles, the only water we could find, was
in stagnant pools, lying on the highest ground, in which
the buffaloes have been lying and wallowing like hogs in n
mud-puddle. "We frequently came to these dirty lavers,
from which we drove the herds of wallowing buffaloes, and
into which our poor and almost dying horses, irresistibly
ran and plunged their noses, sucking up the dirty and
poisonous draught, until, in some instances, they fell dead
in their tracfs — ^the men also (and oftentimes amongst the
number, the writer of these lines) sprang from their horses,
and ladled up and drank to almost fatal excess, the dis-
gusting and tepid draught, and with it filled their canteens,
which were slung to their sides, and from which they were
sucking the bilious contents during the day.
In our march we found many deep ravines, in the bottom
of which there were the marks of wild and powerful
streams ; but in this season of drought they were all dried
up, except an occasional one, where we found them dash-
ing along in the coolest and clearest manner, and on trial,
to our great agony so salt that even our horses could not
drink from them ; so we had occasionally the tantalizing
pleasure of hearing the roar of, and looking into, the
clearest and most sparkling streams; and after that the dire
necessity of drinking from stagnant pools which lay from
month to month exposed to the rays of the sun, till their
waters become so poisonous and heavy, from the loss of
their vital principal, that they are neither diminished by
absorption, nor taken into the atmosphere by evaporation.
This poisonous and indigestible water, with the intense
rays of the sun in the hottest part of the summer, is the
cause of the unexampled sickness of the horses and men.
Both appear to be suffering and dying with the same
disease, a slow and distressing bilious fever, which seems
to terminate in a most frightful and fatal affection of the
liver.
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
518
In these several cruel days' march, I have suffered
fleverely, having had all the time (and having yet) a dis-
tracting fever on me. My real friend, Joe, has constantly
rode by my side, dismounting and filling my canteen
for me, and picking up minerals or fossils, which my jaun-
diced eyes were able to discover as we were passing
over them; or doing other kind offices for me, when I
was too weak to mount my horse without aid. During
this march over these dry and parched plains, wo picked-
up many curious things of the fossil and mineitil kind,
and besides them a number of the horned frogs In our
portmanteau we had a number of tin boxes in (vhich we
had carried Seidlitz powders, in which we caged a number
of them safely, in hopes to carry them home alive. Several
remarkable specimens my friend Joe has secured of these,
wit I the horns of half and three-fourths of an inch in length,
and very sharp at the points.
These curious subjects have so often fallen under my
eye while on the Upper Missouri, that with me, they have
lost their novelty in a great degree ; but they have amused
and astonished my friend Chadwick so much, that he
declares he will take every one he can pick up, and make
a sensation with them when he gets home. In this way
Joe's fancy for horned frogs has grown into a sort oi frog-
mania, and his eyes are strained all day, and gazing
amongst the grass and pebbles as he rides along, for his
precious little prizes, which he occasionally picks up and
consigns to his pockets. *
On one of these hard day's march, and just at night,
whilst we were looking out for water, and a suitable place
to encamp, Joe and I galloped off a mile or two to the right
of the regiment, to a point of timber, to look for water,
where we found a small and sunken stagnant pool ; and as
* Several months after this, when I visited my friend Joe's room in
St. Louis, he shewed me his horned frogs in their little tin boxes, in
-good flesh and good condition, where they had existed several months,
-without food of any kind.
33
bU
LETTERS AXD NOTES ON THE
il
h:
our horses plunged their feet into it to drink, we saw, to
our great surprise, a number of frogs hopping across its
surface, as our horses started them from the shore I Several
of them stopped in the middle of the pool, sitting quite
"high and dry" on the surface of the water; and when we
approached them nearer, or jostled them, they made a leap
into the air, and coming down head foremost, went under
the water and secreted themselves at the bottom. Here was
a subject for Joe, in his own line ! frogs with horns, and
frogs with webbed feet, that could hop about, and sit upon,
the surface of the water 1 We rode around the pool and
drove a number of them into it, and fearing that it would
be useless to try to get one of them that evening; we rode
back to the encampment, exulting very much in the
curious discovery we had made for the naturalists ; and by
relating to some of the officers what we had seen, got
excessively laughed at for our wonderfal discovery !
Nevertheless, Joe and I could not disbelieve what we had
seen so distinctly *' with our own eyes ;" and we took ta
ourselves (or in other words, I acquiesced in Joe's taking
to himself^ as it was so peculiarly in his line) the most
unequivocal satisfaction in the curious and undoubted dis-
covery of this new variety ; and we made our arrangements
to ride back to the spot before " bugle caW in the morning •,.
and by a thorough effort, to obtain a specimen or two of
the web-footed frogs for Joe's pocket, to be by him
introduced to the consideration of the knowing ones in the
East. Well, our horses were saddled at an early hour, and
Joe and I were soon on the spot — and he with a handker-
chief at the end of a little pole, with which he had made a
sort of scoop-net, soon dipped one up as it was hopping
along on the surface of the water, and making unsuccessful
efforts to dive through its surface. On examining its feet
we found, to our very* great surprise, that we had taken
a great deal of pains to entrap an old and familiar little
acquaintance of our boyhood ; but somewhat like ourselves,,
unfortunately, from dire necessity, driven to a loathsome
1
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
515
pool, where the water was so foul and slimy, that it could
hop and dance about its surface with dry feet ; and where
it oftentimes found difficulty in diving through the surface
to hide itself at the bottom.
I laughed a great deal at poor Joe's most cruel expense,
and we amused ourselves a few minutes about this filthy
and curious pool, and rode back to the encampment. We
found by taking the water up in the hollow of the hand,
and dipping the finger in it, and drawing it over the side,
thus conducting a little of it out ; it was so slimy that the
whole would run over the side of the band in a moment !
We were joked and teased a great deal about our web-
footed frogs ; and after this, poor Joe has had repeatedly to
take out and exhibit his little pets in his pockets, t^
convince our travelling companions that frogs sometimes
actually have horns.
Since writing the above, an express has arrived from
the encampment, which we left at the mouth of False
Washita, with the melancholy tidings of the death of
General Leavenworth, Lieutenant M'Clure, and ten or
fifteen of the men left at that place ! This has cast a gloom
over our little encampment here, and seems to be received
as a fatal foreboding by those who are sick with the same
disease; and many of them, poor fellows, with scarce a
hope left now for their recovery.
It seems that the General had moved on our trail a few
days after we left the Washita, to the " Cross Timbers," a
distance of fifty or sixty miles, where his disease at last
terminated his existence ; and I am inclined to think, as I
before mentioned, in consequence of the injury he sustained
in a fall from his horse when running a buffalo calf. My
reason for believing this, is, that I rode and ate with him
every day after the hour of his fall ; and from that moment
I was quite sure that I saw a different expression in his
face, from that which he naturally wore ; and when riding
by the side of him two or three days after his fall, I
observed to him, "General, you have a very bad cough"
516
LITTERS AND NOTKS.
— "Yes," he replied, "I have killed my»elf in running that
devilish calf; and it was a very lucky thing, Catlin, that
you painted the portrait of mo before we started, for it is
all that my dear wife will ever see of mo."
We shall be on the move again in a few days ; and I
plainly see that I shall be upon a litter, unless my horrid
fever leaves me, which is daily taking away my strength,
and almost, at times, my leniM. Adiettt
LETTER No. XLV.
FORT GIBSON, ARKANSAS.
Thb last Letter was written from my tent, and out upon
the wild prairies, when I was shaken and terrified by a
burning fever, with home and my dear wife and little one,
two thousand miles ahead of me, whom I was despairing of
ever embracing again. T am now scarcely better off, except
that I am in comfortable quarters, with kind attendance,
and friends about me. I am yet sick and very feeble,
having been for several weeks upon my back since I was
brought in from the prairies. I am slowly recovering, and
for the first time since I wrote from the Canadian, able to
use my pen or my brush.
We drew off from that slaughtering ground a few days
after my last Letter was written, with a great number sick,
carried upon litters — with horses giving out and dying by
the way, which much impeded our progress over the long
and tedious route that laid between us and Fort Gibson.
Fifteen days, however, of constant toil and fatigue brought
us here, but in a most crippled condition. Many of the
'iok were loft by the way with attendants to take care of
fchem, others were buried from their litters on which they
(517)
II
f
618
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
bronthcd their last while travelling, and many others were
brought in, to this place, merely to die and get the
privilege of a decent burial.
Since the very day of our start into that country, the
men have been continually falling sick, and on their return,
of those who are alive, there are not well ones enough to
take care of the sick. Many are yet left out upon the
prairies, and of those that have been brought in, and quar-
tered in the hospital, with the soldiers of the infantry
regiment stationed here, four or five are buried daily ; and
as an equal number from the 9th regiment are falling
by the same disease, I have the mournful sound of " Bosliu
Custle," with muffled drums, passing six or eight times
a-day under my window, to the burying-ground, which is
but a little distance in fVont of my room, where I can lay
in my bed and see every poor fellow lowered down into his
silent and peaceful habitation. During the day before
yesterday, no less than eight solemn processions visited
that insatiable ground, and amongst them was carried the
corpse of my intimate and much-loved friend Lieutenant
West, who was aid-de-oamp to General Leavenworth, on
this disastrous campaign, and who has left in this place a
worthy and distracted widow, with her little ones to mourn
for his untimely end. On the same day was buried also the
Prussian Botanist, a most excellent and scientific gentleman,
who had obtained an order from the Secretary at War to
accompany the expedition for scientific purposes. He had
at St. Louis, purchased a very comfortable Bearborn waron,
and a snug span of little horses to convey himself and his
servant with his collection of plants, over the prairies. In
this he travelled in company with the regiment from St.
Louis to Fort Gibson, some five or six hundred miles, and
from that to the False Washita, and the Cross Timbers and
back again. In this Tour he had made an immense, and
no doubt, very valuable collection of plants, and at this
place had been for some weeks indefatigably engaged in
changing and drying them, and at last, fell a victim to the
yORTH AMERICAN INDIAN'S.
519
disease of the country, which seemed to have made nn easy
conquest of him, from the very feeble and enervated state
he was evidently in — that of pulmonary consumption.
This fine, gentlemanly and urbane, excellent man, to whom
I became very much attached, was lodged in a room Ail-
joining to mine, where he died, aa he had lived, peaceably
and smiling, and that when nobody knew that his life was
in immediate danger. The surgeon who was attending me,
(Dr. Wright,) was sitting on my bed-side in his morning-
call at my room, when a negro boy, who alone had been
left in the room with him, came into my apartment and said
Mr. Beyrioh was dying — we instantly stepped into his room
and found him, not in the agonies of death, but quietly
breathing his last, without a word or a struggle, as he had
laid himself upon his bed with his clothes and his boots
on. In this way perished this worthy man, who had no
one here of kindred friends to drop tears for him ; and on
the day previous to his misfortune, died also, and much in
the same way, his devoted and faithful servant, a young
man, a native of Germany. Tbeir bodies were buried by
the side of each other, and a general feeling of deep grief
was manifested by the oncers and citizens of the post, in
the respect that wis paid to their remains in the appropriate
and decent committal of them to the grave.
Alter leaving the head waters of the Canadian, my illness
■continually increased, and losing strength every day, I soon
got so reduce 1 that I was necessarily lifted on to, and off
from, my hor;.'; and at last, so that I could not ride at all.
I was then put into a baggage wagon which was going back
empty, except with several soldiers sick, and in this con-
dition rode eight days, most of the time in a delirious state,
lying on the hard planks of the wagon, and made still
harder by the jarring and jolting, until the skin from my
elbows and knees was literally worn through, and I almost
^^worri out ;^^ when we at length reached this post, and I
■was taken to a bed, in comfortable quarters, where I have
liad the skilful attendance of my friend and old schoolmate.
Hi-
V v:, ;,
520
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
Dr. Wright, under whose hands, thank God, I have been
restored, and am now daily recovering my flesh and usual
strength.
TRATRLLIMO IN A BAOOAOB WAGOW.
The experiment has thus been made, of sending an array
of men from the North, into this Southern and warm
climate, in the hottest months of the year, of July and
August ; and from this sad experiment I am sure a secret
will bo learned that -".vill be of value on future occasions.
NORTH AMERICAN IHDIAXS.
m
Of the four hundred and fifty fine fellows who started
from this place four months since, about on^third have
already died, and I believe many more there are whose fates
are sealed, and will yet fall victims to the deadly diseases
contracted in that fatal country. About this post it seems
to be almost equally unhealthy, and generally so during
this season, all over this region, which is probably owing to
an unusual drought which has been visited on the country
and unknown heretofore to the oldest inhabitants.
Since we carae in from the prairies, and the sickness has
a little abated, we have had a bustling time with the
Indians at this place. Colonel Dodge sent runners to the
chiefs of all the contiguous tribes of Indians, with an invi-
tation to meet the Pawnees, &c., in council, at this place.
Seven or eight tribes flocked to us, in great numbers on
the first day of the month, when the council commenced ;
it continued for several days, and gave these semi-civilized
sons of the forest a fair opportunity of shaking the hands
of their wild and untamed red brethren of the West— -of
embracing them in their arms, with expressions of friend-
ship, and of smoking the calumet together, as the solemn
pledge of lasting peace and friendship.
Colonel Dodge, Major Armstrong (the Indian agent), and
General Stokes (the Indian commissioner), presided at this
council, and I cannot name a scene more interesting and
entertaining than it was ; where, for several days in suc-
cession, free vent was given to the feelings of men civilized,
half-civilized, and wild; where the three stages of man were
fearlessly asserting their rights, their happiness, and friend-
ship for each other. The vain orations of the half- polished
(and half-breed) Cherokees and Choctaws, with all their
finery and art, found their match in the brief and jarring
gutturals of the wild and naked man.
After the council had adjourned, ^nd the fumes of the
peace-making calumet had vanished away, and Colonel
Dodge had made them addditional presents, they soon
laade preparations for their departure, and on the next day
522
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
V. :i\
I
M
started, with an escort of dragoons, for their own country.
This movement is much to be regretted ; for it would have
been exceedingly gratifying to the people of the East to
have seen so wild a group, and it would have been of great
service to them to have visited Washington — a journey,
though, which they could not be prevailed upon to maka.
ESCORT OF DRAGOONS.
We brougnt with us to this place, three of the principal
chiefe of the Pawnees, fifteen Kioways, one Camanchee, and
one Wico chief. The group was undoubtedly one of the
most interesting that ever visited our frontier ; and, I have
taken the utmost pains in painting the portraits of all ot
them, as well as seven of the Camanchee chiefs, who came
part of the way with us, and turned back. These portraits,
together with other paintings which I have made, descrip
tive of their manners ^nd customs — views of their villages
— landscapes of the country, &c., will soon be laid befort
the amateurs of the East, and, I trust, will be found to be
very interesting.
'■■K,-:
NORTH AMBRICAN INDIANS.
523
Although the achievement has been a handsome one — of
bringing these unknown people to an acquaintance, and a
general peace ; and at first sight would appear to be of great
benefit to them — ^yet I have my strong doubts, whether it
will better their condition, unless with the exercised aid of
the strong arm of Government, they can be protected in the
rights which by nature they are entitled to.
There is already in this place a company of eighty men
fitted out, who are to start to-morrow, to overtake these In-
dians a few miles from this place, and to accompany them
home, with a large stock of goods, with traps for catching
beavers, &c., calculating to build a trading-house amongst
them, where they will amass at once an immense fortune
being the first traders and trappers that have ever been in
that part of the country.
I have travelled too much among Indian tribes, and
seen too much, not to know the evil consequences of such a
system. Goods are sokl h\- such exorbitant prices, that the
Indian gets a mere ah?,dc f/ for his peltries, &c. The Indians
see no white people but tra Jers and sellers of whisky ; and
of course, judge us all by them — they consequently hold us,
and always will, .ri contempt; as Inferior to themselves, as
they have reason to do — and they neither fear or respect us.
When, on the contrary, if the Government would promptly
prohibit such establishments, and invite these Indians to our
frontier posts, tLoy would bring in their furs, their robes,
horses, mules, &c., to this place, where there is a good mar-
ket for them all — where they would get the full value of
their property — whore there are s: veral stores of goods —
where there is an honorable competition, and where they
would get four or five times as mtioh for their articles of
trade, as they would get from a trader in the village, out of
the reach of competition, and out of sight of the civilized
world.
At the same time, as they would be continually coming
where they would see good and polished society, they would
be gradually adopting our modes of living — introducing to
524
LETTERS AND NOTES OX THE
.'
their country our vegetables, our domestic animals, poultry;
&c., and at length, our arts and manufactures ; they would
see and estimate our military strength, and advantages, and
would be led to fear and respect us. In short, it would
undoubtedly be the quickest and surest way to a general
acquaintance — to friendship and peace, and at last to civili-
zation. If there is a law in existence for such protection
of the Indian tribes, which may have been waived in the
case of those nations with which we have long traded, it is
a great pity that it should not be rigidly enforced in this
new and important acquaintance, which we have just made
with thirty or forty thousand strangers to the civilized world ;
yet (as we have learned from their unaffected hospitality
when in their villages), with hearts of human mould, suscep-
tible of all the noble feelings belonging to civilized man.
This acquaintance has cost the United States a vast sum
of money as well as the lives of several valuable and
esteemed officers, and more than one hundred of the
dragoons; and for the honor of the American name, I
think we ought, in forming an acquaintance with these
numerous tribes, to adopt and enforce some different system
from that which has been generally practiced on and
beyond our frontiers heretofore.
What the regiment of dragoons has suffered from sickness
since they started on their summer's campaign is unex-
ampled in this country, and almost incredible. — When we
started f.om this place, ten or fifteen were sent back the first
day, too sick to proceed; and so afterwards our numbers
were daily diminished, and at the distance of two hundred
miles from this place wc could muster out of the whole regi-
ment but two hundred and fifty men who were able to pro-
ceed, with which little band, and that again reduced some
sixty or seventy by sickness, we pushed on, and accomplished
all that was done. The beautifdl and picture'! scenes whi'-li
we passed over had an alluring charm on their surface, but (as
it would seem) a lurking poison within, that spread a gloom
about our encampment whenever we pitched it.
NOKTU AUERICAX IXDIANtl,
026
We sometimes rode, day after day, without a trse to ibode
us from the burning rays of a tropical sun, or a breath of
wind to regale us or cheer our hearts — and with mouths
continually parched with thirst, we dipped our drittk from
stagnant pools that were heated by the mn, aud kept in
fermentation by the wallowing herds of buffuloe* that resort
to them. In this way we dragged on, sometimes poMfitig
picturesque and broken country, with fine springs and
streams, affording us the luxury of a refreshing shade and
a cool draught of water.
Thus was dragged through and completed this mot^t dis'
astrous campaign; and to Colonel Dodgd and Colonel
Kearney, who so indefatigably led and encouraged their men
through it, too much praise cannot be awarded.
During my illness, while I have been at this post, ray
friend Joe has been almost constantly by my bedside ; ovin*
cing (as he did when we were creeping over the vast prairies)
the most sincere and intense anxiety for in/ recovery,
whilst he has administered, like a brother, every aid and
every cor fort that lay in his power to bring, Bueh tried
friendship as this, I shall ever recollect ; and it will long
hence and often, lead my mind back to retrace, at least, the
first part of our campaign, which was full pleasant; and
many of its incidents have formed pleasing impressions on
my memory, which I would preserve to the end of my life,
When we started, we were fresh and ardonfc for the inci
dents that were before us — our little packhorse carried our
bedding and culinary articles ; amongst which we ha«l a ooft'eo
pot and a frying-pan — coffee in good store, and siigar-^and
wherever we spread our bear-skin, and kindled our Are in
tho grass, we were sure to take by ourselves, a delightful,
repast, and a refreshing sleep. During th«J mareh as we
were Hubject to no military surbordinBtion, we galloped
about wherever we were disposed, popping away at what-
ever we choso (o spend ammunition upon— and running our
noses into every wild nook and crevice, wo mw flt. In this
way we travelled happiljr, until our coffije was gone, aodoui'
\ '
i
526
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
bread ; and even then we were happy upon meat alone, until
at last each one in hia turn, like every other moving thing
about ua, both man and beast, were vomiting and fainting^
under the poisonous influence of some latent enemy, that
was floating in the air, and threatening our destruction.
Then came the " tug of war," and instead of catering for our
amusements, every one seemed desperately studying the
means that were to support him on his feet, and bring him^
safe home again to the bosoms of hia friends. In our start,,
our feelings were buoyant and light, and we had the luxuries
of life — the green prairies, spotted with wild flowers, and
the clear blue sky, were an earthly paradise to us, until
fatigue and disease, and at last despair, made them tiresome
and painful to our jaundiced eyes.
On our way, and while we were in good heart, my friend
Joe and I had picked up many minerals and fossils of an
interesting nature, which we put in our portmanteau and
carried for weeks, with much pains, and some pain also,,
until the time when our ardor cooled and our spirits
lagged, and then we discharged and threw them away ; and
sometimes we came across specimens again, still more
wonderful, which we put in their place, and lugged along
till we wci J tired of them,, and their weight, and we dis-
charged Viiem as before; ?< that from our eager desire to
procure, .ve lagged many pounds weight of stones,
shells, &o., nearly the whole way, and were glad that their
mother Earth should receive them again at our hands,,
which was done long before we got back.
One of the most curious places we met in all our route,.
was a mountain ridge of fossil shells, from which a great
number of the above-mentioned specimens were taken.
During our second day's march from the mouth of the
False Washita, we were astonished to find ourselves
travelling over a bed of clam and oyster shells, which were
all in a complete state of petrifaction. This ridge, which
seemed to run from N. E. to S. W. was several hundred
feet high, and varying from a quarter to half a mile iu
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
527
breadth, seemed to be composed of nothing but a con-
cretion of shells, which, on the surface, exposed to the
weather for the depth of eight or ten inches, were entirely
separated from the cementing material which had held
them together, and were lying on the surface, sometimes
for acres together, without a particle of soil or grass upon
them ; with the color, shapes and appearance exactly, of
the natural shells lying loosely together, into which our
horses' feet were sinking at every step, above their fet-
locks. These I consider the most extraordinary petri-
factions I ever beheld. In any way they could be seen,
individually or in the mass together, they seemed to be
nothing but the pure shells themselves, both in color and in
shape. In many instances we picked them up entire,
never having been opened ; and taking our knives out,
and splitting them open as we would an oyster, the fish
was seen petrified in perfect form, and by dipping it into
water, it shewed all the colors and freshness of an oyster
just opened and laid on a plate to be eaten. Joe and I had
carefully tied up many of these, with which we felt quite
sure we could deceive our oyster- eating friends when we
got back to the East ; yet, like many other things we
collected, they shared the fate that I have mentioned, with-
out our bringing home one of them, though we brought
many of them several hundreds of miles, and at last threw
them away. This remarkable ridge is in some parts
covered with grass, but generally with mere scattering
bunches, for miles together, partially covering this com-
pact mass of shells, forming (in my opinion) one of the
greatest geological curiosities now to be seen in this
country, as it lies evidently some thousands of feet above
the level of the ocean, and seven or eight hundred miles
from the nearest point on the sea-coast.
In another section of the country, lying between Fort
Gibson and the "Washita, we passed over a ridge for
several miles, running parallel to this, where much of the
way there was no earth or grass under foot, but our horses
' t
528
LETTERS AND NOTKS.
were travelling on a solid rock, which bad on its surface a
reddish or oxidized appearance; and on getting from my
horae and striking it with my hatchet, I *bund it to con-
tain sixty or eighty per cent, of solid iron, hich produced
a ringing noise, and a rebounding of the hatchet, as if it
were struck upon an anvil.
In other parts, and farther west, between the Camanchee
village and the Canadian, we passed over a similar surface
for many miles denuded, with the exception of here and
there little bunches of grass and wild sage, a level and ex-
posed surface of solid gypsum, of a dark grey color ; and
through it, occasionally, as far as the eye could discover, to
the East and the West, streaks of three and five inches
wide of snowy gypsum, which was literally as white as the
drifted snow.
m
Of saltpetre and salt, there are also endless supplies ; so
it will be seen that the mineral resources of this wilderness
country are inexhaustible and rich, and that the idle sav-
age who never converts them to his use, must soon yield
them to the occupation of enlightened and cultivating man.
In the vicinity of this post there are an immense number
of Indians, most of whom have been removed to their
present locations by the Government, from their eastern
original positions, within a few years past ; and previous to
my starting with the dragoons. I had two months at my
leisure, in this section of the country, which I used in
travelling about with my canvass and note-book, and
visiting all of them in their villages. I have made many
paintings amongst them, and have a curious note-book to
open at a future day, for which the reader may be prepared.
The tribes whom I thus visited, and of whom my note
book will yet speak, are the Gherokeea, Choctaws, Creeks,
Seminoles, Ghickasaws, Quapaws, Senecas, Delaivares^ and
several others, whose customs are interesting, and whose
history, from their proximity to, and dealings with the
civilized community, is one of great interest, and some
importance, to the enlightened world. Adieu.
f'i'K
.. t
LETTER No. XL VI.
ALTON, ILLINOIS.
A FBw days after the date of the above letter, I took
leave of Fort Gibson, and made a transit across the prairies
to this place, a distance of five hundred and fifty miles,
whi^h I have performed entirely alone, and had the
satisfaction of joining my wife, whom I have found in good
health, in a family of my esteemed friends, with whom she
has been residing during my last year of absence.
While at Fort Gibson, on my return from the Oaman
34 (529)
530
LETTERS AND NoTKS ON THE
!' I
Y,
■~> :
cheea, I was quartered for n month or two in a room with
rny fellow-companiou in miHery, Captain Wharton, of the
dragoons, who had como in from the prairies in a condition
very similar to mine, and laid in a bed in the opposite
corner of the room ; where wo laid for several weeks, like
two grim ghosts, rolling our glaring and staring eyeballs
upon each other, when we wore totally unable to hold con-
verse, other than that which was exchanged through the
expressive language of our hollow, and bilious, sunken eyes.
The Captain had been sent with a company of dragoons
to escort the Santa F6 Trailers through the country of the
Camanchees and Pawnees, and had returned from a rapid
and bold foray into the country, with many of his men sick,
and himself attacked with the epidemic of the country.
The Captain is a gentleman of high and noble bearing, of
one of the most respected families in Philadelphia, with a
fine and chivalrous feeling ; but with scarce physical
stamina sufficient to bear him up under the rough vicissi>
tudes of his wild and arduous sort of life in this country.
A oon as our respective surgeons had clarified our flesh
and our bones with calomel, bad brought our pulses to beat
calmly, our tongues to ply gently, and our stomachs to
digest moderately ; we began to fer>i pleasure exquisitely in
our convalescence, and draw amusement from mutual re-
lations of scenes and adventures we had witnessed on our
several marches. The Captain convalescing faster than I
did, soon got so as to eat (but not to digest) enormous meals^
which visited back upon him the renewed horrors of
his disease ; and I, who had got ahead of him in strength,
but not in prudence, was thrown back in my turn, by
similar indulgence; and so we were mutually and re*
peatedly, until he at length got so as to feel strength enough
to ride, and resolution enough to swear that he would take
leave of that deadh and seek restoration and health
in a cooler and m' genial latitude. So he had his
horse brought up one hum uing, whilst he was so weak that
he could scarcely mount upon his back, and with his servant.
XORI'H VMEUICAN INDIAN'S.
531
room with
ton, of the
a conditioa
tie opposite
weeks, like
ng eyeballs
io hold con-
hrough the
sunken eyes.
of dragoons
antry of the
from a rapid
lis men sick,
the country,
e bearing, of
Iphia, with a
irce physical
•ough vicissi-
13 country,
fied our flesh
pulses to beat
stomachs to
exquisitely in
m mutual re-
nessed on our
faster than I
ormous meals^
id horrors of
m in strength,
my turn, by
;ually and re*
,rength enough
he would take
ion and health
So he had his
as so weak that
rith his servant,
a small negro bov, ked on another, he steered off upon
the pmiriea towan. ji! Leavenworth, five hundred milea
to the North, wnere his coiiipany had long since marched.
I reinainod i week or two longer, envying the Captain
the good luck to escape from that dangerous ground ; and
after I had gained strength sufTicient to warrant it, I made
preparations to take informal leave, and wend my way also
over the prairies to the Missouri, a distance of five hundred
niilos, and moat of the way a solitary wilderness. For this
purpoHo I had my horse " Charley " brought up from his
jiaHturo, where he had been in good keeping during my
illness, and got so fat as to form almost an objectionable
contrast to his master, with whom he was to embark on a
long and tedious journey again, over the vast and almost
boundless prairies.
I had, like the Captain, grown into such a dread of that
place, from the scenes of death that were and had been
visited upon it, that I resolved to be off as soon as 1
had strength to get on to my horse, and balance myself upon
his back. For this purpose I packed up my canvass and
brushes, and other luggage, and sent them down the river
to the Mississippi, to be forwarded by steamer, to meet me
at St. Louis. So, one fine morning, Charley was brought
up and saddled, and a bear-skin and a buffalo robe being
spread upon his saddle, and a coffee-pot and tin cup tied to
it also — with a few pounds of hard biscuit in my port-
manteau — with my fowling-piece in ray hand, and my
pistols Id my belt — with my sketchbook slung on my back,
and n small pocket compass in my pocket; I took leave
of Fort Gibson, even against the advice of my surgeon and
all the oflioers of the garrison, who gathered around me to
bid mo farewell. No argument could contend with the
fixed resolve of my own mind, that if I could get out upon
the prairies, and moving continually to the Northward, I
should daily gain strength, and save myself, possibly, from
the jaws of that voracious burial-ground that laid in front
of my room ; where I had for months laid and imagined
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WEBSTER, N.Y. 14S80
(716)S72-4S03
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532
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
myself going with other poor fellows, whose mournful
dirges were played under my window from day to day.
No one can imagine what was the dread I felt for that
place ; nor the pleasure, which was extatic, when Charley
was trembling under me, and I turned him around on the
top of a prairie bluff at a mile distance, to take the last
look upoa it, and thank God, as I did audibly, that I was
not to be buried within its enclosure. I said to myself,
that " to die on the prairie, and be devoured by wolves ; or
to fall in combat and be scalped by an Indian, would be far
more acceptable than the lingering death that would
consign me to the jaws of that insatiable grave," for which,
in the fever and weakness of my mind, I had contracted so
destructive a terror.
So, alone, without other living being with me than my
affectionate horse, Charley, T turned my face to the North,
and commenced on my long journey, with confidence full
and strong, that I should gain strength daily ; and no one
can ever know the pleasure of that moment, which placed
me alone, upon the boundless sea of waving grass, over
which my proud horse was prancing, and I with my life in
my own hands, commenced to steer my course to the
banks of the Missouri.
For the convalescent, rising and escaping from the gloom
and horrors of a sick bed, astride of his strong and trembling
horse, carrying him fast and safely over green fields spotted
and tinted with waving wild flowers ; and through the fresh
and cool breezes that are rushing about him, as he daily
shortens the distance that lies between him and his wife and
little ones, there is an exquisite pleasure, yet to be learned,
by those who never have felt it.
Day by day I thus pranced and galloped along, the whole
way through waving grass and green fields, occasionally dis*
mounting and lying in the grass an hour or so, until tho
grim shaking and chattering of an ague chill had passed off;
and through the nights slept on my bear-skin spread upon
the grass, with my saddle for my pillow, and my bufialo
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
633
I--
robe drawn over me for my covering. My horse Charley was
picketed near me at the end of his laso, wliich gave him
room for his grazing ; and thus we snored and nodded away
the nights, and never were denied the doleful serenades of
the gangs of sneaking wolves that were nightly perambu-
lating our little encampment, and stationed at a safe distance
from us at sun-rise in the morning — gazing at us and impa-
tient to pick up the crumbs and bones that were left, when
we moved away from our feeble fire that had faintly flick*
ered through the night, and in the absence of timber, had
been made of dried bu&lo dung.
This " Charley " was a noble animal of the Camanchee
wild breed, of a clay bank color; and from our long and
tried acquaintance, we had become very much attached to
each other, and acquired a wonderful facility both of mutual
accommodation, and of construing each other's views and
intentions. In fact, we had been so long tried together, that
there would have seemed to the spectator almost an unity
of interest ; and at all events, an unity of feelings on the sub-
ject of attachment, as well as on that of mutual dependance
and protection.
I purchased this very showy and well-known animal of
Colonel Burbank, of the ninth regiment, and rode it the
"vvhole distance to the Camanchee villages and back again ;
and at the time when most of the horses of the regiment
were drooping and giving out by the Way — Charley flour-
ished and came in in good flesh and good spirits.
On this journey, while he and I were twenty -five days
alone, we had much time, and the best of circumstances^
under which to learn what we had as yet overlooked in each
other's characters, as well as to draw great pleasure and real
Denefit from what we already had learned of each other, in
our former travels.
I generally halted on the bank of some little stream, at
half an hour's sun, where feed was good for Charley, and
where I could get wood to kindle my fire, and water for my
coffee. The first thing was to undress " Charley " and drive
634
LK'ITBRS AND NOTES ON THE
down his picket, to which he was fastened, to gr.aze over a
circle that he could inscribe at the end of his laso. In this
wise he busily fed himself until nightfall ; and after my coffee
was made and drank, I uniformly moved him up, witb his
picket by my head, so that I could lay my hand upon his
laso in %n instant, in case of any alarm that was liable to
drive him from me. On one of these evenings when he was
grazing as usual, he slipped the laso over his head, and de
liberately took his supper at his pleasure, wherever he chose
to prefer it, as he was strolling around. When night ap-
proached, I took the laso in my hand and endeavored to
catch him, but I soon saw that he was determined to enjoy a
little freedom ; and he continually evaded me until dark,
when I abandoned the pursuit, making up my mind that I
should inevitably lose him, and be obliged to perform the
rest of my journey on foot. He had led me a chase of half
a mile or more, when I left him busily grazing, and returned
to my little solitary bivouac, and laid myself on my bear
skin and went to sleep.
In the middle of the night I waked, whilst I was lying on
my back, and on half opening my eyes, I was instantly
shocked to the soul, by the huge figure (as I thought) of an
Indian, standing over me, and in the ' instant of taking
my scalp I The chill of horror that ^ dyzed me for the
first moment, held me still till I saw there was no need of
my moving-— that Ay faithful hoise " Charley " had " played
shy ** till he had " filled his belly," and had then moved up,
from feelings of pure affection, or from instinctive fear, or
possibly flrom a due share of both, and taken his position
with his forefeet on the edge of my bed, with his head hang-
ing directly over me, while he was standing fast asleep 1
My nerves, which had been most violently shocked, were
soon quieted, and I fell asleep, and so continued until sun
rise in the morning, when I waked, and beheld my faithful
servant at some considerable distance, busily at work pick-
'ng up his breakfast amongst the cane-brake, along the bank
of the creek. I went as busily to work preparing my own.
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
585
Sfe
which was eaten, and after it, I had another half-hour of
fruitless endeavors to catch Charley ; whilst he seemed mind*
ful of success on the evening before, and continually tan<
talized me by turning around and around, and keeping out
of my reach. I recollected the conclusive evidence of his
attachment and dependance, which he had voluntarily given
in the night, and I thought I would try them in another
way. So I packed up my things and slung the saddle on
my back,^ trailing my gun in my hand, and started on my
xoute. After I had advanced a quarter of a mile, I looked
back, and saw him standing with his head and tail very
high, looking alternately at me and at the spot where I had
been encamped, and left a little fire burning. In this condi-
tion he stooc^ and surveyed the prairies around for a while,
as I continued on. He, at length, walked with a hurried
fitep to the spot, and seeing everything gone, began to neigh
very violently, and at last started off at fullest speed, and
overtook me, passing within a few paces of me, and wheel-
ing about at a few rods distance in front of me, trembling
like an aspen leaf.
I called him by his familiar name, and walked up to him
with the bridle in my hand, which I put over his head, as
he held it down for me, and the saddle on his back, as he
actually stooped to receive it. I was soon arranged, and on
his back, when he started off upon his course as if he was
well contented and pleased, like his rider, with the manoeu-
vre which had brought us together again, and afforded us
mutual relief from our awkward positions. Though this
alarming freak of "Charley's" passed off and terminated so
Batisfactorily ; yet I thought such rather dangerous ones to
play, and I took good care after that night, to keep him
under my strict authority ; resolving to avoid further tricks
and experiments till we got to the land of cultivated fields
and steady habits.
On the night of this memorable day, Charley and T stop-
ped in one of the most lovely little valleys I ever saw, and
even far more beautiful than could have been imagined by
586
LETTERS AND NOTES OS THE
mortal man. An enchanting little lawn of five or six acres,
on the banks of a cool and rippling stream, that was aliye
with fish ; and every now and then, a fine brood of young
ducks, just old enough for delicious food, and too unso*
phistioated to avoid an easy and simple death. This little
lawn was surrounded by bunches and copses of the most
luxuriant and picturesque foliage, consisting of the lofty
boisd'arcs and elms, spreading out their huge branches, as
if offering protection to the rounded groups of cherry and
plum-trees that supported festoons of grape-vines, with their
purple clusters that hung in the most tempting manner
over the green carpet that was everywhere decked out with
wild flowers, of all tints and of various sizes, from the
modest wild sun-flowers, with their thousand tall and
drooping heads, to the lillies that stood, and the violets
that crept beneath them. By the side of this cool stream,
Charley was fastened, and near him my bear-skin was
spread in the grass, and by it my little fire, to which I soon
brought a fine string of perch from the brook ; from which,
and a broiled duck, and a delicious cup of coffee, I made
my dinner and supper, which were usually united in one
meal, at half an hour's sun. After this I strolled about this
sweet little paradise, which I found was chosen, not only
by myself, but by the wild deer, which were repeatedly
rising from their quiet lairs, and bounding out, and over
the gracefril swells of the prairies which hemmed in, and
framed this little picture of sweetest tints and most masterly
touches.
The Indians also, I found, had loved it once, and left it ;
for here and there were their solitary and deserted graves,
which told, though briefly, of former haunts and sports;
and perhaps, of wars and deaths, that have once rung and
echoed through this little silent vale.
On my return to my encampment, I laid down upon my
back, and looked awhile into the blue heavens that were
over me, with their pure and milk white clouds that were
passing — with the sun just setting in the West, and the
M
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
537
%'
lilver moon rising in the East, and renewed the impressions
of my own iniignificance, as I contemplated the inoompre-
hensible mechanism of that wonderful clock, whose time is
infallible, and whose motion is eternity ! I trembled, at last,
at the dangerous expanse of my thoughts, and turned them
again, and my eyes, upon the little and more comprehen*
sible things that were about me. One of the first was a
newspaper, whioh I had brought from the Garrison, the
National Intelligencer, of Washington, which I had read
for years, but never with quite the zest and relish that I
now conversed over its familiar columns, in this clean and
sweet valley of dead silence.
And while reading, I thought of (and laughed) what I
had almost forgotten, the sensation I produced amongst the
Minatarees while on the Upper Missouri, a few years since,
by taking from amongst my painting apparatus an old
number of the New York Commercial Advertiser, edited by
my kind and tried friend Colonel Stoue. The Minatarees
thought that I was mad, when they saw me for hours
together, with my eyes fixed upon its pages. They had '
different and various conjectures about it ; the most current
of which was, that I was looking at it to cure my sore eyes,
and they called it the "medicine cloth for sore eyesl" I at
length put an end to this and several equally ignorant con-
jecturus, by reading passages in it, which were interpreted
to them, and the objects of the paper fully explained; after
whioh, it was looked upon as much greater mystery than
before; and several liberal offers were made me for it,
which I wac obliged to refuse, having already received a
beautiftiUy garnished robe for it, from the hands of a young
son of Esculapius, who told me that if he could employ a
good interpreter to explain everything in it, he could travel
about amotigst the Minatarees and Mandans, and Sioux,
and exhibit it after I was gone ; getting rich with presents,
and adding greatly to the list of his medicines, as it would
make him a great Medicine- Man. I left with the poor fellow .
Iiis painted robe, and the newspaper; and just before I
688
LKTTERS AND NOTES ON THE
departed, I saw him unfolding it to show to some of hii
friends, when he took from around it, some eight or ten
folds of biroh bark and deer skins ; all of which were care
fully enclosed in a sack made of the skin of a pole cat, and
undoubtedly destined to become, and to be called, his
mystery or medicine-bag.
The distance from Fort Gibson to the Missouri, where I
struck the river, is about five hundred miles, and most of
the way a beautiful prairie, in a wild and uncultivated state,
without roads and without bridges, over a great part of
which I steered my course with my pocket-compass, fording
and swimming the streams in the best manner I could;
shooting prairie hens, and occasionally catching fish, which
I cooked for my meals, and slept upon the ground at night.
On my way I visited "Riqua's Village" of Osages, and
lodged during the night in the hospitable cabin of my old
friend Beatte, of whom I have often spoken heretofore, as
one of the guides and hunters for the dragoons on their
campaign in the Camanchee country. This was the most
extraordinary hunter, I think, that I ever have met in all
my travels. 2'o "hunt,^^ was a phrase almost foreign to
him, however, for when he went out with his rifle, it was
*^/or meat" or "/or cattle;" and he never came in without
it. He never told how many animals he had seen — how
many he had wounded, &c., — ^but his horse was always
loaded with meat, which was thrown down in camp without
comment or words spoken. Biqua was an early pioneer of
Christianity in this country, who has devoted many years
of his life, with his interesting family, in endeavoring to
civilize and christianize these people, by the force of pious
and industrious examples, which he has successfully set
them; and, I think, in the most judicious way, by establish-
ing a little village, at some miles distant from the villages
of the Osages ; where he has invited a considerable number
of families who have taken their residence by the side of
him; where they are following his virtuous examples in
their dealings and modes of life, and in agricultural pur
NORTH AMEBtCAN INDIANS,
539
suits which he is teaching them, and showing them that
thej maj raise the comforts and luxuries of life out of the
ground, instead of seeking for them in the precarious
manner in which they naturally look for them, in the un-
certainty of the chase.
It was a source of much regret to me, that I did not se»
this pious man, as he was on a Tour to the East, when 1
was in his little village.
Beatte lived in this village with his aged parents, to
whom he introduced me; and with whom, altogether, I
spent a very pleasant evening in conversation. They are
both French, and have spent the greater part of their lives
with the Osages, and seem to be familiar with their whole
history. This Beatte was the hunter and guide for a p&rty
of rangers (the summer before our campaign), with whom
Washington Irving made his excursion to the borders of
the Pawnee country ; and of whose extraordinary character
and powers, Mr. Irving has drawn a very just k's. glowing
account, excepting one error, which I think he las inad-
vertently fallen into, that of calling him a "hay-breedJ^
Beatte had complained of this to me often while out on the
prairies ; and when I entered his hospitable cabin, he said
he was glad to see me, and almost instantly continued,
"Now you shall see, Monsieur Catline, I am not ^hal/brced,^
here I shall introduce you to my father and my mother, who
you see are two very nice and good old French people."
From this cabin where I fared well and slept soundly, I
started in the morning, after taking with them a good cup
of coffee, and went smoothly on over the prairies on my
course.
About the middle of my journey, I struck a road leading
into a small civilized settlement, called the *' Kickapoo
prairie" to which I " bent my course ;" and riding up to
a log cabin which was kept as a sort of hotel or tavern, I
met at the door, th« black boy belonging to my friend
Captain Wharton, who I have said took his leave of Fort
Gibson a few weeks before me ; I asked the boy where his
640
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
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If!
I
master was, to which he replied, " My good massa, Massa
Wharton, in dese house, jist dead ob de libber compliment !"
I dismounted and went in, and to my deepest sorrow and
anguish, I found him, as the boy said, nearly dead, without
power to raise his head or his voice— his eyes were rolled
upon me, and as he recognized me he took me by the hand,
which he firmly gripped, whilst both shed tears in profusion.
By placing my ear to his lips, his whispers could be heard,
and he was able in an imperfect manner to make his views
and his wishes known. His disease seemed to be a re-
peated attack of his former malady, and a severe affection
of the liver, which was to be (as his physician said) the
proximate cause of his death. I conversed with his
physician who seemed to be a young and inexperienced
man, who told me that he certainly could not live more
than ten days. I stayed two days with him, and having no
means with me of rendering him pecuniary or other aid
amongst strangers, I left him in kind hands, and started
on my course again. My health improved daily, from the
time of my setting out at Fort Gibson ; and I was now
moving along cheerfully, and in hopes soon to reach the end
of my toilsome journey. I had yet vast prairies to pass over
and occasional latent difficulties, which were not apparent
on their smooth and deceiving surfaces. Deep sunken
streams, like ditches, occasionally presented themselves
suddenly to my view, when I was within a few steps of
plunging into them from their perpendicular sides, which
were overhung with long wild grass, and almost obscured
from the sight. The bearings of my compass told me that
I must cross them, and the only alternative was to plunge
into them, and get out as well as I could. They were often
muddy, and I could not tell whether they were three or ten
feet deep, until my horse was in them ; and sometimes he
went down head foremost, and I with him, to scramble out
on the opposite shore in the best condition we could. In one
of these canals, which I had followed for several mile? in
the vain hope of finding a shoal, or an accustomed foid, I
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
541
Ei-U
plunged, with Charley, where it was about six or eight yards
wide (and God knows how deep, for we did not go to the
bottom), and swam him to the opposite bank, on to whioh I
clung and which being perpendicular and of clay, and three
or four feet higher than the water, was an insurmountable
difficulty to Charley; and I led the poor fellow at least a mile,
as I walked on the top of the bank, with the bridle in my
and, holding his head above the water as he was swim-
ming ; and I at times almost inextricably entangled in the
long grass that was often higher than my head, and
hanging over the brink, filled and woven together, with
ivy and wild pea vines. I at length (and just before I was
ready to drop the rein cf faithful Charley, in hopeless
despair), oame to an old bufi&lo ford, where the banks were
graded down, and the poor exhausted animal, at last got
out, and was ready and willing to take me and my luggage
(after I had dried them in the sun) on the journey again.
The Osage river, which ia a powerful stream, I struck at
a place which seemed to stagger my courage very much.
There had been heavy rains but a few days before, and
this furious stream was rolling along its wild and turbid
waters, with a freshet upon it, that spread its waters, in
many places over its banks, as was the case at the place
where I encountered it. There seemed to be but little
choice in places with this stream, which, with its banks full,
was sixty or eighty yards in width, with a current that was
sweeping along at a rapid rate. I stripped every thing
from Charley, and tied him with his laso, until I travelled
the shores up and down for some distance, and collected
drift wood enough for a small raft, which I constructed, to
carry my clothes and saddle, and other things, safe over.
This being completed, and my clothes taken off, and they
with other things, laid upon the raft, I took Charley to the
bank and drove him in and across, where he soon reached
the opposite shore, and went to feeding on the bank. Next
was to come the " great white medicine ;" and with him,
saddle, bridle, saddle-bags, sketch-book, gun and pistol^
ft42
LKTrUBS AND NOTES ON THE
uoD'ec and coffee-pot, powder, and bis clothes, all of wbiuh
were placed upon the raft, and the rafl pushed into the
stream, and the " medicine man'^ swimming behind it,
and pushing it along before him, until it reached the op-
posite shore at least half a mile below 1 From this his
things were carried to the top of the bank, and in a little
time, Charley was caught and dressed, and straddled, and
on the way again.
These are a few of the incidents of that journey of five
hundred miles, which I performed entirely alone, and
which at last brought me out at Booiwille on the Western
bank of the Missouri. While I was crossing the river at
that place, I met General Arbuckle, with two surgeons,
who were to start the next day from Boonville for Fort
Gibson, travelling over the route that I had just passed. 1
instantly informed them of the condition of poor Wharton,
and the two surgeons were started off that afternoon at
fullest speed, with orders to reach him in the shortest time
possible, and do everything to save his life. I assisted in
purchasing for him, several little things that he had named
to me, such as jellies — acids — apples, &o. &c.; and saw
them start ; and (God knows), I shall impatiently hope to
hear of their timely assistance, and of his recovery.*
From Boonville, which is a very pretty little town,
building up with the finest style of brick houses, I crossed
the river to New Franklin, where I laid by several days,
on account of stormy weather ; and from thence proceeded
with success to the end of my journey, where I now am,
under the roof of kind and hospitable friends, with my dear
wife, who has patiently waited one year to receive me back,
a wreck, as I now am ; and who is to start in a few days
with me to the coast of Florida, fourteen hundred miles
* I have great satisfaction in informing the reader, that I learned a
year or so after the above date, that those two skilful surgeons hastened
on with all possible speed to the assistance of this excellent gentleman,
and had the satisfaction of conducting him to his post after he had
entirely bad permanently recovered his health.
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
648
South of this, to spend the winter in patching ap my health
and fitting me for future campaigns.
On this Tour (from which I shall return in the spring, if
my health will admit of it), I shall visit 'the Seminoles lu
Florida, — the Euchees — the Creeks in Alabama and Georgia
and the Chootaws and Cherokees, who are yet remaining
on their lands, on the East side of the Miaaissippi.
We take steamer for New Orleans to-morrow, ao^ till
after another oampaign, Adieu.
LETTER No. XLVIL
SAINT LOUIS.
SurcB the date of my last Letter, a whole long winter hai
passed off, which I have whilcd away on the Gulf of Mexico
and about the shores of Florida and Texas. My health waa
Boon restored by the congenial climate I there found, and
my dear wife was my companion the whole way. We
visited the different posts, and all that we could find to
interest us in these delightful realms, and took steamer
from New Orleans to this place, where we arrived but a
few days since.
Supposing that the reader by this time may be somewhat
tired of following me in my erratic wanderings over these
wild regions, I have resolved to sit down awhile before I go
farther, and open to him my sketch-book^ in which I have
made a great many entries, as I have been dodging about,
and which I have not as yet shewed to him, for want of re*
quisite time and proper opportunity.
(544)
NORTU AMERICAN INDIANS.
645
In opening thia book, the reader will allow me to turn
over leaf after leaf, and describe to him, tribe after tribe,
and chief afler ohief, of many of those whom I have visited,
without the tediousness of travelling too minutely over the
intervening distanoea ; in which I fear I might lose him as
a fellow-traveller, and leave him fagged out by the way -aide,
before he would see all that I am anxious to show him.
About a year since I made a visit to the
KIOKAPOOS,
At present but a small tribe, numbering six or eight hun>
dred, the remnant of a once numerous and warlike tribe.
They are residing within the state of Illinois, near the south
end of Lake Michigan, and living in a poor and miserable
condition, although they have one of the finest countries in
the world. They have been reduced in numbers by
whisky and small-pox, and the game being destroyed in
their country, and having little industry to work, they are
exceedingly poor and dependent. In fact, there is very
little inducement for them to build houses and cultivate
their farms, for they own so large and so fine a tract of
country, which is now completely surrounded by civilized
settlements, that they know, from experience, they will
soon be obliged to sell out their country for a trifle, and
move to the West. This system of moving has already
commenced with them, and a considerable party have lo-
orated on a tract of lands offered to them on the west bank
of the Missouri river, a little north of Fort Leavenworth. *
The Kickapoos have long lived in alliance with the Sacs
and Foxes, and speak a language so similar that they seem
almost to be of one family. The present chief of this tribe,
whose name is Kee-an-ne-kuk (the foremost man,) usually
(sailed the Shawnee Prophet^ is a very shrewd and talented
man. When he sat for his portrait, he took his attitude
* Since the above was written, the whole of this tribe have been
removed beyond the Missouri, having sold out their lands in the st«t«
of Illinois to the Government.
3&
i
RH
li
i!
'I
54*$
LETTERS AND NOTES OS THB
which was that of prayer. And I soon learned that he was
a very devoted Christian, regularly holding meetings in his
tribe, on the Sabbath, preaching to them and exhorting
them to a belief in the Christian religion, and to an
abandonment of the fatal habit of whisky-drinking, which
he strenuously represented as the bane that was to destroy
them all, if they did not entirely cease to use it. I went
on the Sabbath, to hear this eloquent man preach, when he
had his people assembled in the woods; and although I
could not understand his language, I was surprised and
pleased with the natural ease and emphasis, and gesticulation^
which carried their own evidence of the eloquence of hi»
sermon.
I was singularly struck with the noble efforts of this
champion of the mere remnant of a poisoned race, so
strenuously laboring to secure the remainder of his people
from the deadly bane that has been brought amongst them
by enlightened Christians. How far the efforts of this
zealous man have been succeeded in christianizing, I
cannot tell, but it is quite certain that his exemplary and con-
stant endeavors have completely abolished the practice of
drinking whisky in his tribe ; which alone is a very
praiseworthy achievement, and the first and indispensable
step towards all other improvements. I was some time
amongst these people, and was exceedingly pleased, and
surprised also, to witness their sobriety, and their peaceable
conduct ; not having seen an instance of drunkenness, or
seen or heard of any use made of spirituous liquors whilst
I was amongst the tribe.
Ah-ton-we-tuck (the cock turkey), is another Kickapoo of
Bome distinction, and a disciple of the Prophet; in the
attitude of prayer also, which he is reading off from
characters cut upon a stick that he holds in his hands. It
was told to me in the tribe by the Traders (though I am
afraid to vouch for the whole truth of it), that while a
Methodist preacher was soliciting him for permission to
preach in his village, the Prophet refused him the privilege,
■'
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
547
but secretly took him aside and supported him until he
learned from him his creed, and his system of teaching it
to others; when he discharged him, and commenced
preaching arnong^Bt his people himself; pretending to have
had an interview with some superhuman mission, or inspired
personage; ingeniously resolving, that if there was any
honor or emolument, or influence to be gained by the
promuloitwon of it, he might as well have it as another
person ; and with this view he commenced preaching aud
instituted a prayer, which he ingeniously carved on a
maple-stick of an inch and a half in breadth, in characters
somewhat resembling Chinese letters. These sticks with
the prayers on them, he has introduced into every family
of the tribe, and into the hands of every individual ; and as
he has necessarily the manufacturing of them all, he sells
them at his own price; and has thus added lucre to fame,
and in two essential and effective ways, augmented his in-
fluence in his tribe. Every man, woman and child in the
tribe, so far as I saw them, were in the habit of saying
their prayer from this stick when going to bed at night,
and also when rising in the morning ; which was invariably
done by placing the fore-finger of the right hand under the
upper character, until they repeat a sentence or two, which
it suggests to them ; and then slipping it under the next,
and the next, and so on, to the bottom of the etick, which
altogether required about ten minutes, as it was sung over
in a sort of a chaunt, to the end.
Many people have called all this an ingenious piece of
hypocrisy on the part of the Prophet, and whether it be so
or not, I cannot decide ; yet one thing I can vouch to be
true, that whether his motives and his life be as pure as he
pretends, or not, his example has done much towards cor-
recting the habits of his people, and has effectually turned
their attention from the destructive habits of dissipation
and vice, to temperance and* industry, in the pursuits of
agriculture and the arts. The world may still be unwilling
to allow him much credit for this, but I am ready to award
>■■ I
648
liBTTERS AND NOTES ON THE
htm a great deal, who can by his influence thus Car arrest
the miseriei of dissipation and the horrid deformities of
vice, in the descending prospects of a nation who have so
long had, and still have, the white-skin teachers of vices
and dissipation amongst them.
WEE.AHS.
These are also tho remnant of a once powerful tribe, and
reduced by the same causes, to the number of two hundred.
This tribe formerly lived in the State of Indiana, and have
been moved with the Piankeshaws, to a position forty or
fifty miles south of Fort Leavenworth.
POT-O-WAT-O-MIBa.
The remains of a tribe who were once very numerous and
warlike, but reduced by whisky and small-pox, to their
present number, which is not more than twenty-seven
hundred. This tribe may be said to be semi-civilized,
inasmuch as they have so long lived in contiguity with
white people, with whom their blood is considerably mixed,
and whose modes and whose manners they have in many
respects copied. From a similarity of language, as well as
of customs and personal appearance, there is no doubt that
they have formerly been a part of the great tribe of Chip-
peways or Ot-ta-was, living neighbors and adjoining to
them, on tho North. This tribe live within the state of
Michigan, and there own a rich and very valuable tract of
land ; which, like the Kickapoos, they are selling out to th**
Government, and about to remove to the west bank of the
Missouri, where a part of the tribe have already gone and
settled, in the vicinity of Fort Leavenworth. Of this tribe
I have painted the portraits of On-aaw-kie in the attitude of
prayer, and Na-pow-sa (the Bear travelling in the night),
one of the principal chiefs of the tribe. These people have
for some time lived neighbors to, and somewhat under the
influence of the Kickapoos ; and very many of the tribe
have become zealous disciples of the Kickapoo prophet.
NCRTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
549
nsibg kvs y.ia^>«,.'»j most devoutly, and in the manner that I
have tJreiady d^vcribed.
EAS-EAS-KI.AS.
This is the name of a tribe that formerly occupied, and of
course owned, a vast tract of country lying on the East of
the Mississippi, and between its banks and the Ohio, and
now forming a considerable portion of the great and popu-
lous state of Illinois. History furnishes us a full and
extraordinary account of the once warlike character and
numbers of this tribe; and also of the disastrous career
that they have led, from their first acquaintance with civi-
lized neighbors; whose rapacious avarice in grasping for
their fine lands — with the banes of whisky and small-pox,
added to the unexampled cruelty of neighboring hostile
tribes, who have struck at them in the days of their adver-
sity, and helped to erase them from existence.
Perhaps there has been no other tribe on the Continent
of equal power with the Kas-kas-ki-as, that have so sud-
denly sank down to complete annihilation and disappeared.
The renmant of this tribe have long since merged into the
tribe of Feorias of Illinois ; and it is doubtful whether one
dozen of them are now existing. With the very few
remnants of this tribe will die in a few years a beautiful
language, entirely distinct from all others about it, unless
some enthusiastic person may preserve it from the lips of
those few who are yet able to speak it.
PE-O-RI-AS,
The name of another tribe, inhabiting a part of the state of
Illinois ; and, like the above tribes, but a remnant and civ-
ilized (or cicatrized to speak more correctly). This tribe
number about two hundred, and are, like most of the other
remnants of tribes on the frontiers, under contract to move
to the west of the Missouri. Of this tribe I painted the
portrait of Pah-mecow-e-tah (the man who tracks), and
Kee-mo-ra-ni-a (no English). These are said to be the most
550
LEri'EKS AND NOTES OX THE
influential mea in the tribe, and both were very curioasly
and well dressed, in articles of civilized manufacture.
PI.AN-KE-SHAWS.
The remnant of another tribe, of the states of Illinois and
Indiana, who have also recently sold out their country tu
Government, and are under contract to move to the west
of the Missouri, in the vicinity of Fort Leavenworth. Ni-a-
CO mo (to fix with the foot), a brave of distinction; and
Men-son-Me-ah (the left hand), a fierce-looking and very
distinguished warrior with a stone-hatchet in his hand, are
tair specimens of this reduced and enfeebled tribe, which
do not number more than one bundled and seventy persons
at this time.
DELA.WABES.
The very sound of this name has carried terror wherever
it has been heard in the Indian wilderness ; and it has trav-
elled and been known, as well as the people, over a very
great part of the Continent. This tribe originally occupied
a great part of the eastern border of Pennsylvania, and great
part of the states of New Jersey and Delaware. No other
tribe on the Guntinent has been so much moved and jostled
about by civilized invasions ; and none have retreated so
far, or fought their way so desperately, as they have hon-
orably and bravely contended for every foot of the ground
they have passed over. Prom the banks of the Delaware
to the lovely Susquehanna, and my native valley^ and to the
base of, and over, the Alleghany mountains, to the Ohio
river — to the Illinois and the Mississippi, and at last to the
West of the Missouri, they have been moved by treaties
after treaties with the Government, who have now assigned
to the mere handful of them that are left, a tract of land, as
has been done a dozen times before, in fee simple, for ever I
In every move the poor fellows have made, they have been
thrust against their wills from the graves of their fathers
and their children ; and planted as they now are, on the
NOBl'U AMERICAN INDIANS.
551
border! of now enemiea, where their first occupation has
bean to take up their weapons in self defence, and fight for
the ground they have been planted on.
There is no tribe, perhaps, amongst which greater and
more oontinued exertions have been made for their con-
version to Christianity; and that ever since the zealous
efforts of the Moravian missionaries, who first began with
them; nor any, amongst whom those pious and zealous
eflibrts have been sc^uandered more in vain ; which has,
probably, been owing to the bad faith with which they
have so often and so continually been treated by white
people, which has excited prejudices that have stood in
the way of their mental improvement.
This scattered and reduced tribe, which once contained
some ten or fifteen thousand, numbers at this time but.
eight hundred ; and the greater part of them have been for
the fifty or sixty years past, residing in Ohio and Ihdiana.
In these states, their reservations became surrounded by
white people, whom they dislike for neighbors, and their
lands too valuable for Indians — ^and the certain consequence
has been, that they have sold out and taken lands West of
the Mississippi ; on to which they have moved, and on
which it is, and always will be, almost impossible to find
them, owing to their desperate disposition for roaming
about, indulging in the chase, and in wars with their
enemies.
The wild frontier on which they are now placed, affords
them so fine an opportunity to indulge both of these pro-
pensities, that they will be continually wandering in little
and desperate parties over the vast buffalo plains, and
exposed to their enemies, till at last the new country
which is given to them, in " fee simple, for ever," and which
is destitute of game, will be deserted, and they, like the
most of the removed remnants of tribes will be destroyed ;
and the faith of the Government well preserved, which has
ofibred thi$ as their last move, and these lands as theirs in
/m simple, forever.
552
LETTERS AKD NOTES ON THE
In my travels on the Upper Missouri, and in the Rooky
Mountains, I learned to my utter astonishment, that little
parties of these adventurous myrmidons, of only six or
eight in numbers, had visited those remote tribes, at two
thousand miles distance; and in several instances, after
having cajoled a whole tribe — having been feasted in their
villages — having solemnized the articles of everlasting
peace with them, and received many presents at their
hands, and taken affectionate leave, have brought away
six or eight scalps with them ; and nevertheless, braved
their way, and defended themselves as they retreated in
safety out of their enemies* country, and through the
regions of other hostile tribes, where they managed to
receive the same honors, and come off with similar
trophies.
Amongst this tribe there are some renowned chiefs,
whose lives, if correctly written, would be matter of the
most extraordinary kind for the reading world ; and of
which, it may be in my power at some future time, to
give a more detailed account
MO-HEE-OON-NEUHS, ob MOHEGANS (thb good oamoembm)
There are four hundred of this once powerful and still
famous tribe, residing near Green Bay, on a rich tract of
land given to them by the Government, in the territory of
Wisconsin, near Winnebago lake — on which they are
living very comfortably ; having brought with them from
their former country, in the state of Massachusetts, a
knowledge of agriculture, which they had there effectually
learned and practiced.
This tribe are the remains, and all that are left, of the
once powerful and celebrated tribe of Pequots of Mas>
sachusetts. History tells us, that in their wars and
dissensions with the whites, a considerable portion of the
tribe moved off under the command of a rival chief, and
established a separate tribe or band, and took the name of
NORTH AMERICAK INDIANS.
658
Mo-hee-con-neubs, which they have preserved until the
present day ; the rest of the tribe having long since been
extinct.
The chief of this tribe, Ee-tow-o-haum (both sides of the
river), which I have painted at full length, with a psalm-
book in one hand, and a cane in the other, is a very shrewd
and intelligent man, and a professed and, I think, sincere
Christian. Waun-naw-con (the dish), John W. Quinney in
civilized dress, is a civilized Indian, well-educated —
speaking good English — is a Baptist missionary preacher,
and a very plausible and eloquent speaker.
0-NEI-DA'S.
The remnant of a numerous tribe that have been destroyed
by wars with the whites — by whisky and smallpox,
numbering at present but five or six hundred, and living
in the most miserable poverty, on their reserve in the stace
of New York, near Utica and the banks of the Mohawk
river. This tribe was one of the confederacy called the 3ix
Nations, and much distinguished in the early history of
New York. The present chief is known by the name of
Bread. He is a shrewd and talented man, well educated,
— speaking good English — is handsome, and a polite and
gentlemanly man in his deportment.
TUS-KA-RO-RA'S.
Another of the tribe in the confederacy of the Six Nations,
once numerous, but reduced at the present to the number
of five hundred. This little tribe are living on their reserve,
a fine tract of land, near Bu£&lo, in the state of New York,
and surrounded by civilized settlements. Many of them
are good farmers, raising abundant and fine crops.
The chief of the tribe is a very dignified man, by the
name of Ou-sickf and his son,- of the same name, wbom I
have painted is a very talented man — has been educated for
the pulpit in some one of our public institutions, and if
664
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
i
now a Baptist preacher and I am told a very eloquent
speaker.
SEN-E-CA'S.
One thousand two hundred in number, at present, living
on their reserve, near Buffalo, and within a few miles of
Niagara Falls, in the state of New York. This tribe
formerly lived on the banks of the Seneca and Cayuga
lakes ; but, like all the other tribes who have stood in tho
way of the " march of civilization," have repeatedly bar-
gained away their country, and removed to the West;
which easily accounts for the origin of the familiar phrase
that is used amongst them, that " they are going to the
setting sun."
This tribe, when first known to the civilized world, con-
tained some eight or ten thousand ; and from their position
in the centre of the state of New York, held an important
place in its history. The Senecas were one of the most
numerous and eftective tribes, constituting the compact
called the " Six Nations ;" which was a confederacy formed
by six tribes, who joined in a league as an effective mode
of gaining strength, and preserving themselves by combined
efforts which would be sufficiently strong to withstand the
assaults of neighboring tribes, or to resist the incursions
of white people in their country. This confederacy
consisted of the Senecas, Oneidas, Onondagas, Gayugas,
Mohawks, and Tuskaroras; and until the innovations of
white people, with their destructive engines of war — with
whisky and small-pox, they held their sway in the country,
carrying victory, and consequently terror and dismay
wherever they warred. Their war-parties were fearlessly
sent into Connecticut and Massachusetts, to Virginia,, and
even to the Carolinas, and victory everywhere crowned
their efforts. Their combined strength, however, in all its
might, poor fellows, was not enough to withstand the siege
of their insidious foes — a destroying flood that has risen
and advanced, like a flood-tide upon them, and covered
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
566
their country; has broken up their strong holds, has driven
them from land to land ; and in their retreat, ha« drowned
the most of them in its waves.
The Seaeoas are the most numerous remnant of this
compact; and have at their head an aged and very dis-
tinguished chief, familiarly known throughout the United
States, by the name of Bed Jcuket. I painted his portrait
from the life, in the costume in which he is represented ;
and indulged him also, in the wish he expressed, " that he
might be seen standing on the Talile Bock, at the Falls of
Niagara; about which place he thought his spirit would
linger after he was dead."
Oood Hunter^ and Hard Sickory, are fair specimens of the
warriors of this tribe or rather hunters ; or perhaps, still
more correctly speaking, /armerA; for the Senecas have had
no battles to light lately, and very little game to kill, except
squirrels and pheasants ; and their hands are turned to the
plough, having become, most of them, tolerable farmers ;
raising the necessaries, and many of the luxuries of life,
from the soil.
The fame as well as the face of Bed Jacket, is generally
familiar to the citizens of the United States and the
Ganadas ; and for the information of those who have not
known him, I will briefly say, that he has been for many
years the head chief of the scattered remnants of that once
powerful compact, the Six Nations ; a part of whom reside
on their reservations in the vioinity of the Senecas,
amounting perhaps in all, to about four thousand, and own-
ing some two hundred thousand aores of fine lauds. Of this
Confederacy, the Mohawks and Cayugas, chiefly emigrate*!
to Canada, some fifty years ago, leaving the Senecas, the
Tuskaroras, Oneidas, and Onondagas in the state of New
York, on fine tracts of lands, completely surrounded with
white population; who by industry and enterprise, are
making the Indian lands too valuable to be long in their
possession, who will no doubt be induced to sell out to the
Government, or, in other words, to exchange them for lands
556
i.KTlEKd AND NOTES ON THK
West of the Mississippi, where it is the avowed intention
of the Government to remove all tho border tribes. *
Bed Jacket hns been reputed one of the greatest orators
of his day; and no doubt, more distinguished for his
eloquence and his inSuence in council, than as a warrior,
in which character I think liistory has not said much of
him. This may be owing, in a great measure, to the fact
that the wars of his nation were chiefly fought before his
fighting days ; and that the greater part of his life and his
talents have been spent with his tribe, during its downfall ;
where, instead of the horrors of Indian wars, they have had
a more fatal and destructive enemy to encounter, in the
insidious encroachments of pale faces, which he has been
for many years exerting his eloquence and all his talents to
resist. Poor old chief — not all the eloquence of Cicero
and Demosthenes would be able to avert the calamity,
that awaits his declining nation — to resist the despoiling
hand of mercenary white man, that opens and spreads
liberally, but to entrap the unwary and ignorant within its
withering grasp.
This talented old man has for many years past, stren-
uously remonstrated both to the Governor of New York,
and the President of the United States, against the
encroachments of white people ; whom he represented as
using every endeavor to wrest from them their lands — to
destroy their game, introducing vices of a horrible character,
and unknown to his people by nature 1 and most vehem-
ently of all, has he continually remonstrated against tho
preaching of missionaries in his tribe; alleging, that the
" black coats " (as he calls the clergymen), did more mischief
than good in his tribe, by creating doubts and dissensions
amongst his people ! which are destructive of his peace, and
* Since the above was written, the Senecas and all the other rumnanta
of the Six Nations residing in the state of New York, have agreed in
Treaties with the United States to remove to tracts of country assigned
them, West of the Mississippi, twelve hundred miles from their reservai'
tions in the state of New York.
NORTH AMKRICAN INDIANS.
66T
(dangerous to t^e suoceas, and even exi$Unce of his tribe.
Like many other great men who endeavor to soothe broken
And paiofal feelings, by the kindness of the bottle, he has
long linoe taken up whisky-drinking to exoess; and
wmsKT DBiNxnra.
much of his time, lies drunk in his cabin, or under the
comer of a fence, or wherever else its kindness urges the
necessity of his dropping his helpless body and limbs, to
indulge in the delightful spell. He is as great a drunkard
i
558
LETTERS AND NOTES OX THE
as some of our most distinguished law-givers and law
makers ; and yet ten times more culpable, as he has little to
do in life, and wields the destinies of a nation in his
hands 1 *
There are no better people to be found, than the Seneca
Indians — ^none that I know of that are by Nature more
talented and ingenious : nor any that would be found to be
better neighbors, if the arts and abuses of white men and
whisky, could be kept away from them. They have
mostly laid down their hunting habits, and become efficient
farmers, raising fine crops of corn, and a great abundance
of hogs, cattle and horses, and other necessaries and
luxuries of life.
I.R041U0IS.
One of the most numerous and powerful tribes that ever
existed in the Northern regions of our country, and now
one of the most completely annihilated. This tribe occupied
a vast tract of country on the River St. Lawrence, between
its banks and Lake Champlain ; and at times, by conquest,
actually over-run the whole country, from that to the shores
of Lakes Erie, Huron, and Michigan. But by their con-
tinual wars with the French, English, and Indians, and
dissipation and disease, they have been almost entirely an-
nihilated. The few remnants of them have long since
merged into other tribes, and been mostly lost sight off
* This celebrated chief died several years since, in his village near
Buffalo; and since his death oar famous comedian, Mr. Placide, has
erected a handsome and appropriate monument over his grave ; and I
am pleased also to learn, that my friend, Wm. L. Stone, Esq., is building
him a stUl more lasting one in history, which be is compiling, of the life
of this extraordinary man, to an early perusal of which I can confidently
refer the world for much curious and valuable information.
t The whole of the Six Nations have been by some writers denomina-
ted Iroquois — how correct this may be, I am not quite able to say ; one
thing is certain, that is, that the Iroquois tribe did not all belong to
that Confederacy, their original country was on the shores of the St
Lawrence; and, although one branch of their nation, the Mohawks.
NORTH AMERICAX INDIANS.
559
Of this tribe I have painted but one, iVb/-o-u;ay (the thinker).
This was an excellent man, and was handsomely dressed
for his picture. I had much conversation with him, and
became very much attached to him. He seemed to be
quite ignorant of the early history of his tribe, as well as of
the position and condition of its few scattered remnants,
who are yet in existence. He told me, however, that he
had always learned that the Iroquois had conquered nearly
all the world ; but the Great Spirit being offended at the
great slaughters by his favorite people, resolved to punish
them; and he sent a dreadful disease amongst them, that
carried the most of them off, and all the rest that could be
found, were killed by their enemies — that though he was
an Iroquois, which he was proud to acknowledge to me, as
I was to " make him live after he was dead ;" he wished it
to be generally thought, that he was a Chippeway, that he
might live as long as the Great Spirit had wished it when
he made him.*
formed a part, and the most eflPective portion of that compact, yet the
other members of it spoke different languages ; and a great part of the
Iroquois moved their settlements further North and East, instead of
joining in the continual wars carried on by the Six Nations. It is of
this part of the tribe that I am speaking, when I mention them as nearly
extinct.
* Since the above Letter was written, all the tribes and remnants of
tribes mentioned in it have been removed by the Government, fo lauds
West of the Mississippi and Missouri, given to them in addition to con-
siderable annuities, in consideration for the immense tracts of country
they have left on the frontier, and within the States. There are also
other tribes who have been removed by Treaty stipulations, in the
same way, which are treated of in subsequent Letters. The Govern*
ment, under General Jackson, strenuously set forth and carried oat,
the policy of removing all the semi-civilized and border Indians, to a
country West of the Mississippi ; and although the project had many
violent opponents, yet there were many strong reasons in favor of it,
and the thing hait been at lout done; and a few years will decide, by
the best of all arguments, whether the policy was a good one or not.
LETTBB No. XLYIIL
ST. LOUIS.
Wbilbt I am thus taking a hasly glance at the tribes
on the Atlantic Ooast, on the borders of Mexico, and the
confines of Canada, the reader will pardon me for taking
him for a few minutes to the mouth of the Columbia, on
the Pacific Ooast; which place I have not yet quite
reached myself, in my wild rambles, but most undoubtedly
shall ere long, if my strolling career be not suddenly stop<
ped. I scarcely need tell the reader where the Columbia
River is since its course and its character have been so
often, and so well described, by recent travellers through
those regions. I can now but glance at this remote country
and its customs ; and revert to it again after T shall have
(500)
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
561
WEamined it in all its parts, and collected my materials for
a fuller accouut.
PLAT HEADS.
These are a very numerous people, inhabiting the shores
of the Columbia River, and a vast tract of country lying
to the South of it, and living in a country which is
exceedingly sterile and almost entirely, in many parts,
destitute of game for the subsistence of the savage ; they
are mostly obliged to live on roots, which they dig from
the ground, and fish which they take from the streams;
the consequences of which are, that they are generally
poor and miserably clad ; and in no respect equal to the
Indians of whom I have heretofore spoken, who live on
the East of the Rocky Mountains, in the ranges of the
buffaloes ; and where they are well-fed, and mostly have
good horses to ride, and materials in abundance for manu
facturing their beautiful and comfortable dresses.
The people generally denominated Flat Heads, are divided
into a great many bands, and although they have undoubt-
•edly got their name from the custom of flattening the head ;
yet there are but very few of those so denominated, who
actually practice that extraordinary custom.
The Nez Perces who .inhabit the upper waters and
mountainous parts of the Columbia, are a part of this
tribe, though they are seldom known to flatten the head
like those lower down, and about the mouth of the river.
HeeoKks-te-hin (the rabbit skin leggings), and H'co-a-h^co-a-
h'cotes-min (no horns on his head), are young men of this
tribe. These two young men, when I painted them, were
in beautiful Sioux dresses, which had been presented )o
them in a talk with the Sioux, who treated them very
kindly, while passing through the Sioux country. These
two men were part of a delegation that came across the
Rocky Mountains to St. Louis, a few years since, to
inquire for the truth of a representation which they said
«ome white man had made amongst them, " that our
36
£>62
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
I n
ruligiou was better than theirs, and that they would alV
be lost if they did nut embrace it."
Two old and venerable men of this party died in St
LouiB, and I travelled two thousand miles, companion with
these two young fellows, towards their own country, and
became much pleased with their manners and dispositions.
The last mentioned of the two, died near the mouth of
the Yellow Stone River on his way home, with disease
which he had contracted in the civilized district ; and the
other one I have since learned, arrived safely amongst hia
friends, conveying to them the melancholy intelligence of
the deaths of all the rest of his party ; but assurances at the
same time, from General Clark, and many reverend gen-
tlemen, that the report which they had heard was well
founded ; and that missionaries, good and religious men,
would soon come amongst them to teach this religion, so
that they could all understand and have the benefits of it.
When I first heard the report of the object of this extra»
ordinary mission across the mountains, I could scarcely
believe it ; but on conversing with General Clark on a future
occasion, I was fUUy convinced of the fact; and I, like thous>
ands of others, have had the satisfaction of witnessing th&
complete success that has crowned the bold and daring ex-
ertions of Mr. Lee and Mr. Spalding, two reverend gentle-
men who have answered in a Christian manner to this
unprecedented call ; and with their wives have crossed the
most rugged wilds and wildernesses of the Rocky Mountains,,
and triumphantly proved to the world, that the Indians, in
their native wilds are a kind and friendly people, and
susceptible of mental improvement.
I had long been of the opinion, that to ensure success,^
the exertions of pious men should be carried into the heart
of the wilderness, beyond the reach and influence of civ-
ilized vices ; and T so expressed my opinion to the Reverend
Mr Spalding and his lady, in Pittsburg, when on their
way, in their first tour to that distant country. I have
•een the Reverend Mr. Lee and several others of the mission^
>'OKTU AMERICAN INDIANS.
668
Beveral years since the formatioa of their school ; as well as
several gentlemen who have visited their settlement, and
from all, I am fully convinced of the complete success of
these excellent and persevering gentlemen, in proving to
the world the absurdity of the assertion that has been often
made, " that the Indian can never be civilized or christian'
ized." Their uninterrupted transit over such a vast and
wild journey, also with their wives on horseback, who were
everywhere on their way, as well as amongst the tribes
where they have located, treated with the utmost kind-
ness and respect, bears strong testimony to the assertions so
often made by travellers in those countries, that these are, ia
their native state, a kind and excellent people.
I hope I shall on a future occasion, be able to give the
reader some further detailed account of the success of these
zealous and excellent men, whose example, of penetrating
to the heart of the Indian country, and there teaching the
Indian in the true and effective way, will be a lasting honor
to themselves, and I fully believe, a permanent benefit to
those ignorant and benighted people.
THE CHINOOKS,
Inhabiting the lower parts of the Columbia, are a small
tribe, and correctly come under the name of Flat-Heads, as
they are almost the only people who strictly adhere to the
custom of squeezing and flattening the head ; which is done
by placing the back on a board, or thick plank, to which it
is lashed by thongs, to a position from which it cannot
escape, and the back of the head supported by a sort of pil-
low, made of moss or rabbit skins, with an inclined piece,
resting on the forehead ; being every day drawn down a
little tighter by means of a cord, which holds it in its place,
until it at length touches the nose ; thus forming a straight
line from the crown of the head to the end of the nose.
This process is seemingly a very cruel one, though I doubt
whether it causes much pain: as it is done in aarlieat
6U
LBITERS AJID NOTES OX THE
infancy, whilst the bones are soft and cartilaginous, and
easily pressed into this distorted shape, by forcing the
occipital up, and the frontal down ; so that the skull at the
top, in profile, will show a breadth of not more than an
inch and a half, or two inches; when in a front view it
exhibits a great expansion on the sides, making it at the
top, nearly the width of one and a half natural heads.
By this remarkable operation, the brain is singularly
changed from its natural shape; but in all probability, not
in the least diminished or injured in its natural functions.
This belief is drawn from the testimony of many credible
witnesses, who have closely scrutinized them; and ascer-
tained that those who have the head flattened, are in no way
inferior in intellectual powers to those whose heads are in
their natural shapes.
In the process of flattening the head, there is often another
form of crib or cradle, into which the child is placed, much
in the form of a small canoe, dug out of a log of wood, with
a cavity just large enough to admit the body of the child,
and the head also, giving it room to expand in width ; while
from the head of the cradle there is a sort of a lever, with
an elastic spring to it that comes down on the forehead of
the child, and produces the same effects as the one I have
above described.
The child is wrapped in rabbits' skins, and placed in this
little coffin-like looking cradle, from which it is not, in some
instances, taken out for several weeks. The bandages • ver
and about the lower limbs, and as high up as the breast, are
loose, and repeatedly taken off in the same day, as the child
may require cleansing ; but the head and shoulders are kept
strictly in the same position, and the breast given to the
child by holding it up in the cradle, loosing the outer end
of the lever that comes over the nose, and raising it up or
turning it aside, so as to allow the child to come at the breast
without moving its head.
The length of time that the infants are generally carried
in these cradles is three, five, or eight weeks, until the bones
XOnXH AMERICAN INDIAN'S.
566
•re so formed an to keep their shapes, and preserve this ain*
gular Appearance through jife.
This little cradle has a strap, which passes over the wo-
man's forehead whilst the cradle rides on her back; and if the
child dies during its subjection to this rigid mode, its cradle
becomes its coffin, forming a little canoe, in which it lies
floating on the water in some sacred pool, where they are
often in the habit of fastening the canoes, containing the
dead bodies of the old and the young; or which is often the
FAPOOSn AVD OBADLBS.
case, elevated into the branches of trees, where their bodies
are left to decay, and their bones to dry ; whilst they are
bandaged in many skins, and curiously packed in their
canoes, with paddles to propel, and ladles to bail them out,
and provisions to last, and pipes to smoke, as they are
performing their " long journey after death, to their contem-
plated bunting grounds," which these people think is to
be performed in their canoes.
566
LETTERS AND N'OTKS OX THB
t.
This mode of flattening the head is certainly one of the
most unaccountable, as well as immeaning customs, found
amongst the North American Indians. What it could have
originated in, or for what purpose, other than a mere useless
fashion, it could have been invented, no human being can
probably ever tell. The Indians have many curious and
ridiculous fashions, which have come into existence no doubt,
by accident, and are of no earthly use (like many silly
fashions in enlightened society), yet they are perpetuated
much longer, and that only because their ancestors practiced
them in ages gone by. The greater part of Indian modes,
however, and particularly those that are accompanied with
much pain or trouble in their enactment, are most wonder-
fully adapted to the production of some good or useful
results ; for which the inquisitive world, I am sure, may for
ever look in vain to this stupid and useless fashion, that has
most unfortunately been engendered on these ignorant
people, whose superstition forbids them to lay it down.
It is a curious fact, and one that should be mentioned
here, that these people have not been alone in this strange
custom; but that it existed and was practiced precisely the
same until recently amongst the Ghoctaws and Chickasaws ;
who occupied a large part of the states of Mississippi and
Alabama, where they have laid their bones, and hundreds
of their skulls have been procured, bearing incontrovertible
evidence of a similar treatment with similar results.
The Ghoctaws who are now living, do not flatten the
head ; the custom like that of the medmne'bag, and many
others, which the Indians have departed from, from the as-
surances of white people, that they were of no use, and were
utterly ridiculous to be followed. Whilst amongst the Ghoc-
taws, I could learn little more firom the people about such a
custom, than that "their old men recollected to have heard
it spoken of" — which is much less satisfactory evidence than
inquisitive white people get by referring to the grave,
which the Indian never meddles with. The distance of the
Ghoctaws from the country of the Ghinooks. is certainly
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
567
between two and three thousand miles ; and there being no
intervening tribes practicing the same custom, and no
probability that any two tribes in a state of Nature, would
ever hit upon so peculiar an absurdity, we come, whether
willingly or not, to the conclusion, that these tribes must at
some former period, have lived neighbors to each other, or
have been parts of thd same family ; which time and cir-
oumstances have gradually removed to such a very great
distance from each other. Nor does this, in my opinion (as
many suppose), furnish any very strong evidence in support
of the theory, that the different tribes have all sprung from one
stock ; but carries a strong argument to the other side, by
famishing proof of the very great tenacity these people have
for their peculiar customs ; many of which are certainly not
general, but oflen carried from one end of the Continent to
the other, or from oceaft to ocean, by bands or sections of
tribes, which often get " run off" by their enemies in wars,
or in hunting, as I have before described ; where to emigrate
to a vast distance is not so unaccountable a thing, but almost
the inevitable result, of a tribe that have got set in motion,
all the way amongst deadly foes, in whose countries it would
be fatal to stop.
I am obliged therefore, to believe, that either the Chin-
•ooks emigrated from the Atlantic, or that the Choctaws came
from the west side of the Rocky Mountains ; and I regret
exceedingly that I have not been able as yet, to compare the
languages of these two tribes, in which I should expect to
find some decided resemblance. They might, however, have
been near neighbors, and practising a copied custom where
there was no resemblance in their language.
Whilst among the Choctaws I wrote down from the lips
•of one of their chiefs, the following tradition, which seems
strongly to favor the supposition that they came from a
great distance in the West, and probably from beyond the
Rocky Mountains : — Tradition. "The Choctaws a great many
winters ago, commenced moving from the country where
they then lived, which was a great distance to the west of
f.68
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
• . , I
the great river, and the mountains of snow : and they wero
a groat many years on their way. A great medicine-man
led them the whole way, by going before with a red pole,
which he stuck in the ground every night where they en-
camped. This pole was every morning found leaning to the
East ; and he told them that they must continue to travel to
the East until the pole would stand upright in their
encampment, and that there the Great Spirit had directed
that they should live. At a place which they named Nah-
ne-wa-ye (the sloping hill), the pole stood straight up, where
they pitched their encampment, which was one mile square,
with the men encamped on the outside, and the v. omen and
children in the centre ; which is the centre of the old Choc-
taw nation to • this day.' "
In the vicinity of the mouth of the Columbia, there are
besides the Ghinoohs, the Klich-a-tmcks, Gheehaylas, Na-aSy
and many other tribes, whose customs are interesting, and
of whose manufactures, my Museum contains many very
curious and interesting specimens.
The Indians who inhabit the rugged wildernesses of the
Eocky Mountains, are chiefly the Blackfeet and Crows, of
whom I have heretofore spoken, and the Shoshonees or
Snakes, who are a part of the Camanchees, speaking the same
language, and the Shoshokies or root-diggers, who inhabit
the southern parts of those vast and wild realms, with the
Arapohoes and Navahoes, who are neighbours to the
Camanchees on the West, having Santa Fe on the South,
and the coast of California on the "West. Of the Shosho-
nees and Shoshokies, all travellers who have spoken of
them, give them a good character, as a kind and hospitable
and harmless people ; to which fact I could cite the
unquestionable authorities of the excellent Rev. Mr. Parker,
who has published his interesting Tour across the Rocky
Mountains, Lewis and Clarke, Capt. Bonneville and others;
and I allege it to be a truth, that the reason why we find
them as they are uniformly described, a kind and inoffensive
people, is, that they have not as yet been abused — that they
NORllI AMERICAN INDIANS.
6«»
are in their primitive state, as the Great Spirit made and
endowed thein with good hearts and kind feelings, unalloyed
and untainted by the vices of the money-making world.
To the same fact, relative to the tribes on the Columbia
river, I have been allowed to quote the authority of
H. Beaver, a very worthy and kind Beverend Gentleman
of England, who has been for several years past living with
these people, and writes to mo thus : —
"I shall be always ready, with pleasure, to testify my
perfect accordance with the sentiments I have heard you
express, both in your public lectures, and private conver-
sation, relative to the much-traduced character of our Red
brethren, particularly as it relates to their honesty^ hoapitality
and peaceableness, throughout the length and breadth of the
Columbia. Whatever of a contrary disposition has at any
time, in those parts, been displayed by them, has, I am per*
suaded been exotic, and forced on them by the depravity
and impositions of the white TraderSk"
Nil
LETTEB Na XUX.
::?i: ,
: «'.
ST. LOUIS.
IN one of my last Letters from Fort Gibson, written
some months since, I promised to open mj note-book on a
fhtnre occasion, to give some further account of tribes and
remnants of tribes located in that vicinity, amongst whom
I had been spending some time with mjpen and my pencil;
and haying since that time extended my rambles over much
of that ground again, and also through the regions of the
East and South East, from whence the most of those tribes
have emigrated; I consider this a proper time to say
something more of them, and their customs and condition,
before I go farther.
The most of these, as I have said, are tribes or parts of
tribes which the Government has recently, by means of
Treaty stipulations, removed to that wild and distant
(570)
i^ /|
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
571
country, on to lands which have been given to them in ex-
change for their valuable possessions within the States; ten
or twelve hundred miles to the East.
Of a number of such reduced and removed tribes, who
have been located West of the Missouri, and North of St
Louis, I have already spoken in a former Letter, and shall
yet make brief mention of another, which has been con
ducted to the same region — and then direct the attention
of the reader to those which are settled in the neighborhood
of Fort Gibson, who are the Cherokoes, Creeka, Ohootawa,
Ohiokasaws, Seminoles, and Euchees.
The people above alluded to are the
SHA-WA-NO'S.
The history of this once powerful tribe is so closely and
necessarily connected with that of the United States, and
the revolutionary war, that it is generally pretty well
understood. This tribe formerly inhabited great parts of
the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, (and for the last
sixty years), a part of the states of Ohio and Indiana, to
which they had removed ; and now, a considerable portion
of them, occupy a tract of country several hundred miles
West of the Mississippi, which has been conveyed to them
by Government in exchange for their lands in Ohio, from
which it is expected the remainder of the tribe will soon
move. It has been said that this tribe came formerly from
Florida, but I do not believe it. The mere fact, that there
is found in East Florida a river by the name of Sutua-nee,
which bears some resemblance to Sha-toa-no, seems, as far
as I can learn, to be the principal evidence that has been
adduced for the fact. They have evidently been known,
and that within the scope of our authenticated history, on
the Atlantic coast — on the Delaware and Chesapeake bays.
And after that, have fought their way against every sort of
trespass and abuse — against the bayonet and disease,
through the states of Pennaylvania, Delaware and Ohio,
Indiana, Illinois and Missouri, to their present location
§
M:l i
li 'i-f'!
572
LKTTERS AND NOTES ON THK
near the Kon-zas River, at least one thousand five hundred
'niles from their native country.
This tribe and the Delawares, of whom I have spoken,
were neighbors on the Atlantic coast, and alternately allies
and enemies, have retrograded and retreated together —
have fought their enemies united, and fought each other,
until their remnants that have outlived their nation's
calamities, have now settled as neighbors together in the
Western wilds ; where, it is probable, the sweeping hand
of death will soon relieve them from further necessity of*
warring or moving ; and the Oovernment, from the necessity
or policy of proposing to them a yet more distant home.
In their long and disastrous pilgrimage, both of these tribes
laid claim to, and alternately occupied the beautiful and
renowned valley of Wy-Q-ming ; and after strewing the
Susquehanna's lovely banks with their bones, and their
tumuli, they both yielded at last to the dire necessity^
which follows all civilized intercourse with natives, and fled
to the Alleghany, and at last to the banks of the Ohio;
where necessity soon came again, and again, and again,
until the great " Guardian'''' of all "red children'''' placed
them where they now are.
There are of this tribe remaining about one thousand two
hundred; some few of whom are agriculturists, and
industrious and temperate, and religious people ; but the
greater proportion of them are miserably poor and
dependant, having scarcely the ambition to labor or to
hunt, and a passion for whisky-drinking, that sinks them
into the most abject poverty, as they will give the last
thing they possess for a drink of it.
There is not a tribe on the Continent whose history i&
more interesting than that of the Shawanos, nor any one
that has produced more extraordinary men.
The great Tecumseh, whose name and history I can but
barely allude to at this time, was the chief of this tribe, and
perhaps the most extraordinary Indian of his age.
The present chief of the tribe Lay-law-sliekaw, (he who
NORTIC AMERICAN INDIANS.
578
gow up the river), is ji very agel, but extraordinary man,
with a fine and intelligent head, and his ears slit and
•tretched down to his shoulders, a custom highly valued in
this tribe ; which is done by severing the rim of the ear
with a knife, and stretching it down by wearing heavy
weights attached to it at times, to elongate it as much as
possible, making a large orifice, through which, on parades,
Ac, they often pass a bunch of arrows or quills, and wear
AS ornaments.
In this instance (which was not an unusual one), the rims
of the ears were so extended down, that they touched the
shoulders, making a ring through which the whole hand
could easily be passsd. The daughter of this old chief,
Ka-te-qua (the female eagle), was an agreeable-looking girl,
of fifteen years of age, and much thought of by the tribe.
Pah-te-coo-aaw (the straight man), a warrior of this tribe,
has distinguished himself by his exploits ; and when he sat
for his picture, had painted his face in a very curious man-
ner with black and red paint.
Tm-aqua-ta-way (the open door), called the ^^ Shawnee
Prophet" is perhaps one of the most remarkable men, who
has flourished on these frontiers for some time past. This
man is brother of the famous Tecumseh, and quite equal in
his medicines or mysteries, to what his brother was in arms;
he was blind in his left eye. With these mysteries he
mnde his way through most of the North Western tribes,
enlisting warriors wherever he went, to assist Tecumseh iu
effecting his great scheme, of forming a confederacy of all
the Indians on the frontier, to drive back the whites and
defend the Indians' rights ; which he told them could never
in any other way be protected. His plan was certainly a
correct one, if not a very great one ; and his brother, the
Prophet, exercised his astonishing influence in raising men
for him to fight his battles, and carry out his plans. For
this puipose, he started upon an embassy to the various
tribes on the Upper Missouri, nearly all of which he visited
with astonishing success ; exhibiting his mystery fire, and
574
l.ElTlsnS AND NOTES ON THE
uiiing Lis sacred string of beans, whibb every young man
who w.is willing to go to war, was to touch ; thereby taking
(he solemn oath to start when called upon, and not to turn
back.
In this most surprising manner, this ingenious man en-
tered the villages of most of his inveterate enemies, and of
others who never had heard of the name of his tribe ; and
manwuvred in so successful a way, as to make his medi-
cines a safe passport for him to all of their villages ; and also
the means of enlisting in the different tribes, some eight or
ten thousand warriors, who had solemnly sworn to return
with him on his way back ; and to assist in the wars that
Tecumseh was to wage against the whites on the frontier.
I found, on my visit to the Sioux — to the Puncahs, to the
Bicoarees and the Mandans, that he had been there, and
even to the Blaokfeet ; and everywhere told them of the
potency of his mysteries, and assured them, that if they
allowed the fire to go out in their wigwams, it would prove
fatal to them in every case. He carried with him into
every wigwam that he visited, the image of a dead person
of the size of life ; which was made ingeniously of some
light material, and always kept concealed under bandages
of thin white muslin cloths and not to be opened ; of this
he made great mystery, and got his recruits to swear by
touching a sacred string of white beans, which he had
attached to its neck or some other way secreted about it.
In this way, by his extraordinary cunning, he had carried
terror into the country as far as he went ; and had actually
enlisted some eight or ten thousand men, who were sworn
to follow him home ; and in a few days would have been
on their way with him, had not a couple of his political
enemies in his own tribe, followed on his track, even to
those remote tribes, and defeated his plans, by pronouncing
him an impostor ; and all of his forms and plans an imposi-
tion upon them, which they would be fools to listen to. In
this manner, this great recruiting officer was defeated in
his plans, for raising an army o^'men to fght his brothei's
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
576
battles ; and to save bis life, he discharged his medicines as
suddenly as possible, and secretly travelled his way home,
over those vast regions, to his own tribe, where the death
of Tecumseh, and the opposition of enemies, killed all his
splendid prospects, and doomed him to live the rest of his
days in silence, and a sort of disgrace ; like all men in
Indian communities who pretend to great meditine, in any
way, and fail ; as they all think such failure an evidence of
the displeasure of the Great Spirit, who always judges
right.
This, no doubt, has been a very shrewd and influential
man, but circumstances have destroyed him, as they have
many other great men before him ; and he now lives re-
s])ected, but silent and melancholy in his tribe. I con-
versed with Lim a great deal about bis brother Tecumseh,
of whom he spoke frankly, and seemingly with great plea-
sure ; but of himself and his own great schemes, he would
say nothing. He told me that Tecumseh's plans were to
embody all the Indian tribes in a grand confederacy, from
the province of Mexico, to the Great Lakes, to unite their
forces in an army that would be able to meet and drive
back the white people, who were continually advancing on
the Indian tribes, and forcing them from their lands to*
wards the Bocky Mountains — that Tecumseh was a great
general, and that nothing but his premature death defeated
his grand plan.
The Shawanos, like most of the other remnants of tribes,
in whose countries the game has been destroyed, and by
the use of whisky, have been reduced to poverty and abso-
lute want, have become, to a certain degree., agriculturists;
raising corn and beans, potatoes, hogs, horses, &o., so as to
be enabled, if they could possess anywhere on earth, a
country which they could have a certainty of holding in
perpetuity, as their own, to plant and raise their own crops
and necessaries of life from the ground.
The Government have effected with these people, as with
most of the other dispersed tribes, an arrangement by which
676
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
they are to remove West of the Mississippi, to lands as-
signed them ; on which they are solemnly promised a home
far ever I the uncertain definition of which important word,
time and ciroumstances alone will determine.
Besides the personages whom I have above-mentioned, I
painted the portraits of several others of note in the tribe ;
and amongst them Lay-loo-ahpeai-afiee-kaw (the grass-bush
and blossom), whom I introduce in this place, rather from
the very handy and poetical name, than from any great
personal distinction known to have been acquired by him.
Thi OHER-0-KEES,
Living in the vicinity of, and about Fort Gibson on the
Arkansas, and seven hundred miles west of the Mississippi
river, are the once very numerous and powerful tribe who
inhabited a oonsiderable part of the state of Georgia, an,d
under a Treaty made with the United States Government,
have been removed to those regions, where they are settled
on a fine tract of country ; and having advanced somewhat
in the arts and agriculture before they started, are now
found to be mostly living well, cultivating their fields of
corn and other crops, which they raise with great success.
Under a serious difficulty existing between these people
{whom their former solemn Treaties with the United States
Government, were acknowledged a free and independent
nation with powers to make and enforce their own laws),
and the state of Georgia, which could not admit such a
Government within her sovereignty, it was thought most
expedient by the Government of the United States, to pro-
pose to them, for the fourth or fifth time, to enter into
Treaty stipulations again to move; and by so doing to
settle the difficult question with the state of Georgia, and
at the same time, to place them in peaceable possession of a
large tract of fine country, where they would for ever be
free from the continual trespasses and abuses which it was
supposed they would be subjected to, if they were to re-
main in the state of Georgia, under the present difficulties
NORTH AMERICAN' INDIANS.
577
and the high excited feelings which were then existing in
the mindg of many people along their borders.
John Ross, a civilized and highly educated and acoona
plished gentleman, who is the head-chief of the tribe, and
several of his leading subordinate chiefs, have sternly and
steadily rejected the proposition of such a Treaty ; and are
yet, with a great majority of the nation remaining on their
own ground in the state ot Georgia, although some six or
seven thousand of the tribe have several years since re-
moved to the Arkansas, under the guidance and control of
an aged and dignified chief by the name oi Jo-lee.
This man, like most of the chiefs, as well as a very great
proportion of the Cherokee population, has a mixture of
white and red blood in his veins, of which, in this instance,
the first seems decidedly to predominate. Another chief,
and second to this, amongst this portion of the Cherokees,
by the name of Teh-ke-neh-kee (the black coat), I have also
painted and placed in ray Collection, as well as a very
interesting specimen of the Cherokee women.
I have travelled pretty generally through the several
different locations of this interesting tribe, both in the
Western and Eastern divisions, and have found them, as
well as the Choctaws and Creeks, their neighbors, very
far advanced in the arts ; affording to the world the most
satisfactory evidences that are to be found in America, of
the fact, that the Indian was not made to shun and evade
good example, and necessarily to live and die a brute, as
many speculating men would needs record them and treat
them, until they are robbed and trampled into the dust;
that no living evidences might give the lie to their theories,
or draw the cloak from their cruel and horrible iniquities.
As I have repeatedly said to my readers, in the course ol
my former epistles, that the greater part of my time would
be devoted to the condition and customs of the tribes that
might be found in their primitive state, they will feel dis-
posed to pardon me for barely introducing the Cherokees.
And several others of these very interesting tribes, and
3:
573
LETIERS AND NOTES ON THE
II
leaving them and their customs and histories (which are of
themselves enough for volumes), to the reader, who is, per-
haps, nearly as familiar as I am myself, with the full and
fair accounts of these people, who have had their historians
and biographers.
The history of the Cherokees and other nnmerous rem-
nants of tribes, who are the ex-habitants of the finest and
most valued portions of the United States, is a subject of
great interest and importance, and has already been woven
into the most valued histories of the country, as well as
forming material parts of the archives of the Government,
which is my excuse for barely introducing the reader to
them, and beckoning him off again to the native and un-
trodden wilds, to teach him something new and unrecorded.
Yet I leave the subject, as I left the people (to whom I be-
came attached, for their kindness and friendship), with a
heavy heart, wishing them success and the blessing of the
Great Spirit, who alone can avert the doom that wo' Id
almost seem to be fixed for their unfortunate race.
The Cherokees amount in all to about twenty-two thou*
sand, sixteen thousand of whom are yet living in Georgia,
under the Government of their chief, John Ross, whose
name I have before mentioned; with this excellent man,
who has been for many years devotedly opposed to the
Treaty stipulations for moving from their country, I have
been familiarly acquainted ; and, notwithstanding the bitter
invective and animadversions that have been by his politi-
cal enemies heaped upon him, I feel authorized, and bound,
to testify to the unassuming and gentlemanly urbanity of
his manners, as well as to the rigid temperance of his
habits, and the purity of his language, in which I never
knew him to transgress for a moment, in public or private
interviews.
At this time, the most strenuous endeavors are making
on the part of the Government and the state of Georgia,
for the completion of an arrangement for the removal of
the whole of this tribe, as well as of the Choctaws and
NORTH AMEKICAN INDIANS.
579
Seminole* ; and I have not a doubt of their final success,
which Bcetris, from all former experience, to attend every
project of the kiud made by the Government to their fed
children. *
It is not for me to decide, nor in this place to reason, as
to the justice or injustice of the treatment of these people
at the bands of the Government or individuals ; or of the
wisdom of the policy which is to place them in a new,
though vast and fertile country, one thousand miles from
the land of their birth, in the doubtful dilemma whether to
break the natural turf with their rusting ploughshares, or
string their bows, and dash over the boundless prairies,
beckoned on by the alluring dictates of their nature,
seeking laurels among the ranks of their new enemies, and
Hubsisttince amongst the herds of buft'aloes.
Besides the Cherokees in Georgia, and those that I have
spoken of in the neighbourhood of Fort Gibson, there
is another band or family of the same tribe, of several
huiidredn, living on the banks of the Canadian river, an
hundred or more miles South West of Fort Gibson, under
the Government of a distinguished chief by the name of
Ttush'Ce, familiarly called by the white people, ^^ Dutch"
This is one of the most extraordinary men that lives on
tho frontiers at the present day, both for his remarkable
history, and for his fine and manly figure, and character
of face.
This man was in the employment of the Government as
* Bince writing the above, the Government have succeeded in remov*
Ing the remainder of the Cherokees beyond the Mississippi, where the^
have taken up their residence along side of their old friends, who emi-
grated Reveral ymn since ander Jo'lee, as I have before mentioned.
In tho few years pagt, the Qovernment has also succeeded in stipulating
with, and removing West of the Mississippi, nearly every remnant of
tribeR apokon of in this and the two last Letters, so that there are at
tbiB time bnt a few hundreds of the red men East of the Mississippi ;
and t( to probable, that a few months more will effect the removal of the
remainder of tbem.
lijiil
I
680
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
a guide and hunter for the regiment of dragoons, on their
expedition to the Oarnanchees, where I had him for a
constant companion for several months, and opportunities
in abundance, for studying his true character, and of wit-
nessing his wonderful exploits in the different varieties of
the chase. The history of this man's life has been
very curious and surprising; and I sincerely hope that
some one, with more leisure and more talent than myself,
will take it up, and do it justice. I promise that the life
of this man furnishes the best materials for a popular tale,
that are now to be procured on the Western frontier.
He is familiarly known, and much of his life, to all the
officers who have been stationed at Fort Gibson, or at any
of the posts in that region of the country.
Some twenty years or more since, becoming fatigued
and incensed with civilized encroachments, that were con-
tinually making on the borders of the Cherokee country in
Georgia, where he then resided, and probably, foreseeing the
disastrous results they were to lead to, he beat up for vol-
unteers to emigrate to the West, where he had designed to
go, and colonize in a wild country beyond the reach and
contamination of civilized innovations; and succeeded in
getting several hundred men, women, and children, whom
he led over the banks of the Mississippi, and settled upon
the head waters of the White River, where they lived until
the appearance of white faces, which began to peep through
the forests at them, yrhen they made another move of six
hundred miles to the banks of the Canadian, where they
now reside, and where, by the system of desperate warfare,
which he has carried on against the Osages and the Ca-
manchees, he has successfully cleared away from a large
tract of fine country, all the enemies that could contend for
it, and now holds it, with his little band of myrmidons, as
their own undisputed soil, where they are living comfortably
by raising from the soil fine crops of corn and potatoes,
and other necessaries of life ; whilst they indulge whenever
they please, in the pleasures of the chase amongst the herds
NOUTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
581
of buft'aloes, or in the natural propensity for ornamenting
their dresses and their war-clubs with the scalp-lock of
their enemies.
The creeks (or MUS-KO-GEES),
Of twenty thousand in numbers, have, until quite recently,
occupied an immense tract of country in the states of
Mississippi and Alabama; but by a similar arrangement
(and for a similar purpose) with the Goverument, have
exchanged their possessions there for a country, adjoining
to the Cherokees, on the South side of the Arkansas, to
which they have already all removed, and on which, like
the Cherokees, they are laying out fine farms, and building
good houses, in which they live ; in many instances, sur-
rounded by immense fields of corn and wheat. There is
scarcely a finer country on earth than that now owned by
the Creeks; and in North America, certainly no Indian tribe
more advanced in the arts and agriculture than they are.
It is no uncommon thing to see a Creek with twenty or
thirty slaves at work on his plantation, having brought
them from a slave-holding country, from which, in their
long journey, and exposure to white man's ingenuity, I
venture to say, that most of them got rid of one-half of
them, whilst on their long and disastrous crusade.
The CHOCTAWS.
Of fifteen thousand, are another tribe, removed from the
Northern parts of Alabama, and Mississippi, within the few
years past, and now occupying a large and rich tract of
country. South of the Arkansas and the Canadian rivers, .
adjoining to the country of the Creeks and Cherokees,
equally civilized, and living much in the same manner.
These people seem, even in their troubles, to be happy ;
and have, like all the other remnants of tribes, preserved
with great tenacity their different games, which it would
Beem they are everlastingly practicing for want of other
occupations or amusements in life. Whilst I was staymg
li ! ,
582
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
at the Choctaw agency in the midst of their nation, it
seemed to be a sort of season of amusements, a kind of
holiday; when the whole tribe almost, were assembled
around the establishment, and from day to day we were
entertained with some games or feats that were exceedingly
amusing : horse-racing, dancing, wrestling, foot-racing, and
ball-playmg, were amongst the most exciting; and of
all the catalogue, the most beautiful, was decidedly that of
ball-playing. This wonderful game, which is the favorite
one amongst all the tribes, and with these Southern tribes
played' exactly the same,, can never bj appreciated by those
who are not happy enough to see it.
It is no uncommon occurrence for six or eight hundred
or a thousand of these young men, to engage in a game of
ball, with five or six times that number of spectators, of
men, women, and children, surrounding the ground, and
looking on. And I pronounce such a scene, with its hun-
dreds of Nature's most beautiful models denuded, and
painted of various colors, running and leaping into the air,
in all the most extravagant and varied forms, in the des.
perate struggles for the ball, a school for the painter or
sculptor, equal to any of those that ever inspired the hand
of the artist in the Olympian games or the Boman forum.
I have made it a uniform rule, whilst in the Indian
country, to attend every ball-play I could hear of, if I could
do it by riding a distance of twenty or thirty miles ; and
my usual custom has been on such occasions, to straddle the
back of my horse, and look on to the best advantage. In
this way I have sat, and oftentimes reclined, and almost
dropped from my horse's back, with irresistible laughter at
the succession of droll tricks, and kicks and scuffles which
ensue, in the almost superhuman struggles for the ball.
These plays generally commence at nine o'clock, or near
it, in the morning ; and I have more than once balanced
myself on my pony, from that time till near sundown,
without more than one minute of intermission at a time,
before the game has been decided.
NORTH AMBBICAN INDIANS.
583
It is impossible for penaad ink alone, or brushes, or even
with their combined efforts, to give more than a caricature ot
such a scene ; but such as I have been able to do, I have
put upon the canvass, and I will convey as correct an
account as I can, and leave the reader to imagine the rest;
or look to other books for what I may have omitted.
While at the Choctaw agency, it was announced that there
was to be a great play on a certain day, within a few miles,
i.n which occasion I attended, and made three sketches; and
also the following entry in my note-book, which I literally
copy out.
" Monday afternoon, at three o'clock, I rode out with
Leutenants S. and M. to a very pretty prairie, about six
miles distant, to the ball-play-ground of the Choctaws,
where we found l jveral thousand Indians encamped. There
were two points of timber about half a mile apart, in which
the two parties for the play, with their respective families
and friends, were encamped ; and lying between them, the
prairie on which the game was to be played. My com-
panions and myself, although we had been apprized, that
to see the whole of a ball-play, we must remain on the
ground all the night previous, had brought nothing to sleep
upon, resolving to keep our eyes open, and see what trans-
pired during the night. During the afternoon, we loitered
about amongst the different tents and shantees of the two
encampments, and afterwards, at sundown, witnessed the
ceremony of measuring out the ground, and erecting the
" byes " or goals which were to guide the play. Each party
had their goal made with two upright posts, about twenty-
five feet high and six feet apart, set firm in the ground, with
a pole across at the top. These goals were about forty or
fifty rods apart ; and at a point just half way between, was
another small stake, driven down, where the ball was to be
thrown up at the firing of a gun, to be struggled for by the
players. All this preparation was made by some old men,
who were it seems selected to be the judges of the play, who
drew a line from one bve to the other ; to which directly
!! m
n%-k
LETTERS AND NOTES OX THE
carne from the woods, on both sides, a great oonoourae of
Avomen aad old men, boys and girls, and dogs and horses,
■where bets were to be made on the play. The betting was
all done across this line, and seemed to be chiefly left to
the women who seemed to have martinlled out a little of
everything that their houses aud their fields possessed.
Goods and chattels — knives — dresses — blankets — pots aud
kettles— dogs and horses and guns ; and all were placed in
the possession of slake-Iioldeis, who sat by them, and watched
them on the ground all night preparatory to the play.
The sticks with which this tribe play, are bent into an
oblong hoop at the end, with a sort of slight web of small
thongs tied across, to prevent the ball from passing through.
The players hold one in each hand, and by leaping into the
air they catch the ball between the two nettings and throw
it, without being allowed to strike it, or catch it in their
hands.
In every ball-play of these people, it is a rule of the
play, that no man shall wear moccasins on his feet, or any
other dress than his breech-cloth around his waist, with a
beautiful bead belt, and a " tail," made of white horse-hair
or quills, and a *' mane" on the neck, of horse-hair, dyed of
various colors.
This game had been arranged and " made up," three or
four months before the parties met to play it, and in the
following manner: — The two champions who led the
two parties, and had the alternate choosing of the players
through the whole tribe, sent runners, with the ball-sticks
most ^T,ntastically ornamented with ribbons and red paint
to be touched by each one of the chosen players; wha
thereby agreed to be on the spot at the appointed time and
ready for the play. The ground having been all prepared,
and preliminaries of the game all settled, and the bettings
all made, and goods all "staked" night came on without
the appearance of any players on the ground. But soon
after dark, a procession of lighted flambeaux was seen
coming from each encampment, to, the ground, where-
NOR I'll AMKHICAN INDIANS.
615
the players assembled around their respective byes; and
at the boat of the drums and chaunts of the women,
each party of players commenced the "ball-play dance."
Each party danced for a quarter of an hour around their
respective byes, in their ball-play dress ; rattling their ball-
sticks together in the most violent manner, and all singing
as loud as they could raise their voices ; whilst the women
of each party, who had their goods at stake, formed into two
TOVf^ on the line between the two parties of players, and
danced also in an uniform step, and all their voices joined
in chaunts to the Great Spirit ; in which they were soliciting
his favor in deciding the game to their advantage; and
also encouraging the players to exert every power they pos-
sessed, in the struggle that was to ensue. In the mean time,
four old medicine-men, who were to have the starting of the
ball, and who were to be judges of the play, were seated at
the point where the ball was to be started; and busily
smoking to the Great Spirit for their success in judging
rightly and impartially, between the parties in so important
an afiair.
This dance was one of the most picturesque scenes imag-
inable, and was repeated at intervals of every half hour
during the night, and exactly in the same manner ; so that
the players were certainly awake all the night, and arranged
in their appropriate dress, prepared for the play, which was
to commence at nine o'clock the next morning. In the
morning, at the hour, the two parties and all their friends,
were drawn out and over the ground; when at length
the game commenced, by the judges throwing up the ball
at the firing of a gun ; when an instant struggle ensued
between the players, who were some six or seven hundred
in numbers, and were mutually endeavoring to catch the
ball in their sticks, and throw it home and between their
respective stakes; which, whenever successfully done, counts
one for game. In this game every player was dressed alike,
that is, divested of all dress, except the girdle and the tail,
which I have before described; and in these desperate
I ' i
086
LETl'EKS AND NOTES ON THB
' il
,i
m
strugglea for the ball, when it is uj), (where hundreds are
running together and leaping, actually over each other's
heads, and darting between their adversaries' legs, tripping
and throwing, and foiling each other in every possible
manner, and every voice raised to the highest key, in shrill
yelps and barks) 1 there are rapid successions of feats, and
of incidents, that astonish and amuse far beyond the concep-
tion of any one who has not had the singular good luck to
witness them. In these struggles, every mode is used that
can be devised, to oppose the progress of the foremost, who
is likely to get the ball; and these obstructions often meet
desperate individual resistance, which terminates in violent
scuffle, and sometimes in fisticuff; when their sticks are
dropped, and the parties are unmolested, whilst they are set-
tling it between themselves ; unless it be a general stampedo,
to which they are subject who are down, if the ball happens
to pass in their direction. Every weapon, by a rule of all
ball-plays is laid by in their respective encampments, and
no man allowed to go for one ; so that the sudden broils that
take place on the ground, are presumed to be as suddenly
settled without any probability of much personal injury;
and no one is allowed to interfere in any way with the con-
tentious individuals. .
There are times, when the ball gets to the ground, and
such a confused mass rushing together around it, and knock-
ing their sticks together, without the possibility of any one
getting or seeing it, for the dust that they raise, that the
spectator loses his strength, and everything else but his
senses; when the condensed mass of ball-sticks, and shins,
and bloody noses, is carried around the different parts of the
ground, for a quarter of an hour at a time, without any one
of the mass being able to see the ball ; and which they are
often thus scuffling for, several minutes after it has been
thrown off, and played over another part of the ground.
For each time that the ball was passed between the stakes
of either party, one was counted for their game, and a halt
of about one minute ; when it was again started by the
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
587
judges of the play, and a similar struggle ensued ; an so ou
until the successful party arrived to one hundred, which
was the limit of the game, and accomplished at an hour's
sun, when they took the stakes ; and then by a previous
agreement, produced a number of jugs of whisky, which gave
all a wholesome drink, and sent them all oflf merry and in
good humor but not drunk.
After this exciting day, the concourse was assembled in
the vicinity of the agency house, where we had a great
variety of dances and other amusements ; the most of which
I have described on former occasions. One, however was
new to me, and I must say a few words of it ; this was the
Eagle Dance, a very pretty scene, which is got up by their
young men, in honor of that bird, for which they seem to
have a religious regard. This picturesque dance was given
by twelve or sixteen men, whose bodies were chiefly naked
and painted white, with white clay, and each one holding
in his hand the tail of the eagle, while his head was also
decorated with an eagle's quill. Spears were stuck in the
ground, around which the dance was performed by four men
at a time, who had, simultaneously, at the beat of the drum,
jumped up from the ground where they had all sat in rows
of four, one row immediately behind the other, and ready
to take the place of the first four when they left the ground
fatigued, which they did by hopping or jumping around
behind the rest, and taking their seats, ready to come up
again in their turn, after each of the other sets, had been
through the same forms.
In this dance, the steps or rather jumps, were different
from anything I had ever witnessed before, as the dancers
were squat down, with their bodies almost to the ground, in
a severe and most difficult posture.
I have already, in a former Letter, while speaking of the
ancient custom of flattening the head, given a curious tra-
dition of this interesting tribe, accounting for their having
come from the West, and I here insert another or two,
which I had, as well as the former one, from the lips of
588
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
Poter Pinchlin, a very intelligent and influential man in
the tribe.
Tfie Deluge. " Our people have always had a tradition
of the Deluge, which happened in this way ; — there was
total darkness for a great time over the whole of the earth ;
the Choctaw doctors or mystery -men looked out for day-
light for a long time, until at last they despaired of ever
seeing it, and the whole nation were very unhappy. At
\a»t a light was discovered in the North, and there was
great rejoicing, until it was found to be great mountains of
water rolling on, which destroyed them all, except a few
families who had expected it and built a great raft, on
which they were saved.
Future State. " Our people all believe that the spirit
lives in a future state — that it has a great distance to travel
after death towards the "West — that it has to cross a dread
ful deep and rapid stream, which is hemmed in on both
sides by high and rugged hills — over this stream from hill
to hill, there lies a long and slippery pine-log, with the
bark peeled off, over which the dead have to pass to the
delightful hunting-grounds. On the other side of the
stream there are six persons of the good hunting-grounds,
with rocks in their hands, which they throw at them all
when they are on the middle of the log. The good walk
on safely, to the good hunting-grounds, where thera is one
continual day — where the trees are always green — where
the sky has no clouds — where there are continual fine and
cooling breezes — where there is one continual scene of
feasting, dancing, and rejoicing — where there is no pain or
trouble, and people never grow old, but for ever live young
and enjoy the youthful pleasures.
" The wicked see the stones coming, and try to dodge,
by which they fall from the log, and go down thousands of
feet to the water, which is dashing over the rocks, and is
stinking with dead fish, and animals, where they are carried
around and brought continually back to the same place in
whirlpools — where the trees are all dead, and the waters
» * '
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
689
Are fUil of loads and lizards, and snakes — where the dead
Are always hungry, and have nothing to eat — are always
sick, and never die — where the sun never shines, and where
the wicked are continually climbing up by thousands on the
sides of a high rock from which they can overlook the beau-
tiful country of the good hunting-grounds, the place of the
happy, but never can reach it."
Origin of the Craw-fish hand. " Our people have amongst
them a band which is called, the Orawfiah band. They
formerly, but at a very remote period, lived under ground,
and used to come out of the mud — they were a species of
craw-fish; and they went on their hands and feet, and
lived in a large cave deep under ground, where there was no
light for several miles. They spoke no language at all, nor
could they understand any. The entrance to their cave was
through the mud — and they used to run down through
that, and into their cave ; and thus, the Choctaws were
for a long time unable to molest them. The Choctaws used
to lay and wait for them to come out into the sun, where
they would try to talk to them, and cultivate an ac-
quaintance.
" One day a parcel of them were run upon so suddenly
by the Choctaws, that they had no time to go through the
mud into their cave, but were driven into it by another
entrance, which they bad through the rocks. The Choc-
taws then tried a long time to smoke them out, and at last
succeeded — they treated them kindly — taught them the
Chootaw language — taught them to walk on two legs —
made them cut off their toe nails, and pluck the hair from
their bodies, after which they adopted them into their nation
— and the remainder of them are living under ground to
this day."
LETTBR No. L.
FOBT BNELLING. FALL OF ST. ANTHONY.
flAVlNO reoruited mj health aunng the last winter, in
recreation and amnaements on the Coast of Florida, like a
lird of peutage I started, at the rallying notes of the swan
and the wild goose, for the cool and freshness of the North
but the gifted passengers soon left me behind. I found
them here, their nests built — their eggs hatched — their off-
spring fledged and figuring in the world, before I arriyed.
The mi^estio river from the Balize to the Fall of St.
Anthony, I hare just passed over; with a high- wrought
mind filled with amazement and wonder, like other
travellers who occasionally leave the stale and profitless
routine of the " Fashionable Tour," to gaze with admiration
upon the wild and native grandeur and majesty of this
great Western world. The Upper Mississippi, like the
(690)
NORTH AMBBICAN INDIANS.
591
Upper Missouri, must be approached to be appreciated; for
all that can be seen on the Mississippi below St. Louis, or
for several hundred miles above it, gives no hint or clue to
the magnificence of the scenes which are continually
opening to the eye of the traveller, and riveting him to the
deck of the steamer, through sunshine, lightning or rain,
from the mouth of the Ouisconsin to the Fall of St.
Anthony.
The traveller, in ascending the river, will see but little of
picturesque beauty in the landscape, until he reaches Rock
Island; and from that point he will find it growing
gradually more interesting, until he reaches Prairie du
Chien ; and from that place until he arrives at Lake Pepin,
every reach and turn in the river presents to his eye a more
immense and magnificent scene of grandeur and beauty.
From day to day, the eye is riveted in listless, tireless
admiration, upon the thousand blu£& which tower in
majesty above the river on either side, and alternate as the
river bends, into countless fascinating forms.
The whole face of the country is covered with a luxuriant
growth of grass, whether there is timber or not ; and the
magnificent bluffs, studding the sides of the river, and
rising in the forms of immense cones, domes and ramparts,
give peculiar pleasure, from the deep and soft green in
which they are clad up their broad sides, and to their
extreme tops, with a carpet of grass, with spots and clusters
of timber of a deeper green ; and apparently in many places,
arranged in orchards and pleasure-grounds by the hands of
art.
The scenes that are passed between Prairie du Chien and
St. Peters, including Lake Pepin, between whose magnifi-
cently turreted shores one passes for twenty-two miles,
will amply reward the tourist for the time and expense of
a visit to them. And to him or her of too little relish for
Nature's rude works, to profit as they pass, there will be
found a redeeming pleasure at the mouth of St. Peters and
the Fall of St. Anthony. This scene has often been
692
LETTEB8 AND NOTES ON THE
described, and I leave it for the world to come and gaze
upon for themselves ; recommending to them at the same
time, to denominate the next " Fashionable Tour, " a trip
to St. Louis ; thence bj steamer to Rock Island, Galena,
Dubuque, Prairie du Chien, Lake Pepin, St. Peters, Fall
of St. Anthony, back to Prairie du Chien, form thence to
Fort Winnebago, Green Bay, Mackinaw, Sault de St. Mary,
Detroit, Buifalo, Niagara, and home. This Tour would
comprehend but a small part of the great " Far West ;" but
it will furnish to the traveller a fair sample, and being a
part cf it which is now made so easily accessible to the
world, and the only part of it to which ladies can have
access, I would recommend to all who have time and
inclination to devote to the enjoyment of so splendid a
Tour, to wait not, but make it while the subject is new,
and capable of producing the greatest degree of pleasure.
To the world at large, this trip is one of surpassing interest
— to the artist it has a double relish, and to mc, still further
inducements ; inasmuch as, many of the tribes of Indians
which I have met with, furnish manners and customs
which have awakened my enthusiasm, and afforded me
interesting materials for my Gallery.
Dubvqu^a Grave is a place of great notoriety on this
river, in consequence of its having been the residence and
mining place of the first lead mining pioneer of these
regions, by the name of Dubuque, who held his title under
a grant from the Mexican Government (I think), and
settled by the side of this huge bluff, on the pinnacle of
which he erected the tomb to receive his own body, and
placed over it a c .'OSs with his own inscription on it. After
his death, his body was placed within the tomb, at his
request, lying in state (and uncovered except with his
winding-sheet), upon a large flat stone, where it was exposed
to the view, as his bones now are, to the gaze, of every
traveller who takes the pains to ascend this beautiful,
grassy and lily-covered mound to the top, and peep
through the gratings of two little windows, which have
KCTII AMBRICAN INDIANS.
593
udniitlfU t- ayeB, t stopped the saci ' \^ious hands of
- thoiiHandB who have taken a walk to it.
At the foot of this bluft", there is now an extensive
Hiiieltin^ furnace, where vast ijuantities of lead are melted
from ihis orurt wliich arc dug out of the hills in all directions
about it.
The Fitll 'if St. Anthony, vfh'wh. is nine hundred miles
ubovo St. Louirt, is the natural curiosity of this country,
and nine miles above the mouth of St. Peters, from whence
I am ut this lime writing. At this place, on the point ol
lan<l between the Misnissippi and the St. Peter's rivers, the
United Stales (Jovernmcnt have erected a strong Fort,
which has taken tlie name of Fort Snelling, from the iiamu
of a distinguished and most excellent officer who super-
intended the building of it. Tlie site of this Fort is one ol
the most Judicious that enuld havo been selected in the
country, both for iiealtli and defence; and being ou an
elevation of <»nc hundred feet or more above the .water,
huH an exceedingly bold and picturesque eftect.
This Kort is generally uccupicd by a regiment of men
placed here to keep tlic peace amongst the Sioux and
Chippewayrt, who occupy the country about it, and also fur
the puiporto of protecting the citizens on the frontier.
The ball of St. Anthony is about nine miles above tlii.s
Fort, and the Junction of the two rivers ; and, although a
picturert(iiio and spirited scene, is but a pigmy in size to
Niagara, and other cataracts in our country — the actual
perpendicular i'all being but eighteen feet, tliough of half a
in\Ui or HO in extent* which is the width of the river; with
brisk and loupiijg rapids above and below, giving life and
spirit to the scene.
The Sioux who live in the vicinity of the Falls, and
occupy all the country about here, west of the Mississippi,
ape a part of the great tribe on the Upper Missouri ; and
the same in most of their customs, yet very dis.-,imilar in
personal appearance, from the changes which civilize 1
•examples have wrought upon them I mentioned in a
3S
■m
-m
f)94
LETTERS AND NOTES OV THE
former Letter, that the country of the Sioux, extended from
the base of the Rocky Mountains to the banks of the
Mississippi ; and for the whole of that way, it is more or
less settled by this immense tribe, bounding the east side
of their country by the Mississippi River.
HCXTINT, THE BEAVER.
The Sioux in these parts, who are out of reach of the
beavers and buffaloes, are poor and very meanly clad,
compared to those on the Missouri, where they are in the
midst of those and other wild animals whose skins supply
them with picturesque and comfo' ;,? jle dresses. The same
deterioration also is seen in the - als and constitutions of
these, as amongst all other Indians, who live along the
frontiers, in the vicinity of our settlements, where whisky
is sold to them, and the small-pox and other diseases are
introduced to shorten their lives.
The principal bands of the Sioux that visit this places
and who live in the vicinity of it. are those known as the
NORTH AMERICAN INMAXS.
595
Black Dog's band, Red Wing's band, and Wa-be-sha's
band ; each band known in common parlaiico, by the name
of its chief, as I have mentioned. The Black Dog's *band
reside but a few miles above Fort Snelling, on the banks oi
the St, Peter's, and number some five or six hundred. The
Red Wing's band are at the head of Lake Pepin, sixty
miles below this place, on the west side of the river. And
Wa-be-sha's band and village are some sixty or more miles
below Lake Pepin on the west side of the river, on a
beautiful prairie, known (and ever will be) by the name o*
'' Wa-be-sha's prairie." Each of these bands, and several
others that live in this section of countiy, exhibit consider-
able industry in their agricultural pursuits, raising very
handsome corn-fields, laying up their focd, thus procured,
for their subsistence during the long and tedious winters.
The greater part of the inhabitants of these bands are
assembled here at this time, affording us, who are visitors
here, a fine and wild scene of dances, amusements, &c.
They seem to take great pleasure in "showing off'' in these
scenes, to the amusement of the many fashionable visitors,
ooth ladies and gentleman, who are in the habit of reaching
this post, as steamers are arriving at this place every week
in the summer from St. Louis.
Many of the customs of these people create groat surprise
in the minds of the travellers of the east, who here have
the first satisfactory opportunity of seeing them ; and none,
I observe, has created more surprise, and pleasure also,
particularly amongst the ladies, than the mode of carrying
their infants, slung on their backs, in their beautifully
ornamented cradles.
The custom of carrying the child thus is not peculiar to
this tribe, but belongs alike to all, as far as I have yet
visited them ; and also as far as I have been able to learn
from travellers, who have been amongst tribes that I have
not yet seen. The child in its earliest infancy, has its back
lashed to a straight board, being fastened to it by bandages,
which pass around it in front, and on tlie back of the board
596
LETTEU8 AND NOTES ON' THE
they arc tightened to the nece^Hary degree l)y lacing strings,
whioh hold it in a straight and healthy position, with ita
feet resting on a broad hoop, which passes around tlie foot
of the cradle, and the child's position (as it rides about on
its mother's back, supported by a broad strap that passes
across her forehead), that of standing erect, which, no
doubt, has a tendency to produce straight limbs, sound
lungs, and long life.
The bandages that pass around the cradle, holding the
child in, are all the way covered with a beautiful embroid
ciy of porcupine quills, with ingenious figures of horses,
men, &e. A broad hoop of elastic wood passes around iu
front of the child's face, to protect it in case of a fall, from
the front of which is suspended a little toy of exquisite
embroidery, for the child to handle and amuse itself with.
To this and other little trinkets hanging in front of it, there
are attached many little tinselled and tinkling things, of
the biightest colors, to amuse both the eyes and the ears of
the child. Whilst travelling on horseback, the arms of
the child arc fastened under the bandages, so as not to be
endangered if the cradle fulls ; and when at rest, they aiv
generally taken out, allowing the infant to reach and amuse
itself with the little toys and trinkets that are placed
before it, and within its reach. Tliis seems like a cruel
mode, but I am inclined t.o believe that it is a very good
one for the people who use it, and well adapted to the
circumstances under which they live ; in support of which
opinion, I ofter the universality of tlie custom, which lias
been practiced for centuries amongst all the tribes of
Iforth America, as .* legitimate and a very strong reason.
Along the fronti 3rs, where the Indians have been ridi-
culed for the custom, as they are for everything that is not
cm7 about them, tl eyhave in many instances departed from
it; but even there, th3y will generally be seen lugging their
child about in this way, when they have abandoned almost
every other native custom, and are too poor to cover it with
more than rags and strings, which fasten it to its cradle.
NORTH AMERICAX INDIANS.
r.97
The infant is carried in this manner until it is five, six or
seven months old, after which it is carried on the back and
held within the folds of the robe or blanket.
The manner in which the women ride, amongst all the
tribes, is astride, in the same manner as that practiced by the
men.
The ihourning crodh, op'cn^ to the view of the reader
another very curious and interesting custom. If the infant
dies during the time that is alloted to it to be carried in this
cradle, it is buried, an<l the disconsolate mother lills the
cradle with black quills and feathers, in the parts which the
child's body had occupied, and in this way carries it around
with her wherever she goes for a year or more, with as
much care as if her infant were alive and in it; and slie
often lays or stands it leaning against the side of the wigwam,
where she is all day engaged in lier needlework, and chatting
and talking to it as familiarly and affectionately as if it were
her loved infant, instead of its shell, that she was talking to.
So lasting and so strong is the affection of these women for
the lost child, that it matters not how heavy or cruel their
load, or how rugged the route they have to pass over, they
will faithfully carry this, and carefully from day to day, and
even more strictly perform their duties to it, than if the
child were alive and in it.
In the little toy that I have mentioned and which ig
suspended before the child's face, is carefully and super-
stitiously preserved the umbilicus, which is always secured
at the time of its birth, and being rolled up into a little wad
of the size of a pea, and dried, it is enclosed in the centre of
this little bag, and placed before the child's face, as its pro-
tector and its security for " good luck " and long life. There
are a number of forms and different tastes of these little toys,
which I have purchased from the women, which they were
very willing to sell for a trifling present; but in every
instance, they cut them open, and removed from within a
bunch of cotton or moss, the little sacred medicine, which,
to part with, would be to ' endanger the health of the child,'
I r
r>98
LETTRRS AN'D NOTKS.
thing that no consideration would have induced thera
in any instance to have done.
Toh-tO'Wah'kon-da-pee (the blue medicine), is a noted
medicine-man, of the Ting-tah-to-a band. This notorious
old man was professionally a doctor in his tribe, but
not very distinguished, until my friend Dr. Jarvis, who
is surgeon for the post, very liberally dealt out troni
the public medicine-chest occasional "odds and ends" to
him, and with a professional concern for the poor old fellow's
success, instructed him in the modes of their application ;
since which, the eifects of his prescriptions have been so
decided amongst his tribe, whom he holds in ignorance of
his aid in his mysterious operations, that he has risen
quite rapidly into notice, within the last few years, in the
vicinity of the Fort; where he finds it most easy to carry
out his new mode of practice, for reasons above mentioned.
The two most distinguished ball-players in the Sioux
tribe, stood to me for their portraits, with their ball-sticks in
their hands, and in the attitudes of the play. We have
had several very spirited plays here within the few past
days ; and each of these young men came I'rom the ball-play
ground to my painting-room, in the dress in which they had
just struggled in the play.
The custom in this tribe, differs in some respects from
that of the Choctaws and other Southern tribes, of which I
have before spoken; and I there showed that they played
with a stick in each hand, when the Sioux use but one stick,
which is generally held in both hands, with a round hoop
at the end, in which the ball is caught and thrown with
wonderful tact; a much more difficult feat, I should think,
than that of the Choctaws, who catch the ball between two
sticks. The tail also, in this tribe, differs, inasmuch as it
is generally made of quills, instead of white horsehair, as
described amongst the Choctaws. In other respects, the
rules and manner of the game are the same as amongst
those tribes.
LETTER No. LI.
PORT SNELLING, FALL OF ST. ANTHONY.
The Fourth of July was hailed and celebrated by us at
this place, in an unusual, and not uninteresting manner.
With the presence of several hundreds of the wildest of the
Chippeways, and as many hundreds of the Sioux ; we were
prepared with material in abundance for the novel — for the
wild and grotesque, — as well as for the grave and ludi-
crous. Major Tallialferro, the Indian agent, to aid my
views in procuring sketches of manners and customs, re-
presented to them that I was a great medicine-man, who had
visited, and witnessed the sports of a vast many Indians of
diflferent tribes, and had come to see whether the Sioux
(599)
600
LETTKKS AND NOTES ON THE
I mm
ifi ;:?}'; I
and Chippeways were equal in a ball-play, &c., to their
neighbors; and that if they would come in on the next day
(fourth of July), and give us a ball-play, and some of their
dances, in their best style, he would have the big gun fired
twenty-one times (the customary salute for that day),
which they easily construed into a high compliment to
themselves. This, with still stronger inducements, a barrel
of flour — a quantity of pork and tobacco, which I gave
them, brought the scene about on the day of independence,
as follows: — About eleven o'clock (the usual time for
Indians to make their appearance on any great Dccasion),
the young men, who were enlisted for ball-play, made their
appearance on the ground with ball-sticks in hand — with
no other dress on than the flap, and attached to a girdle or
ornamental sash, a tail, extending nearly to the ground,
made of the choicest arrangement of quills and feathers, or
of the hair of white horses' tails. After an excited and
warmly contested play of two hours, they adjourned to a
place in front of the agent's office, where they entertained
us for two or three hours longer, with a continued variety
of their most fanciful and picturesque dances. They gave
as the beggar' s-dance — the huffalo-dance — the bear-dance — the
eagle-dance — and dance of the braves. This last is peculiarly
beautiful, and exciting to the feelings in the highest degree^
At intervals they slop, and one of them steps into the
ring, and vociferates as loud as possible, with the most
significant gesticulations, the feats of bravery which he has
performed during his life — he boasts of the scalps he has
taken — of the enemies he has vanquished, and at the same
time carries his body through all the motions and gestures,
which have been used during these scenes when they were
transacted. At the end of his boasting, all assent to the
truth of his story, and give in their approbation by the
gutteral " w;aM5rA /" and the dance again commences. At
the next interval, another makes his boasts, and another,
and another, and so on.
During this scene, a little trick was played off in the
NORTH AMERTCAX INDIANS,
601
following manner, which produced much amusement and
laughter. A woman of goodly size, and in woman's attire,
danced into the ring (which seemed to excite some surprise,
as women are never allowed to join in the dance), and com-
menced " sawing the air," and boasting of the astonishing
feats of bravery she had performed— of the incredible nuni-
ber of horses she had stolen — of the scalps she had taken,
ko., &o,, until her feats surpassed all that had ever been
heard of— sufliciont to put all the warriors who had boasted,
to the blush. They all gave assent, however, to what she
had said, and apparently credence too; and to reward so
extraordinary a feat of female prowess, they presented to
her a kettle, a cradle, beads, ribbons, &c. After getting her
presents, and placing them safely in the hands of another
matron for safe keeping, she commenced disrobing herself;
and, almost instantly divesting herself of a loose dress, in
the presence of the whole company, came out in a soldier's
coat and jjantahonsl and laughed at them excessively for
their mistake! She then commenced dancing and making
her boasts of her exploits, assuring them that she was a
man, and a great brave. They all gave unqualified assent
to this, acknowledged their error, and made her other pre
sents of a gun, a horse, of tobacco, and a war-club. After
her boasts were done, and the presents secured as before,
she deliberately threw off the pantaloons and coat, and
presented herself at once, and to their great astonishment
and confusion, in a beautiful woman's dress. The tact with
which she performed these parts, so uniformly pleased,
that it drew forth thundering applause from the Indians, as
well as from the spectators ; and the chief stepped up and
crowned her head with a beautiful plume of the eagle's
quill, rising from a crest of the swan's down. My wife,
who was travelling this part of the country with me, was a
spectator of these scenes, as well as the ladies and officers
of the garrison, whose polite hospitality we are at this time
enjoying.
Several davs after this, the plains of St. Peters and St.
602
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
Anthony, rang with the continual sounds of drums and
rattles, in time with the thrilling yells of the dance, until it
had doubly ceased to be novelty. Qeneral Patterson, ut
OENKKAIi FATTERSON.
Philadelphia, and his family, arrived about this time, how-
ever, and a dance was got up tor their amusement ; and it
proved to be one of an unusual kind, and interesting to all.
Considerable preparation was made for the occasion, and
the Indians informed me, that if they could get a couple ot
dogs that were of no use about the garrison, they would
give us their favorite, the " dog dance.^^ The two dogs were
Boon produced by the officers, and in presence of the whole
assemblage of spectators, they butchered them and placed
their two hearts and livers entire and uncooked, on •
NORTH AMERICAN INDIAN'S.
603
couple of crotches about as high as a man's face. These
were then cut into strips, about an inch in width, and left
hanging in this condition, with the blood and smoke upon
them. A spirited dance then ensued ; and, in a confused
manner, every one sung forth his own deeds of bravery in
ejaculatory gutturals, which were almost deafening; and
they danced up, two at a time to the stakes, and after spit-
ting several times upon the liver and hearts, catched a
piece in their moutlis, bit it oft", and swallowed it. This
was all done without losing the step (which was in time to
their music), or interrupting the times of their voices.
Each and every one of them in this wise bit off and
swallowed a piece of the livers, until they were demo-
lished ; with the exception of tlie two last pieces hanging
on the stakes, which a couple of them carried in their
mouths, and communicated to the mouths of the two
musicians who swallowed them. This is one of the most
valued dances amongst the Sioux, though by no means the
most beautiful or most pleasing. The beggar's dance, the
discovery dance, and the eagle dance, are far more graceful
and agreeable. The dog dance is one of distinction, inasmuch
as it can only be danced by those who have taken scalps
from the enemy's heads, and come forward boasting that
they killed their enemy in battle, and swallowed a piece of
his heart in the same manner.
As the Sioux own and occupy all the country on the
West bank of the river in this vicinity ; so do the Chippe-
ways claim all lying East, from the mouth of the Chippeway
River, at the outlet of Lake Pepin, to the source of the
Mississippi; and within the month past, there have been
one thousand or more of them encamped here, on business
with the Indian agent and Sioux, with whom they have
recently had some difficulty. These two hostile foes, who
have, time out of mind, been continually at war, are now
encamped here, on different sides of the Fort; and all diffi-
culties having been arranged by their agent, in whose
nresence they have been making their speeches, for these
OO-i
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
i: H
two wock« past, have been indulging in every sort of their
amusements, uniting in their dances, ball-plays and other
games; utid feasting and smoking together, only to raise
the war-cry and the tomahawk again, when they get upon
their hunting grounds.
Major TuUiafforro is the Government agent for the Sioux
at this plac(?, ntid furnishes the only instance probably, of a
puVjlio servant on these frontiers, who has performed the
duties of his odice, strictly and foithfully, us well as kindly,
for ftfte 11 years. The Indians think much of him, and call
him Gr<!at. Father, to whose advice they listen with the
greatest attention,
The I'noaiiipinent of the Chippeways, to which I have
been ii daily visitor, was built in the usual manner ; their
wigwams made of birch bark, covering the frame work,
which WAS of slight poles stuck in the ground, and bent
over at the top, so as to give' a roof-like shape to the lodge,
best calculat(jd to ward off rain and winds.
Through this curious scene I was strolling a few days
since with my wife, and I observed the Indian women
gatliering around her, anxious to shake hands with her,
and shew her their children, of which she took especial
notice ; and they literally filled her hands and her arms,
with muhkules of maple sugar which they manufacture, and
had brought in, in great quantities' for sale.
After the business and amusements of this great Treaty
between the Chippeways and Sioux were all over, the
Chippeways struck their tents by taking them down and
rolling up their bark coverings, which, with their bark
canoes seen in the picture, turned up amongst their wig-
wami, were carried to the water's edge; and all things
being packed in, men, women, dogs, and all, were swiftly
propelled by paddles to the Fall of St, Anthony, where we
had repaired to witness their mode of passing the cataract,
by *' making (as it is called) the portage" which we found to
be a very curious scene ; and was done by running all their
canoes into an eddy below the Fall, and as near as they
NORTH AMERICAN INDIAN'S.
605
oould get by paddling ; when all were landed, and every
thing taken out of the canoes, and with them carried by
the women, around the Fall, and half a mile or so above,
where the canoes were put into the water again ; and gooda
and chattels being loaded in, and all hands seated, the
paddles were again put to work, and the light and bound-
ing crafts proceed upon ther voyage.
THE BARK CANOK.
The bark canoe of the Chippeways is, perhaps, the most
beautiful and light model of all the water crafts that ever
were invented. They are generally made complete with
the rind of one birch tree, and so ingeniously shaped and
sewed together, with roots of the tamarack, which they call
wat-tap, that they are water-tight and ride upon the water,
606
LETTERS AND XOTKS OX TirE
as light as a cork. They graeefally lean and dolge about,
under the skilful balance of an Indian, or the ugliest
squaw; but like everything wild, are timid and treacherous
under the guidance of white man ; and, if he be not an
experienced equilibrist, he is sure to get two or three times
soused, in his first endeavors at familiar acquaintance with
them.
The skin canoes of the Mandans, (of the upper Missouri,
of whom I have spoken in Volume I.), are made almost
round like a tub, by straining a buffalo's skin over a frame
of wicker work, made of willow or other boughs. The
woman in paddling these awkward tubs, stands in the bow,
— r^;«a::?*.-
A WELSH CORACLE.
and makes the stroke with the paddle, by reaching it for
ward in the water and drawing it to her, by which means
NORTH AMERICAN INDIAN'S.
007
sh'^ \)\\\\h tlic canoo along with some considerable speed.
'I'll -Ke vury curious and rudely constructed canoes, are
made in the form of the Wehh Coracle; and, if T mistake
not, propelled in the same manner, which is a very curious
cirfcumgtance ; inasmuch as they are found in the heart of
the great wilderness of America, when all the other sur-
rounding tribes construct their canoes in decidedly different
forma, and of different materials.
Snow shoes are used in deep snows of the winter, under
the Indian's fe<!t to buoy him up as he runs in pursuit of
his gatne. The hoops or fiamcs of these are made of elastic
wood, and the webbing, of strings of '■awhide, which form
Huuh a roMistance to the snow, as to carry them over with-
out sinking into it; and enabling them to come up with
their game, which is wallowing through the drifts, and
easily overt uiv(3n.
Many were the dances given to me in different places, of
which I may mnl<e furtiier use and further mention on
fiituro occasions; but of which I shall name but one at
present, the Snow-Shoe Z'a??ce, which is exceeding pictu-
res(iue, being danced with the snow shoes under the feet, at
the falling of the first snow in the beginning of winter ; when
they sing a srmg of thanksgiving to the Great Spirit for
sending them a return of snow, when they can run on their
snow-shoos in their valued hunts, and easily take the game
(or their food.
About this lovely spot I have whiled away a few months
with great pleasure, and having visited all the curiosities,
and all the different villages of Indians in the vicinity, I
close my note-book and start in a few days for Prairie du
Chien, which is three hundred miles below this; where I
shall have new subjects for my brush and new themes for
my pen, when I may continue my epistles. Adieu.
I
I
p "
LETTER No. LH.
CAMP DE8 MOINES.
Soon after the date of my last Letter, written at St. Peter's,
Slaving placed my wife on board of tne steamer, with a
party, for Prairie du Chien, I embarked in a light bark
canoe, on my homeward course, with only one companion,
Corporal Allen, from the garrison ; a young man of con-
siderable taste, who thought he could relish tbe transient
scenes of a voyage in company with a painter, having
gained the indulgence of Major Bliss, the commanding
<>nicer, with permission to accompany me.
With stores laid in for a ten days' voyage, and armed for
any emergency — with sketch-book and colors prepared,
we shoved off and swiftly glidod awny with paddles nimblv
(e08)
NOR 111 AMERICAN INLIAN8.
609
plied, resolved to see and relish every thing curious or
beautiful that fell lu our way. We lingered, along, among
the scenes of grandeur which presented themselves amid
the thousand bluffs, and arrived at Prairie du Chieu in
about ten days, in good plight, without accident or incident
of a thrilling nature, with the exception of one instance
which happened about thirty miles below St. Peter's, and
on the first day of our journey. In the after part of the
day we discovered three lodges of Sioux Indians encainpeu
on the bank, all hallooing and waving their blankets for
us to come in, to the shore. We had no business with
them, and resolved to keep on our course, when one of
them ran into his lodge, and coming out with his gun in
hi.", hand, levelled it at us, and gave us a charge of buck-
shot about our ears. One of them struck in my canoe,
passing through several folds of my cloak, which was
folded, and lying just in front of my knee, and several
others struck so near on eacli side as to spatter the water
into our faces. There was no fun in this, and I then ran
my canoa to the shore as fast as possible — they all ran,
men, women, and children, to the water's edge, meeting us
with yells and laughter as we landed. As the canoe struck
the shore, I rose violently from my seat, and throwing all
the infuriated demon I could into my face — thrusting my
pistols into my belt — a half dozen bullets into my mouth —
and my double-barrelled gun in my hand — I leaped asliore
and chased the lot of them from the b^ach, throwing myself,
between them and their wigwams, where I kept them foi
some time at a stand, with my barrels presented, and threats
(corroborated with looks which they could not misun-
derstand) that I would annihilate the whole of them in a
minute. Aa the gun had been returned to the lodge, an<l
the man who fired it could not be indentified, the rascal't*
life was thereby probably prolonged. We stood for some
time in this position, and no explanation could be made,
other than that which could be read from the lip and the
brow, a language which is the same and read alike, amon^j
39
!i!
I
tflO
LKTIEIW AND N0TE6 ON THE
all nuti(>nd. I slipped my sketuh-book uad peuoil mto luy
hand, and utidoi* the muzzle of my gun, each fellow stood
fur his likenesa, which I made them underataud, by signs,
were to be sent to " Muzzabucksa" (iron cutter), the name
thoy gave to Major Talliaflferro, their agent at St Peter's.
This threat, and the continued vociferation of the cor-
poral from the canoe, that I was a " Grande Capitaine,"
seemed considerably to alarm them. I at length gradually
drew myself off, but with a lingering eye upon the sneaking
rascals, who stood in sullen silence, with one eye upon me,
and the other upon the corporal; who I found had held
them at bay from the bow of his canoe, with his musket
levelled upon them — his bayonet fixed — his cartouch box
slung, with one eye in full blaze over the barrel, and
the other drawn down within two parts of an inch of the
upper corner of his mouth. At my approach, his muscles
were gradually (but somewhat reluctantly) relaxed. We
seated ourselves, and quietly dipped our paddles again on
our way.
Some allowance must be made for this outrage, and many
others that could be named, that have taken place amongst
that part of the Sioux nation ; they have been for many
years past made drunkards, by the solicitations of white
men, and then abused, and their families alsp ; for which,
when they are drunk (as in the present instance), they are
often ready, and disposed to retaliate and return insult for
injuries.
We went on peaceably and pleasantly during the rest of
our voyage, having ducks, deer, and bass for our game and
our food ; our bed was generally on the grass at the foot of
gome towering bluff, where, in the melancholy stillness of
night, we were lulled to sleep -by the liquid notes of the
whip-poor-will ; and after his warbling ceased, roused by
the mournful complaints of the starving wolf, or surprised
by the startling interrogation, " who ! who 1 who I" by the
winged monarch of the dark.
There is a something that fills and feeds the mind of an
N'Onril AMKRICAN' INDIAN'S,
611
enthusiastic man, when lie is thrown upon natural resoiiroes,
Aini<lst. the rudo untouolied scenes of nature, which cannot
be described ; and I leave the world to imagine the feelings
of pleasure with which I found mysolf again out of the
din of artful life, among scenes of grandeur worthy of the
whole soul's devotion, and admiration.
When the morning's dew was shaken oft" our coffee en.
joyed, our light bark again laiinche<l upon the water, and
the chill of the morning banishel by the quick stroke of
the paddle, and the busy chaunt of the corporal's boat-song,
our ears and our eyes were open to the rude scenes ot
romance that were about us — our light boat ran into every
ledge — dodged into every shmgb or ^^ cut-off'^ to be seen —
every mineral was examined — every cave explored — and
almost every bluft" of grandeur ascended to the -top. Tliese
towering edifices of nature, which will stand the admiration
•of thousands and tens of thousands, unchanged and un-
changeable, though grand and majestic to the eye of the
passing traveller, will be found to inspire new ideas of
magnitude when attempted to be travelled to the top.
From the tops of many of them I have sketched for the
information of the world, and for the benefit of those wlio
travel much, I would recommend a trip to the summit of
"Pike's Tent" (the highest bluff on the river), one hundred
miles above Prairie du Chien; to the top also of "La
Montaigne qui tromps a I'eau" — the sumit of Bad Axe
Mountain — and a look over Lake Pepin's turreted shores
from the top of the bluff opposite to the " Lover's Leap,"
being the highest on the lake, and the point from which
the greater part of its shores can be seen.
Along the shores of this beautiful lake we lingered for
several days, and our canoe was hauled a hundred times
upon the pebbly beach, where we spent hours and days,
robbing it of its precious gems, which are thrown up by
the waves. We found many rich agates, cornelians, jaspers
and porphyries. The agates are many of them peculiarly
■beautiful, most of them water-waved — their colors brilliant
1 1
li! i
rti2
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
and beautifully striated. "Point aux Sables" has been
considered the most productive part of the lake for these
gems ; but owing to the frequent landings of the steamboats
and other craft on that point, the best specimens of them
THR LOVEB's LKAl'.
have been picked up ; and the traveller will now be best
lemunerated for his trouble, by tracing the shore around
NOiETlI AMli^RICAK INDIANS.
613
hiitu some of its coves, or on some of its points less fre<
quentcd by the footsteps of mau.
The Lover's Leap, is a bold and projecting rock, of six or
seven hundred feet elevation on the east side of the lake,
from the summit of which, it is said, a beautiful Indian
girl, the daughter of a chief, threw liersulf off in presence
of her tribe, some fifty years ago, and dashed herself to
pieces', to avoid being married to u man whom li'jr father
had decided to be her husband, und whom she would not
marry. On our way, after wc liad left the beautiful shores
l.IEl/TKNANT (aFTKKWABUS OENEKAL) riKK.
of Lake Pepin, we passed the magnificent bluff called
•* Pike's I'ent" and undoubtedly, the highest eminence on
the river, running up in the form of a tent; from which
614
LETTERS AND NOTES ON' THE
i .1*
U I
circumstance and that of its having been first ascended by
Lieutenant Pike, it has taken the name of Pike's Tent which
it will doubtless for ever retain.
The corporal and I ran our little craft to the base of this
stupendous pyramid, and spent half a day about its sides
und its pinnacle, admiring the lovely and almost boundless
landscape that lies beneath it.
To the top of this grass covered mound I would advise
every traveller in the country, who has the leisure to do it,,
and sinew enough in his leg, to stroll awhile, and enjoy
what it may be difficult for him to see elsewhere.
" Gap au Vail " (Garlic Cape) about twenty miles above
Prairie du Chien is another beautiful scene — and the
" Cornice rocks " on the "West bank, where my little bark
rested two days, till the corporal and I ha<l taken bass from
every nook and eddy about them where our hooks could be
dipped. To the lover of fine fish, and fine sport in fishing,
I would recommend an encampment for a few days on this
picturesque ledge, where his appetite and his passion will
soon be gratified.
Besides these picturesque scenes I made drawings also of
all the Indian villages on the way, and of many other inter-
esting points which are curious in my collection, but too
numerous to introduce in this place.
In the midst, or half-way of Lake Pepin, which is an
expansion of the river of four or five miles in width, and
twenty-five miles in length, the corporal and I hauled our
canoe out upon the beach of Point aux Sables, where we
spent a couple of days, feasting on plums and fine fish and
wild fowl, and filling our pockets with agates and cornelians
we were picking up along the pebbly beach ; and at last,
sftarted on our way for the outlet of the lake, with a fair
North West wind, which wafted us along in a delightful
manner, as I sat in the stern and steered, while the corporal
was "catching the breeze" in a large umbrella, which he
spread open and lield in the bow. We went merrily and
exultingly on in this
manner, until at length the wind
NORTH AMERICAN INDIAN'S.
615
inorea e<l to anything but a gale; and the waves woro
foaming white, and dashing on the shores where we could
not land without our fiail bark being broken to pieces.
We soon became alarmed, and saw that our only safety wa?
in keeping on the course that we were running at a rapid
rate, and that with our sail full set to brace up and steady
our boat on the waves, while we kept within swimming
distance of the shore, resolved to run into the first cove, or
around the first point we could find for our protection.
We kept at an equal distance from the shore — and in this
most critical condition, the wind drove us ten or fifteen
miles, without a landing-place, till we exultingly steered
into the mouth of the Chippeway river, at the outlet of the
lake, where wo soon found quiet and safety ; but found our
canoe in a sinking condition, being half full of water, and
having three of five of her beam-* or braces broken out,
with which serio s disasters, a few rods more of the fuss
ami confusion would have sent us to the bottom. We here
laid by pait of u day, and liaving repaired our disasters,
wended our way again pleasantly and successfully on.
At Prairie du Ohien, which is near the mouth of the
Ouisconsin River, and six hundred miles above St. Louis,
where we safely landed my canoe, I found my wife enjoying
the hospitality of Mrs. Judge Lock wood, who had been a
schoolmate of mine in our childhood, and is now residing
with her interesting family in that place. Under hor hos-
pitable roof we spent a few weeks with great satisfaction,
aftr which my wife to )k steamer for Dubuque and I took
to my little bark canoe alone (having taken leave of the cor-
poral), which I paddled to this place quite leisurely —
cooking my own meat and having my own fun as I passed
.'ilong.
Prairie du Chien has been one of the earliest and prin-
cipal traling posts of the iur Company, and tliey now
have a large establishment at that i lace; but doing far less
business thin formerly, owing to the great mortality of the
Indians in its viciuitv, and the destruction of the game,
016
fiETTEHS AM) NOTKS OX THE
which has almost eutir^ly disappeared in these regions.
The prairie is a beautiful elevation above the river, of sev
eral miles in length, and a mile or so in width, with a most
picturesiiue range of grassy blufts encompassing it in the
rear. The Government have erected there a substantial
Fort, in which are generally stationed three or four compa-
nies of men, for the purpose (as at the Fall of St. Anthony)
of keeping the peace amongst the hostile tribes, and also
of protecting the frontier inhabitants from the attacks of
excited savages. There are o.\ the prairie some forty or
fifty families, mostly French or h;ilf-breetls, whose lives
have been chiefly spent in the arduous and hazardous
occupations of trappers, and traders, and voyageuis,
which has well (qualified them for the modes of dealing
with Indians, where they have settled down and stand
ready to compete with one another for their shares of
annuities, &c,, which are dealt out to the different tribes
who concentrate at that place, and are easily drawn from
the poor Indians' hands by whisky and useless gew-gaws.
The con.tequjnce of this system is, that there is about
that place, almost one continual scene of wretchedness, and
drunkenness, and disease amongst the Indians, who come
there to trade and to receive their annuities, that disgusts
and sickens the heart of every stranger that extends his
travels to it.
When I was there, Wa-i e-sha's band of the Sioux came
there, and remaine I s -veral weeks to get their annuities,
which, when they re eived them, fell (as hey always will
do) far short of paying otY the account, which the Trader.-i
take good eare to have standing ag inst them for goods fur-
nished them on a year's credit. However, whether they pay
off or not, they can always get whisky enough for a grand
carouse and a brawl, which hists for a week or t\V' , and
almost sure to terminate the lives of some of their numbers.
At the end of one of these a few days since, after the men
had enjoyed the surfeit of whisky, and wanted a littL'
more amusement, and felt disponed to in luUe the weaker
NORTH AMEBICAX INDIANS.
617
«ex in a little recreation also ; it was announced amongst
tnem and through the village, that the women were going
to have a ball-play !
For this purpose the men, in their very liberal trades
they were making, ami filling their canoes with goods de-
livered to them on a year's credit, laid out a great quantity
of ribbons and calicoes, with other presents well adapted
to the wants and desires of the women ; which were hung
on a pole resting on crotches, and guarded by an old man,
who was to be judge and umpire of the play which was to
take place amongst the women, who were divided into two
equal parties, and were to play a desperate game of ball,
for the valuable stakes that were hanging before them.
In the ball-play of the women, they have two balls at-
tached to the ends of a string, about a foot and a half long ;
and each woman has a short stick in each hand, on which
she catches the string with the two ball*, and throws them,
endeavoring to force them over the goa; ■>' her own party.
The men are more than half drunk, svh> u they feel liberal
enough to indulge the women in suoL :iu amusement ; and
take infinite pleasure in rolling about on the ground and
laughing to excess, whilst tlie vornen are tumbling about
in all attitudes, and !<euffling for the ball. The game (jf
" hunt the slipper,^'' even loses its zest after witnessing one
of these, which sometimes last for hours together ; and often
exhibits the hottest contest for tiie balls, exactly over the
heads of the men; who half from whisky, and half from
inclination, are laying in groups and flat upon tlie ground.
Prairie du Chien is the eoncentratmg place of the Win-
nebagoes and Menomonies, who inhabit the waters of the
Ouisconsin and Fox Rivers, and the chief part of the country
lying east of the Mississippi, and west of Green Bay.
The Winnebagoes are the remnant of a once poweiful and
warlike tribe, but arj now left in a country where they
have neither beasts nor men to war with ; and are in u mo.st
miserable and impo erished en ition. The numbers of
this tribe do not exce'd fuur thou.saml ; and the must f
618
LETTERS AND NOTES 0.\ THE
them have sold even their guns and ammunition for
whisky. Like the Sioux and Menomonies that come in to
thin post, they have several times suffered severely with the
Btnall'pox, which has in fact destroyed the greater pro«
portion of them.
The menomonies,
Like the Winnebagoes, are the remnant of a much more
aumerous and independent tribe, but have been reduced
TBI BANK.
And onervated by the use of whisky and the ravages of the
sniall'pox, and number at this time, something like three
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
610
thousand, living chiefly on the banks of the Fox River, and
the Western shore of Green Bay. They visit Prairie du
Chien, where their annuities are paid them; and they
indulge in the bane, like the tribes that I have mentioned.
During such a Tour between the endless banks, carpeted
with green, with one of the richest countries in the world,
extending back in every direction, the mind of a contem-
plative man is continually building for posterity splendid
seats, cities, towers and villas, v/hich a few years of rolling
time will bring about, with new institutions, new states, and
almost empires ; for it would seem that this vast region of
rich soil and green fields, was almost enough for a world
of itself.
I hauled my canoe out of the water at Dubuque, where I
joined my wife again in the society of kind and hospitable
friends, and found myself amply repaid for a couple ot
weeks' time spent in the exatninatitju of the extensive lead
mines ; walking and creeping through caverns, some eighty
or cxne hundred feet below the f rth's surface, decked in
nature's pure livery of stalactites and spar — with walls, and
sometimes ceilings, of glistening massive lead. And I hold
yet (and ever shall) in my mind, without loss of a fraction
of feature or expression, the image of one of my companions,
and the scene that at one time was about him. His name
is Jeffries. We wer? in " Lockwood's Cave," my wife and
another lady were behind, and he advancing before me;
his ribs, more elastic than mine, gave him entrance through
a crevice, into a chamber yet unexplored; he dared ihe
pool, for there was one of icy water, and translucent as the
;iir itself We stood luckless spectators, to gaze and envy,
while he advanced. The lighted flambeau in his hand
brought the splendid furniture of this tasselated palace into
view ; the surface of the jostled pool laved his sides as he
advanced, and the rich stalagmit(!8 that grew up from the
bottom reflected a golden light through the water, while
the walls and ceiling were hung witli stalactites which
glittered like diamonds.
jT^i "Vf ■ ti'-mrir '
ijatdJiiti^kskaBiUaaimm^sUiiiiiialiitmma
mm
t !
(;20
LETTERS AND NOTES ON Tilt;
III this wise he stood in silent gaze, in awe and admira-
tion of the hidden works of Nature ; his figure, as high as
the surface of the water was magnified into a giant — and
his head and shoulders not unfit for a Cyclop, In fact, he
was a perfect figure of Vulcan. The water in which he
stood was a lake of liquid fire — he held a huge hammer in
his right hand and a flaming thunderbolt in his left, which
he had just forged for Jupiter. There was but one thing
wanting, it was the " sound of the hammer" which was soon
given in peals upon the beautiful pendants of stalactite and
spar, which sent back and through the cavern the hollow
tones of thunder.
A visit of a few days to Dubuque will be worth the while
of every traveller ; and for the speculator and man of enter-
prise, it affords the finest field now open in our country.
It is a small town of two hundred houses, built entirely
within the last two years, on one of the most delightful
sites on the river, -".nd in the heart of the richest and most
productive parts of the mining region ; having this advan-
tage over most other mining countries, that immediately
over the richest (and in fact all) of the lead mines ; the land
on the surface pro/^uces the finest corn, and all other vege-
tables that may be put into it. This is certainly the richest
section of count i; on the contin;; , and those who live u
few years to witucsis the result, will be ready to sanction
my assertion, that it is to be the mint of our country.
From Dubuque, I descended the river on a steamer, with
my bark canoe laid on its deck, and my wife was my com-
panion, to Camp Des Moines, from whence I am now
writing.
After arriving at this place, which is the wintering post
of Colonel Kearney, with his three companies of dragoonsi,
I seated my wife and two gentlemen of my intimate
acquaintance, in my bark canoe, and puddled them through
the Des Moines Rapids, a distance of fourteen miles, which
we performed in a very short time ; and at the foot of tho
Rapids, placed my wife on the steamer for St. Louis, in
NOBTII .WERICAX IN'DrAN'S.
621
lU
com[iiiiiy with Bome friends, when I had some weeks to
roturii on my trock, and revert back again to the wild and
romiintio life that I occasionally love to lead. I returned
to Camp Do8 Moines, and in a few days joined General
Streut, the Tndian Agent, in a tour to Ke-o-kuck's village
t»rSao» and Foxes.
Colonel Kearney gave us a corporal's command Af eight
men, with horscH, kc, for the journey; and we reacned the
villago in two days' travel, about sixty miles up the Des
MoinOH. The whole country that we passed over was like
!i jg'arden, wanting only cultivation, being mostly prairie,
and we found their village beautifully situated on a large
prairie, on the bank of the Des Moines river. They seemed
to bo well supplied with the necessaries of life, and with
some of itH luxuries. I found Ke-o-kuck to be a chief of
tine and portly figure, with a good countenance, and great
dignity and grace in his maimers.
General Street had some documents from Washington, to
read to him, which he and his chiefs listened to with great
piitierico ; after which he placed before us good brandy and
good wine, and invited us to drink, and to lodge with him ;
lie then called up five of hisrM?jner5orcnm, communicated
to them in a low but emphatic tone, the substance of the
talk from the agent, and of the letters read to him, and they
started at full gallop — one of them proclaiming it through
his village, and the others sent express to the other villages,
comprising the whole nation. Ke-o-kuck came in with us,
with about twenty of his principal men — he brought in all
his costly wardrobe, that I might select for his portrait such
as suited me beat ; but at once named (of his own accord)
the Oft© that was purely Indian. In that he paraded for
several days, and in it I painted him at full length. He is a
Tfian of a great deal of pride, and makes truly a splendid
ap|»oaranoo on his black horse. He owns the finest horse
In the country, and is excessively vain of his appearance
when tnoun?''d. and arrayed, himself and horse, in all their
geai itM'] l'\ pitigs. He expressed a wish to see b'msel/
If
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622
LETTERS AXD NOTES.
repreaeutecl on horseback, and I painted him in that plight.
He rode and nettled his prancing steed in front of my door,
until its sides were in a gore of blood. I succeeded to hia
satisfaction, and his vanity is increased, no doubt, by b eing
himself immortalized in that way. After finishing him, 1
I painted his favorite wife (the favored one of seven), his
favorite boy, and eight or ten of his principal men and
women ; after which, he and all his men shook hands with
me, wishing me well, and leaving, as tokens of regard, the
most valued article of his dress, and a beautiful string of
wampum, which he took from his wife's neck.
They then departed for their village in gr jd spirits, to
prepare for their fall kurJ.
Of this interesting interview and its incidents, and of
these people, I shall soon give the reader a further accounv
and therefore close my note-book for the present. Adieu
LETTER No. LHL
SAINT LOUIS.
It will be seen by the heading of this Letter that I am
back again to "head-quarters," where I have joined my
wife, and being seated down by a comfortable fire, am to
take a little retrospect of my rambles, from the time of my
last epistle.
The return to the society of old friends again, has been
delightful, and amongst those whom I more than esteem, I
have met my kind and faithful friend Joe Ohadwick, whom
1 have often mentioned, as my companion in distress whilst
OH that disastrous campaign amongst the Caraanchees.
Joe and I have takin great pleasure in talking over the
(623)
624
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
I
niiiny curious scenes we have passed together, many of
which are as yet unknown to others than ourselves. We
had been sepainted for nearly two years, and during that
time I had passed many curious scenes worthy of Joe's
knowing, and, w^hile he sat down in the chair for a portrait
I painted of him to send to his mother, on leaving the
States, to take an appointment from Governor Houston in
the Texan army, I related to him one or two of my recent
incidents, which were as follows, and pleased Joe exceed-
ingly :
" After I had paddled my bark canoe through the
ropids, with my wife and others in it, as T mentioned, and
hjtd }>ui. thcin on board a steamer for St. Louis, I dragged
my canoe up the east shore of the rapids, with a line, for a
distance of four miles, when I stopped and spent half of the
day in collecting some very interesting minerals, which I
had in the bottom of my canoe, and ready to get on the
first steamer passing up, to take me again to Camp Des
Moines, at the head of the rapids.
"I was sitting on a wild and wooded shore, and waiting,
when T at length d ^vered a steamer several miles below
me, advancing through the rapids, and in the interim I set
too and cleaned my fowling-piece and a noble pair of
pistols, which I had carried in a belt at my side, through
my buffalo and other sports of the West, and having put
them in fine order and deposited them in the bottom of the
canoe before me, and taken my paddle in hand, with which
my long practice had given me unlimited confidence, I put
off from the shore to the middle of the river, which was
there a mile and a half in width, to meet the steamer, which
was stemming the opposing torrent, and slowly moving up
the rapids. I made my signal as I neared the steamer, and
desired my old friend Captain Eogers, not to stop his
engine; feeling full confidence that T ould, with an Indian
touch of the paddle, toss my little b: >und, and gently
grapple to the side of the steamer, ^ vas loaded down,
with her gunnels near to the waters' etlge. Oh, that my
N'ORTI[ AMERICAV r iAVS.
626
skill had hocn ejual to my iinu^n -ion, or that I couUl
have had at that moment the bal,' 1 the .skill of an
Indian woman, I'or the sake of ivy lime oral' and what wua
in it! I had brought it about, with a master hand, however,
but the waves of the rapids and the foaming of the waters
by her sides were too much for my peaceable adhesion, and
at the moment of wheeling, to part company with her, a
line, with a sort of " laso throw," came from an awkward
hand on the deck, and falling over my shoulder and around
the end of my canoe, with a simultaneous "haul" to it, sent
me down head foremost to the bottom of the river; where
I was tumbling along with the ra[)id current over the huge
rocks on the bottom, whilst my gun and pistols, which
were emptied from my capsized boat, were taking their
permanent position amoiigdt the rocks; and my trunk,
containing my notes of travel for several years, and many
other valuable things, was floating off upon tlie surface.
If I had drowned, my death would have been witnessed by
at least an hundred ladies and gentlemen who were looking
on, but I did not. I soon took a peep, by the side of my
trunk, &c., above the water, and for the first time in my
life was " collared," and that by my friend Captain Rogers,
who undoubtedly saved me from making further explora-
tions on the river bottom, by palling me into the boat, to
the amusement of all on deck, many of wham were my old
acquaintances, and not knowing the preliminaries, were as
much astounded at my sudden appearance, as if I had been
disgorged frotn a whale's belly. A small boat was sent olf
for my trunk, which was picked up about half a ndle below
and brought on board full of water, and consequently,
clothes, and sketch-books and everything else entirely wet
through. My canoe was brought on board, which was
several degrees dearer to me now than it had been for its
long and faithful service; but my gun and pistols are there
yet, and at the service of the lucky one who may find
them. I remained on board for several miles, tdl v/e wero
passing a wild and romantic j'ocky shore, on which the sun
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was shining warm, and I launched my little boat into the
water, with my trunk in it and put off to the shore, wher©
I soon had every paper and a hundred other things spread
in the sun, and at night in good order for my camp, which
vras at the mouth of a quiet little brook, where I caught
some fine bass and fared well, till a couple of hours'
paddling the next morning brought me back to Camp Dcs
Moines."
Here my friend Joe laughed excessively, but said not a
word, as I kept on painting — and told him also, that a few
days after this, I put my little canoe on the deck of a
steamer ascending the nver, and landed at Bock Island^
ninety miles above, on some business with General Street,
the Indian Agent — after which I " put off" in my little
bark, descending the river alone, to Camp Des Moines,
with a fine double-barrelled fowling-piece, which I had
purchased at the garrison, lying in the canoe before me as
the means of procuring wild fowl, and other food on my
passage. " Egad I" said Joe, " how I should like to have
been with youl" "Sit still," said I, "or I shall lose your
likeness." So Joe kept his position, and I proceeded :
"I left Bock Island about eleven o'clock in the morning^
and at half-past three on a pleasant afternoon, in the cool
month of October, run my canoe to the shore of Mascotin
Island, where I stopped out upon its beautiful pebbly
beach, with my paddle in my hand, having drawn the bow
of my canoe, as usual, on to the beach, so as to hold it in
its place. This beautiful island, so called from a band of
the Illinois Indians of that name, who once dwelt upon it,
18 twenty -five or thirty nailes in length, without habitation
on or in sight of it, and the whole way one extended and
lovely prairie; with high banks fronting the river, and
extetiding back a great way, covered with a high and
luxuriant growth of grass. To the top of this bank I went
with my paddle in my hand, quite innocently, just to range
my eye over its surface, and to see what might be seen
when, in a •ninute or two, I turned towards the river, and
NORTH AMEKICAN INDIANS.
m
to my almost annihilating surprise and vexation, I saw my
little canoe some twenty or thirty rods from the shore, and
Bome distance below me, with its head aiming across the
river, and steadily gliding along in that direction, where
the wind was roguishly wafting it 1 What little swearing I
had learned in the whole of my dealings with the civilized
■woild, seemed then to concentrate in two or three involun-
tary exclamations, which exploded as I was running down
the beach, and throwing off my garments one after the
other, till I was denuded — and dashing through the deep
and boiling current in pursuit of it, I swam some thirty
rods in a desperate rage, resolving that this must be my
remedy, as there was no other mode; but at last found, to
my great mortification and alarm, that the canoe, having
got so far from the shore, was more in the wind, and
travelling at a speed quite equal to my own ; so that the
only safe alternative was to turn and make for the shore
with all possible despatch. This I did — and had but just
strength to bring me where my feet could reach the bottom,
and I waded out with the appalling conviction, that if I
had swam one rod farther into the stream, my strength
would never have brought me to the shore ; for it was in
the fall of the year, and the water so cold as completely to
have benumbed me, and paralyzed my limbs. I hastened
to pick up my clothes, which were dropped at intervals as
T had run on the beach, and having adjusted them on my
shivering limbs, I stepped to the top of the bank, and took
a deliberate view of my little canoe, which was steadily
making its way to the other shore — with my gun, with my
provisions and fire apparatus, and sleeping apparel, all
snugly packed in it.
"The river at that place is near a mile wide; and I
watched the mischievous thing till it ran quite into a bunch
of willows on the opposite shore, and out of sight,
walked the shore awhile, alone and solitary as a Zealand
penguin, when I at last sat down, and in one minute passed
the following resolves from premises that were before me,
mtmmnoifim^
628
fiKTlERS AND NOTES ON THE
and too imperative to be evaded or unappreciated. * I am
here on a desolate island, with nothing to eat, and destitute
of the means of procuring anything; and if I pass the
night, or half a dozen of them here, I shall have neither
fire nor clothes to make me comfortable ; and nothing short
of having my canoe will answer me at all.' For this, the
only alternative struck me, and I soon commenced upon it
An occasional log or limb of drift wood was to be seen
along the beach and under the bank, and these I coin
menced bringing together from 'all quarters, and some 1
had to lug half a mile or more, to form a raft to float me
up and carry me across the river. As there was a great
scarcity of materials, and I had no hatchet to cut anything ;
I had to use my scanty materials of all lengths and of all
sizes and all shapes, and at length ventured upon the motley
mass, with paddle in hand, and carefully shoved it oflF from
the shore, finding it just sufficient to float me up. I took a
seat in its centre on a bunch of barks which I had placed
for a seat, and which, when I started, kept me a few inches
above the water, and consequently dry, whilst my feet were
resting on the raft, which in most parts was sunk a littlo
below the surface. The only alternative was to go, fur
there was no more tim' ■ to be found ; so I balanced
myself in the middle, a' y reaching forward with my
paddle, to a little space between the timbers of my raft, I
had a small place to dip it, and the only one, in which I
could make but a feeble stroke — propelling me at a very
slow rate wross, as I was floating rapidly down the current,
I sat still and worked patiently, however, content with the
little gain; and at last reached the opposite shore about
three miles below the place of my embarkation ; having
passed close by several huge snags, .vhich I was lucky
enough to escape, without the power of having cleared
them except by kind accident.
" My craft was ' unseaworthy ' when I started, and when
I had got to the middle of the river, owing to the rotten
wood, with which a great part of it was made, and whioli
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when
rotten
whif'.h
NORTH AMEMCAN INDIANS.
629
had now become saturated with water, it had sunk entirely
ander the surface, letting me down nearly to the waist, in
the water. In this critical way I moved slowly along,
keeping the stioks together under me ; and at last, when I
reached the nhore, some of the long and awkward limbs
)>rojecting from my raft, having reached it before me, and
>)eing suddenly resisted by the bank, gave the instant
signal for its dissolution, and my sudden debarkation,
when T gave one grand leap in the direction of the bank,
yet some yards short of it, and into the water, from head to
foot ; but soon crawled out, and wended my way a mile or
two np the shore, where I found my canoe snugly and
safely moored in the willows, where I stepped into it, and
paddled back to tlie island, and to the same spot where my
misfortunes commenced, to enjoy the pleasure of exulta-
tions, which were to flow from contrasting my present with
ray former situation.
"Tlius, the Island of Mas-co-tin soon lost its horrors, and
I strolled two days and encamped two nights upon its
silent shores — with prairie hens and wild fowl in abun-
dance for my meals. From this lovely ground, which
shews the peaceful graves of hundreds of red men, who
have visited it before me, I paddled off" in my light bark,
and said, as I looked back, ' Sleep there in peace, ye brave
fellows I until the sacrilegious hands of white man, and the
unsympnthising ploughshare shall turn thy bones from
their quiet and beautiful resting place!'
•' Two or three days of strolling, brought me again to the
Carap Des Moines, and from thence, with my favorite little
Dark canoe, placed upon the deck of the steamer, I em-
oarked for St. Louis, where I arrived in good order, and
*oon found the way to the comfortable quarters from
whence I am now writing."
When I finished telling this story to Joe, his portrait
wais done, and I rejoiced to find that T had given to it all
ihe fire and all the game look that had become so familiar
1 -
630
LEITKES AND NOTES ON THE
and pleasing to mo in our numerous rambles in the far
«listant wilds of our former campaigns.*
When I had landed from the steamer Warrior at the
wharf, I left all other considerations to hasten and report
myself to my dear wife, leaving my little canoe on deck
and in the especial charge of the Captain, till I should
return for it in the afternoon, and remove it to safe storage
with my other Indian articles, to form an interesting part
of my Museum. On my return to the steamer it was
" missing" and like one that I have named on a former
occasion, by some medicine operation, for ever severed from
my sight, though bot from my recollections, where it will
long remain, and also in a likeness which I made of it just
after the trick it played me on the shore of the Mas-cotin
Island;
After I had finished the likeness of my friend Joe, and
had told him the two stories, I sat down and wrote thus in
my note-book, and now copy it into my Letter: —
The West — not the " Far West," for that is a phantom,
travelling on its tireless wing: but the West, the simple
West — the vast and vacant wilds which lie between the
trodden haunts of present savage and civil life — the great
and almost boundless garden-spot of earth ! This is the
theme at present. The "antres vast and deserts idle,"
where the tomahawk sleeps with the bones of the savage,
as yet untouched by the trespassing ploughshare — the pic-
tured land of silence, which, in its melancholy alternately
echoes backward and forward the plaiptive yells of the
vanished red men, and the busy chaunts of the approach-
ing pioneers. I speak of the boundless plains of beauty,
and Nature's richest livery, where the waters of the " great
* Poor -Chadwick ! a few days after the above occasion, he sent his
portrait to' his mother, and started for Texas, where he joined the Texan
army, with a commission from Oovernor Houston ; was taken prisoner
in the first battle that he fought, and was amongst the four hundred
prisoners who were shot down in cold blood by the order of Santu
Anna.
Nonrri AMKiifcvN in-dians.
631
deep" parted in peaoo, and gracefully passed off without
leaving deformity liehind tliotn, Over whose green, enam-
elled fields, as boundlcw uDd free as the ocean's wave.
Nature's proudest, noblest men have pranced on their wild
horses, and extended, throu;<h a neries of ages, their strong
arms in prisons of praise and gratitude to the Great Spirit
in the sun, for the freedom and happiness of their existence.
—The land that was beautiful and famed, but had no
chronicler to tell— where, while "civilized," was yet in
embryo, dwelt the valiant and the brave, whose deeds of
chivalry and honor have pasMed away like themselves,
unembalmed and untold— where the plumed war-horse has
pranced in time with the Hhrill Hounding war-cry, and the
eagle calumet ns oft «ont solotnn and mutual pledges in
fumes to the skie^. T spoak of tho neutral ground (for such
it may be called), where tho «moko of the v/igwam is no
longer seen, but the bleatihing bones of the buffaloes, and
the graves of tho savage, tell tho story of times and days
that are passed— the land of stillness, on which the red
man now occasionally re-tronds in sullen contemplation,
amid the graves of his fathorrt, and over which civilized
man advances, filled with joy and gladness.
Such is the great valley of the Mississippi and Missouri,
over almost every part of whioh I have extended my tra-
vels, and of which and of its future wealth and improve-
ments, I have' had sublime contemplations.
I have viewed man in tho artless and innocent simplicity
of na.ure, in the ftill enjoyment of the luxuries which God
had bestowed upon him. I have seen him happier than
kings or princes can be ; with his pipe and little ones about
!him. I have seen him ghrifiking from civilized approach,
which oame with all its vices, like the dead of night, upon
him: I have seen raised, too, in that darkness^ religion'a
torch, and seen him gaze and then retreat like the fright-
ened deer, that are bUnde<l by the light; I have seen him
shrinking from the soil and haunts of his boyhood, bursting
the strongest ties whioh bound him to the earth, and its
682
liETTKRS AND NOTES ON THE
pleasures; I have seen him set fire to his wigwam, and
smooth over the graves of his fathers ; I have seen him ('ti?
the only thing that will bring them), with tears of grief
sliding over his cheeks, clap his hand in silence over his
mouth, and take the last look over his fair hunting-grounds,
and turn his face in sadness to the setting sun. All this I
have seen performed in Nature's silent dignity and grace,
which forsook him not in the last extremity of misfortune
and despair; and 1 have seen as often, the approach of the
hustling, busy, talking, whistling, hopping, elated and ex-
ulting white man, with the first dip of the ploughshare,
making sacrilegious trespass on the bones of the valiant
dead. 1 have seen the skull, the pipe, and the tomahawk
rise from the ground together, in interrogations which the
sophistry of the world can never answer. I have seen
thus, in all its forms and features, the grand and irresistible
march of civilization. I have seen this splendid Jugger-
naut rolling on, and beheld its sweeping desolation ; and
held converse with the happy thousands, living, as yet,
beyond its influence, who have not been crushed, nor yet
have dreamed of its approach.
I have stood amidst these unsophisticated people, and
contemplated with feelings of deepest regret, the certain
approach of this overwhelming system, which will inevita-
bly march on and prosper, until reluctant tears shall have
watered every rod of this fair land ; and from the towering
cliffs of the Rocky Mountains, the luckless savage will turn
back his swollen eye, over the blue and illimitable hunting-
grounds from whence he has fled, and there contemplate
like Caius Marius on the ruins of Carthage, their splendid
desolation.
Such is the vast expanse of country from which Nature's
men are at this time rapidly vanishing, giving way to the
modem crusade which is following the thousand allurements^
and stocking with myriads, this world of green fields.
This splendid area denominated the " Valley of the Missis-
sippi," embraced between the immutable barriers on either
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS
683
■ ■:\
Ride, the Alleghany and Rocky Monntaina; with the Gulf
of Mexico on the South, and the great string of lakuaoii
the North, and tho mighty Mississippi rolling itH turbid
waters through it, for tho distance of four thousand milfcn,
receiving its hundred tributaries, whoso banks aud plateauH
are capable of supporting a population of one hundred
millions, covered almost entirely with the richest soil in the
world, with lead, iron, and coal, sufficent for its population
— with twelve thousand miles of river navigation for
steamers, within its embrace, besides the coast on tao South,
and the great expanse of lakes on the North — with a popu-
lation of five millions, already sprinkled over its nothor
half, and a greater part of tho remainder of it, inviting the
world to its possession, for one dollar and twenty-live cents
(five shillings) per acre !
I ask, who can contemplate, without amazement, this
mighty river ahne, eternally rolling its b'-'iling waters
through the richest of soil, for the distinoe c ■ ■ ir thousand
miles; over three thousand five hundred of wl.ich, I have
myself been wafted on mighty steamers, ensconced within
"curtains damasked, and carpets ingrain;" and on its
upper half, gazed with tireless admiration upon its thousand
hills and mounds of grass and green, sloping down to the
water's edge, in all the grace and beauty of Nature's
loveliest fabrication. On its lower half, also, whose rich
alluvial shores are studded with stately cotton-wood and
elms, which echo back the deep and hollow cough of the
puffing steamers. I have contemplated the bed of thiw vast
river, sinking from its natural surface; and the alligator
driven to its bosom, abandoning his native bog and fen,
which are drying and growing into beauty and lovelincsi
under the hand of the husbandman.
I have contemplated these boundless forests melting
away before the fatal axe, until the expanded waters of this
vast channel, and its countless tributaries, will yield their
surplus to the thirsty sunbeam, to which their shorn banks
wrill expose them ; and I have contemplated, also, the never*
634
LETTERS AXD NOTES ON THE
ending transit of steamers, ploughing up the sand and
deposit from its bottom, whioh its turbid waters are eternally
hurrying on to tho ocean, sinking its channel, and thereby
raising its surrounding alluvions for the temptations and
enjoyment of man.
All this is certain. Man's increase, and the march of
human improvements in this New World, are as true and
irresistible as the laws of nature, and he who could rise from
his ^ave and speak, or would speak from the life some
half century from this, would proclaim my prophecy true
and fulfilled. I said above, (and I again say it,) that these
are subjects for " sublime contemplation !" At all events
they are so to the traveller, who has wandered over and
seen this vast subject in all its parts, and able to appreciat'5
— who has seen the frightened herds, as well as multitudes
of human, giving way and shrinking from the mountain
wave of civilization, which is busily rolling on behind them.
From Maine to Florida on the Atlantic coast, the fore-
fathers of those hardy sons who are now stocking this fair
land, have, from necessity, in a hard and stubborn soil,
inured their hands to labor, and their habits and taste of
life to sobriety and economy, which will ensure them succcsti
in the new world.
This rich country which is now alluring the enterprising
young men from the East, being commensurate with the
whole Atlantic States, holds out the extraordinary induce-
ment that every emigrant can enjoy a richer soil, and tiuit
too iu his own native latitude. The sugar planter, the rice,
cotton, and tobacco growers — corn, rye, and wheat pro-
ducers, from Louisiana to Montreal, have only to turn their
faces to the West, and there are waiting for them the same
atmosphere to breathe, and green fields already cleared,
and ready for the plough, too tempting to be overlooked or
neglected.
As far west as the banks of the Mississippi, the great
wave of emigration has rolled on, and already in its rear
the valley is sprinkled with towns and cities, with their
NORTH AMKRICAN INDIANS.
685
thousand spires pointing to the skies. For seveial hundred
mi^e.s west, also have the daring pioneers ventured their
lives and fortunes, with their families, testing the means
and luxuries of life, whioh nature has set before them ; in
the country where the buried tomahawk is scarce rusted,
and the war-cry has scarcely died on the winds. Among
these people have I roamed. On the Red River I have seen
the rich Louisianian chequering out his cotton and sugar
plantations, where the sunbeam could be seen reflected from
the glistening pates of his hundred negroes, making first
trespass with the hoe. I have sat with him at his hospitable
table in his log cabin, sipping sherry and champagne. He
talks of ^^ hogsheads and price of stocks y^ or "goes in for
cotton."
In the western parts of Arkansas or Missouri, I have
shared the genuine cottage hospitality of the abrupt, yet
polite and honorable Kentuckian; the easy, affable and
sociable Tennesseean ; this has *' a smart chance of corn ;"
the other y perhaps "a power of cotton;" and then occa-
sionally, (from the " Old Dominion,") " I reckon I shall have
a mighty heap of tobacco this season," &c.
Boys in this country are ^^ peart" fever and ague renders
one ^^ powerful weak," and sometimes it is almost impossible
to get *• shet " of it. Intelligence, hospitality, and good cheer
reign under all of these humble roofs, and the traveller who
knows how to appreciate those things, with a good cup of
coffee, "com* bread," and fresh butter, can easily enjoy
moments of bliss in converse with the humble pioneer.
On the upper Mississippi and Missouri, for the distance
of seven or eight hundred miles above St. Louis, is one of
the most beautiful champaign countries in the world,
continually alternating into timber and fields of the softest
green, calculated, from its latitude, for the people of the
northern and eastern states, and "Jonathan" is already
here — and almost everybody else from "down East" —
with fences of white, drawn and drawing, like chalk lines,
• Maize.
636
LETTERS AXD NOTES OS THE
ovor the gr^'en prairie. " By gosh, this 'ere is the biggest
clerin' I ever see." " I expect we had'nt ought to raise
nothin' but wheat and rye here." — " I guess you've como
arter land, ha'nt you?"
Such is the character of this vast country, and such the
manner in which it is filled up, with people from all parts,^
tracing their own latitudes, and carrying with them their
local peculiarities and prejudices. The mighty Mississippi,
nowever, the great and everlasting highway on which the^e
people are for ever to intermingle their interests and
manners, will effectually soften down those prejudices,
and eventually result in an amalgamation of feelings ami
customs, from which this huge mass of population will take
one new and general appellation.
It is here that the true character of the American is to be-
formed — here where the peculiarities and incongruities
which detract from his true character are surrenderd for the-
free, yet lofty principle that strikes between meanness and
prodigality — between literal democracy/ and aristocracy —
between low cunning and self-engendered ingenuousness..
Such will be found to be the true character of the Americans^
when jostled awhile together, until their local angles are
worn off; and such may be found, and already pretty well
formed, in the genuine Kentuckian, the first brave and
daring pioneer of the great West ; he is the true model ot
an American — the nucleus around which the character must
form, and from which it is to emanate to the world. Thia
is the man who first relinquished the foibles and fashions
of Eastern life, trailing his rifle into the forest of the
Mississippi, taking simple Nature for his guide. From
necessity (as well as by nature), bold and intrepid, with the
fixed and unfaltering brow of integrity, and a hand whose
very grip (without words) tells you welcome.
And yet, many people of the East object to the Mis-
sissippi, " that it is too far oflf— is out of the world." Bui
how strange and insufficient is such an objection to the-
traveller who has seen and enjoved its liospitality, and reJuo
NORiil AMBItlCAM INDIANS.
68"
tantly retreats from it with fuulingii of regret; pronoun
cing it a " world of itsolf, equal iti luxuries and amuse
ments to any other." How wuak ii iuoh an objection
to him who has ascended the Upper MiiiiMippi to t^e Fall
of St. Anthony, traversed the States of MiMouri, Illinois, and
Michigan, and territory of Ouisconsia ; over all of which
nature has spread her green fleldM, smiling and tempting man
to ornament with painted liouse and fence, with prancing
steed and tasseled carriage — with oountless villages, silvereil
spires and domes, denoting march of intellect and wealth's
refinement I The sun is sure to look upon these scenes, and
we, perhaps, " may fiear the tinkling from our gravea.^*
Adieu.
LETTER No. LIV.
BED PIPE-STONE QUARRY, COTEAU DBS PRAIRIES.
Thb reader who would follow me from the place where
my last epistle was written, to where I now am, must needs
•tart, as I did, from St. Louis, and cross the Alleghany
mountains, to my own native state ; where I left my wife
with my parents, and wended my way to Buffalo, on Lake
Erie, where I deposited my Oollection; and from thence
trace, as I did, the zigzag course of the Lakes, from Buffalo
to Detroit — to the Sault de St. Mary's — ^to Mackinaw — to
Green Bay, and thence the tortuous windings of the Fux
and Ouisconsin Rivers, to Prairie du Chien ; and then the
mighty Mississippi (for the second time), to the Fall of St.
Anthony— then the sluggish yet decorated and beautiful
C«38J
>'0RTII AMERICAN INDIANS.
689
St Peter's, towanls its source ; and thence again (on horse-
back) the gradually and gracefully rising terraces of the
shorn, yet green and carpeted plains, denominated the
" Coteau des Prairiea^^ (being the high and dividing ridge
between the St. Peter's and the Missouri Rivers), where I
am bivouacked, at the " Red Pipe-Slme Quarry^ The
distance of such a Tour would take the reader four thousand
miles ; but I save him the trouble by bringing him, in a
moment, on the spot.
This journey has afforded me the opportunity of seeing,
on my way, Mackinaw — the Sault de St. Mary's, and Green
Bay — points which I had not before visited ; and also of
seeing many distinguished Indians among the Chippeways,
Menomonies and Winnebagoes, whom I had not before
painted or seen.
I can put the people of the East at rest, as to the hostile
aspect of this part of the country, as I have just passed
through the midst of these tribes, as well as of the Sioux,
into' whose country I now am, and can, without contradiction,
assert, that, as far as can be known, they are generally well-
disposed, and have been so, towards the whites.
There have been two companies of United States dragoons,
ordered and marched to Green Bay, where I saw them ; and
three companies of infantry from Prairie du Chien to Fort
Winnebago, in anticipation of difficulties; but in all pro-
bability, without any real cause or necessity, for the Win-
nebago chief answered the officer, who asked him if they
wanted to fight, "that they could not, had they been so
disposed ; for," said he, " we have no guns, no ammunition,
nor anything to eat ; and, what is worst of all, one half of
our men are dying with the small-pox. If you will give
us guns and ammunition, and pork, and flour, and feed and
take care of our squaws and children, we will fight you;'
nevertheless, we will try tb fight if you want us to, as it is."
There is, to appearance (and there is no doubt of the
truth of it), the most humble poverty and absolute necessity
for peace among these people at present, than can possibly
tf40
LEITERS AND NOTES ON THE
be imagined. Aud, amidst their poverty and wretchedness,
the only war that suggests itself to the eye of the traveller
through their country, is the war of sympathy and pity,
which wages in the breast of a feeling, thinking man.
The small-pox, whose ravages have now preity nearly
subsided, has taken off a great many of the Winnebagoes
and Sioux. The famou's Wa-be-sha, of the Sioux, and
more than half of his band, have fallen victims to it within
a few weeks, and the remainder of them, blackened with its
frightful distortions, look as if they had just emerged from
the sulphurous regions below. At Prairie du Chien, a
considerable number of the half breeds, and French also,
suffered death by this baneful disease ; and at that place I
learned one fact, which may be of service to science, which
was this ; that in all cases of vaccination, which had been
given several years ago, it was an efficient protection ; but
in those cases where tlie vaccine ^ad been recent (and there
were many of them), it had not the effect to protect, and in
almost every instance of such, death ensued.
At the Sault de St. Mary's on Lake Superior, I saw a
considerable number of Chippeways, living entirely on
fish, which they catch with great ease at that place.
r need not detain the reader a moment with a descrip-
tion of St, Mary's, or of the inimitable summer's paradise,
which can always be seen at Mackinaw ; and wljich, like
the other, has been an hundred times described. I shall
probably have the chance of seeing about three thousand
Chippeways at the latter place on my return home, who
are to receive their annuities at that time through the
hands of Mr. Sehoolcraft, their agent.
I mentioned that the Chippeways living in the vicinity
of the Sault, live entirely on fish ; and it is almost literally
true also, that the French, and English, and Americans,
who reside about there live on fish, which are caught in
the greatest abundance in the rapids at that place, and
are, perhaps, one of the greatest luxuries of the world.
The white-Jiahf which is in appearance much like a salmon.
I I
KORTU AMERICAN INDIANS.
641
though smaller, is the luxury I am speaking of, and is
caught in immense quantities by the sooop-nets of the In-
dians and Frenchmen, amongst the foaming and dashing
water of the rapids, where it gains strength and flavor not
to be found in the same fish in any other place. This on*
equalled fishery has long been one of vast importance to
the immense numbers of Indians who have always assem-
•bled about it ; but of late, has been found by money-making
men, to be too valuable a spot for the exclusive occupancy
>of the savage, like hundreds of others, and has at last been
filled up with adventurers, who have dipped their nets till
the poor Indian is styled an intruder ; and his timid bark
is seen dodging about in the coves for a scanty subsistence,
whilst he scans and envies insatiable white man filling his
barrels and boats, and sending them to market to be con*
•verted into money.
From Mackinaw I proceeded to Green Bay, which is a
'flourishing beginning of a town, in the heart of a rich
country, and the head-quarters of land speculators.
From thence, I embarked in a large bark canoe, with
five French voyageurs at the oars, where happened to be
grouped and messed together, five "jolly companions" of
<us, bound for Fort Winnebago and the Mississippi. All
our stores and culinary articles were catered for by, and
bill rendered to, mine host, Mr. 0. Jennings (quondam of
the city hotel in New York), who was one of our party,
and whom we soon elected "Major'^ of the expedition ; and
shortly after promoted to "GohneV^ — from the philosophical
dignity and patience with which he met the difficulties and
exposure which we had to encounter, as well, as for his ex-
traordinary skill and taste displayed in the culinary art.
Mr. Irving, a relative of W. Irving, Esq., and Mr. Bobert
Serril Wood, an Englishman (both travellers of European
realms, with fund inexhaustible for amusement and enter-
tainment); Lieutenant Reed, of the army, and myself,
forming the rest of the party. The many amusing little
incidents which enlivened our transit up the sinuous wind-
41
642
LKTTEBS AND NOTES ON THE
iDgs of the Fox river, amid its rapids, its banks of loveliest
prairies and " oak openings," and its boundless shores of
wild rice, with the thrilling notes of Mr. Wood's guitar^
and " chansons pour rire" from our tawny boatmen, &c.,
were too good to be thrown away, and have been registered,,
perhaps for a fUture occasion. Suffice it for the present,
that our fragile bark brought us in good time to Fort
Winnebago, with impressions engraven on our hearts
which can never be erased, of this sweet and beautiful little
river, and of the fun and fellowship which kept us awake
during the nights, almost as well as during the days. At
this post, after remaining a day, our other companions
took a different route, leaving Mr. Wood and myself ta
cater anew, and to buy a light bark canoe for our voyage
down the Ouisconsin, to Prarie du Chien; in which we
embarked the next day, with paddles in hand, and hearts
as light as the zephyrs, and amid which we propelled our
little canoe. Three days' paddling, embracing two nights*^
encampment, brought us to the end of our voyage. We
entered the mighty Mississippi, and mutually acknowledged
ourselves paid for our labors, by the inimitable scenes of
beauty and romance, through which we had passed, and
on which our untiring eyes had been riveted during the
whole way.
The Ouisconsio, which the French most appropriately
denominate " La belle riviere," may certainly vie with any
other on the Continent or in the world, for its beautifully
akirted banks and prairie bluffs. It may justly be said to
be equal to the Mississippi about the Prairie du Chien iu
point cf sweetness and beauty, but not on quite so grand a
scale.
My excellent and esteemed fellow-traveller, like a true
Englishman, has untiringly stuck by me through all diffi
culties, passing the countries above-mentioned, and also the
Upper Mississippi, the St. Peter's, and the overland route
to our present encampment on this splendid plateau of the
Western world. * * * *
;■&■
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
6i8
* * * Thus far have T strolled, within
the space of a few weeks, for the purpose o: reachin^^ ckusie
ground.
Be not amazed if I have sought, in this distant realm, the
Indian i/uw, for here she dwells, and here she must be
invoked — nor be offended if my narratives fi-om this
moment should savour of poetry or appear like romance.
If I can catch the inspiration, I may sing (or yell) a few
epistles from this famed ground before I leave it; or at
least I will prose a few of its leading characteristics and
mysterious legends. This place is great (not in history, for
there is none of it, but) in traditions, and stories, of which
this Western world is full and rich.
"Here (according to their traditions), happened the
mysterious birth of the red pipe, which has blown its fumes
of peace and war to the remotest corners of the Continent ;
which has visited every warrior, and passed through its
reddened stem the irrevocable oath of war and desolation.
And here also, the peace-breathing calumet was born, and
fringed with the eagle's quills, which has shed its thrilling
f\imes over the land, and soothed the fury of the relentless
savage.
" The Great Spirit at an ancient period, here called the
Indian nations together, and standing on the precipice of
the red-pipe stone rock, broke from its wall a piece, and
made a huge pipe by turning it in his hand, which he
smoked over them, and to the North, the South, the East,
and the "West, and told them that this stone was red — that
it was their flesh — chat they must use it for their pipes of
peace — that it belonged to them all, and that the war-club
and scalping knife must not be raised on its ground. At
the last whiff of his pipe his head went into a great cloudy
and the whole surface of the rock for several miles wa^i
melted and glazed ; two great ovens were opened beneath,
and two women (guardian spirits of the place), entered them
in a blaze of fire ; and they are heard there yet (Tso-mec-
008 tee, and Tso-me-cos-te-won-dee), answering to the
644
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THH
I
invocations of the high priests or medicine-men, who consult
them when they arc visitors to this sacred place."
Near this spot, also, on a high mound, is the " ThundeH
nest" (nid-dU'Tonnere), where *' a very small bird sits upon
her eggs during fair weather, and the skies are rent with
bolts of thunder at the approach of a storm, which is
occasionad by the hatching of her brood !
" This bird is eternal, and incapable of reproducing her
own species : she has often been seen by the medicine-men,
and is about as large as the end of the little finger I Her
mate is a serpent, whose fiery tongue destroys the young
ones as soon as they are hatched, and the fiery noise darts
through the skies. "
Such are a few of the stories of this famed land, which of
itself, in its beauty and loveliness, without the aid of
traditionary fame, would be appropriately denominated a
paradise. Whether it has been an Indian Eden or not, or
whether the thunderbolts of Indian Jupiter are actually
forged here, it is nevertheless a place renowned in Indian
heraldry and tradition, which I hope I may be able to
fathom and chronicle, as explanatory of many of my
anecdotes and traditionary superstitions of Indian history,
which I have given, and am giving, to the world.
With my excellent companion, I am encamped on, and
writing from, the very rock where " the Great Spirit stood
when he consecrated the pipe of peace, by moulding it from
the rock, and smoking it over the congregated nations that
were assembled about him. "
Lifled up on this stately mound, whose top is fanned with
air as light to breathe as nitrous gas — and bivouacked on
its very ridge, (where nought on earth is seen in distance
save the thousand treeless, bushless, toeedless hills of grass and
vivid green which all around me vanish into an infinity of
blue and azure), stretched on our bears'-skins, my fellow-
traveller, Mr. Wood, and myself, have laid and contemplated
the splendid orrery of the heavens. With sad delight, that
shook me with a terror, have I watched the swollen sun
NOUTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
645
itvmng down (too fawt for time) upon the mystic horizon :
whose line woh lost except an it was marked in blue across
his blood- red disk. Thus have we laid night after night
(two congenial spirits who could draw pleasure from sublime
contemplation), ami descanted on our own insignificance ;
we have closely drawn our buffalo robes about us, talked of
the ills of life— of friends we had lost— of projects that had
failed — and of the painful stops we had to retrace to reach
our own dear nati-y landn again. We have sighed in the
melancholy of twilight, when the busy winds were breathing
their last, the chill of sable night was hovering around us,
and naught of noise was heard but the silvery tones of the
howling wolf, and the subterraneous whistle of the busy
gophirs that were ploughing and vaulting the earth beneath
us. Thus have wo soon wheeled down in the West, the glories
of day ; and at the next tnomcnt, in the East, beheld her
silver majesty ]\xii\nti Vi^p above the horizon, with splendor
in her face that neernod again to fill the world with joy and
gladness. We have scon here, too, in all its sublimity, the
blackening thundorstorni — the lightning's glare, and stood
amidst the jarring thunder- bolts, that tore and broke in
•wful rage about us, as they rolled over the smooth surface,
with nought but empty air to vent their vengeance ou.
There is a sublime grandeur in these scenes as they are
presented here, which must be seen and felt, to be under-
stood. There is a majesty in the very ground that we
tread upon, that inspires with awe and reverence; and
he must have the soul of a brute, who could gallop his
horse for a whole day over swells and terraces of green
that rise continually a-hend, and tantalize (where hills
peep over hills, and Alps on Alps arise), without feeling
his bosom swell with awe and admiration, and himself
88 well as his thoughts, lifted up in sublimity when he
rises the last terrace, and sweeps his eye over the wide-
upread, blue and pictured inanity that lies around and
beneath him.^
* The reader and traveller who fnay bare this book with him, should
646
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
Man feels here, and startles at the thrilling sensation, th9
force of illimitable freedom — his body and his mind both
seem to have entered a new element — the former as free as
the very wind it inhales, and the other as expanded and
infinite as the boundless imagery that is spread in distance
around him. Such is (and it is feebly told) the Odteau du
Prairie. The rock on which I sit to write, is the summit
of a precipice thirty feet high, extending two miles in length
and much of the way polished, as if a liquid glazing had
been poured over its surface. Not far from us, in the solid
rock, are the deep impressed " footsteps of the Qreat Spirit
(in the form of a track of a large bird), where he formerly
stood when the blood of the buflfaloes that he was devouring,
ran into the rocks and turned them red." At a few yards
from us, leaps a beautiful little stream, from the top of the
precipice, into a deep basin below. Here, amid rocks of
the lovliest hues, but wildest contour, is seen the poor
Indian performing ablution ; and at a little distance beyond
on the plain, at the base of five huge granite boulders, he
is humbly propitiating the guardian spirits of the place, by
sacrifices of tobacco, entreating for permission to take away
a small piece of the red stone for a pipe.
Further along, and over an extended plain are seen, like
gophir hills, their excavations, ancient and recent, and on
the surface of the rocks, various marks and their sculp-
tured hieroglyphics — their wakons, totems and medicines —
subjects numerous and interesting for the antiquary or the
merely curious. Graves, mounds, and ancient fortifications
that lie in sight — the pyramid or leaping-rock, and its
legends ; together with traditions, novel and numerous, and
a description, graphical and geological, of this strange place,
have all been subjects that have passed rapidly through
my contemplation, and will be given in future epistles.
On our way to this place, my English companion and
myself were arrested by a rascally band of the Sioux, and
follow the GOteaa a few miles to the North of the Quarry, for the high«
est elevation and greatest sublimity of view.
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
647
lield in durance vile, for having dared to approach the BaorotI
fountain of thepipef While we had halted at the trading,
hut of " Le Blanc," at a place called Traverae dee Sioux, on
the St. Peter's river, and about one hundred and fifty miloi
from the Bed Pipe, a murky cloud of dark-viaaged warriori
and braves commenced gathering around the house, closing
and cramming all its avenues, when one began his agitated
and insulting harangue to us, aonouncing to us in the
preamble, that we were prisoners, and oould not go ahead.
About twenty of them spoke in turn ; and we were doomed
to sit nearly the whole afternoon, without being allowed to
speak a word in our behalf, until they had all got through.
We were compelled to keep our seats like culprits, and
hold our tongues, till all had brandished their fists in our
faces, and vented all the threats and invective that oould
How from Indian malice, grounded on the presumption that
-we had come to trespass on their dearest privilege, — tnoir
religion.
There was some allowance to be made, and some excuse,
surely, for the rashness of these poor fellows, and vq felt
disposed to pity, rather than resent, though their unpardon-
able stuhb&mneas excited us almost to desperation. Their
superstition was sensibly touched, for we were persisting,
in the most peremptory terms, in the determination to visit
this their greatest medicine (mystery) place; where, it
seems, they had often resolved no white man should over
be allowed to go. ^hey took us to be "officers sent by
•Government to see what this place was worth," &c. As
" this red stone was a part of their flesh," it would be wicri-
legious for white man to touch or take it away—" a hole
-would be made in their flesh, and the blood could never bo
made to stop running." My companion and myself were
here in a Jix, one that demanded the use of every energy
we had about us ; astounded at so unexpected a rebuff, and
more than ever excited to go ahead, and see what was to be
seen at this strange place ; in this emergency, we mutually
Agreed to go forward, even if it should be at the hazard of
<548
LETTERS AND NOTES OK TH|
our lives ; we heard all they had to say, and then made oar
own speeches — and at length had our horses brought, which
we mounted and rode off without further molestation ; and
having arrived upon this interesting ground, have found it
quite equal in interest and beauty to our sanguine expeo-
tations, abundantly repaying us for all our trouble in
travelling to it.
I had long ago heard many curious descriptions of tbi»
spot given by the Indians, and had contracted the most
impatient desire to visit it.* It will be seen by some of
the traditions inserted in this Letter, from my notes taken
on the Upper Missouri four years since, that those tribe»
have visited this place freely in former times ; and that it
has once been held and owned in common, as neutral
ground, amongst the different tribes who met here to
renew their pipes, under some superstition which stayed
the tomahawk of natural foes, always raised in deadly hate
and vengeance in other places. It will be seen also, that
within a few years past (and that, probably, by the instigO'
tion of the whites, who have told them that by keeping off
other tribes, and manufacturing the pipes themselves, and
trading them to other adjoining nations, they can acquire
* I have, in former epistles, several times spoken of the red pipes of
the Indians which are found in almost every tribe of Indians on the
Continent; and in every instance have, I venture to say, been brought
from the Cftteau des Prairies, inasmuch as no tribe of Indiana that I
have yet visited, have ever apprised me of any other source than this ;
and the stone from which they are all manufactured, is of the same
character exactly, and different from any known mineral compound ever
yot discovered in any part of Europe, or other parts of the American
Gontinent. This may be thought a broad assertion — yet it is one I
have ventured to make (and one I should have had no motive for
making, except for the purpose of eliciting Information, if there be any,
on a subject so curious and so exceedingly interesting). In my Ixouir '
Musinic there can alw<\y8 be seen a great many beautiful specimens o(
this mineral selected on the spot, by myself, embracing all of iti numer'
ous varieties ; and I challenge the world to produce anything like it,
except it be from the same locality. In a following Letter will be found
a further iccoont of it, and its chemical analysis.
• NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
•49
much influence and wealth), the Sioux hare laid entire
claim to this quarry ; and as it is in the centre of their
country, and they are more powerful than any other tribes,
they are able successfully to prevent any access to it.
That this place should have been visited for centuries
past by all the neighboring tribes, who have hidden the
war-club as they approached it, and stayed the cruelties of
the scalping-knife, under the fear of the vengeance of the
Great Spirit, who overlooks it, will not seem strange or
unnatural, when their religion and superstitions are known.
That such has been the custom, there is not a shadow of
doubt ; and that even so recently as to have been witnessed
by hundreds and thousands of Indians of different tribes,
now living, and from many of whom I have personally
drawn the information, some of which will be set forth in
the following traditions; and as an additional (and still
more conclusive) evidence of the above position, here are
to be seen (and will continue to be seen for ages to come),
the totems and arms of the different tribes, who have visited
this place for ages past, deeply engraved on the quartz
rocks where they are to be recognized in a moment (and
not to be denied) by the passing traveller, who has been
among these tribes, and acquired even but a partial know-
ledge of them and their respective modes.*
The thousands of inscriptions and paintings on the rocks
at this place, as well as the ancient diggings for the pipe-
stone, will afford amusement for the world who will visit
it, without furnishing the least data, I should think, of the
* I am aware that this interesting fact may be opposed by subsequent
travellers, who will find nobody but the Sioux upon this ground, who
now claim exclusive right to it ; and for the satisfaction of those who
doubt, I refer them to Lewis and Clark's Tour, thirty-three years since,
before the influence of Traders had deranged the system and truth of
thing?, in these regions. I have often conversed with General Clark, of
8t. Louis, on this subject, and he told me explicitly, and authorized me
to Bay it to the world, that every tribe on the Missouri told him they had
been to this place, and that the Great Spirit kept the peace amongst his
red children on that ground, where they had smoked with their enemies.
^0
LST1'£RS A.ND N0TK9 ON THE
tiuie at which these excavations commenced, or of the
period at which the Sioux assumed the exclusive right to it.
Among the many traditions which I have drawn person-
ally from the different tribes, and which go to support the
opinion above advanced, is the following one, which was
related to me by a distinguished Knisteneaux, on the
Upper Missouri, four years since, on occasion of presenting
to me a handsome red stone pipe. Afler telling me that he
had been to this place — and after describing it in all its
features, he proceeded to say : —
" That in the time of a great freshet, which took place
many centuries ago, and destroyed all the nations of the
•earth, all the tribes of the red men assembled on the G6teau
du Prairie, to get out of the way of the waters. After they
had all gathered here from all parts, the water continued to
rise, until at length it covered them all in a mass, and their
flesh was converted into red pipe stone. Therefore it has
always been considered neutral ground — it belonged to all
tribes alike, and all were allowed to get it and smoke it
together.
"While they were all drowning in a mass, a young
woman, K-wap-tah-w (a virgin), caught hold of the foot of
■a very large bird that was flying over, and was carried to
the top of a high cliff, not far off, that was above the water.
Here she had twins, and their father was the war-eagle and
her children have since peopled the earth.
" The pipe stone, which is the flesh of their ancestors, is
smoked by them as the symbol of peace, and the eagle's
quill decorates the head of the brave."
Tradition of the Sioux. — *' Before the creation of man, the
■Great Spirit (whose tracks are yet to be seen on the stones,
at the Bed Pipe, in the form of the tracks of a large bird)
used to slay the buffaloes and eat them on the ledge of the
Bed Bocks, on the top of the Cdteau des Prairies, and their
blood running on to the rocks, turned them red. One day
when a large snake had crawled into the nest of the bird to
•eat his eggs, one of the eggs hatched out in a clap of thun-
NORTH AMEUKAX IXDIANH.
651
der, and the Great Spirit oatcliing lioM <>( a pioc« of the
pipe stone to throw at the Hnake, moulded it into a man.
Til is man's feet grew fast in the ground where be stood fo.
many ages, like a great tree, and therefore ho grew very
old ; he was older than an hundred men at the present day ;
and at last another tree grew up by the side of him, when
a large snake ate them both off at thu root**, and they wan-
dered off together; from these have Hprung all the people
that now inhabit the earth."
The above tradition I found amongst the Upper Missoupi
Sioux, but which, when I related to that part of the great
tribe of Sioux who inhabit the Upper MisHisnippi, they
seemed to know nothing about it. Tlio reason for this may
have been, perhaps, as is often the ouho, owing to the fraud or
excessive ignorance of the interpreter, on whom we are
often entirely dependent in this country ; or it is more
probably owing to the very vague and numerous fables
which may often be found, cherished and told by different
bands or families in the same tribe, and relative to the
same event.
I shall, on a future occasion, give you a Letter on
traditions of this kind, which will bo found to be very
strange and amusing; establishing the fact at the same
time, that theories respecting their origin, creation of the
world, &c., &c., are by no means uniform throughout the
different tribes, nor even through an individual tribe ; and
that very many of these theories are but the vagaries, or
the ingenious system of their medicine or mystery-men,
conjured up and taught to their own respective parts of a
tribe, for the purpose of gaining an extraordinary influence
over the minds and actions of the remainder of the tribe,
whose superstitious minds, under the supernatural control
and dread of these self-made magicians, are held in a state
of mysterious vassalage.
Amongst the Sioux of the Mississippi, and who live in
the region of the Bed Pipe Stone-Quarry, I found the
following and not less strange tradition on the same subjeot.
652
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
"Many ages afler the red men were made, when all the
different tribes were at war, the Great Spirit sent runners
and called them all together at the Bed Pipe.' — He stood on
the top of the rocks, and the red people were assembled
in infinite numbers on the plains below. He took out of
the rock a piece of the red stone, and made a large pipe;
and smoked it over them all ; told them that it was part of
their flesh ; that though they were at war, they must meet
at this place as friends ; that it belonged to them all ; that
they must make their calumets from it and smoke them to
him whenever they wished to appease him or get his good-
will — the smoke from his big pipe rolled over them all,
and he disappeared in its cloud ; at the last whiff of his
pipe a blaze of fire rolled over the rocks, and melted their
surface — at that moment two squaws went in a blaze of fire
under the two medicine rocks, where they remain to thia
day, and must be consulted and propitiated whenever the
pipe stone is to be taken away."
The following speech of a Mandan, which was made to
me in the Mandan village four years since, after I had
painted his picture, I have copied from my note-book as
corroborative of the same facts :
" My brother — You have made my picture and I like it
much. My friends tell me they can see the eyes move,
and it must be very good — it must be partly alive. I am
glad it is done — though many of my people are afraid. I
am a young man, but my heart is strong. I have jumped
on to the medicine-rock — I have placed my arrow on it,
and no Mandan can take it away.* The red stone is slip-
* The medicine (or leaping) rock is a part of the precipice which has
become severed from the main part, standing about seven or eight feet
from the wall, just equal in height, and about seven feet in diameter.
It stands liko an immense column of thirty-five feet high, and highly
polished on its top and sides. It requires a daring effort to leap on to
its top from the main wall, and back again, and many a heart has sighed
for the honor of the feat without daring to make the attempt. Somo
few have tried it with success, and left their arrows standing in its crevice,
several of which are seen there at this time ; others have leapt the chasm
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
653
pery, but my foot was true— it did not slip. My brother,
this pipe which I give to you, I brought from a high
mountain, it is toward the rising sun — many were the pipes
that we brought from there— and we brought them away
in peace. "We left our totems or marks on the rocks — we
out them deep in the stones, and they are there now. The
Great Spirit told all nations to meet there in peace, and all
nations hid the war-club and the tomahawk. The Dah-co-
iahs, who are our enemies are very strong — they have taken
up the tomahawk, and, the blood of our warriors has run
on the rocks. My friend, we want to visit our medicines —
our pipes are old and worn out. My friend, I wish you to
speak to our Great Father about this."
The chief of the Punchas, on the Upper Missouri, also
made the following allusion to this place, in a speech which
he made to me on the occasion of presenting me a very
handsome pipe about four years since : —
"My friend, this pipe, which 1 wish you to accept, was
dug from the ground, and cut and polished as you now
see it, by my hands. I wish you to keep it, and when
you smoke through it, recollect that this red stone is a part
of our flesh. This is one of the last things we can ever
give away. Our enemies the Sioux, have raised the red
flag of blood over the Pipe Stone-Quarry, and our medicines
there are trodden under foot by them. The Sioux are
many, and we cannot go to the mountain of the red pipe.
and fallen from the slippery surface on which they could not hold, and
suffered instant death upon the craggy rocks below. Every yonng
man in the nation is ambitious to perform this feat ; and those who
have successfully done it are allowed to boast of it all their lives. In
the sketch already exhibited, there will be seen, a view of the. " leaping
rock ;" and in the middle of the picture, a mound, of a conical form, of
ten feet high, which was erected over the body of a distinguished
young man who was killed by making this daring effort, about two
years before I was there, and whose sad fate was related to me by a
Sioux chief, who was father of the young man, and was visiting the
Red Pipe Stone-Quarry, with thirty others of his tribe, when we were
there, and cried over the grave, as he related the story to Mr. Wood
and myself, of his son's death.
654
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THB
We have seen all nations smoking together at that place-
but, my brother, it is not so now,"*
Such are a few of the stories relating to this C'.ilous
place, and many others might be given which I have
procured, though they amount to nearly the same thing,
with equal contradictions and equal absurdities.
The position of the Pipe Stone-Quarry, is in a direction
nearly West from the Fall of St. Anthony, at a distance of
three hundred miles, on the summit of the dividing ridge
between the St. Peter's and the Missouri rivers, being about
equi-distant from either. This dividing ridge is denominated
by the French, the " 06teau des Prairies," and the " Pipe
Stone-Quarry " is situated near its southern extremity, and
consequently not exactly on its highest elevation, as its
general course is north and south, and its southern extremity
terminates in a gradual slope.
Our approach to it was from the East, and the ascent, for
the distance of fifty miles, over a continued succession of
slopes and terraces, almost imperceptibly rising one above
another, that seemed to lift us to a great height. The
singular character of this majestic mound, continues on the
* On my return from the Pipe Stone-Quarry, one of the old chiefs of
the Sacs, on seeing some specimens of the stone which I brought with
me from that place, observed as follow^s : —
" My friend, when I was young, I used to go with our young men to
the mountain of the Red Pipe, and dig out pieces for our pipes. We
do not go now ; and our red pipes as yon see, are few. The Dah-co-tah's
have spilled the blood of red men on that place, and the Great Spirit
is offended. The white traders have told them to draw their bows upon
U8 when we go there ; they have offered us many of the pipes for sale,
but we do not want to smoke them, for we know that the Great Spirit
is offended. My mark is on the rocks in many places, but I shall never
see them again. They lie where the Great Spirit sees them, for his
eye is over that place, he sees everything that is here."
Ke-o-kuck chief of the Sacs and Foxes, when I asked him whether
be had ever been there, replied —
" No I have never seen it ; it is in our enemies' country, — I wish it
was in ours— I would sell it to the whites for a great many boxes of
money."
NOETH AMERICAN INDIANS.
655-
West side, in its descent toward the Missouri. There is
not a tree or bush to be seen from the highest summit of
the ridge, though the eye may range East and West, almost
to a boundless extent, over a surface covered with a short,
grass, that is green at one's feet, and about him, but.
changing to blue in distance, like nothing but the blue and
vastness of the ocean.
The whole surface of this immense tract of country is
hard and smooth, almost without stone or gravel, and
coated with a green turf of grass of three or four inches,
only in height. Over this the wheels of a carriage would
run as easily, for hundreds of miles, as they could on a.
McAdamized road, and its graceful gradations would in all
parts, admit of a horse to gallop, with ease to himself and
his rider.
The full extent and true character of these vast prairies,
are but imperfectly understood by the world yet ; who will
agree with me that they are a subject truly sublime for
contemplation, when I assure them, that "a coach and four"
might be driven with iease, (with the exception of rivers and
ravines, which are in many places impassable), over
unceasing fields of green, from the Fall of St. Anthony to-
Lord Selkirk's Establishment on the Red River, at the
North ; from that to the mouth of Yellow Stone on the-
Missouri — thence to the Platte — to the Arkansas, and Red
Rivers of the South, and through Texas to the Gulf of
Mexico, a distance of more than three thousand miles.
I mentioned in a former Letter, that we had been
arrested by the Sioux, on our approach to this place, at the
trading-post of Le Blanc, on the banks of the St. Peter's ;
and I herein insert the most important part of the speeches-
made, and talks held on that momentous occasion, as near
as my friend and I could restore them, from partial notes
and recollection. After these copper-visaged advocates of
their country's rights had assembled about us, and filled up-
every avenue of the cabin, the grave council was opened ia
the following manner : —
656
LSTTEBS AND NOTES ON THE
Te-O'kvn-hko (the swift man), first rose and said—
" My friends, I am not a chief, but the sou of a chief — 1
am the son of my &ther — he is a chief — and when he is
gone away, it is my duty to speak for him — he is not here
—but what I say is the talk of his mouth. We have been
told that you are going to the Pipe Stone-Quarry. We
come now to ask for what purpose you are going, and what
business you have to go there. " (" How 1 how 1" vocifer-
ated all of them, thereby approving what was said, giving
assent by the word how, which is their Vrord for yes).
^^ Brothers — ^1 am a brave, but not a chief— my arrow
stands in the top of the leaping-rock ; all can see it, and all
know that Te-o-kun-hko's foot has been there. ('How^
how 1')
^^ Broihera — We look at you and we see that you are
Ghe-mo-ke-mon captains (white men officers): we know
that you have been sent by your Government, to see what
that place is worth, and we think that the white people
want to buy it. (' How, how').
" Brothers — We have seen always that the white people,
when they see anything in our country that they want
send officers to value it, and then if they can't buy it, they
will get it some other way. (* How 1 how!')
^^ Brothers — ^I speak strong, my heart is strong, and I
speak fast ; this red pipe was given to the red men by the
Great Spirit — it is a part of our flesh, and therefore is great
medicine. ('How I howl')
" Brothers — We know that the whites are like a great
cloud that rises in the East, and will cover the whole
country. We know that they will have all our lands; but,
if ever they get our Bed Pipe-Quarry they will have to pay
very dear for it. (' How I how I how I')
" Brothers — We know that no white man has ever been
to the Pipe Stone-Quarry, and our chiefs have often
decided in council that no white man shall ever go to it.
(«HowI howl*)
" Brothers — You have heard what I have to say, and you
NORTH AMEBICAN INDIANS.
657
«an go DO further, but you muat turn about and go back
<'HowI howl howl')
" Brothers — You see that the sweat runs from my face,
for I am troubled."
Then I oommenced to reply in the following manner : —
« My friends I am sorry that you have mistaken us so
Htuoh, and the object of our visit to your country. We
aro not officers — we are not sent by any one — we are two
poor men travelling to see the Sioux, and shake hands with
them, and examine what is curious or interesting in their
country. This man who is with me is my friend ; he is a
Ha-ffa-noah (an Englishman). (' How I how t how I')
(All rising and shaking hands with him, and a number
of them taking out and showing British medals which were
carried in their bosoms.)
" We have heard that the Bed Pipe-Quarry was a great
curiosity, and we have started to go to it, and we will not
be stopped." (Here I was interrupted by a grim and black-
visaged fellow, who shook his long shaggy locks as he rose,
with his sunken eyes fixed in direct hatred on me, and his
fist brandished within an inch of my face.)
"Pofe Faces I you cannot speak till we have all done;
you are our prisoners — our young men (our soldiers) are
about the house, and you must listen to what we have to
say. What has been said to you is true, you must go back.
('Howl howl')
'* We heard the word Sa-ga-nosh, and it makes our hearts
glad ; we shook hand with our brother — his father is our
father — he is our Great Father— he lives across the big
lake — his son is here, and we are glad — we wear our Grea?
I'athor the Sag-a-nosh on our bosoms, and we keep his face
bright* — we shake hands, but no white man has been to
the red pipe and none shall go. (' Howl')
" You see (holding a red pipe to the side of his naked
* Many and strong are the recollections of the Sioax and other tribes,
«f their alliance with the British in thu lust and revolutionary wars, of
42
i
658
LETTERS AND NOTKS ON THE
arm) that this pipe is a part of our flesh.
a part of the red stone. (* How, how I')
The red men ar»
which I have met many curious instances, one of which was correctlj
reported in the London Globe, from my Lectures, and I here insert it.-~
THE GLOBE AND TRAVELLER
" Indian Knowledge of Engliah Affaira. — Mr. Catlin, in one of hi»
Lectures on the manners and customs of the North American Indians,,
during the last week, related a very curious occurrence, which excited a
great deal of surprise and some considerable mirth amongst his highly
respectable and numerous audience. Whilst speaking of the great and
warlike tribe of Sioux or Dahcotas, of forty or fifty thousand, he stated,
that many of this tribe, as well as of several others, although living
entirely in the territory of the United States, and several hundred miles
south of her Majesty's possessions, were found cherishing a lasting friend<
ship for the English, whom they denominate Saganosh. And in very
many instances they are to be seen wearing about their necks large silver
medals with the portrait of George III. in bold relief upon them.
These medals were given to them as badges of merit during the last war
with the United States, when these warriors were employed in the British
service.
" The Lecturer said, that whenever the word Saganosh was used, it
seemed to rouse them at once ; that on several occasions when English-
men had been in his company as fellow-travellers, they had marked
attentions paid them by these Indians as Saganoshes. And on one oc-
casion, in one of his last rambles in that country, where he had painted
several poriniits in a small village of Dahcotas, the chief of the band
positively refused to sit ; alleging as his objection that the pale faces, wha
were not to be trusted, might do some injury to his portrait, and hi»
health or his life might be aS'ec:ed by it. The painter, as he was about
to saddle his horse for his departure, told the Indian that he was a 8aga>
nosh, and was going across the Big Salt Lake, and was very =orry that
be could not carry the picture of so distinguished a man. At this intel-
ligence the Indian advanced, and after a hearty grip of the hand, very
carefully and deliberately withdrew from his bosom, and next to his naked
breast, a large silver medal, and turning his face to the painter, pro*
Bounced with great vehemence and emphasis the word Sag-a-noshI
The artist supposing that he had thus gained his point with the Indian
Sagamore, was making preparation to proceed with his work, when the
Indian still firmly denied him the privilege — holding up the face of his
Majesty (which had got a Buperlati"e brightness by having been wora
for years against bis naked breast), he made this singular and siguificaut
speech : — * When you cross the Big Salt Lake, tell my Great Father
NOUTU AM;;it!('AN INDIANS.
659
" If the white mtMi tiiko iiway a piece of the red pipe stone,
it is a hole made in our (lesli, and the blood will always
run. We cannot stop the blood from running. ('How,
howl')
" The Great Spirit \m told us that the red stone is only
to be used for pipes, and through them we are to smoke to
him. CHowl")
" Why do the whita men want to get there ? You have
no good object in view ; we know you have none, and the
sooner you go back the bettor." (" How, how 1")
Muz-za (the iron) gpoko next.
" My friends, we do not wish to harm you ; you have
heard the words of our chief men, and you now see that
you must go back. (' How, how 1*)
" Tchan-dee-pah-aha-kah-frae (the red pipe stone) was given
to us by the Grout Spirit, uiid no one need ask the price of
it, for it is medkim, (' How how !')
that you saw his faeo, and It Wftt» bright 1' To this the painter replied,
'I can never 880 your Oroiit Kulhcr, he is deadl' The poor Indian
recoiled in silence, and rctn lud his medal to his bosom, entered his
wigwam, at a few paces diNlunt, where he seated himself amidst his
family around bis fire, and dclibcrutoty lighting his pipe, passed it around
in silence.
" When it was smoked out, ho told them the news he had heard, and
in a fev/ moments returned to the traveller again, who was preparing
with his party to mount their hurgux, and enquired whether the Saga-
noshes had no chief. The artist replied in the affirmative, saying that
the present chief of the HagtinuMhus is a youny and very beautiful woman.
The Sagamore expressed great iturprl«c and some incredulity at this
unaccountable information ; and being fully assured by the companions
of the artist that his assertion wam true, the Indian returned again quite
hastily to his wigwam, called bin own and the neighbouring families into
his presence, lit and smoked unutber pipe, and then communicated the
intelligence to them, to tbolr great surprise and amusement; after
which he walked out to the party about to start off, and advancing to
the painter (or Great Medicine an they called him), with a sarcastic
emile on his face, in duo form, and with much grace and effect, he care-
fully withdrew again from hit bonom the polished silver medal, and
turning the face to the painter, laid, ' Tell my Oreat Mother, that yon
saw our Qrcat Father, and that we k«ep his face bright 1' "
660
LETFEKS AND NOTES ON THK
" My fr.ends, I believe what you have told us ; I think
your intentions are good ; but our ohiefa have always told
us, that no white man was allowed to go there — and you
cannot go." (' How, how Y)
Another. — " My friends, you see I am a young man ; you
see on my war olub two scalps from my enemies' heads ;
my hands have been dipped in blood, but I am a good
man. I am a friend to the whites, to the traders : and they
are your friends. I bring them three thousand muskrat
skins every year, which I catch in my own traps. (' How,
Vow 10
" We love to go to the Pipe-stone, and get a piece for
our pipes ; but we ask the Gh*eat Spirit first. If the white
men go to it, they will take it out, and not fill up the holes
again, and the Great Spirit will be offended." (" How, how,
howl")
Another. — " My friends listen to me I what I am to say
will be the truth. (♦ How V)
" I brought a large piece of the pipe stone, and gave it
to a white man to make a pipe ; he was our trader and 1
wished him to have a good pipe. The next time I went to
kis store, I was unhappy when I saw that stone made into
a dish 1 ('Eughl')
" This is the way the white men would use the red pipe
stone, if they could get it. Such conduct would offend the
Great Spirit, and make a red man's heart sick. ('How,
how.')
" Brokers, we do not wish to harm you — if you turn about
and go back, you will be well, both you and your horses—
you cannot go forward. (' How, how 1")
" We know that if you go to the pipe stone, the Great
Spirit looks upon you — the white people do not think of
that. ('How, howl*)
" I have no more to say."
These and a dozen other speeches to the same effect
having been pronounced, I replied in the following manner :
" My friends, you have entirely mistaken us ; we are no
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
661
officers, nor are we sent by any one— the white men do not
want the red pipe — it is not worth their carrying homo ho
far, if you were to give it all to them. Another thing,
they don't use pipes— they don't know how to Hmuko
them."
" How, how !"
^^My friends^ I think as you do, that the Great Spirit hac
given that place to the red men for their pipes."
" How, how, how 1"
" I give you great credit for the course you are taking to
preserve and protect it ; and I will do as much as any man
to keep white men from taking it away from you."
" How, how !"
" But we have started to go and see it ; and we cannot
think of being stopped."
Another rose (interrupting me) : —
" White men ! your words are very smooth ; you havo
some object in view or you would not be so determined to
go — you have no good design, and the quicker you turn
back the better : there is no use of talking any more about
it — if you think best to go, try it ; that's all I liave to say."
(• How, how 1')
During this scene, the son of Monsr. Le Blanc was stand-
ing by, and seeing this man threatening me so hard by
putting his fist near my face ; he several times stepped up
to him, and told him to stand back at a respectful distance,
or that he would knock him down. After their speaking
was done, I made a few remarks, stating that we should go
ahead, which we did the next morning, by saddling our
horses and riding off through the midst of them, as I have
before described.
Le Blanc told us, that these were the most disorderly
and treacherous part of the Sioux nation, that they had
repeatedly threatened his life, and that he expected they
would take it. He advised us to go back as they ordered ;
but we heeded not his advice.
On our way we were notified at several of their villages
( •;
662
LKTTERS AND NOTES ON THE
which we passed, that we must go back ; but we proceeded
on, and over a beautiful prairie country, of one hundred
miles or more, when our Indian guide brought ua to the
trading-house of an old acquaintance of mine, Monsieur
La Fromboise, who lives very comfortably, and in th'v
employment of the American Fur Company, near the h'jm
of the 06tcau, and forty or fifty miles from the Pipe Stone-
Quarry.
We rode up unexpectedly, and at full gallop, to his door,
when he met us and addressed us as follows : —
" Ha I Monsr. how do you do ? — Quoi I ha, est ce vous,
Monsr. Cataline — est il possible ? Oui, ov I. vraimeut le
meme — mon ami, Cataline — comment se va;t-il ? ef combieu
(pardon me though, for I can speak English), How have
you been since I saw you last season ? and how, under
Heaven, have you wandered into this wild region, so far
from civilization? Dismount, dismount, gentlemen, and
you are welcome to the comforts, such as they are, of my
little cabin."
" Monsr. La Fromboise, allow me to introduce to your
acquaintance, my friend and travelling companion, Mr.
Wood, of England."
" Monsr. Wood, I am happy to see you, and I hope you
-,vill make allowances for the rudeness of my cabin, and
the humble manner in which I shall entertain you."
" I assure you, my dear sir, that no apology is necessary ;
for your house looks as delightful as a palace, to Mr, Catliu
and myself, who have so long been tenants of the open air,"
" Gentlemen, walk in ; we are surrounded with red folks
here, and you will be looked upon by them with great
surprise."
*' That's what we want to see exactly. Gatlin ! that'«
fine — oh 1 how lucky we are."
" Well, gentlemen, walk into the other room ; you see I
have two rooms to my housj (or rather cabin), but they
are small and unhandy. Such as I have shall be at your
service heartily ; and I assure you, gentlemen, that this i«
NOUTH AMKUICAX INDIANS.
063
the happiest moment of my lifo. I caniujt yive you feather
beds to sleep on ; but I have a plenty of new robes, and you,
at all events, Monar. Catalino, know by this time how to
make a bed of them. We can give you plenty of buffaloe
meat, buffaloe tongues, wild geese, ducks, prairie hens,
venison, trout, young swan, beaver tails, pigeons, plums,
grapes, young bear, some green corn, squash, onions, water
melons, and pommes des terres, some coffee and some tea."
" My good friend, one-half or one-third of these things
(which are all luxuries to us) would render us happy ; put
yourself to no trouble on our account, and we shall be per-
fectly happy under your roof."
" T am very sorry, gentlemen, that I cannot treat you as
I would be glad to do ; but you must make up for these
things if you are fond of sporting, for there are plenty of
buffivloes about ; at a little distance the prairies are speckled
with them; and our prairies andlakes abound with myriads
of prairie-hens, ducks, geese and swans. You shall make
me a long visit, gentlemen, and we will have sport in abun-
dance. I assure you that I shall be perfectly happy whilst
you are with me. Pardon me a little, while I order you
some dinner, and attend to some Indians who are in my
store, trading, and taking their fall credits."
"That's a fine fellow I'll engage you," said my com
panion.
" Yes, he is all that. I have known him before ; he is a
gentleman, and a polished one too, every ounce of him.
You see in this instance how durable and lasting are the
manners of a true gentleman, and how little a life-time of
immersion in the wilderness, amid the reckless customs of
savage life, will extinguish or efface them. I could name you
a number of such, whose surface seems covered with a dross,
which once rubbed off, shows a polish brighter than ever.'
We spent a day or two very pleasantly with this fine and
hospitable fellow, until we had rested from the fatigue of
our journey ; when he very kindly joined us with fresh
horses and piloted us to the Pipe Stone-Quarry, where he
664
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
is now enciiitiped with us, a jolly companionable man, and
familiar with most of the events and traditions of this
strange place, which he has visited on former oooasions.*
La Fromboise has some good Indian blood in his veins,
and from his modes of life, as well as from a natural passion
that seems to belong to the Frcnoh adventurers in these
wild regions, he has a great relish for songs and stories, of
which he gives us many, and much pleasure ; and furnishes
us one of the most amusing and gentlemanly companions
that could possibly be found. My friend "Wood sings
delightfully, also, and as I cannot sing, but can tell, now
and then, a story, with tolerable effect, we manage to pass
away our evenings, in our humble bivouack, over our buf-
faloe meat and prairie hens, with much fun and amusement.
In these nocturnal amusements, I have done my part, by
relating anecdotes of my travels on the Missouri, and other
parts of the Indian country, which I have been over ; and
occasionally reading from my note-book some of the amu
sing entries I had formerly made in it, but never have had
time to transcribe for the world.
As I can't write music, and can (in my own way) write a
story, the readers will acquit me of egotism or partiality, in
reporting only my own part of the entertainments ; which
was generally the mere reading a story or two from my
notes which I have with me, or relating some of the incidents
of life which my old travelling companion ^^ Batiste " and I
had witnessed in former years.
Of these, I read one last evening, that pleased my good
friend La Fromboise so exceedingly, that I am constrained
to copy it into my Letter and send it home.
This amusing story is one that my man Ba'tiste used to
tell to Bogard, and others with great zest; describing his
adventure one night, in endeavouring to procure a medicine-
* This gentleman, the sammer previous to this, while I was in company
with him at Prairie da Chien, gave me a very graphic account of the Red
Pipe Stone-Quarry, and made for me, from recollection, a chart of it^
which I yet posaeiis, and which was drawn with great accuracy.
NORTH AMKIIKAN INI»IASH.
665
lag, which I had employed him t<» oljtain for me on the
Upper Missouri ; and ho u^ed to prelude it thus j—
•* Je commence — "
" Dam your commence, (said Bogard), toll it in Englbh— "
" Pardon, Monsieur, en Americaino — "
" Well, American then, if you pleaHc ; anything but your
darned ^jMrlez voua! "
'• Bien, excusez— now Monsieur Bogard, you must know
first place, de * Medicine- Bags ' is mere humbug, ho is no me<l.
t«ne in him — no pills; he is someting mystorieux. Some
witchcraft, sdppose. You must know ([uo tous Ioh sauvages
have such tings about him pour for good luck. Co n'est
que (parddn) it is only hocus pocua to <<ocp off witch, sfippoHe.
You must know cos articles can ncvaro bo sold, of course
you see dey cannot be buy. So my fri<;nd here, Monsieur
Cataline, who have collect all de curioHit<?« des pays sau-
vages, avait made strong applique to me pour for to get one
of dese medicine-bags for his Collection curienx, et I had,
pour moimeme, le curiositd extreme pour for to see des
quelques choses ces ^tranges looking tings was composi.
"I had learned much of dese Ht'raiigo custom, and I know
wen de Ingin die, his medicine-bags is buried wis him.
" Oui, Monsieur, so it never can be got by any bodny.
Bien. I hap to tink one day wen we was live in de mous of
Yellow Stone, now is time and I avaitnaid to Monsieur Cata-
line, que peneez vous ? Kon-te-wonda (un des chefs du) (par«
ddn, one of de chiefs, of de KniHteruiux) hax die t<$day. II
avait une medicine bag magnifique, et extremumcnt curieux ;
il est compost d'un, it is made (pard<!n, si vous plait) of de
wite wolf skin, ornement et Htuff wid tousnnd tings wich
we shall see, ha ? Good luok 1 Suppose Monsieur Cata-
line, I have seen him just now. I av see de medicine-bag
laid on his breast avec his hands orosicd ovare it. Que
pensezvous? I can get him to-night, ha? If you will
keep him, if you shall not tell, ha? 'Tis no harm — 'tis no
steal— he is dead, ha? Well, you shall see. Bat would
you not be afraid. Ba'tiste, (said MonHieur Cataline), to take
I
W
*'..!
i
^60
LETi'ERS AND NOTES ON THE
from dis poor fellow his medicines (or mysteries) on which
he has rest all his hopes in dis world, and de world to come?
Pard(5n, je n'ai pas peur ; non, Monsieur, ne rien de peur.
I uevare saw ghost — I have not fear, mais, suppose, it is not
right, ^xact; but I have grand disposition pour for to
oblige my friend, et le curiosity moimeme, pour to see wat
it is made of; suppose td-night I shall go, ha? 'Well,
Ba'tiste, I have no objection (said Monsieur Cataline) if
your heart does not fail you, for I will be very glads to
get him, and will make you a handsome present for it,
but I think it will be a cold and gloomy kind of business.'
Nevare mind. Monsieur Cataline (I said) provide he is well
dead, perfect dead; Well, I ave see les Knisteneux when
dey ave bury de chap — I ave watch close, and I ave see
how de medicine-bags was put. It was fix pretty tight by
some cord around his bellay, and den some skins was wrap
many times Ground him — he was put down in de hole dug
for him, and some flat stones and some little dirt was laid
on him, only till next day, wen some grand ceremonays
was to be perform ovare him, and den de hole was to be
fill up ; now was de only time possibe for de medicine-hag,
ha? I ave very pretty little wife at dat times, Assineboin
squaw, and we sleep in one of de stores inside of de Fort,
de Trade- house, you know, ha ?
*' So you may stippose I was all de day perplex to know
how I should go, somebody may watch — suppose, he may
not be dead I not quite dead, ha ? nevare mind — le jour was
bien long, et le nuit dismal, dismal I oh by gar it was dis-
mal 1 j/lien, plien (parddn) full of apprehension, mais sans
peuTy je n^avais pas peur/ So some time aftere midnights,
wen it was bout right time pour go, I made start, very
light, so my wife must not wake. Oh diable I'imagination !
quel solitude 1 well, I have go very well yet, I am pass de
door, and I am pass de gate, and I am at lengts arrive at de
grave ! suppose ' now Ba'tiste, courage, courage 1 now is de
times come.' Well, sdppose, I am not fraid of dead man,
mais, perhaps, dese medicine-hag is give by de Grande
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
667
Esprit to de lugin for soraetiag ? possible ! I will let him
keep it. I shall go back! No, Monsieur Cataline will
laughs at me. I must have him, ma foi, mou courage ! so
I climb down very careful into do grave, mais, as I descend,
my heart rise up into my mouse 1 Oh mon Dieu 1 courage
Ba'tiste, courage ! ce n'est pas Vhomme dat I fear, maia le
medicine^ le medicine. So den I ave lift out de large stones,
I ave put out my head in de dark, and I ave look all do
contre round ; ne personne, ne personne — no bodfe in sight !
Well, I ave got softly down on my knees ovare him, (oh,
courage 1 courage 1 oui) and wen I ave unwrap de robe, I
ave all de time say, 'pardon, courage! pardon, courage!
until I ad got de skins all off de bode ; I ave den take hold
of de cord to untie, mais ! ! (dans I'instant) two cold hands
seize me by de wrists ! and I was just dead — I was petrifact
in one instant. Ob St. Esprit 1 I could just see in de dark
two eyes glaring like fire sur upon me! and den, (oh
eugh 1 ) it spoke to me, ' Who are you ?' (Sacr6, vengeance !
it will not do to deceive him, no,) * I am Ba'tiste, poor
Ba'tiste 1' ' Then thou art surely mine, (as he clenched both
arms tight around my boday) lie still Ba'tiste.' Oh, holy
Vierge 1 St. Esprit I O mon Dieu 1 I could not breathe I
miserable! je sui perdu! oh pourquoi have I been such
fool to get into dese cold, cold arms! 'Ba'tiste? (drawing
me some tighter and tighter!) do you not belong to me,
Ba'tiste?' Yes, sdpposel ohdiablel belong? Oui, oui, je
suis certainment perdu, lost, lost, for evare 1 Oh I can you
not poesible lei me gof 'No Ba'tiste, we must never part.'
Grand Dieu ! c'est finis, finis, finis avec moi I ' Then you
do not love me any more. Ba'tiste ?' Quel ! quoi ! what ! !
est ce vous, Wee-ne-m-ka? 'Yes, Ba'tiste, it is the Bending
Willow who holds you, she that loves you and will not let
you go? Are you dreaming Ba'tiste?' Oui, diable, !"
" Well, Ba'tiste, that's a very good story, and very well
told ; I presume you never tried again to get a medicine-
bag?"
"Non, Monsieur Bogard, je vous assure, I was satisfy wis
068
LETTERS AND XOTES ON THE
de mistakes dat night, pour for je crois qu'il fut I'Esprit, le
Grand Esprit."
After this my entertaining companions sung several
amusing songs, and then called upon me for another story.
Which Mr. Wood had already heard me tell several times,
and which he particularly called for ; as
"THE STORY OF THE DOG,"
and which I began as follows : —
" Well, some time ago, when I was drifting down tho
mighty Missouri, in a little canoe, with two hired men,
Bogard and Ba'tiste, (and in this manner did we glide
along) amid all the pretty scenes and ugly, that decked the
banks of that river, from the mouth of the Yellow Stone, to
St. Louis, a distance of only two thousand miles ; Bogard
and Ba'tiste plied their paddles and I steered, amid snag and
sand-bar — amongst drift logs and herds of swimming buf<
faloes — our beds were uniformly on the grass, or upon
some barren beach, which we often chose, to avoid the
suffocating clouds of musquitoes ; our fire was (by the way
PBAUII WOLTn.
we had none at night) kindled at sundo\;'n, under some
towering bluff— our supper cooked and eaten, and we off
again, floating some four or five miles after nightfall, when
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
669
our canoe was landed at random, on some unknown ehore.
In whispering silence and darkness our buffalo robes were
drawn out and spread upon the grass, and our bodies
stretched upon them ; our pistols were belted to our sides,
«nd our rifles always slept in our arms. In this way we
were encamped, and another robe drawn over us, head and
foot, under which our iron slumbers were secure from the
tread of all foes, saving that of the sneaking gangs of
wolves, who were nightly kerena ling us with their harmo-
nies, and often quarreling for the privilege of chewing oft
ithe corners of the robe, which served us as a blanket
^ ->.« T \
u
TBI OBIZZI.T BIAR.
g the
^ Caleb' (the grizzly bear) was often there too, leavin
print of his deep impressed footsteps where he had peram-
bulated, reconnoitering, though not disturbing us. Our
food was simply buffalo meat from day to day, and from
morning till night, for coffee and bread we had not. The
fleece (hump) of a fat cow, was the luxury of luxuries ; and
for it we would step ashore, or as often level our rifles upon
the 'slickest' of the herds from our canoe, as they were
grazing upon the banks. Sometimes the antelope, the
■I
i
670
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
mountain-sheep, and also the stately elk contributed thtt
choicest cuts for our little larder ; and at others, whiZe in
the vicinity of war-parties, where we dared not to fire our
guns, our boat was silently steered into some little cove or
eddy, our hook and line dipped, and we trusted to the bite
of a cat-fish for our suppers ; if we got him, he was some*
times too large and tough; and if we got him not, we
would swear, (not at all) and go to bed.
" Our meals were generally cooked and eaten on piles of
driftwood, where our fire was easily kindled, and a peeled
log (which we generally straddled) did admirably well for
a seat, and a table to eat from.
" In this manner did we glide away from day to day,
with anecdote and fan to shorten the time, and just enough
of the spice of danger to give vigour to our stomachs, and
keenness to our appetites — making and meeting accident
and incident sufficient for a * book.' Two hundred miles
from the mouth of Yellow Stone brought us to the village
of the kind and gentlemanly Mandans. With them I lived
some time — was welcomed — taken gracefully by the arm,
by their plumed dignitaries, and feasted in their hospitable
lodges. Much have I already said of these people, and more
of them, a great deal, I may say at a future day ; but now,
to our ^ story ^ As preamble, however, having launched
our light canoe at the Mandan village, shook hands with
the chiefs and braves, and took the everlasting farewell
glance at those models, which I wept to turn from; we
dipped our paddles, and were again gliding off upon the
mighty water, on our way to St. Louis. We travelled fast,
and just as the village of the Mandans, and the bold
promontory on which it stands, were changing to blue, and
' dwindling into nothing,' we heard the startling yells, and
saw in distance behind us, the troop that was gaining upon
us 1 their red shoulders were bounding over the grassy bluffs
— their hands extended, and robes waving with signals for
us to stop ! In a few moments they were opposite to us on
the bank, and I steered my boat to the shore. Thev were
■\ -
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
671
arranged for my reception, with amazemont and orders im.
porative stamped on every brow. ♦ Mi-rxcelc-e-suuk-to-ka'
(the mink), they exclamed, ' is dying ! the picture you
made of her is too much like her— you put so much of her
into it, that when your boat took it away from our village,
it drew a part of her life away with it— she is bleeding from
her mouth— she is puking up all her blood ; by taking that
away, you are drawing the strings out of her heart, and
they will soon break ; we must take her picture back, and
then she will get well— your medicine is great, it is too
great ; but we wish you well' Mr. Kipp, their Trader,
came with the party, and interpreted as above. I unrolled
my bundle of portraits, and though I was unwilling to part
with it (for she was a beautiful girl), yet I placed it in their
hands, telling them that I wished her well; and I was
exceedingly glad to get my boat peaceably under way again,
and into the current, having taken another and everlasting
shake of the hands. They rode back at full speed with the
portrait ; but intelligence which I have since received from
there, informs me that the girl died ; and that I am forever
to be considered as the cause of her misfortunes. This is
not the ' «tory,' however, but I will tell it as soon as I can
come to it. We dropped off, and down the rolling current
again, from day to day, until at length the curling smoke of
the Ricoarees announced their village in view before us !
"We trembled and quaked, for all boats not stoutly
armed, steal by them in the dead of night. We muffled our
paddles, and instantly dropped under some willows, where
we listened to the yelping, barking rabble, until sable night
had drawn her curtain around (though it was not sable, for
the moon arose, to our great mortification and alarm, in full
splendour and brightness), when, at eleven o'clock, we put
out to the middle of the stream — silenced our paddles, and
trusted to the current to waft us by them. We lay close
in our boat with a pile of green bushes over us, making us
nothing in the world but a ' floating tree-top.' On the
bank, in front of the village, was enacting at that moment,
l!
«72
LETl'EBS AND KOTJES OK THE
a scene of the most frightful and thrilling nature An
hundred torches were swung about in all directions, giving
08 a full view of the group that were assembled, and some
fresh scalps were hung on poles, and were then going
through the nightly ceremony that is performed about them
for a certain number of nights, composed of the frightlul
and appalling shrieks, and yells, and gesticulations of the
tcalp-dance. *
" In addition to this multitude of demons (as they looked),
there were some hundreds of cackling women and girls
bathing in the river on the edge of a sand-bar, at the lower
end of the village ; at which place the stream drifted our
small craft in, close to the shore, till the moon lit their
shoulders, their foreheads, chins, noses I and they stuod,
half-merged, like mermaids, and gazed upon us I singing
' Chee-na'see-nurif cfiee-na-see-nun ke-mon-shoo kee-ne-he-na, ha-
tvay-tahf aJiee-sha, ahee-ahaf 'How do you do, how do you
do ? where are you going, old tree ? Come here, come here.'
* Lah-kee-koon / lah-kee-hoon / natoh, catoghP ('A canoc, a
canoe I see the paddle 1 1') In a moment the songs were
stopped 1 the lights were out — the village in an instant was
in darkness, and dogs were muzzled 1 and nimbly did our
paddles ply the water, till spy-glass told us at morning's
dawn, that the bank and boundless prairies of grass and
green that were all around us were free from following foot-
steps of friend or fue. A sleepleets night had passed, and
lightly tripped our bark, and swift, over the swimming tide
during ihat day ; which was one, not of pleasure, but of
trembling excitement; while our eyes were continually
scanning the distant scenes that were behind us, and our
muscles throwing us forward with tireless energy.
* Bot a few weeks before I left the mouth of Yellow Stone, the news
arrived at that place, that a party of trappers and traders had barnt two
Biccarees to death, on the prairies, and M'Kenzie advised me not to
atop at the Biccaree village, bat to pass them in the night ; and after
I had got some hundreds of miles below them, I learned that they were
dancing two white men's scalps taken in revenge for that inhuman act
NORTH AMEHICAN INDIANS.
673
*
• • H Night came upon us again, and we landed
at the foot of a towering bluff, where the musquitoes met ui
with ten thousand kicks and cuffs, and importunities, until
we were choked and strangled into almost irrevocable de.
spair and madness.*
" A * snaggy bend* announced its vicinity just below us by
its roaring ; and hovering night told uh, that we could not
yfith. safety * undertake it.'
" The only direful alternative was now in full possession
of us, (I am not going to toll the ^ story* yet), for just below
"US was a stately bluff of 200 feet in height, rising out of the
water, at an angle of forty.flve degrees, entirely denuded in
front, and constituted of clay. 'Montons, moutons!' said
Ba'tiste as he hastily clambered up its steep inclined plane
on his hands and feet, over its parched surface, which had
been dried in the sun, 'essayez vous, essayezi ce'n'est pas
•difficile Monsr. Cataline,' exclaimed he, from an elevation of
about 100 feet from the water, where he had found a level
platform, of some ten or flftcen feet in diameter, and stood
■at its brink, waving his hand over the twilight landscape
that lay in partial obscurity beneath him.
"'Nous avons ici une bullo place pour for to get some
4tlip8f some coot eUpa, vare de dam Riccaree et do dam
muskeet shall nevare get si haut, by Oar I montez, montez
■en haut.'
" Bogard and I took our bufi'alo robes and our rifles, and
-with difficulty hung and clung along in the crevices with
fingors and toes, until we reached the spot. We found our-
selves about half-way up the precipice, which continued al-
most perpendicular above us ; and within a few yards of us,
on each side, it was one unbroken slope from the bottom to
the top. In this snug little nook were we most appropriately
* The greater part of tbo world cwi never, I am sure, justly appreciate
the meaning and application of tho above sentence, unless they have an
opportunity to encounter a dwann of these tormenting insects, on the
I)ank8 of the MisBour! or Mligliilppi rivers.
43
l^.' -^I'-
674
LBTTEKS AND NOTES ON THB
fixed, as we thought, for a warm summer's night, out of the
reach entirely of musquitoes, and all other earthly obstacles,
as we supposed, to the approaching gratification, for whicb
the toils and ffttigues of the preceding day and night, had so
admirably prepared us. We spread one of our robes, and
having ranged ourselves side by side upon it, and drawn the
other one over us, we commenced, without further delay,
upon the pleasurable forgetfulness of toils and dangers which,
had agitated us for the past day and night. We had got
just about to that stage of our enjoyment which is almost
resistless, and nearly bidding defiance to every worldly ob*
trusive obst&cle, when the pattering of rain on our buffalo-
robes opened our eyes to the dismal scene that was getting
up about us 1 My head was out, and on the watch ; but the
other two skulls were flat upon the ground, and there
chained by the unyielding links of iron slumber. The
blackest of all clouds that ever swept hill tops of grass, of
clay, or towering rock, was hanging about us — its lightning^
glare was incessantly flashing us to blindness ; and the gid*
dy elevation on which we were perched, seemed to tremble
with the roar and jar of the distant, and the instant bolta
and cracks of present thunder 1 The rain poured and fell
in torrents (its not enough) ; it seemed fioating around and
above us in waves succeeding waves, which burst upon th&
sides of the immense avalanche of clay that was above, and
tlid in sheets, upon us I Heavens 1 what a scene was here.
The river beneath us and in distance, with windings infinite,
whitening into silver, and trees, to deathlike paleness, at the
lightning's flash 1 All about us was drenched in rain and
mud. At this juncture, poor Ba'tiste was making an effort
to raise his head and shoulders — he was in agony I he had
slept himself, and alipt himself partly from the robe, and his
elbows were fastened in the mud.
. " 'Oh sacr^, 'tis too bad by Gar I we can get some tli/n
nevare.'
"*XJghl (replied Yankee Bogard) we shall get 'slips'
enough directly, by darn, for we are all afloat, and shall go
i
NORTH AMEUICAX INDIANS.
675
into the river by and by, in the twinkling of a goat's eye,
if we don't look out.'
" We were nearly afloat, sure enough, and our condition
growing more and more dreary every moment, and our only
altemativs was, to fold up our nether robe and sit upon it ;
hanging the other one over our heads, which formed a roof^
and shielded the rain from us. To give compactness to the
triOf and bring us into such shape as would enable the robe
to protect us all, we were obliged to put our backs and occi-
puts together, and keep our heads from nodding. In this
way we were enabled to divide equally the robe that we sat
upon, as well as receive mutual benefit from the one that
was above us. We thus managed to protect ourselves in th©
most important points, leaving our feet and legs (from neces*
fiity) to the mercy of mud.
" Thus we were re-encamped. ' A pretty mess (said I), we
look like the * three graces;' — 'de tree grace, by Gar!' said
Ba'tiste. 'Grace 1 (whispered Bogard) yes, it's all grace here ;
and I believe we'll all be buried in grace in less than an
hour.'
"'Monsr. Catalinel excusez my back, si vous plait. Bo-
gard! comment, comment? — bonne nuit, Messieurs. Ohl
mon Dieu, mon Dieu 1 Je vous rends grace — ^je vous prie
pour for me sauver ce nuit — delivrez nous 1 delivrez nous I
Je vous adore. Saint Esprit— la Vierge Marie — oh je vous
rends grace 1 pour for de m'avoir conserve from de dam
Biccree et de diable muskeet. Eh bien 1 eh bien 1'
" In this miserable and despairing mood poor Ba'tiste
dropped off gradually into a most tremendous sleep, whilst
Bogard and I were holding on to our corners of the robe —
recounting over the dangers and excitements of the day
and night past, as well as other scenes of our adventurous
lives, whilst we laid (or rather sat) looking at the lightning,
with our eyes shut. Ba'tiste snored louder and louder, until
sleep had got her strongest grip upon him ; and nis speoifio
gravity became so great, that he pitched forward, pull,
ing our corners of the robe nearly off from our heads
I
676
LETTERS AND NOTES OX THE
roduuing us to the uecessity of drawing upoa them till wa
brought the back of his head in oontaot with ours, again,
and bis body in an erect posture, when he suddenly ex*
claimed —
" ' Bon jour, Mousr. Bogard : bon jour, Moos. Cataline ;
o'est oe pas morning, pretty near 7'
" ' No, it's about midnight.'
"'Quel temps?'
" Why it rains as hard as ever.
•* ♦ O diable ! I wish I was td helV
" * You may be there yet before morning, by darn.'
"'Parddnl parddn, Monsr. Bogard — I shall not go to*
night, not to-night, I was joke — mais I dis is not joke, stip*
pose — oh vengeance I I am slip down considerable — mais
I shall not go to hell quite — I am slip off de seat I'
" ' What 1 you are sitting in the mud ?'
" ' Oui, Bogard, in de muds I mais, I am content, my
head is not in de mud. You see, Bogard, I avait been
sleep, et I raisee my head pretty suddain, and keepee my e
back e straight, et I am slip off of de seat. Now, Mousr.
Bogard, you shall keepee your head straight and moove
leet, at de bottom? re-
mercie, Bogard, remercie,-
-eh bien,-
-ah well
— ha-ha-h-
— a—
by Gar, Bogard, I have a de good joke. Monsr. Cataline
will paintez my likeenes as I am now look — he will paint
us all — I am tink he will make putty coot view ? ha-ha-ba-a
•^— we should see very putty landscape aboutee de legs,
ha? Ha ha h a a,'
"Oh, Ba'tiste, for Heaven's sake stop your laughing
and go to sleep ; we'll talk and laugh about this all day
to-morrow.
" ' Parddn, Monsr. Cataline, (ezcusez) have you got some
slips?' #
" No, Ba'tistCj I have not been asleep. Bogard has been
entertaining me these two hours whilst you was asleep, with
a description of a buffalo hunt, which took place at th«
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
«r7
mouth of Yellow Stono, about a year ago. It must have
been altogether, a most splendid and thrilling scene, and I
have been paying the strictest attention to it, for I intend
to write it down and send it to New York for the cits to
read."
"•Ilike'e dat much, Monsr. Cataline, and I shall take
much plaisir pour vous donner to give dfescript of someting,
provide you will write him down, ha ?'
" Well Ba'tiste, go on, I am endeavoring to learn every-
thing that's curious and entertaining, belonging to thia
country.
" ' Well Monrs. Cataline, I shall tell you someting very
much entertain, mais, but, you will nevare tell somebody
now we have been fix to night ? ha ?'
"No, Ba'tisri, most assuredly I shall never mention it
nor make painting of it.
" ' Well, je commence,— diable Bogard 1 you shall keep
your back straight you must sit up, ou il n'est pas possible
for to keen de robe ovare all. Je commence, Mons. Cataline
to describe some Dog Feast, which I attend among de dam
Pieds noirs. I shall describe some grande, magnifique
ceremonay, and you will write him down ?'
" Yes I'll put it on paper.
" * Parddn, parddn, I am get most to slip, I shall tell him
to-morrow, perhaps I shall eh bien;— but you will
nevare tell how we look, ha ! Monsr. Cataline ?'
" No Ba'tiste, I'll never mention it.
" • Eh bien bon nuit.'
" In this condition we sat, and in this manner we nodded
away the night, as far as I recollect of it, catching the
broken bits of sleep, (that were even painful to us when we
got them), until the morning's rays at length gave us a
view of the scene that was around us ! ! Oh, all ye brick-
makers, ye plasterers, and soft-soap manufacturers 1 put all
yotur imaginations in a ferment together, and see if ye can
invent a scene like this ! Here was a * fix' to be sure.
The sun arose in splendor and in full, upon this everlasting
078
LETTEH3 AND N0TK3.
aud bouadless sceae of •«q/5! soap^ and grense, which ad-
mitted US not to move. The whole hill was constituted
entirely of tough clay, and on each side and above us there
was no possibility of escape ; and one single step over the
brink of the place where we had ascended, would inevitably
havo launched us into the river below, the distance of an
hundred feet I Here, looking like hogs just risen from a
mud puddle, or a bufl&lo bull in his wallow, we sat, {and
had to nt,) admiring the wide-spread and beautiful land-
scape that lay steeping and smoking before us, and our
little boat, that looked like a nut-shell beneath us, hanging
at the shore ; telling stories and filling up the while with
nonsensical garrulity, until the sun's warming rays had
licked up the mud, and its dried surface, about eleven
o'clock, gave foothold, when we cautiously, but safely
descended to the bottom; and then, at the last jump,
which brought his feet to terra Jirma, Ba'tiste exclaimed,
' Well, we have cheatee de dam muskeet, ha 1' "
And this, reader, is not " the atory,^^ but one of the little
incidents which stood exactly in the way, and could not
well be got over without a slight notice, being absolutely
necessary, as a key, or kind of glossary, fcr the proper
understanding of the tale that is to be told. There is blood
and butchery in the story that is now to be related ; and it
should be read by every one who would form a correct
notion of the force of Indian superstitions.
Three mighty warriors, proud and valiant, licked the
dust, and all in consequence of one of the portraits I
painted ; and as my brush was the prime mover of all these
misfortunes, and my life was sought to heal the wound, I
must be supposed to be knowing to and familiar with the
whole circumstances, which were as — (I was going to say,
as follow) but my want of time and your want of patience,
compel me to break off here, and I promise to go right on
with <A« atory of the Dog in my next Letter, and I advise the
roader*not to neglect or overlook it.
LETTER No. LV.
BED PIPE STONE-QOAERY, COTEAU DE8 PRAlRlEa.
Wbll, to proceed with the Story of the Dog, whioh 1
|>romised ; (after which I shall record the tale of Wi-jun-jm,
the pigeon's egg head), whioh waa also told by me during
the last night, before we retired to rest.
"I think I said that my little canoe had brought tis down
the Missouri, about eight hundred milei below the mouth
of Yellow Stone, when we landed at Laidlaw's Trading*
house, whioh is twelve hundred miles above civilization
And the city of St. Louis. If I did not say it, it ii no mattef
for it was even so; and 'Ba'tiste and Bogard who had
paddled, and I who had steered,' threw our little bark out
upon the bank, and taking our paddles in our hands, and
(679)
680
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
our ^plunder' upon our backs, crossed the plain to the
American Fur Company's Fort, in charge of Mr. Laidlaw,
who gave us a hearty welcome ; and placed us in an instant
at his table, which happened at that moment to be stationed
in the middle of the floor, distributing to its surrounding
guests the simple blessing which belongs to that fair and
silent land of buffalo-tongues and beavers' tails I A bottle
of good Madeira wine sprung (k I'instant) upon the corner
of the table, before us, and swore, point blank, to the welcome
that was expressed in every feature of our host. After the
usual salutations, the news, and a glass of wine, Mr. Laidlaw
began thus : — * Well, my friend, you have got along well,
so far ; and I am glad to see you. You have seen a great
many fine Indians since you left here, and have, no doubt,
procured many interesting and v&\xiahle portraits ; but there
has been a deal of trouble about the ^ pictures,^ in this
neighborhood, since you went away. Of course, you have
heard nothing of it at the Yellow Stone ; but amongst us,
I assure you, there has not a day passed since you left,
without some fuss or excitement about the portraits. The
* Dog' is not yet dead, though he has been shot at several
times, and had his left arm broken. The * Little BearV
friends ha| overtaken the brother of the Dog, that fine fellov/
whom you painted, and killed him I They are now sensible
that they have sacrificed one of the best men in the nation,
for one of the {greatest rascals; and they are more
desperately bent on revenge than ever. They have made
frequent enquiries for you, knowing that you had gone up
the river ; alleging that you had been the cause of these
deaths, and that if the Dog could not be found, they should
look to you for a settlement of that unfortunate affair I
" ' That unlucky business, taken altogether, has been
the greatest piece of medicine (mystery), and created the
greatest excitement itinongst the Sioux, of anything that
has happened since I came into the country. My dear Sir^
you must not continue your voyage down the river, in your
unprotected condition. A large party of the Little Bear's
NORTH AMERICAX" INDIANS.
681
' band, are now encamped on the river below, and for you to
stop there (which you might be obliged to do), would bo to
endanger your life.' " * * * Reader, sit still, and let me
change ends with my story, (which is done in one moment,)
and then, from a relation of the circumstances, which
elicited the friendly advice and caution of Mr. Laidlaw just
mentioned, you will be better enabled to understand the
nature of the bloody aflfair which I am undertaking to
relate.
" About four months previous to the moment I am now
speaking of, I had passed up the Missouri river by this place
on the steam-boat Yellow Stone, on which I ascended the
Missouri to the mouth of the Yellow Stone river. "While
going up, this boat, having on board the United States
Indian agent. Major Sanford — Messrs. Pierre Chouteau,
McKenzie of the American Fur Company, and myself, as
passengers, stopped at this trading-post, and remained
several weeks; where were assembled six hundred families
of the Sioux Indians, their tents being pitched in close
order on an extensive prairie on the bank of the river.
"This trading-post, in charge of Mr. Laidlaw, is the
concentrating place, and principal trading depot, for this
powerful tribe, who number, when all taken together, some-
thing like forty or fifty thousand. On this occasion, five
or six thousand had assembled to see the steam-boat and
meet the Indian agent, which, and whom they knew were
to arrive about this time. During the few weeks that we
remained there, I was busily engaged in painting my
portraits, for here were assembled the principal chiefs and
medmne-men of the nation. To these people, the operations
of my brush were entirely new and unaccountable, and
excited amongst them the greatest curiosity imaginable.
Every thing else (even the steam-boat) was abandoned for
the pleasure of crowding into my painting-room, and
witnessing the result of each fellow's success, as he came
out from under the operation of my brush.
*' They bad been at first much afraid of the consequence!
682
LBTTERS AND NOTES ON THE
that might flow fVom so strange and unaccountable an
operation ; but having been made to understand my views,
they began to look upon it as a great horuyr^ and afforded
me the opportunities that I desired ; exhibiting the utmost
degree of vanity for their appearance, both as to features and
dress. The consequence was, that my room was filled with
the chiefs who sat around, arranged according to the rank of
grade which they held in the estimation of their tribe ; and
in this order it became necessary for me to paint them, to
the exclusion of those who never signalized themselves, and
were without any distinguishing character in socie^.
"The first man on the list, was Ha-wan-ghee-ta (one horn),
head chief of the nation, of whom I have heretofore, spoken ;
and after him the subordinate chiefs, or chiefs of bands,
according to the estimation in which they were held by the
chief and the tribe. My models were thus placed before
me, whether ugly or beautiful, all the same, and I saw at
once there was to be trouble somewhere, as I could not
paint them all. The medicine- men or high priests, who
are esteemed by many the oracles of the nation, and the
most important men in it— becoming jealous, commenced
their harangues, outside of the lodge, telling them that they
were all fools — that those who were painted would soon die
in consequence ; and that these pictures, which had life to a
considerable degree in them, would live in the hands of
white men after they were dead, and make them sleepless
and endless trouble.
" Those whom I had painted, though evidently somewhat
alarmed, were unwilling to acknowledge it, and those whom
I had not painted, unwilling to be outdone in courage,
allowed me the privilege ; braving and defying the danger
that they were evidently more or less in dread of. Feuds
began to arise too, among some of the chiefs of the different
bands, who (not unlike some instances amongst the chiefs
and warriors of our own country), had looked upon their
rival chiefs with unsleeping jealousy, until it had grown
into disrespect and enmity. An instance of this kind pre-
''. i
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
688
«ented itself at this critical juncture, in this assembly of
inflammable spirits, which changed in a moment, its features,
from the free and jocular garrulity of an Tndain levee, to
the frightful yells and agitated treads and starts of an Indian
battle I I had in progress at this time a portrait of Mah-to-
ichee-ga (little bear); of the Onc-^-pa band, a noble fine
fellow, who was sitting before me as I was painting. I was
painting almost a profile view of his face, throwing a part
of it into shadow, and had it nearly finished, when an
Indian by the name of Shon-ka (the dog), chief of the (hz-
n-zshee-ta band ; an ill-natured and surly man— despised by
the chiefs of every other band, entered the wigwam in a
sullen mood, and seated himself on the floor in front of my
flitter where he could have a full view of the picture in its
operation. After sitting a while with his arms folded, and
his lips stiffly arched with contempt ; he sneeringly spoke
thus : —
" ^Mah-to-tchee-ga is but half a man.^ # * »
* * " Dead silence ensued for a moment, and
nought was in motion save the eyes of the chiefs, who. were
fleated around the room, and darting their glances about
upon each other in listless anxiety to hear the sequel that
was to follow I During this interval, the eyes of Mah-to-
tchee-ga had not moved— his lips became slightly curved,
and he pleasantly asked, in a low and steady accent, 'Who
says that?' ^Shon-ka says it,' was the reply; 'and Shm-ka
•can prove it.' At this the eyes of Mah-to-tchee-ga, which
had not yet moved, began steadily to turn, and slow, as if
upon pivots, and when they were rolled out of their sockets
till they had fixed upon the object of their contempt ; his
•dark and jutting brows were shoving down in trembling
contention, with the blazing raya that were actually,
burning^ witih contempt, the objeot that was before them.
< Why does Shon-ka say it?'
"'Ask We-^a$K<i-wa-kon (the painter), he can tell you;
he knows you are but half a man — he has painted but oue>
684
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THB
half of your face, and knows the other half is good for
nothing I'
" ' Let the ^inter say it, and I will believe it; but when
the Dog says, it, let him prove it.'
" ' Shon-ka said it, and Shon-ka can prove it; if Mah-to-
tckee-ga be a man, and wants to be honored by the white
men, let him not be ashamed ; but let him do as Shon-ka
has done, give the white man a horse, and then let him ae&
the whole of your face without being ashamed.'
" 'When Mah'to-tchee-ga kills a white man and steals his
horses, he may be ashamed to look at a white man until he
brings him a horse 1 When Mdh-to-tchee-ga waylays and
murders an honorable and brave Sioux, because he is a
coward and not brave enough to meet him in fair combat,^
then he may be ashamed to look at a white man till he has
given him a horse I Mah-totchee-ga can look at any one ;
and he is now looking at an old woman and a cowardi'
" This repartee which had lasted for a few minutes, to
the amusement and excitement of the chiefs, being ended
thus : — The Dog rose suddenly from the ground, and wrap-
ping himself in his robe, left the wigwam, considerably
agitated, having the laugh of all the chiefs upon him.
'* The Little Bear had followed him with his piercing eye»
until he left the door, and then pleasantly and unmoved,
resumed his position, where he sat a few minutes longer,,
until the portrait was completed. He then rose, and in the
most graceful and gentlemanly manner, presented to me a
very beautiful shirt of buckskin, richly garnished with
quills of the porcupine, fringed with scalp-locks (honorable
memorials) from his enemies' heads, and painted, with all
his battles emblassoned on it. He then left my wigwam,
and a few steps brought him to the door of his own, where
the Dog intercepted him, and asked, ' What meant Mah-to-
tchee-ga by the last words that he spoke to Shon-ka ?' *Mah-
to-tchee-ga said it and Shon-ka is not a fool — that is enough.'
At this the Dog walked violently to his own lodge;, and
the Little Bear retreated into his, both knowing from looks
' I
NORTH AMERICAN INDIAN'S.
635
und gestures what was about to be the consequence of their
altercation.
" The Little Bear instantly charged his gun, and then (a»
their custom is) threw himself upon his face, in humble
supplication to the Great Spirit for his aid and protection.
His wife, in the meantime, seeing him agitated and fearing
some evil consequences, without knowing anything of the
preliminaries, secretly withdrew the bullet from his gun,
«nd told him not of it.
" The Dog's voice, at this moment, was heard, and recog-
nized at the door of Mah-to-tchee-ga's lodge,—* If Mah-to-
tcheega be a whole man, let him come out and prove it ; it
is Shon-lea that calls him !'
" His wife screamed ; but it was too late. The gun was
in his hand and he sprang out of the door — ^both drew and
simultaneously fired ! The Dog fled uninjured ; but the
Little Bear lay weltering in his blood (strange to say 1) with
all that side of his face entirely shot away which had been
left out of the picture ; and, according to the prediction of
the Dog, ' good for nothing ;' carrying away one half of the
jaws, and the flesh from the nostrils and comer of the
mouth, to the ear, including one eye, and leaving the jugu-
lar vein entirely exposed. Here was a 'coup;' and any
one accustomed to the thrilling excitement that such scenes
produce in an Indian village, can /orm some idea of the
frightful agitation amidst several thousand Indians, who
were divided into jealous bands or clans under ambitious
and rival chiefs ! In one minute, a thousand guns and bows
were seized ! A thousand thrilling yells were raised ; and
many were the fierce and darting warriors who sallied round
the Dog for his protection — ^he fled amidst a shower of
bullets and arrows ; but his braves were about him ! The
blood of the Onc-pa-pas was roused, and the indignant braves
of that gallant band rushed forth from all quarters, and,
Bwift upon their heels, were hot for vengeance ! On tha
plain, and in full view of us, for some time, the whizzing
•rrowB flew, and so did bullets, until the Dog and his brave
686
LETTERS AND X0TE8 OX THE
followers were lost in distance on the prairie ! In this ren-
contre, the Dog had his left arm broken ; but succeeded, at
length, in making his escape.
'*0n the next day after this affair took place, the Little
Bear died of his wound, and was buried amidst the most
pitifiil and heart-rending cries of his distracted wife, whose
grief was inconsolable at the thought of having been herself
the immediate and innocent cause of his death, by depriving
him of his supposed protection.
"This marvellous and fatal transaction was soon talked
through the village, and the eyes of all this superstitious
:nultitude were fixed upon me as the cause of the calamity —
my paintings and brushes were instantly packed, and all
hands, both Traders and Travellers, assumed at once a
posture of defence.
" I evaded no doubt, in a great measure the concentration
of their immediate censure upon me, by expressions of
great condolence, and by distributing liberal presents to the
wife and relations of the deceased ; and by uniting also
with Mr. Laidlaw and the other gentlemen, in giving him
honourable burial, where we placed over his grave a hand-
some Sioux lodge, and hung a white flag to wave over it.
" On this occasion many were the tears that were shed
for the brave and honorable Mah-to-tchee-ga, and all the
warriors of his band ,swore sleepless vengeance on the
Dog, until his life should answer for the loss of their chief
and leader.
" On the day that he was buried, I started for the mouth
of Yellow Stone, and while I was gone, the spirit of ven-
geance had pervaded nearly all the Sioux country in search
of the Dog, who had evaded pursuit. His brother, however,
a noble and honorable fellow, esteemed by all who knew
him, fell in their way in an unlucky hour, when their thirst
for vengeance was irresistible, and they slew him. Repent-
ance deep, and grief were the result of so rash an act,
when they beheld a brave and worthy man fall for so worth-
less a character ; and as they became exasperated, the spirit
SOUTH AMKttlCAN INDIANS
687
of rev^ '1 gu noro dcHpernte than i. . jr, and they swore
they never would lay down their arms or embrace their
wives and children until vengeance, full and complete,
should light upon the head that deserved it. This brings
us again to the first part of my story, and in this state
were things in that part of the country, when I was descend-
ing the river four months afterwards, and landed my oanoe
as I before stated at Laldlaw's trading house.
" The excitement had been kept up all summer amongst
these people, and their luperstitions bloated to the full brim,
from circumstances lo well calculated to feed and increase
them. Many of them looked to me at once as the author
of all these disasters, oonHidering T knew that one-half of
the man's face was good for nothing, or that I would not
have left it out of the picture, and thai I must therefore
have foreknown the evils that were to flow from the omis-
sion ; they consequently resolved that I was a dangerous
man, and should sufllbr for my temerity in case the Dog
could not be found. Councils had been held, and in all the
solemnity of Indian medicine and mystery, I had been doomed
to die 1 At one of these, a young warrior of the Oncpa-pa
band, arose and said, ' The blood of two chiefs has just sunk
into the ground, and an hundred bows are bent which are
ready to shed more I on whom shall we bend them ? I am
a friend to the white men, but here is one whose medicine
is too great — he is a groat medicine-man ! his medicine is
too great I he was the death of Mah-to-tchee-ga ! he made
only one side of his face ! he would not make the other —
the side that he made wau alive ; the other was dead, and
Shon-ka shot it oft'l How is this ? Who is to die?'
" After him, 7'ah-ziSfe.ee-da-cha (torn belly), of the Yank-
Urn band, arose and said — ' Father, this medicine-man has
done much harm 1 You told our chiefs and warriors, that
tney must be painted— you said he was a good man, and
we believed youl — you thought so, my father, but you see
what he has done 1 — he looks at our chiefs and our women,
and then makes them alive I In this way he has taken oui
688
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
ohiefs away, and he can trouble their spirits when they are
dead I — they will be unhappy. If he can make them alive
by looking at them, he can do us much harm — ^you tell us
that they are not alive — we see their eyes move ! — their
eyes follow us wherever we go, that is enough. I have no
more to say.' After him, rose a young man of the One-
pa-pa band. ' Father, you know that I am the brother of
Mahto-tchee-ga — ^you know that I loved him — both sides of
his face were good, and the medicine-man knew it also 1
Why was half of his face left out ? He never was ashamed,
but always looked white man in the face I Why was that
side of his face shot off? Your friend is not our friend,
and has forfeited his life — we want you to tell us where he
is — we want to see him !'
*' Then rose Toh-ki-e-to (a medicine-mcm of the Yankton
band, and principal orator of the nation.) 'My friend,
these are young men that speak — I am not afraid ; your
white medicine-man painted my picture, and it was good ;
I am glad of it — I am very glad to see that I shall live
after I am dead ! — I am old, and not afraid 1 — some of our
young men are foolish. I know that this man pui many
of our buffaloes in his hoohl for I was with him, and we
have had no buffaloes since to eat, it is true — but I am not
afraid 1 ! his medicine is great and I wish him well — we are
friends !'
" In this wise was the subject discussed by these supersti-
tious people during my absence, and such were the reasons
given by my friend Mr. Laidlaw, for his friendly advice ;
wherein he cautioned me against exposing my life in their
hands, advising me to take some other route than that
which I was pursuing down the river, where I would find
encamped at the mouth of Cabri r- ar, eighty miles below,
several hundred Indians belor i g to the Little Bear's
band, and I might possibly fall ^ «rictim to their unsatiated
revenge. I resumed my downward voyage in a few days,
however, with my little canoe, which 'Ba'tiste and Bogard
paddled and I steered,' and passed their encampment in
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
689
peace, by taking the opposite shore. The usual friendly
invitation however, was given (which is customary on tliiii
river), by skipping several rifle bullets across the river, a
rod or two ahead of us. To those invitations wo paid no
attention, and (not suspecting who we were), they allowed
us to pursue our course in peace and security. Thus rested
the affair of the Dog and its consequences, until I conversed
with Major Bean, the agent for these people, who arrived
in St. Louis some weeks after I did, bringing later intelli-
gence from them, assuring me that « the Dog had at length
leen overtaken and killed^ near the Black-hills, and that the
affair might now forever be considered as settled.' "
Thus happened, and thus terminated the affair of " the
Dog," wherein have fallen three distinguished warriors; and
wherein might have fallen one " great medicine-man I " and
«11 in consequence of the operations of my brush. The
portraits of the three first named will long hang in my
■Gallery for the world to gaze upon ; and the head of the
latter (whose hair yet remains on it), may probably bo seen
•(for a time yet) occasionally stalking about in the mid.st of
this collection of Nature's dignitaries.
The circumstances above detailed, are as correctly given
as T could furnish them, and they have doubtless given
birth to one of the most wonderful traditions, which will be
told and sung amongst the Sioux Indians from age to age ;
furnishing one. of the rarest instances, perhaps, on record,
of the extent to which these people may be carried by the
force of their superstitions.
After I had related this curious and unfortun&te affair, I
was called upon to proceed at once with the
STORY OF WI-JUN-JON (the pigron's eoo hbad) ;
and T recited it as I first told it to poor Ba'tiste, on a former
occasion, which was as fi-llows: —
" Well, Ba'tiste, I promised last night, as you were going
to sleep, that I would tell you a story this morniiig—did 1
not?
44
690
LBTTERS AND NOTES OX TUB
" *Oui, Monseiur, oui — do 'Pigeon's Head.'
"No, Ba'tiate, the 'Pigeon's Egg Head.'
" ' Well den, Monsieur Cataline, de ' Pigeon Egg's Head.*
" No, Ba'tiste, you have it wrong yet. The Pigeon's Egg
Head.
" 'Sacre — well, * Pee—jonse—ee — haad*
"Bight, Ba'tiate. Now you shall hear the 'Story of the
Pigeon's Egg Head.'
" The Indian name of this man (being its literal traosla*
tion into the Assinnoboin language) was Wi>jun*jon.
" • Wat I comment I by Gar (pardon) ; not TFt-junyVn, le
frere de ma douce Wee-ne-on-ka, fils du chef Assinneboin?
But excusez ; go on, s'il vaus plait.'
" Wi-jun-Jon, (the Pigeon's Egg Head) was a brave and a
warrior of the Assinneboins — ^young — proud — handsome-
valiant, and graceful. He had fought many a battle, and
won many a laurel. The numerous scalps from his enemies'
heads adorned his dress, and his claims were fair and just
for the highest honors that his country could bestow upon
him ; for his father was chief of the nation.
" Le meme I de same — mon frere — mon ami 1 Bien, I am
compost ; go on, Monsieur.'
" Well, this young Assinneboin, the 'Pigeon's Egg Head,'
was selected by M^jor Sanford, th") Indian Agent, to repre^
sent his tribe in a delegation whicli visited Washington city
under bis charge in the winter of 1832. With this gentle*
man, the Assineboin, together with representatives from
several others of those North Western tribes, descended the
Missouri river, several thousand miles, on their way to
Washington.
" While descending the river in a Mackinaw boat, from
the mouth of YeUow Stone, Wi-jun-jon and another of his
tribe who was with him, at the first approach to the civilized
settlements, commerced a register of the white men's houses
(or cabins), by cuttirig a notch for each on the side of a pipe*
stem, in order to be able to shew when they got home, how
many wh'te men's houses they saw on their journey. At
NORril AMERICAN INDIANS.
691
first the cabins were scarce; but continually as they ad-
vanced down the river, more and more rapidly increased in
numbers ; and they soon found their pipe-stem filled with
marks, and they determined to put the rest of them on the
handle of a war-club, which they soon got marked all over
likewise; and at length, while the boat was moored at the
shore for the purpose of cooking the dinner of the party,
Wijun-Jon and his companion stepped into the bushes, and
cut a long stick, from which they peeled the bark ; and
when the boat was again underweigh, they sat down, and
with much labor, copied the notches on to it from the pipe-
stem and club ; and also kept adding a notch for every
house they passed. This stick was soon filled ; and in a day
or two several others ; when, at last, they seemed much at a
loss to know what to do with their troublesome records, un-
til they came in sight of St. Louis, which is a town of fifteen
thousand inhabitants ; upon which, after consulting a little,
they pitched their sticks overboard into the river 1
" I was in St. Louis at the time of their arrival, and
painted their portraits while they rested in that place. Wi-
jun-jon was the first, who reluctantly yielded to the solicita-
tions of the Indian agent and myself, and appeared as sullen
as death in my painting-room — with eyes fixed like those of
a statue, upon me, though his pride had plumed and tinted
him in all the freshness and biilliancy of an Indian's toilet.
In his nature's uncowering pride he stood a perfect model ;
out superstition had hung a lingering curve upon his lip,
and pride had stiffened it into contempt. He had been
urged into a measure, against which his fears had pleaded -^
yet be stood unn^oved and unflinching amid the struggles of
mysteries that were hovering about him, foreboding ills of
every kind, and misfortunes that were to happen to him in
consequence of this operation.
" He was dressed in his native costume, which was claasio
and exceedingly beautiful ; his leggings and shirt were of
- the mountain-goat skin, richly garnished with quills of the
porcupine, and fringed with locks of scalps, taken from his
tf92
LKlTEKd AND XOTKS OS THIC
enemies' heads. Over these floated his long hair in plaits,
that foil nearly to the ground ; his head was decked with the
war-eagle's plumes — his robe was of the skin of the young
buffalo bull, richly garnished and emblazoned with the bat*
ties of his life ; his quiver and bow were slung, and his
shield, of the skin of the bull's neck.
" I painted him in this beautiful dress, and so also the
others who were with him ; and after I had done, Miyor
Sanford went on to Washington with them, where they spent
the winter.
" Wi-jun-Jon was the foremost on all occasions — the first tc
enter the levee — the first to shake the President's hand, and
make his speech to him — the last to extend the hand to them,
but the first to catch the smiles and admiration of the gentler
sex. He travelled the giddy maze, and beheld amid the
buzzing din of civil life, their tricks of art, their handiworks,
and their finery ; he visited their principal cities — he saw
their forts, their ships, their great guns, steamboats, balloons,
&c. &c. ; and in the spring returned to St. Louis, where I
joined him and his companions on their way back to their
own country.
" Through the politeness of Mr. Chouteau, of the Ameri-
can Fur Company, I was admitted (the only passenger ex>
cept Major Sanford and his Indians) to a passage in their
steamboat, on her first trip to the Yellow Stone ; and when
I had embarked, and the boat was about to depart, Wi-jun-
Jon made his appearance on deck, in a full suit of regimen-
tals 1 He had in Washington exchanged his beautifully
garnished and classic 6ostume, for a full dress ' en militaire.'
It was, perhaps, presented to him by the President. It was
broadcloth, of the finest blue, trimmed with lace of gold ;
on his shoulders were mounted two immense epaulets ; his
ueck was strangled with a shining black stock, and his feet
were pinioned in a pair of water-proof boots, with high heels,
which made him ' step like a yoked hog.'
" ' Ha-ha-hagh (parddn. Monsieur Cataline, for I am
almost laugh) — well, he was a fine gentleman, ha ?'
NORTH AMBIUOAN INDIAXH.
698
" On his head was a liigh-erowiied buavirr hnt, wi h a
broad ailver lace baud, sunnoutittsd Uy n Imgo hmI feother
Bome two feet high; hig coat collar HliH' with lace, came
higher up than his ears, and over it Jlowcd, <lown towards
his haunches— his long Indian lockn, ntuck up in rolls ani»
plaits, with red paint.
" * Ha-ha-hagh-agh-ah.'
"Hold your tongue, Ba'tiste.
" * Well go on — go on.'
" A large silver medal was Buspended from his neck by
a blue ribbon— and across his right Hiiouldcr passed a wide
oelt, supporting by his side a broad Hword.
" • Diable l'
" On his hands he had drawn a pair of white kid gloves,
and in them held, a blue umbrollii in mw,, and u large fau
in the other. In this fashion vvjih piKir VVi-jun-jon meta-
morphosed, on his return from \VaHliiiigt(jri ; and, in this
pligbr was he strutting and whiHtl' ■• Yankee Doodle,
about the deck of the steamer that wa,; •. ;;iding its way up
the mighty Missouri, and taking him to his native land
again ; where he was soon to light hIh pipe, and cheer the
wigwam fire-side, with tales of novolty and wonder.
" Well, Ba'tiste, I travell< d with thin new-fangled gentle-
man until he reached his home, two thouuand miles above
St. Louis, and I could never look upon him for a moment
without excessive laughter, at the ridiculous figure he cut —
the strides, the angles, the stiffness of thiH travelling beau !
Oh Ba'tiste, if you could have seen hitn, you would have
split your sides with laughter; he wa« — *pu»s in boots,'
precisely 1
'•'By gar, he is good compare 1 Ua-ha, Monsieur,
(parddn) I am laugh : I am see him wen he \» arrive in
Yellow Stone ; you know I was dere. I am laugh much
wen he is got off de boat, and all do Aniinneboins was dere
to look. Oh diable ! I am laugh almost to die, I am split t
— suppose he was pretty stiflf, ha? — "cob on spindle," ha?
Oh, by gar, he is coot pour laugh— pour rire T
691
LEITERS AND NOTKS OS THE
" After Wi-jua-jon had got home, and passed the usual
salutations among his friends, he commenced the simple
narration of scenes he had passed through, and of things he
had beheld among the whites ; which appeared to them so
much like fiction, that it was impossible to believe them,
and they set him down as an impostor. 'He has been,
(they said,) among the whites, who are great liars, and all
he has learned is to come home and tell lies.' • He sank
rapidly into disgrace in his tribe; his high claims to
politcal eminence all vanished ; he was reputed worthless —
the greatest liar of his nation ; the chiefs shunned him and
passed him by as one of the tribe who was lost ; yet the
ears of the gossipping portion of the tribe were open, and
the camp-fire circle and the wigwam fireside, gave silent
audience to the whispered narratives of the 'travelled
Indian.' * * * * * »
" The next day after he had arrived among his friends,
the superfluous part of his coat, (which was a laced frock),
was converted into a pair of leggings for his wife; and
his hat-band of silver lace furnished her a magnificent pair
of garters. The remainder of the coat, curtailed of its
original length, was seen buttoned upon the shoulders ot
his brother, over and above a pair of leggings of buckskin ;
and Wi-Jun-jon was parading about among his gaping
friends, with a bow and quiver slung over his shoulders,
which, sans coat, exhibited a fine linen shirt with studs and
sleeve buttons. His broad-sword kept its place, but about
noon, his boots gave way to a pair of garnished moccasins ;
and in such plight he gossipped away the day among his
fHends, while his heart spoke so freely and so effectually
from the bung-hole of a little keg of whisky, which he had
brought the whole way, (as one of the choicest presents
made him at Washington), that his tongue became silent.
" One of bis little fair enamoratas, or ' catch crumbs,' such
as live in the halo of all great men, fixed her eyes and her
affections upon his beautiful silk braces, and the next day,
while the keg was yet dealing out its kindnesses, he waa
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
695
seen paying visits to the lodges of his old acquaintance
swaggering about, with his keg under his arm, whistling
Yankee Doodle and "Washington's Grand March ; his white
shirt, or that part of it that had been yapping in the wind,
had been shockingly tithed— his pantaloons of blue, laced
with gold, were razed into a pair of comfortable leggings—
his bow and quiver were slung, and his broad-sword which
trailed on the ground, had sought the centre of gravity, and
taken a position between his legs, and dragging behind
him, served as a rudder to steer him over the • earth's
troubled surface.'
"•Ha-hah-hagh ah o oo k, eh bien.'
*• Two days' revel of this kind, had drawn from his keg
all its charms ; and in the mellowness of hie heart, all his
finery had vanished, and all of its appendages, except his
umbrella, to which his heart's strongest affections still clung,
and with it, and under it, in rude dress of buckskin, he was
afterwards to be seen, in all sorts of weather, acting the
fop and the beau, as well as he could, with his limited
means. In this plight, and in this dress, with his umbrella
always in his hand, (as the only remaining evidence of his
quondam greatness,) he began in his sober moments, to
entertain and instruct his people, by honest and simple
narratives of things and scenes he had beheld during his
tour to the East ; but which (unfortunately for him), were
to them too marvellous and improbable to be believed.
He told the gaping multitude, that were constantly
gathering about him, of the distance he had travelled — ot
the astonishing number of houses he had seen — of the towns
and cities, with all their wealth and splendour — of travelling
on steamboats, in stages, and on railroads. He described
our forts, and seventy-four gun ships, which he had visited
— ^their big guns— our great bridges— our great council-
house at Washington, and its doings — the curious and
wonderful machines in the patent office, (which he pro-
nounced the greatest medicine place he had seen); he
rl escribed the great war parade, which he saw in the city
1
I!
fcPV'
696
liETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
of New York — the ascent of the balloon from Castle
Garden — numbers of the white people, the beauty of the
white squaws ; their red cheeks, and many thousands of
other things, all of which were so much beyond their com*
prehension, that they ' could not be true,' and ' he must be
the very greatest liar in the whole world.'*
" But he was beginning to acquire a reputation of a diffe-
rent kind. He was denominated a medicine-man^ a.rx6i one-
too of the most extraordinary character ; for they deemed
him far above the ordinary sort of human beings, whoso
mind could invent and conjure up for their amusement, such
an ingenious fabrication of novelty and wonder. He
steadily and unostentatiously persisted, in this way of enter-
taining his friends and his people, though he knew his
standing was affected by it. He had an exhaustless theme
to descant upon through the remainder of his life ; and he
seemed satisfied to lecture all his life, for the pleasure which
it gave him.
" So great was his medicine, however, that they began,,
chiefs and all, to look upon him as a most extraordinary
being, and the customary honors and forms began to be
applied to him, and the respect shewn him, that belongs to
all men in the Indian country, who are distinguished for
their medicin' or myateries. In short, when all become
familiar with the astonishing representations that he made
and with the wonderful alacrity with which *he created
them,' he was denominated the very greatest of medicine /^
and not only that, but the • lying medicine.^ That he should
be the greatest of medicine, and that for lying, Tnerely, ren-
dered him a prodigy in mysteries that commanded not only
respect, but at length, (when he was more maturely heard
and listened to) admiration, awe, and at last dread and
tecror; which altogether must needs conspire to rid the
* Moit unfortunately for this poor fellow, the other one of his tribe,,
who travelled with him, and could have borne testimony to the truth of
Ui ■tatements, died of the qninsey on his way home.
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
69i
world of a monster, whose more than human talents must
be cut down, to less than human measurement.
«• ' Wat ! Monsieur Cataline, dey av not try to kill him ?'
" Yes, Ba'tiste, in this way the poor follow had lived, and
been for three years past continually relating the scenes
he had beheld, in his tour to the ' Far East ;' until his
medicine became so alarmingly great, that they were
unwilling he should live ; they were disposed to kill him
for a wizard. One of the young men of the tribe took th©
duty upon himself, and after much perplexity, hit upon the
following plan, to-wit :— he had fully resolved, in conjunction
with others who were in the conspiracy, that the medicine
of Wi-jun-jon was too great for the ordinary mode, and
that he was so great a liar that a. rifle bullet would not kill
him ; while the young man was in this distressing dilemma,
which lasted for some weeks, he had a dream one night,
which solved all difficulties ; and in consequence of which,
he loitered about the store in the Fort, at the mouth of the
Yellow Stone, until he could procure, hy stealth, (according
to the injunction of his dream,) the handle of an iron pot,
which he supposed to possess the requisite virtue, and taking
it into the woods, he there spent a whole day in straight-
ening and filing it, to fit it into the barrel of his gun ; after
which, he made his appearance again in the Fort, with his
gun under his robe, charged with the pot handle, and
getting behind poor Wi-jun-jon, whilst he was talking with
the Trader, placed the muzzle behind his head and blew
out his brains !
" * Sacrd vengeance 1 oh, mon Dieu 1 let me cry — I shall
cry always, for evare — Oh he is not true, I hope? no,
Monsieur, no I'
" Yes, Ba'tiste, it is a fact : thus ended the days and the
greatness, and all the pride and hopes of Wi-jun-jon, the
" Pigeoa^a Egg Head" — a warrior and a brave of the valiant
Assinneboins, who travelled eight thousand miles to see the
President, and all the great cities of the civilized world ;
698
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
and who, for telling the truth, and nothing hut the trutn, was,
after he got home, disgraced and killed for a wizard.
" *0h. Monsieur Cataline — I am distress — I am sick— 1
was hope he is not true — oh I am mortify. "Wi-jun-jon was
coot Ingin — he was my bruddare — eh bien — eh bien.'
"Now, my friend Ba'tiste, I see you are distressed, and I
regret exceedingly that it must be so; he was your friend
and relative, and I myself feel sad at the poor fellow's un-
happy and luckless fate ; for he was a handsome, an honest,
and a noble Indian.
" * C'est vrais. Monsieur, c'est vrai/
" This man's death, Ba'tiste, has been a loss to himself,
to his friends, and to the world ; but you and I may profit
by it, nevertheless, if we bear it in mind
" ' Oui I yes, Monsr. mais, suppose, 'tis bad wind dat blows
nary way, ha ?'
"Yes, Ba'tiste, we may profit by his misfortune, if we
choose. We may call it a * caution ;' for instance, when I
come to write your book, as you have proposed ; the fate
of this poor fellow, who was relating no more than he
actually saw, will caution you against the imprudence of telling
all that you actually know, and narrating all that you have
seen, lest like him you sink into disgrace for telling the
truth. You know, Ba'tiste, that there are many things to
be seen in the kind of life that you and I have been living
for some years past, which it would be more prudent for
us to suppress than to tell.
" ' Oui, Monsieur. Well, suppose, perhaps I am dis
oourage about de book. Mais, we shall see, ha ?' "
Thus ended the last night's gossip, and in the cool of this
morning, we bid adieu to the quiet and stillness of this wild
place, of which I have resolved to give a little further
account before we take leave of it.
From the Fall of St. Anthony, my delightful companion
(Mr. Wood, whom I have before mentioned) and myself,
with our Indian guide, whose name was 0-kup-pee, tracing
the beautiful shores of the St. Peter's river, about eighty
NORTH AMERICAN' INDIANS.
699
miles ; crossing it at a place called ^^Traverse dea Sioux,*
and recrossing it at another point about thirty miles above
the mouth of ^^Terre Bletie,^^ from whence we steered in a
direction a little North of West for the " C8teau des Prai-
ries," leaving the St. Peter's river, and crossing one of the
m03t beautiful prairie countries in the world, for the distance
of one hundred and twenty or thirty miles which brought
us to the base of the C6teau, where we where joined by our
kind and esteemed companion, Monsieur La Fromboise, as
I have before related. This tract of country as well as that
along the St. Peter's river, is mostly covered with the rich-
eat soil, and furnishes an abundance of good water, which
flows from a thousand living springs. For many miles we
had the 06teau in view in the distance before us, which
looked like a blue cloud settling down in the horizon; and
we were scarcely sensible of the fact, when we had arrived
at its base, from the graceful and almost imperceptible
swells with which it commences its elevation above the
country around it. Over these swells or terraces, gently
rising one above the other, we travelled for the distance of
forty or fifty miles, when we at length reached the summit ;
and from the base of this mound, to its top, a distance of
forty or fifty miles, there was not a tree or bush to be
seen in any direction, and the ground everywhere was
covered with a green turf of grass, about five or six inches
high ; and we were assured by our Indian guide, that it
descended to the "West, towards the Missouri, with a
similar inclination, and for an equal distance, divested of
everything save the grass that grows and the animals that
walk upon it.
On the very top of this mound or ridge, we found the far-
famed quarry or fountain of the Red Pipe, which is truly
an anomaly in nature. The principal and most striking
feature of this place, is a perpendicular wall of close-
grained, compact quartz, of twenty-five and thirty feet in
elevation, running nearly North and South with its fiice to
the West, exhibiting a front of nearly two miles in length,
roo
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
when it disappears at both ends by running under th»
prairie, which becomes there a little more elevated, and
probably covers it for many miles, both to the North and
the South. The depression of the brow of the ridge at
this place has been caused by the wash of a little stream,
produced by several springs on the top, a little back from^
the wall ; which has gradually carried away the super-in-
cumbent earth, and having bared the wall for the distance
of two miles, is now left to glide for some distance over a
perfectly level surface of quartz rock; and then to leap
from the top of the wall into a deep basin below, and from
thence seek its course to the Missouri, forming the extreme
source of a noted and powerful tributary, called the " Big
Sioux."
This beautiful wall is horizontal, and stratified in several
distinct layers of light grey, and rose or flesh-colored quartz ;
and for most of the way, both on the front of the wall, and
for acres of its horizontal surface, highly polished or glazed
as if by ignition.
At the base of this wall there is a level prairie, of half a
mile in width, running parallel to it ; in any and all part»
of which the Indians procure the red stone for their pipes,
by digging through the soil and several slaty layers of the
red stone, to the depth of four or five feet.* From the
very numerous marks of ancient and modern diggings or
excavations, it would appear that this place has been for
many centuries resorted to for the red stone ; and from the
great number of graves and remains of ancient fortificationa
in its vicinity, it would seem, as well as from their actual
traditions, that the Indian tribes have long held this place
in high superstitious estimation ; and also that it has beea
the resort of difierent tribes, who have made their regular
pilgrimages here to renew their pipes.
* From the very many excavations recently and anciently made, I could
discover that these layers varied very much in their thickness in different
parts ; iind that in some places they were overlaid with four or five feet
of rock similar to, and in fact a part of, the lower stratum of the wall.
NORTH AMKRICAN INDIANS.
701
The red pipe stone, I consider, will take its place amongst
mineralB as an interoiiting Bubjcct of itself; and the •• CSteau
des Prairies" will become hereafter an important theme for
geologists; not only from the fact that this is the only
known locality of that mineral, but from other phenomena
relating to it. The single fact of such a table of quartz, in
horizontal strata, resting on this elevated plateau, is of
itself (in my opinion) a very interesting subject for investi-
gation- and one which calls upon the scientific world for a
correct theory with regard to the time when, and the man-
lier in which, this formation was produced. That it is of a
secondary character, and of a sedimentary deposit, seems
evident ; and that it has withstood the force of the diluvial
current, while the groat valley of the Missouri, from
this very wall of rocki to tho Rocky Mountains, has been
excavated, and its debris carried to the ocean, there is also
riot a shadow of doubt ; which opinion I confidently advance
on the authority of the following remarkable facts :
At the base of the wall, and within a few rods of it, and
on the very ground where the Indians dig for the red stone,
rests a group of five stupondous boulders of gneiss, leaning
against each other; the smallest of which is twelve or
fifteen feet, and the largest twenty-five feet in diameter,
altogether weighing, uuquostlonably, several hundred tons.
These blocks are composed chiefly of felspar and mica, of
an exceedingly coarse grain (the felspar often occurring in
crystals of an inch in diameter). The surface of these boul-
ders is in every part covered with a grey moss, which gives
them an extremely ancient and venerable appearance, and
their sides and angles are rounded by attrition, to the shape
and character of most other erratic stones, which are found
throughout the country. It is under these blocks that the
two holes, or ovens are seen, in which according to the
Indian superstition, the two old women, the guardian spirits
of the place, reside ; of whom I have before spoken.
That these five immense blocks, of precisely the same
character, and diltbring materially from all other specimens
702
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
,1
of boulders, which I have seen in the great valleys of the
Mississippi and Missouri, should have been hurled some
hundreds of miles from their native bed, and lodged in so
singular a group on this elevated ridge, is trulj matter of
surprise for the scientifio world, as well as for the poor
Indian, whose superstitious veneration of them is such, that
not a spear of grass is broken or bent by his feet, within
three or four rods of them, where he stops, and in humble
supplication, by throwing plugs of tobacco to them, solicits
permission to dig and carry away the red stone for his
pipes. The surface of these boulders are in every part
entire and unscratohed by anything; wearing the moss
everywhere unbroken, except where I applied the hammer,
to obtain some small specimens, which I shall bring away
with me.
The fact alone, that these blocks differ in character from
all other specimens which I have seen in my travels, amongst
the thousands of boulders which are strewed over the great
valley of the Missouri and Mississippi, from the Yellow
Stone almost to the Gulf of Mexico, raises in my mind an un-
answerable question, as regards the location of their native
bed, and the means by which they have reached their iso-
lated position ; like five brothers, leaning against and sup-
porting each other, without the existence of another boulder
within many miles of them. Tb«?re are thousands and tens
of thousands of boulders scattered over the prairies, at the
base of the Gdteau, on either side ; and so throughout the
valley of the St. Peter's and Mississippi, which are also
subjects of very great interest and importance to science,
inasmuch as they present to the world, a vast variety of
characters ; and each one, though strayed away from its
original position, bears incontestible proof of the character
of its native bed. The tract of country lying between the
St. Peter's river and the C6teau, over which we passed,
presents innumerable specimens of this kind ; and near the
base of the Cdteau they are strewed over the prairie in
countless numbers presenting an almost incredible variety
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
<08
of rich and beautiful colors; and undoubtedly traceable,
(if they can be traced), to separate and distinct beds.
Amongst these beautiful groups, it was sometimei a
very easy matter to sit on my horse and count within my
sight, some twenty or thirty different varieties, of quartz
and granite, in rounded boulders, of every hue and color,
from snow white to intense red, and yellow, and blue, and
almost to a jet black; each one well characterized and
evidently from a distinct quarry. With the beautiful hues
and almost endless characters of these blocks, I became
completely surprised and charmed; and I resolved to
procure specimens of every variety, which I did with
success, by dismounting from my horse, and breaking small
bits from them with my hammer ; until I had something
like an hundred different varieties, containing all the tints
and colors of a painter's pallette. These, I at length threw
away, as I had on several former occasions, other mineral*
and fossils, which I bad collected and lugged along from
day to day, and sometimes from week to week.
Whether these varieties of quartz and granite can all be
traced to their native beds, or whether they all have origins
at this time exposed above the earth's surface, are equally
matters of much doubt in my mind. I believe that the
geologist may take the different varieties, which he may
gather at the base of the C8teau in one hour, and travel the
Continent of North America all over without being enabled
to put them all in place ; coming at last to the unavoidable
conclusion, that numerous chains or beds of primitive rooki
have reared their heads on this Continent, the summits of
which have been swept away by the force of diluviai
currents, and their fragments jostled together and strewed
about, like foreigners in a strange land, over the great val<
lies of the Mississippi and Missouri, where they will ever
remain, and be gazed upon by the traveller, as the only
remaining evidence of their native beds, which have again
submerged or been covered with diluvial deposits.
There seems not to be, either on the C6teau or in th»
■04
LKITERS A.XD NOTES OX THE
great valleys on either side, so far as I have travelled, anj
alaty or other formation exposed above the surface on
which grooves or scratches can be seen, to establish the
direction of the diluvial currents in those regions ; yet I
think the fact is pretty clearly established by the general
ahapes of the vallies, and the courses of the mountain ridgei
which wall them in on thoir sides.
The Cdteau des Prairies is the dividing ridge between
the St. Peter's and Missouri rivers ; its southern termination
or slope is about in the latitude of the Fall of St. Anthony,
and it stands equi-distant between the two rivers; its
general course being two or three degrees West of North,
for the distance of two or three hundred miles, when it
gradually slopes again to the North, throwing out from its
base the head-waters and tributaries of the St. Peter's, on
the Kast. The Red River, and other streams, which empty
into Hudson's Bay, on the North ; La Riviere Jaque and
several other tributaries to the Missouri, on the West ; and
the Red Cedar, the loway and the Des Moines, on the
South.
This wonderful feature, which is several hundred miles
in length, and varying from fifty to a hundred in width, is,
perhaps, the noblest mound of its kind in the world ; it
gradually and gracefully rises on each side, by swell after
swell, without tree, or bush or rock (save what are to be*
seen in the vicinity of Pipe Stone-Quarry), and everywhere
covered with green grass, affording the traveller, from its
highest elevations, the most unbounded and sublime views
of nothing at all save the blue and boundless ocean
of prairie that lie beneath and all around him, vanishing
into azure in the distance without a speck or spot to break
their softness.
The direction of this ridge, I consider, pretty clearly
establishes the course of the diluvial current in this region ;
■and the erratic stones which are distributed along its base,
I attribute to an origin several hundred miles North West
from the Ooteau. I have not myself traced the Coteau to
NOHTll AMEIUCAX INDIAN'S.
705
its highest points, nor to its xVorthera extremity; but it han
been a subject, on which I have closely questioned a
number of traders, who have traversed every mile of it
with their carts, and from thence to Lake Winnepeg on
the North, who uniformly tell me, that there is no range
of primitive rooks to be crossed in travelling the whole
distance, which is one connected and continuous prairie.
The top and sides of the Coteau are everywhere strewed
over the surface with granitic sand and pebbles, which, tew
gether with the fact of the five boulders resting at the Pipe
Stone-Quarry, shew clearly that every part of the ridge has
been subject to the action of these currents, which could
not have run counter to it, without having disfigured or
deranged its beautiful symmetry.
The glazed or polished surface of the quartz rocks at the
Pipe Stone-Quarry, I consider a very interesting subject,
and one which will excite hereafter a variety of theories, as
to the manner in which it has been produced, and the causes
which have led to such singular results. The quartz is of
a close grain, and exceedingly hard, eliciting the most bril-
liant spark from steel ; and in most places, where exposed
to the sun and the air, has a high polish on its surface,
entirely beyond any results which could have been pro-
duced by diluvial action, being perfectly glazed as if by
ignition. I was not sufficiently particular in my exami-
nations to ascertain whether any parts of the surface of these
rocks under the ground, and not exposed to the action of
the air, were thus affected, which would afford an important
argument in forming a correct theory with regard to it ;
and it may also be a fact of similar importance, that this
polish does not extend over the whole wall or area ; but is
distributed over it in parts and sections, often disappearing
suddenly, and reappearing again, even where the character
and exposure of the rock is the same and unbroken. In
general, the parts and points m st projecting and exposed,
bear the highest polish, which would naturally be the case
whether it was produced by ignition, or by the action of the
45
roe
LETTERS AND NOTES OX THE
air and sun. It would aoem almost an impossibility, that
the air passing these projections for a series of centuries^
could have produced so high a polish on so hard a sub
stance ; and it seems equally unaccountable, that this eft'eot
could have been produced in the other way, in the total
absence of all igneous matter.
I have broken off specimens and brought them home,
which certainly bear as high a polish and lustre on the sur-
face, as a piece of melted glass ; and then as these rooks
have undoubtedly been formed where they now lie, it must
be admitted, that this strange effect on their surface has
been produced either by the action of the air and sun, or
by igneous influence ; an<l if by the latter course, there is
no other conclusion we can come to, than that these results
are volcanic ; that this wall has once formed the side of a
crater, and that the Pipe Stone, laying in horizontal strata^
is formed of the lava which has issued from it. I am
strongly inclined to believe, however, that the former sup-
position is the correct one; and that the Pipe Stone, which
differs from all known specimens of lava, is a new variety
of steatite^ and will be found to be a subject of great interest
and one worthy of a careful analysis.*
* In Silliman'g American Joamal of Science, Vol. zzvii., p. 394, will
be seen the following analysis of this mineral, made by Dr. Jackson o'
Boston, one of our beat mineralogists and chemists ; to whom I sent
some specimens for the purpose, and who pronounced it " a new mineral
compound, not steatite, is harder than gypsum, and softer than carbonate
of lime."
Chemical Analysis of the Bed Pipe Stone, brought by George GatUa»
from the Cdtean des Prairies, in 1836.
Water . . 8.4 Carbonate of lime 2.6
Silicia . . 48.2 Peroxide of iron 5.0
Alumina . . 28.2 Oxide of manganese 0.6
Magcesia . . 6.0 — —
99.0
Loss (probably magnesia) 1.0
100.0
^'ORTI£ AMERICAN ,.v,„^^.
With such notes and m.h m.-m . ^^^
land whose quiet and Hileno rr" "T ''" ^''''« "^^^n
wmds and the thunders of irvrrj' Woken by the
and we this morning saddle our ho;l "', ""/ "^^^'^ooi'.
our way to the "Thunders' w" ',"'u *^*''' ^«"ding
Medicine." we shall descend into ha vV^' "8tone.n.af
ter's, and from that to the rlil 'f'7 ''^ »>•« St. Pe.
whence, if I can get there Tou Il?V''''''^«*'°° ' ^^m
Adieu. "• ^^^ wall hear of me again.
LETTER— No. LVL
.'I': ' .. 1,
I
ROCK ISLAND. UPPER MISSISSIPPI.
It will be seen by this, that I am again wending mj way
towards home. Our neat little " dug out," by the aid of
our paddles, has at length brought my travelling com-
panion and myself in safety to this place, where we found
the river, the shores, and the plains contiguous, alive and
vivid with plumes, with spears, and war-clubs of the yelling
red men.
We had heard that the whole nation of Sacs and Foxes
were to meet Governor Dodge here in treaty at this time,
and nerve was given liberally to our paddles, which had
brought us from Traverse des Sioux, on .the St. Peter's
river; and we reached here luckily in Mme to see the
parades and forms of a savage community, transferring tha
(708)
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
709
rights and immunities of their soil to the insatiable grasp ot
pale faced voracity.
After having glutted our curiosity at the fountain of tha
Red Pipe, our horses brought us to the base of the Cfiteau,
and then over the extended plain that lies between that and
the Traverse des Sioux, on the St. Peter's with about five
days' travel.
In this distance we passed some of the loveliest prairie
country in the world, and I made a number of sketches—
" Laque du Cygn^y Swan Lake," was a peculiar and lovely
scene, extending for many miles, and filled with innumerable
small islands covered with a profusion of rich forest trees.
The Indian mode of taking muskrats, which dwell in im-
mense numbers in these northern prairies, and build their
burrows, in shoal water, of the stalks of the wild rice, is
curious. They are built up something of the size and form
of haycocks, having a dry chamber in the top, where the
animal sleeps above water, passing in and out through a
hole beneath the water's surface. The skins of these animals
are sought by the Traders, for their fur, and they constitute
the staple of all these regions, being ' caught in immense
numbers by the Indians, and vended to the Fur Traders.
The women, children and dogs attend to the littlo encamp-
ments, while the men wade to their houses or burrows, and
one strikes on the backs of them, as the other takes the
inhabitants in a rapid manner with a spear, while they are
escaping from them.
Whilst traversing this beautiful region of country, we
passed the bands of Sioux, who had made us so much trouble
on our way to the Red Pipe, but met with no further
molestation.
At the Traverse de Sioux, our horses were left, and we
committed our bodies and little travelling conveniences to
the narrow compass of a modest canoe that must evidently
have been dug out from the wrong side of the log — that
required us and everything in it, to be exactly in the
bottom — and then, to look straight forward, and speak from
I
710
LK'l'TKRS AND NOTES ON THE
1
ill
the middle of our mouths, or it was " father side wj/* in an
instant. In this way, embarked with our paddles used as
balance poles and propellers (after drilling awhile in shoal
water till we could " get the hang of it "), we started oft",
upon the bosom of the St. Peter's for the Fall of St.
Anthony. #»»»*»
* * * Sans accident we arrived, at ten o'clock
at night of the second day — and sans steamer (which we
were in hopes to meet), we were obliged to trust to our
little tremulous craft to carry us through the windings of
the mighty Mississippi and Lake Pepin, to Prairie du Chien
a distance of four hundred miles, which I had travelled last
summer in the same manner.
" Oh, the drudgery and toil of paddling our little canoft
from this to Prairie du Chien, we never can do it, Catlinl'
"Ah well, never mind, my dear fellow — we must 'go it '
— there is no other way. But think of the pleasure of su. b.
a trip, ha ? Our guns and our fishing-tackle we will hi ve
in gcjod order, and be masters of our own boat — %e oau
shove it into every nook and crevice ; explore the caves in
the rocks ; ascend ' Mount StromJbolo,^ and linger along the
pebbly shores of Lake Pepin, to our hearts' content."
" Well, I am perfectly agreed ; that's fine, by Jupiter,
that's what I shall relish exactly ; we will have our own fun,
and a truce to the labor and time ; let's haste and be off."
So we catered for our voyage, shook hands with our friends,
and were again balancing our skittish bark upon the green
waters of the Mississippi. We encamped (as I had done
the summer before), along its lonely banks, whose only
musio is the echoing war-song that rises from the glimmer-
ing camp-fire of the retiring savage, or the cries of the
famishing wolf that sits and bitterly weeps out in tremulo\is
tones, his impatience for the crumbs tliat are to fall to his lot.
Oh I but we enjoyed those moments, (did we not. Wood ?
I would ask you, in any part of the world, where circum-
stances shall throw this in your way) those nights of our
voyage, which ended days of peril and fatigue ; when our
NORTH AMKIUCAN' IN'DIAX.S.
711
larder was full, when our coffee was good, our mats spread,
and our musquito bars over us, which admitted the cool
and freshness of night, but screened the dew, and bade
defiance to the buzzing thousands of sharp-billed, winged
torturers that were kicking and thumping for admission.
I speak now of /air weather, not of the nights of lightning
«nd of rain 1 We'll pass them over. We had all kinds
though, and as we loitered ten days on our way, we ex-
amined and experimented on many things for the benefit of
mankind. We drew into our larder (in addition to bass
and wild fowls), clams, snails, frogs, and rattlesnakes ; the
latter of which, when properly dressed and broiled, we
found to be the most delicious food of the land.
We were stranded upon the Eastern shore of Lake Pepin,
where head-winds held us three days; and, like solitary
Malays or Zealand penguins, we stalked along and about
its pebbly shores till we were tired, before we could, with
security, lay our little trough upon itt: troubled surface.
When liberated from its wind-uouud sho'/es, we busily
plied our paddles, and nimbly sped our way, until we were
landed at the fort of " Mount Stvombolo," (as the soldiers
call it), but properly denominated, \:x French, La Montaigne
que tromps a Veau. We ascended it Avithout much trouble ;
and enjoyed from its top, one of the most magnificent
panoramic views that the Western world can furnish ; and
I would recommend to the tourist who has time to stop for
for an hour or two, to go to its summit, and enjoy with
rapture, the splendor of the scene that lies near a'^d in
distance about him. This mountain, or rather pyramid, is
an anomaly in the country, rising as it does, about seven
hundred feet from the water, and washed at its base, all
around, by the river ; which divides and runs on each side
of it. It is composed chiefly of rock, and all its strata
correspond exactly with those of the projecting pro-
montories on either side of the river. We at length
arrived safe at Prairie du Chien; which was also aam
steamer. We were moored again, thirty miles below, ai
712
LETTERS .VXD NOTES OS THE
ihe beautiful banks and bluff-i oPCassviUe ; which, too, was-
sans steamer — we dipped our paddles again and
We are now six hundred miles below the Pall of St»
Anthony, where steamers daily pass ; and we feel, of course,,
at home. I spoke of the Treaty. We were juat in time,
and beheld its conclusion. It was signed ^-^-^erday; and
this day, of course, is one of revel and amuoci^nts — shows
of war-parades and dances. The whole of the Sacs and
Foxes are gathered here, and their appearance is very
thrilling, and at the same time pleasing. These people
have sold so much of their land lately, that they have the
luxuries of life to a considerable degree, and may be con-
sidered rich; consequently they look elated and happy,,
carrying themselves much above the humbled manner of
most of the semi-civilized tribes, whose heads are hanging
and drooping in poverty and despair.
In a former epistle, I mentioned the interview which I
had with Kee-o-kuk, and the leading men and women of
his tribe, when I painted a number of t^eir portraits and
amusements ^s follow:
Kee-o-kuk (the running fox,) is the present chief of the
tribe, a dignified and proud man, with a good share of talent
and vanity enough to force into action all the wit and
iudgment he possesses, in order to command the attention
and respect of the world. At the close of the " Black Hawk
War," in 1833, which had been waged with disastrous
effects along the frontier, by a Sac chief of that name,
Kee-O'kuk was acknowledged chief of the Sacs and Foxes
by General Scott, who held a Treaty with them at Rock
Island. His appoiniment as chief, was in consequence of
the friendly position he had taken during the war, holding
two-thirds of the warriors neutral, which was no doubt the
cause of the sudden and successful termination of the war,
and the means of saving much bloodshed. Black Hawk
and his two sons, as well as his principal advisers and
warriors, were brought into St. Louis in chains, and Kee-o-
huh appointed chief with the assent of the tribe. There is
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
713-
no Indian chief on the frontier better known at this time,
or more highly appreciated for his eloquence, as a public
speaker, than Kee-o-kuk; as he has repeatedly visited
Washington and other of our Atlantic towns, and made
bis speeches before thousands, when he has been contending
for his people's rights, in their stipulations with the United
States Government, for the sale of their lands.
The Sacs and Foxes, who were once two separate tribes,
but with a language very similar, have, at some period not
very remote, united into one, and are now an inseparable
people, and go by the familiar appellation of the amalgam
name of " Sacs and Foxes."
These people shave and ornament their heads, like the
Osages and Pawnees, of whom I have spoken heretofore ;
and are amongst the number of tribes who have relinquished
their immense tracts of lands, and recently retired "West of
the Mississippi river. Their numbers at present are not
more than five or six thousand, yet they are a warlike and
powerful tribe.
lU.ArK HAWK.
'uk-a-tah-mish-o-kah-kaik (tlie black Illicit), l» the man
whom 1 liave ubove alluded, it.s the leader of the "Blaok
I
714
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
Hawk war," who was defeated by General Atkinson, and
held a prisoner of war, and sent through Washington
and other Eastern cities, with a number of others, to be
gazed at.
This man, whose name has carried a sort of terror
through the country where it has been sounded, has been
distinguished as a speaker or counsellor rather than as a
warrior; and I believe it has been pretty generally
admitted, that ^^Nah-pope" and the "Prophet" were in
fact, the instigators of the war ; and either of them with
much higher claims for the name of warrior than Black
Hawk ever had.
When I painted this chief, he was dressed in a plain suit
of buckskin, with strings of wampum in his ears and on his
neck, and held in his hand, his medicine-bag, which was
the skin of a black hawk, from which he had taken his
name, and the tail of which made him a fan, which he was
almost constantly using.
After I had painted the portrait of Kee-o-kuk at full
length, he had the vanity to say to me, that he made a fine
appearance on horseback, and that he wished me to paint
him thus. So I prepared my canvass in the door of the
hospital which I occuied, "n the dragoon cantonment ; and
he flourished about t >r a considerable part of the day in
front of me, until tl ■ picture was oo^ipleted. The horse
that he rode was the best animal on the frontier; a fine
blooded horse, for which he gave the price of three hundred
dollars, a thing that he was quite able to, who had the
distribution of fifty thousand dollars annuities, annually,
amongst his people. He made a great display on this day,
and hundreds of the dragoons and officers were about him,
and looking on during the operation. His horse was
beautifully caparisoned, and his scalps were carried attached
to the bridle-bits.*
* About two years after the above was written, and the portrait
painted, and while I was giving Lectures on the Customs of the
Indians, in the Stayvesant Institute in New York, Kee-o-kuk and hia
NUUTll AMEltlCAX IXmANs.
715
The dances mid uthor urnuseinouts uniongst this tribe are
•exceedingly »pirito<l mid plcuaiug.
The alave-dance h a picturowiae aceae, and the custom in
wife and gon, with twenty nioro of the chiefs and warriors of his tribe,
visited the City of Now Yorlc on their way to Washington City, and
were present one ovonlnu at my Lecture, amidst an audience of fifteen
hundred persons. During tliu Luclurc, I placed a succession of por-
traits on my euiol before iho audience, and they were successively
recognized by the Indian* ntt they were shown ; and at last I placed
this portrait of Koe-ckuk before them, when they all sprung up and
hailed it with a piercing yoll. A fter the noise had subsided, Kee-o-kuk
arose and addressed the uudltinco In these words :— "My friends, I hope
jrou will pardon my men for making so much noise, as they were very
much excited by seeing mu on my favorite war-horse, which they all
recognized in a moment,"
I had the satisfiictlon tli«n of xnying to the audience, that this was
very gratifying to mo, imiNmiich m many persons had questioned the
correctness of the picture of the horse; and some had said in my Exhi-
bitlon Room, "that It was un Imimsltlon— that no Indian on the frontier
Tode so good a horse," This was explained to Kee-o-kuk by the inter-
preter, when he arose again <julte Indignant at the thought that any one
should doubt Its corroetnt'Hn, and aHHured the audience, " that his men, a
number of whom never had heard that the picture was painted, knew the
horse the moment it was proNtintud ; and fnrther, he wished to know why
Eee-O'kuk could wot rido an good a horse as any white man?" He here
received a round of applauxe, and the interpreter, Mr. Le Clair, rose
and stated to the audience, that lio recognized the horse the moment it
was shown, and that it was a falthfid portrait of the horse thart he sold
to Kee-o-kuk for three hundrod dollars, and that it was the finest horse
on the frontier, belonging either to red or white men.
In a few minutes aftorwardM I was exhibiting several of my paintings
of buffalo-hunts, and describing the modes of slaymg them with bows
and arrows, when I made tlio assertion which I had often been in the
habit of making, that thupo were many Instances where the arrow was
thrown entirely through tho Imffalo's body; and that I had several
times witnessed this astonishing feat, I saw evidently by the motion oi
my audience, that many doubttnl the correctnes? of my assertion ; and I
appeoled to Kee-o-kuk, who rose up when the thing was explained to
him, and said, that it had repeatedly happened amongst his tribe ; and
he believed that one of IiIh young im-n by his side had done it. The
yoang man instnMy stepped up on the bench, and took a bow from
under his robe, v ■ ■ which ]w told the andicnce he had driven his arrow
quite through » L;oi; JYs body. And, there being forty of the Sioux
.
ri6
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
which it is founded, a very curious one. This tribe has a
society, which they call the " slaves" composed of a number
of the young men of the best families in the tribe, who
volunteer to be slaves for the term of two years, and su -
ject to perform any menial service that the chief may order,
no matter how humiliating or how degrading it may be ;
by which, after serving their two years, they are exempt
for the rest of their lives, on war parties or other excur-
sions, or wherever they may be — from all labor or degra-
ding occupations, such as cooking, making fires, &c., &c.
These young men elect one from their numbers to be
their master, and all agree to obey bis command, whatever
it may be, and which is given to him by one of the chiefs
of the tribe. On a certain day or season of the year, they
have to themselves a great feast, and preparatory to it the
above-mentioned dance.
Smoking horses is another of the peculiar and very curious
customs of this tribe. When General Street and 1 arrived
at Kee-o-kuk's village, we were just in time to see this
amusing scene, on the prairie a little back of his village.
The Foxes, who were making up a war-party to go against
the Sioux, and had not suitable horses enough by twenty,
had sent >vord to the Sacs, the day before (according to an
ancient custom), that they were coming on that day, at a
certain hour, to " smoke" that number of horses, and they
must not fail to have them ready. On that day, and at the
hour, the twenty young men who were beggars for horses,
were on the spot, and seated themselves on the ground in a
circle, where they went to smoking. The villagers flocked
around them in a dense crowd, and soon after appeared on
the prairie, at half a mile distance, an equal number of
young men of the Sac tribe, who had agreed, each to give
a horse, and who were then galloping them about at full
speed; and, gradually, as they went around in a circuit.
from Upper Missonri also present, the same queBtion was put to them,
when the chief arose, and addressing himself to the audience, said, tliat
it was a thing very often done by the hunters in his tribe.
»
NORTH AMERICAN" INDIAN'S.
717
coming in nearer to the centre, until they were at last close
around the ring of young fellows seated on the ground
Whilst dashing about thus, each one, with a heavy whip in
his hand, as he came within reach of the group on th«
ground, selected the one to whom he decided to present
his horse, and as he passed him, gave him the most tro*
mendouB cut with his lash, over his naked shoulders ; and
as he darted around again, he plied the whip as before, and
again and again, with a violent " crack 1" until the blood
could be seen trickling down over his naked shoulders,
upon which he instantly dismounted, and placed the bridle
and whip in his hands, saying, " here, you are a beggar — I
present you a horse, but you will carry my mark on your
back." In this manner, they were all in a little time
" whipped wp," and each had a good horse to ride home,
and into battle. His necessity was such, that ho could
afford to take the stripes and the scars as the price of tlio
horse, and the giver could aiford to make the present for
the satisfaction of putting his mark upon the other, and of
boasting of his liberality, which he has always a right to do,
when going into the dance, or on other important occasions
The Begging Dance is a frequent amusement, and one
that has been practiced with some considerable success at
this time, whilst there have been so many distinguished
and liberal visitors here. It is got up by a number of des-
perate and long-winded fellows, who will dance and yell
their visitors into liberality; or, if necessary, laugh them
into it, by their strange antics, singing a song of impor^
tunity, and extending their hands for presents, which they
allege are to gladden the hearts of the poor, and insure a
blessing to the giver.
The Sacs and Foxes, like all other Indians, are fond of
living along the banks of rivers and streams ; and like all
others, are expert swimmers and skilful canoemen.
Their canoes, like those of the Sioux and many other
tribes, are dug out from a log, and generally made ex-
tremely light; and they dart them through the coves and
I
718
I-ETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
*i
(ilong tbe slujres of the rivers, with astonishing quickness*
T was often amused at their freaks in their canoes, whilst
travelling; and T was induced to make a sketch of one
which I frequently witnessed, that of sailing with the aid
of their blankets, which the men carry ; and when the wind
is fair, stand in the bow of the canoe and hold by two cor-
ners, with the other two under the foot or tied to the leg ;
while the women sit in the other end of the canoe, and
pteer it with their paddles.
The Discovery Dance has been given here, amongst various
others, and ple'iS'ld the bystanders very much : it was ex-
ceed'Tigly droil and picturesque, and acted out with a great
deal ot puntoinimic effect — without music, or any other
noise than the patting of their feet, which all came simul-
taneously on the ground, in perfect time, whilst they were
dancing forward two or four at a time, in a skulking pos-
ture, overlooking the country, and professing to announce
the approach of animals or enemies which they have disco-
vered, by giving the signals back to the leader of the'
dance.
Dance to the Berdash a very funny and amusing scene,
which happens once a year or oftener, as they choose, when
a feast is given to the "5ercfa!«Ae," as he is called in French,
(or I-coo-coo-a, in their own language,) who is a man dressed
in woman's clothes, as he is known to be all his life, and
for extraordinary privileges which he is known to possess,
he is driven to the most servile and degrading duties, which'
he is not allowed to escape ; and he being the only one of
the tribe submitting to this disgraceful degradation, ij»-
looked upon as medicine and sacred, and a feast is given to
hiin annually ; and initiatory to it, a dance by those few
young men of the tribe, who can dance forward and pub-
licly make their boast (without the denial of the Berdashe)
that Agh-whi-ee-choos-cum-me hi-anh-dv -nme-ke on-
daig-nun-ehow ixt. Che-ne-a'hkt ah-pex :oo-ooo-a wi
an-gurotst whow-itcht-ne-axt-ar-rah, ne-a.\L-guii-he h'dow-k'»
dow on-daig-o-ewhicht nun-go-was-see.
in
NORTH AMERICA
HU.V8.
719
Such, and such only, are allow ter the dance and
partake of the feast, and as th. o are but a precious few in
tne tribe who have legitim itoly gained this singular
privilege, or willing to make a public confession of it, it
•will be seen that the society consists of quite a limited
number of " odd fellows."
This is one of the most unaccountable and disgusting
customs, that 1 have ever met in the Indian country, and
so far as I have been able to learn, belongs only to the
Sioux and Sacs and Foxes— perhaps it is practiced by
other tribes, but I did not meet with it ; and for further
account of it T am constrained to refer the reader to the
country where it is practiced, and where I should wish
that it might be extinguished before it be more fully
recorded.
Dance to the Medicine of the Brave. This is a custom well
worth recording, for the beautiful moral which is contained
in it. In this dance a party of Sac warriors who have
returned victorious from battle, with the scalps they have
taken from their enemies; but having lost one of their own
party, they appear and dance in front of his wigwam,
fifteen days in succession, about an hour on each day, when
the widow hangs his medicine-hag on a green bush which
she erects before her door, under which she sits and cries,
whilst the warriors dance and brandish the scalps they
have taken, and at the same time recount the deeds of
bravery of their deceased comrade in arms, whilst they are
throwing presents to the widow to heal her grief and afford
her the means of a living.
The Sacs and Foxes are already drawing an annuity of
twenty-seven thousand dollars, for thirty years to come, in
cash ; and by the present Treaty, that amount will be
enlarged to thirty-seven thousand dollars per annum. This
Treaty with the Sacs and Foxes, held at Rock Island, was
for the purchase of a tract of land of two hundred and fifty-
six thousand acres, lying on the loway river. West of the
Mississippi, a reserve which was made in the tract of land
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720
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
conveyed to the Government by Treaty after the Sac war,
and known as the " Black Hawk purchase." The Treaty
has been completed by Governor Dodge, by stipulating on
the part of Government to pay them seventy-five cents per
acre for the reserve, (amounting to one hundred and ninety*
two thousand dollars,) in the manner and form following : —
Thirty thousand dollars to be paid in specie in June
uext, at the Trer^ty-ground ; and ten thousand dollars
annually, for ten yaars to come, at the same place, and in
the same manner; and the remaining sixty 'two thousand,
in the payment of their debts, and some little donations to
widows and half-breed children. The American Fur
Company was their principal creditor, whose account for
goods advanced on credit, they admitted, to the amount of
nearly fifty thousand dollars. It was stipulated by an
article in the Treaty that one half of these demands should
be paid in cash as soon as the Treaty should be ratified —
and that five thousand dollars should be appropriated
annually, for their liquidation, until they were paid off.
It was proposed by Kee-o-kuk in his speech (and it is a
fact worthy of being known, for such has been the pro-
position in every Indian Treaty that I ever attended), that
the first preparatory stipulation on the part of the Govern-
ment, should be to pay the requisite sum of money to
satisfy all their creditors, who were then present, and whose
accounts were handed in, acknowledged and admitted.
The price paid for this tract of land is a liberal one, com-
paratively speaking, for the usual price heretofore paid for
Indian lands, has been one and a half or three quarter
cents, (instead of seventy -five cents) per acre, for land which
Government has since sold out for ten shillings.
Even one dollar per acre would not have been too much
to have paid for this tract, for every acre of it can be sold in one
year, for ten shillings per acre, to actual settlers, so desirable
and so fertile is the tract of country purchased. These
very people sold to Government a great part of the rich
states of Illinois and Missouri, at the low rates above*
NORTH AMERICAN' TXDTAXS.
721
mentioned ; and this small tract being the last that they
•can ever part with, without throwing themselves back upon
their natural enemies, it was no more than right that
Government should deal with them, as they have done,
liberally.
As an evidence of the immediate value of that tract of
land to Government, and, as a striking instance of the over*
whelming torrent of emigration, to the " Far West," I will
relate the following occurrence which took place at the
<ilose of the Treaty : — After the Treaty was signed and
witnessed, Governor Dodge addressed a few very judicious
and admonitory sentences to the chiefs and braves, which
he finished by requesting them to move their families, and
all their property from this tract, within one month, which
time he would allow them to make room for the whites.
Considerable excitement was created among the chieik
and braves, by this suggestion, and a hearty laugh ensued,
the cause of which was soon after explained by one of them
in the following manner :—
" My father, we have to laugh — we require no time to
move— we have all left the lands already, and sold our
wigwams to Ohemokemons (white men) — some for one
hundred, and some for two hundred dollars, before we
came to this Treaty. There are already four hundred
Ghemokemons on the land, and several hundred more on
their way moving in ; and three days before we came away,
one Chemokemon sold his wigwam to another Chemo-
kemon for two thousand dollars, to build a great town."
In this wise is this fair land filling up, one hundred miles
or more "West of the Mississippi — not with barbarians, but
with people from the East, enlightened and intelligent —
with industry and perseverance that will soon rear from
the soil all the luxuries, and add to the surface, all the
taste and comforts of Eastern refinement.
The Treaty itself, in all its forms, was a scene of interest,
and Kee-o-kuk was the principal speaker, on the occasion,
being recognized as the head chief of the tribe. He is a
46
722
LETTERS AXD NOTES.
Very subtle and dignified man, and well fitted to wield the
destinies of his nation. The poor dethroned monarch, old
Black Hawk, was present, and looked an object of pity.
With an old frock coat and brown hat on, and a cane in
his hand, he stood the whole time outside of the group, and
in dumb and dismal silence, with his sons by the side of
him, and also his quondam aide-de camp, Nah-pope, and the
prophet. They were not allowed to speak, nor even to
sign the Treaty. Nah-pope rose, however, and commenced
a very earnest speech on the subject of temperance/ but
Governor Dodge ordered him to sit down, (as being out of
order), which probably saved him" from a much more pe-
remptory command from Kee-o-hik, who was rising at that
moment, with looks on his face that the Devil himself
might have shrunk from. This Letter I must end here,
observing, before I say adieu, that I have been catering for
the public during this summer at a difficuU (and almost
cruel) rate; and if, in my over-exertions to grasp at material
for their future entertainment, the cold hand of winter
should be prematurely laid upon me and my works in thi»
Northern region, the world, I am sure, will be disposed to
pity, rather than censure me for my delay.
*■■■." '^
Hi
LETTER No. LVU.
FORT MOULTRIE, SOUTH CAROLINA.
Since tlie date of my last Letter, I have been a wanderer
ts usual, and am now at least two thousand miles from the
place where it was dated. At this place are held two
hundred and fifty of the Seminolees and Euchees, prisoners
of war, who are to be kept here awhile longer, and trans-
ferred to the country assigned them, seven hundred miles
(723)
I
724
L&1T£RS AND NOTES ON THE
West of the Missii^isippi, and fuurteeu hundred from this.
The famous Osceola is amongst the prisoners; and also
Mick-e-no-pak, the head chief of the tribe, and Claude King
Philip, and several others of the distinguished men of the
nation, who have celebrated themselves in the war that
is now waging with the United States Government.
There is scarcely any need of my undertaking in an
epistle of this kind, to give a full account of this tribe, of
their early history, of their former or present location, op
of their present condition, and the disastrous war they are
now waging with the United States Government, who have
held an invading army in their country for four or five
years, endeavoring to dispossess them and compel them to
remove to the West, in compliance with Treaty stipulations.
These are subjects generally understood already (being mat-
ters of history), and. I leave them to the hands of those who
will do them more complete justice than I could think of
doing at this time, with the little space that I could allow
them ; in the confident hope that justice may be meted out
to them, at least by the historian, if it should not be by
their great Guardian, who takes it upon herself, as with all
the tribes, affectionately to call them her " red children.''^
For those who know nothing of the Seminolees, it may
be proper for me here just to remark, that they are a trib^
of three or four thousand, occupying the peninsula of
Florida — and speaking the language of the Creeks, of
whom I have heretofore spoken, and who were once a part
of the same tribe.
The word Seminolee is a Creek word, signifying run-
aways; a name which was given to a part of the Creek
nation, who emigrated in a body to a country farther
South, where they have lived to the present day ; and con-
tinually extended their dominions by overruning the once
numerous tribe that occupied the Southern extremity of
the Florida Gape, called the Euchees ; whom they have at
last nearly annihilated, and taken the mere remnant of
them in, as a part of their tribe. With this tribe the
lof
lat
1o(
-'jtei
■Ji
7Jt
LEriKRJt \>a SOTiM ON THB
I 1
\Vv.tit ot llie MissirfWi'i I, auJ ^'>>mvU'mu huudivd from this.
The famous Once oh. »« v^MOi^^At the ptiboueri; Mud al»o
^ Michti-no-pah^ tbe hcni <jhi«'' of llu- tnb'-, aud Cfoiti, Kimj
Philip, and several othura <-'f th»; dblmguidbod wcu of ihe
nation, Wiio have <?<:)i)l)raU>il thtjiiMtlv-s iu t! y war that
ia now waging witli tUu UriiUfa Suv^ G'.'vcrumeut.
There u scarcely a'i> atixj'l '>< my taidertaklng in an
epistle of this kind, to givre « ( jU o«;« ouot of this tribe, of
their early liistory, uf \.\u-'xr f«,»ra;'.': '-»r preheat location, or
of their present coudiiion, 8n>i tk«' disaatroui 'Arar they are
now waging with i'm V,.u\^ >»*'-«:« Oovornuient, who have
held an invading arm.? i.'» tlw**; .^uuntry for four or five
yearrr, eadeavonii/<- V) •Jv*,i<iW>i«»« thA,'rij and compel thrra to
remove to the W^idt, ..jj )e>!ij^I:*.'>*5 niih Treaty stipulations.
These ar fu'r-.H;? ; k'i;«.*!i »t»,«' ^.{^fit^iuhX already (being mat-
ters of n.m«^i:^'j,«»'=»i i ti^i^t ;.^'.Hi w Oi'- Uuuda of those who
■will \\(: til* joi more campioW jussiMi 'Imn I oould think of
do-ug &•« f Ui* tui.o, with the littk »\iv^c^ thai J -roald allow
Lhcm; iu the coiiCd*-at hop« ihrdjUrttiee may be rneted out
to them, at le.-ut by tli(; hiKionan, If it 'houM iiot be by
their great Guardian, who i.ake.-» it ■■\»ou herself, ay with all
the tribes, atToetitmately to rail them her ''red children .''
For thosu who know nothing of the Senunoleefl, it may
be proper )or me lure jntit tu remark, thfi.t they'are a tribe
of three or ("W llioiisaod. oocupying the peniu.-^ula of
Flofid?i- anH 'P'al<iii!< thi! language of the Creeks, of
Avhom I have luMvtvyh're «})okon, and who were onee apart
of the surae tii be.
T'ne woid Semmolf"-. u a Creek word, signifying run-
aways: a name which wa» given to a part of the Creek
nation, who < laigrafed iu a body to a country farther
South, where they have lived to the present, day ; and con
tinually extended tlieir dominions by overruning the once
numerous tribe that wiupiiid the Soathern citremity of
the Florida Gape, called tho Eiieheea; whom they have at
last nearly aunihihited, and taken the mere remnant, of
-them in, aa a part of thutr iribe. With this tribe th«
r
10
teJ
for
reo
the
au
NORTH AMERICAN' INDIANS.
725
Government have been engaged in deadly and disastrous
warfare for four or five years ; endeavoring to remove them
from their lands, in compliance with a Treaty stipulation,
which the Government claims to have been justly made,
and which the Seminolees aver, was not. Many mUlions of
money, and some hundreds of lives of ofl&cers and men
have already been expended in the attempt to dislodge
them ; and much more will doubtless be yet spent before
they can be removed from their almost impenetrable
swamps and hiding-places, to which they can, for years to
come, retreat ; and from which they will be enabled, and no
doubt disposed, in their exasperated state, to make con>
tinual sallies upon the unsuspecting and defenceless inhabi-
tants of the country ; carrying their relentless feelings to be
reeked in cruel vengeance on the unoffending and innocent.*
The prisoners who are held here, to the number of two
hundred and fifty, men, women, and children, have been
captured during the recent part of this warfare, and amongst
them the distinguished personages whom I named a few
moments since ; of these, the most conspicuous at this time
is Os-ce-o-la, commonly called Powell, as he is generally
supposed to be a half-breed, the son of a white man (by that
name), and a Creek woman.
* The aboye Letter was written in the winter of 1838, and by the
Secretary at War's Report, a year and a half ago, it is seen that thirty,
six milliona of dollars had been already expended in the Seminolee war»
as well as the lives of twelve or fourteen hundred officers and men, and
defenceless inhabitants, who have fallen victims to the violence of the
enraged savages and diseases of the climate. And at the present date»
Angnst 1841, 1 see by the American papers, that the war is being pro-
secuted at this time with its wonted vigor ; and that the best troops in
oar country, and the lives of our most valued officers are yet jeapordised
in the deadly swamps of Florida, with little more certainty of a speedy
termination of the war, than there appeared five years ago.
The world will pardon me for saying no more of this inglorions war,
for it will be seen that I am too near the end of my book, to afford it the
requisite space ; and as an American citizen, I would pray, amongst
thousands of others, that all books yet to be made, might have as good
au excuse for leaving it out.
!'i
726
LKTTER9 AND NOTES ON THE
i"
I have painted him precisely in the costume in which he
etood for his picture, even to a string and a trinket. He
wore three ostrich feathers in his head, and a turban made
of a van-oolored cotton shawl — and his dress was chiefly
of calicos, with a handsome bead sash or belt around hia
waist, and his rifle in his hand.
This young man is, no doubt, an extraordinary charac-
ter, as he has been for some years reputed, and doubtless
looked upon by the Seminolees as the master spirit and
leader of the tribe, although he is not a chief. From his
boyhood, he had led an energetic and desperate sort of life,
which had secured for him a conspicuous position in society ;
and when the desperate circumstances of war were agitating
his country, he at once took a conspicuous and decided
part ; and in some way, whether he deserved it or not, ac-
quired an influence and a name that soon sounded to the
remotest parts of the United States,* and amongst the In-
dian tribes, to the Rocky Mountains.
This gallant fellow, who was, undoubtedly, captured a
few months since, with several of his chiefs and warriors,
was at first brought in to Fort Mellon, in Florida, and after-
wards sent to this place for safe-keeping, where he is
grieving with a broken spirit, and ready to die, cursing
white men, no doubt, to the end of his breath.
The surgeon of the post, Dr. Weedon, who has charge
of him, and has been with him ever since he was taken
prisoner, has told me from day to day, that he will not live
many weeks ; and I have my doubts whether he will, from
the rapid decline I have observed in his face and his flesh
since I arrived here.
During the time that I have been here, I have occupied
a large room in the officers' quarters, by the politeness of
Captain Morrison, who has command of the post, and
charge of the prisoners ; and on every evening, after paint-
ing all day at their portraits, I have had Os-ce-ola, Mick-e-
no-pa. Cloud, Co-a-had-jo, King Philip, and others in my
room, until a late hour at night, where they have taken
great pains to lyive m^ nn „
in which .he/worc:;.r;:;u^^j« -, -' "■-' -'••
*«'J7- ' "^^'^^ they complai,, bit-
are .round hi™, .J, if "T^.'^.'!*-™ .rt' chi,6 wh.
one entitled to , better ftte "'""'rf.n.ry m.n, ,nd
In stature ho ia about «t m.j-
graceful movement; in htteTe'-' ""'. " ''''''' «"^
rather an effeminate smile but of '' ^°°^ ^^^'''g. ^^tU
that the world may I'^n'^'L^ P^°""« « charicter.
•another just like it In his In ''''"' '^^*^°'»t ««ding
«»ents in company, he is 001^?' '"^ ^" ^^ '"ove
•all his conversation is en lelyTn h^ n^'"?'"'*'^^^' ^^^^^
general appearance and actioi th T *°^Sue ; and his
^ild Indian. °°'' *^°«« ^^ « full-blooded wd
LETTER No. LVIIL
NORTH WBSTBBN FBONTIE&
Havino finished mytrayels in the " Far West** for awhile^
and being detained a little time, aana occupation^ in my
nineteenth or twentieth transit of what in oommon parlanoa
is denominated the Frontier : I have seated myself down to
give some farther account of it, and of the doings and
habits of people, both red and white, who live upon it
The Frontier may properly be denominated the fleeting
and unsettled line extending from the Gulf of Mexico to
the Lake of the Woods, a distance of three thousand miles ;
which indefinitely separates civilized from Indian popu-
(728)
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
729
lation— a moving barrier, where the unrestrained aiul
natural propensities of two people are concentrated, in an
atmosphere of lawless iniquity, that offends Heaven, and
holds in mutual ignorance of each other, the honorable and
virtuous portions of two people, which seem destined never
to meet.
From what has been said in the foregoing epistles, the
reader will agree that I have pretty closely adhered to my.
promise made in the commencement of them ; that I should
oonflne my remarks chiefly to people I have visited, and
customs that I have seen, rather than by taking up his time
with matter that might be gleaned from books. He will
also agree, that I have principally devoted my pages, as I
promised, to an account of the condition and customs of
those Indians whom I have found entirely beyond the
Frontier, acting and living as Nature taught them to live
and aot without the examples, and consequently without
the taints of civilized encroachments.
He will, I flatter myself, also yield me some credit
for devoting the time and space I have occupied in my first
appeal to the world, entirely to the condition and actions
of the living, rather than fatiguing him with theories of the
living or the dead. I have theories enough of my own,
and have as closely examined the condition and customs of
these people on the Frontier, as those living beyond it —
and also their past, and present, and prospective history ;
but the reader will have learned, that my chief object in
these Letters, has been not only to describe what I have
«een, but of thate things, such as I deemed the most novel
and least understood ; which has of course confined my
remarks heretofore, mostly to the character and condition of
those tribes living entirely in a state of nature.
And as I have now a little leisure, and no particular tribes
before me to speak of, the reader will allow me to glance
my eye over the whole Indian country for awhile, both
along the Frontier and beyond it ; taking a hasty and brief
survey of them, and their prospects in the aggregate ; and
\
780
LETTERS AXD NOTES ON THE
by not seeing quite as distinctly as I have been in the habit
of doing heretofore, taking pains to tell a little more em-
phatically what I ^ink^ and what I have thought of those
things that I have seen, and yet have told but in part.
I have seen a vast many of these wild people in my
travels, it will be admitted by all. And I have had toils
And difficulties, and dangers to encounter in paying them
my visits ; yet I have had my pleasures as I went along,
in shaking their friendly hands, that never had felt the
contaminating touch of monei/, or the withering embrace
of pockets ; I have shared the comforts of their hospitable
wigwams, and always have been preserved unharmed in
their country. And if I have spoken, or am to speak of
them, with a seeming bias, the reader will know what al-
lowance to make for me, who am standing as the champion
of a people, who have treatefl me kindly, of whom I feel
bound to speak well ; and who have no means of speaking
for themselves.
Of the dead, to speak kindly, and to their character to
render justice, is always a praiseworthy act ; but it is yet
far more charitable to extend the hand of liberality, or to
Hold the scale of justice, to the living who are able to feel
the benefit of it. Justice to the dead is generally a charity,
inasmuch as it is a kindness to living friends ; but to the
poor Indian dead, if it is meted out at all, which is seldom
the case, it is thrown to the grave 'vith him, where he has
generally gone without friends left, behind him to inh -rit
the little fame that is reluctantly allowed him while living,
and much less likely to be awarded to him when dead. Of
the thousands and millions, therefore, of these poor fellows
who are dead, and whom we have thrown into their graves,
there is nothing that I could now say, that would do them
any good, or that would not answer the world as well at a
future time as at the present ; while there is a debt that we
are owing to those of them who are yet living, which I
think justly demands our attention, and all our sympathies
At this moment.
/
NORTH AMERICAN' INDIAN'S.
781
The peculiar condition in which we are obliged to con
template these most unfortunate people at this time-
hastening to destruction and extinction, as they evidently
are, lays an uncompromising claim upon the sympathies of
the civilized world, and gives a deep interest and value to
such records as are truly made — setting up, and perpet-
uating from the life, their true native character and customs.
If the great family of North American Indians were all
dying by a scourge or epidemic of the country, it would be
natural, and a virtue, to weep for them ; but merely to
sympathize with them (and but partially to do that) when
they are dying at our hands, and rendering their glebe to
our possession, would be to subvert the simplest law of
Nature, and turn civilized man, with all his boasted virtues,
back to worse than savage barbarism.
Justice to a nation who are dying, need never be expected
from the hands of their destroyers ; and where injustice and
injury are visited upon the weak and defenceless, from ten
thousand hands — from Governments — monopolies and indi.
viduals — the offence is lost in the inseverable iniquity in
which all join, and for which nobody is answerable, unless
it be for their respective amounts at a final day of
retribution.
Long and cruel experience has well proved that it is
impossible for enlightened Governments or money making
individuals to deal with these credulous and unsophisticated
people, without the sin of injustice; but the humble biog-
rapher or historian, who goes amongst them from a different
motive, may come out of their country with his hands and
his conscience clean, and himself an anomaly, a white man
dealing with Indians, and meting out justice to them ; whi-ch
I hope it may be my good province to do with my pen and
my brush, with which at least, I will have the singular and
valuable satisfaction of having done them no harm.
With this view, and a desire to ronder justice to my
readers also, I have much yet to say of the general appear-
ance and character of the Indians — of their condition and
782
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
treatment; and far more, I fear, than I can allot to the little
space I have designed for the completion of these epistles.
Of the general aj>pearance of the North American In-
dians, much might be yet said, that would be new and
instrnotive. In stature, as I have already said, there are
some of the tribes that are considerably above the ordinary
height of man, and others that are evidently below it;
allowing their average to be about equal to that of their
fellow-men in the civilized world. In girth they are less,
and lighter in their limbs* and almost entirely free from
corpulency or useless flesh. Their bones are lighter, their
skulls are thinner, and their muscles less hard than those
of their civilized neighbors, excepting in the legs and feet,
where they are brought into more continual action by their
violent exercise on foot and on horseback, which swells the
muscles and gives them great strength in those limbs, which
is often quite as conspicuous as the extraordinary develop-
ment of muscles in the shoulders and arms of our laboring
men.
Although the Indians are generally narrow in the
shoulders, and less powerful with the arms, yet it does not
always happen by any means, that they are so effeminate
as they look, and so widely inferior in brachial strength, as
the spectator is apt to believe, from the smooth and rounded
appearance of their limbs. The contrast between one of
our laboring men when he denudes his limbs, and the figure
of a naked Indian is to be sure very striking, and entirely
too much so, for the actual difference in the power of the
two persons. There are several reasons for this which
account for so disproportionate a contrast and should be
named.
The laboring man who is using his limbs the greater
part of his life in lifting heavy weights, &c., sweats them
with the weight of clothes which he has on him, which
softens the integuments and the flesh, leaving the muscles
to stand out in more conspicuous relief when they are
exposed : whilst the Indian, who exercises his limbs for the
NORTH AMER[CAN IXDIAXS.
783
most of his life denuded and exposed to the air, gets over
his muscles a thicker and more compact layer of integumenta
which hide them from the view, leaving the casual spectator,
who sees them only at rest, to suppose them too decidedly
inferior to those which are found amongst people of his own
color. Of muscular strength, in the legs, I have met many
of tbe most extraordinary instances in the Indian country,
that ever I have seen in my life; and I have watched and
studied such for hours together with utter surprise and
admiration, in the violent exertions of their dances, where
they leap and jump with every nerve strung, and every
muscle swelled, till their legs will often look like a bundle
of ropes, rather than a mass of human flesh. And from all
thrt I have seen, I am inclined to say, that whatever differ-
ences there may be between the North American Indians
and their civilized neighbors in the above respects, they
are decidedly the results of different habits of life and
modes of education rather than of any difference in consti-
tution. And I would also venture the assertion, that he
who would see the Indian in a condition to judge of his
muscles, must see him in motion ; and he who would get a
perfect study for an Hercules or an Atlas, should take a
stone-mason for the upper part of his figure, and a Caman-
chee or a Blackfoot Indian from the waist downwards to the
feet.
There is a general and striking character in the facial
outline of the North American Indians, which is bold and
free, and would seem at once to stamp them as distinct from
natives of other parts of the world. Their noses are
generally prominent and aquiline — and the whole face, if
divested of paint and copper-color, would seem to approach
to the bold and European character. Many travellers have
thought that their eyes were smaller than those of
Europeans ; and there is good cause for one to believe so,
if he judges from first impressions, without taking pains to
inquire into the truth and causes of things. I have been
struck, as most travellers no doubt have, with the want of
784
LETTERS AND X0TK8 ON THE
expansion and apparent smallnus-i of tlie Indians' eyes,,
which I have found upon examination, to be principally th&
effect of continual exposure to the rays of the sun and the
wind, without the shields that are used by the civilized
world ; and also when in -doors, and free from those causes,
subjected geneially to one more distressing, and calculated
to produce similar results, the smoke that almost continually
hangs about their wigwams, which necessarily contracts
the lids of the eyes, forbidding that full flame and expansion
of the eye, that the cool and clear shades of our civilized
domicils are calculated to promote.
The teeth of the Indians are generally regular and sound,
and wonderfully preserved to old age ; owing, no doubt, to
the fact that they live without the spices of life — without
saccharine and without salt, which are equally destructive
to teeth, in civilized communities. Their teeth though
sound, are not white, having a yellowish cast ; but for the-
same reason that a negro's teeth are "like ivory," they
look white — set as they are in bronze, as any one with a
tolerable set of teeth can easily test, by painting his face the
color of an Indian, and grinning for a moment in his
looking-glass.
Beards they generally have not, esteeming them great
vulgarities, and using every possible means to eradicate
them whenever they are so unfortunate as to be annoyed
with them. Different writers have been very much at
variance on this subject ever since the first accounts given
of these people ; and there seems still an unsatisfied ouri-
osity on the subject, which I would be glad to say that I
could put entirely at rest.
From the best information that I could obtain amongst
forty-eight tribes that I have visited, I feel authorized to
say, that, amongst the wild tribes, where they have made
no efforts to imitate white men, at least, the proportion of
eighteen out of twenty, by nature, are entirely without the
appearance of a beard ; and of the very few who have them
by nature, nineteen out of twenty eradicate it by plucking
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
735
It out several times in succession, precisely at the age of
puberty, when its growth is successfully arrested ; and oc-
casionally one may be seen, who has omitted to destroy it
at that time, and subjects his chin to the repeated pains of
its extractions, which he is performing with a pair of clam-
shells or other tweezers, nearly every day of his life and
occasionally again, but still more rarely, one is found, who
from carelessness or inclination, has omitteil both of these,
and is allowing it to grow to the length of an inch or two
on his chin in which case it is generally very soft, and ex-
ceedingly sparse. Wherever there is a cross of the blood
with the European or African, which is frequently the case
along the frontier, a proportionate beard is the result ; and
it is allowed to grow, or is plucked out with much toil, and
with great pain.
There has been much speculation, and great variety of
opinions, as to the results of the intercourse between the
European and African population with the Indians on the
borders ; and T would not undertake to decide so difficult
a question, though I cannot help but express my opinion,
which is made up from the vast many instances that 1 have
seen, that generally speaking, these half-breed specimens
are in both instances a decided deterioration from the two
stocks from which they have sprung ; which I grant may
be the consequence that generally flows from illicit inter-
course, and from the inferior rank in which they are held
by both, (which is mostly confined to the lowest and most
degraded portions of society), rather than from any consti-
tutional objection, necessarily growing out of the amalga-
mation.
The finest built and most powerful men that I have ever
yet seen, have been some of the last- mentioned, the negro
and the North American Indian mixed, of equal blood.
These instances are rare, to be sure, yet are occasionally to
be found amongst the Seminoleea and Cherokees, and also
amongst the Gamanchees, even, and the Caddoes ; and I
account for it in this way : From the slave-holding States
786
LETTBUS AND NOTES ON THE
to the heart of the oountry of a wild tribe of Indians,
through almost boundless and impassable wilds and
swamps, for hundreds of miles, it requires a negro of ex
traordinary leg, and courage and perseverance, to travel
absconding from his master's fields, to throw himself into
a tribe of wild and hostile Indians, for the enjoyment of
his liberty ; of which there are occasional instances, and
when they succeed, they are admired by the savage ; and
as they come with a good share of the tricks and arts of
civilization, they are at once looked upon by the tribe, as
extraordinary and important personages; and generally
marry the daughters of ohiefo, thus uniting theirs with the
best blood in the nation, which produce these remarkably
fine and powerftxl men that I have spoken of above.
Although the Indians of North America, where dissipa
tion and disease have not got amongst them, undoubtedly
are a longer lived and healthier race, and capable of endu-
ring far more bodily privation and pain, than civilized
people can ; yet I do not believe that the differences are
constitutional, or anything more than the results of differ-
ent circumstances, and n different education. As an evi-
dence in support of this anttertton, I will allude to the
hundreds of men whom I have seen, and travelled with,
who have been for several years together in the Eocky
Mountains, in the employment of the Fur Companies;
where they have lived exactly upon the Indian system,
continually exposed to the open air and the weather, and
to all the disappointments and privations peculiar to that
mode of life ; and I am bound to say, that I never saw a
more hardy and healthy race of men in my life, whilst
they remain in the country ; nor any who fall to pieces
quicker when they get back to confined and dissipated
life, which they easily fall into when they return to their
own country.
The Indian women, who are obliged to lead lives of se-
vere toil and drudgery, become exceedingly healthy and
robust, giving easy birth and strong constitutions to their
NORTH AMKRICAN INDIANS.
rs:
children ; which, in a measure, may account for the sim-
plicity and fewness of their diseases, which in infancy and
childhood are very seldom known to destroy life.
If there were anything like an equal proportion of deaths
amongst the Indian children, that is found in the civilized
portions of the world, the Indian country would long since
have been depopulated, on account of the decided dispro-
portion of children they produce. It is a very rare occur-
rence for an Indian woman to be "ftfewcd" with more than
four or five children during her life; and generally speak-
ing, they seem contented with two or three ; when in civil-
ized communities it is no uncommon thing for a woman to
■be the mother of ten or twelve, and sometimes to bear two
-or even three at a time ; of which I never recollect to have
met an instance during all my extensive travels in the In-
dian country, though it is possible that I might occasionally.
Ihave passed them.
For so striking a dissimilarity as there evidently is be.
tween these people, and those living according to the more
artificial modes of life, in a subject, seemingly alike natural
to both, the reader will perhaps expect me to furnish some
(rational and decisive causes. Several very plausible rea-
sons have been advanced for such a deficiency on the part
•of the Indians, by authors who have written on the subject,
but whose opinions I should be very slow to adopt ; inas.
much as they have been based upon the Indian's inferiority,
<(as the same authors have taken great pains to prove in
most other respects), to their pale-faced neighbors.
I know of but one decided cause for this difference, which
I would venture to advance, and which I confidently
believe to be the principal obstacle to a more rapid increase
of their families ; which is the very great length of time
that the women submit to lactation, generally carrying their
children at the breast to the age of two, and sometimes
three, and even four years 1
The astonishing ease and success with which the Indian
women pass through the most painful and most trying of
47
738
LKTTKB8 AND NOTES ON THK
all human difRculties, which fall exclusively to the lot ot
the gentler sex, is quite equal, I have found from con-
tinued enquiry, to the representations that have often been
made to the world by other travellers, who have gone
before me. Many people have thought thb a wise pro*
vision of Nature, in framing the constitution of these
people, to suit the exigencies of their exposed lives, where
they are beyond the pale of skilful surgeons, and the nice
little comforts that visit the sick beds in the enlightened
world ; but I never have been willing to give to Nature
quite so much credit, for stepping aside of her own rule,
which I believe to be about half way between — from which
I am inclined to think that the refinements of art, and ita
spices, have led the civilized world into the pains and
perils of one unnatural extreme ; whilst the extraordinary
fatigue and exposure, and habits of Indian life, have greatly
released them from natural pains, on the other. With this
view of the case, I fully believe that Nature has dealt
everywhere impartially ; and that, if from their childhood,
our mothers had, like the Indian women, carried loads like
beasts of burden — and those over the longest journeys,,
and highest mountains — had swam the broadest rivers— and
galloped about for months and even years of their lives,
(utride of their horses' backs ; we should have taxed them
as lightly in stepping into the world, as an Indian pappoose
does its mother, who ties her horse under the shade of a
tree for half an hour, and before night overtakes her
travelling companions with her infant in her arms, which
has often been the case.
As to the probable origin of the North American Indians,
which is one of the first questions that suggests itself to the
enquiring mind, and will be perhaps, the last to be settled ;
I shall have little to say in this place, for the reason that so
abstruse a subject, and one so barren of positive proof,
would require in its discussion too much circumstantial
evidence for my allowed limits; which I am sure the
world will agree will be filled up much more consistently
up(
foil
VORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
78t»
with the avowed spirit of this work, by treating of that
which admits of au abundance of proof— their actual
existence, their customs— and misfortunes; and the sug-
gestions of modes for the amelioration of their condition.
For a professed philanthropist, I should deem it cruel
and hypocritical to waste time and space in the discussion
of a subject, ever so interesting, (though unimportant^
when the present condition and prospects of these people
are calling so loudly upon the world for justice, and for
mercy ; and when their evanescent existence and custom*
are turning, as it were, on a wheel before us, but soon to be
lost; whilst the mystery of their origin can as well be
fathomed at a future day as now, and recorded with their
exit.
Very many people look upon the savages of this vast
country, as an " Anomaly in Nature ;''^ and their existence
and origin, and locality, things that needs must be at once
accounted for.
Now, if the world will allow me, (and perhaps they may
think me singular for saying it), T would say, that these
are, in my opinion, natural and simple; and, like all other
works of Nature, destined to remain a mystery to mortal
man ; and if man be anywhere entitled to the name of an
anomaly, it is he who has departed the farthest from the
flimple walks and actions of his nature.
It seems natural to enquire at once who these people are,
and from whence they came ; but this question is natural,
only because we are out of nature. To an Indian, such a
question would seem absurd — he would stand aghast and
astounded at the anomaly before Jiim — himself upon his
own ground, " where the Great Spirit made him"— hunting
in his own forests; if an exotic, with a "pale face," and
from across the ocean, should stand before him, to ask him
where he came from, and how he got there I
I would invite this querist, this votary of science, to sit
upon a log with his red acquaintance, aqd answer the
following questions : —
740
L£TTEK3 AND NOTES OX THK
" You white man, where you come from ?"
" From England, across the water."
" How white man come to see England ? how you tace
come to get white, ha ?"
I never yet have been made to see the nectasityoi showing
how these people eame here^ or that they came here at all ;
which might easily have been done, by the way of
Behring's Straits from the North of Asia. I should much
rather dispense with such a necessity, than undertake the
other necessities that must follow the establishment of this ;
those of showing how the savages paddled or drifted in
their canoes from this Continent, after they had got here, or
from the Asiatic Coast, and lande<l on all the South Sea
Islands, which we find to be inhabited nearly to the South
Pole. I'or myself, I am quite satisfied with the fact, which
is a thing certain, and to be relied on, that this Continent
Mraa found peopled in every part, by savages ; and so, nearly
every Island in the South Seas, at the distance of several
thousand miles from either Continent; and I am quite
willing to surrender the mystery to abler pens than my
own — to theorists who may have the time, and the means
to prove to the world, how those rude people wandered
there in their bark canoes, without water for their sub-
sistence, or compasses to guide them on their way.
The North American Indians, and all the inhabitants of
the South Sea Islands, speaking some two or three hundred
different languages, entirely disimUar, may have all sprung
from one stock ; and the Almighty, after creating man, for
some reason that is unfathomable to human wisdom, might
have left the whole vast universe, with its severed continents,
and its thousand distant isles everywhere teeming with
necessaries and luxuries, spread out for man's use ; and there
to vegetate and rot, for hundreds and even thousands of
centuries, until ultimate, abstract accident should throw him
amongst these infinite mysteries of creation ; the least and
most insignific^mt of which have been created and placed
by design. Human reason is weak, and human ignoranca
eon.p„he„d; vherehi, rel" ^"^ '" 'W"g» .hat he !^
™n be employed for .he a7v ' ^ "" '"" "'°'"«> en^rZ
'Peo.™. With .his oonvLii Jf T,' ""' "*"«"' » , !
he ground .ha. I have betr«„J-!' "l*'") '» ru.rea. .'o'
hey are and «,W .hey a^ Z "i"'" "™ ^-"J^"" «
v^,,gev,de„eeswhih..hVrv; T.h'"* """"■«^' 'h««
mts than my,elf-„ho mav lI' ? ,"* "^ "hlor .heo-
»h.ch may be as well (and Utlr '''"'''■* *«-■ or J„
hence, .han a. .he preL C'"^ ''*''-)''°™, a oen.^l^
J he reader b apnrised tl, .t ,
allotted .o .heseepS'' 1°'/ "^'^ "^"^'^ ""ed .he Ii„i.,
wh.ch I have aoe'n Zklil^Z: u" '^'^^ » -« S
»ame neoessi.y, I „„3, ^„ j °'°, u ?"~*''*' f"'™ the
beg to be pardoned if I w .hl7, '"'' """' ^'hh.k, and
-tt^^^'::LT-;^ - -^ -«h .meri„a„
---:?p:o::f.^£^^^^^^^^
;«e ^ ta «*^ ^>J^f «;;-;^-,» or .ha. .hey a^
formation of .heir heads, r am comnll, .":"'""'• ""^ '<"'■
Z » "malgam raee, bn st^sav^^ '^ VT'' "f"" 'h™
he,rcu,.„m^ whieh seem .„ me ! bl v"™ """^ "'
»« «ell as from .he character of te^ r^x'""^ '''"'i'h,
believe that some part of th! ^'^'' ^ *"> ""-ced to
been dispei^d by Chris« nl'^/""'"' '"'^- "■■» have
>»any different erL, hav Ind he-""""^ ""''• "»<' '» *>
»here they have en J!, " ' ""^ "> *« oountrv
have lived'and intert^r IrXhfl T"'^ ^'«''' -^'
'dentity has been swallowtl ,,' ! J"''"""' ""'» 'heir
number, of their new alattal" °l' '" *^ greater
led character which thThav^ b ' ""^l*." '"'" """^ -^eei-
"ces; andsachoftheirlJoTs.!?'^':^ "^ "■« ^-dian
-^op, and Which they rp^r::?;i't;:-X^
' /
742
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
I am induced to believe thus from the very many
customs which I have witnessed amongst them, that appear
to be decidedly Jewish ; and many of them so peculiarly
so, that it would seem almost impossible, or at all events,
exceedingly improbable, that two people in a state of
nature should have hit upon them, and practiced them ex-
actly alike.
The world need not expect me to decide so interesting
and difficult a question ; but I am sure they will be dis-
posed to hear simply my opinion, which I give in this place,
quite briefly, and with the utmost respectful deference to
those who think differently. I claim no merit whatever,
for advancing such an opinion, which is not new, having
been in several works advanced to the world by far abler
pens than my own, with volumes of evidence, to the cata-
logue of which I feel quite sure I shall be able to add some
new proofs in the proper place. If I could establish the
fact by positive proof, I should claim a great deal of
applause from the world, and should, no doubt, obtain it ;
but, like everything relating to the origin and early history
of these unchronicled people, I believe this question is one
that will never be settled, but will remain open for thtj
opinions of the world, which will be variously given, ami
that upon circumstantial evidence alone.
I am compelled to believe that the Continent of 'America,
and each of the other Continents, have had their aboriginal
stocks, peculiar in color and in character — and that each of
these native stocks has undergone repeated mutations (at
periods, of which history has kept no records), by erratic
colonies from abroad, that have been engrafted upon them
— mingling with them, and materially affecting their origi
nal character. By this process, I believe that the North
American Indians, even where we find them in their wild-
est condition, are several degrees removed from their
original character ; and that one of their principal alloys
has been a part of those dispersed people, who have mingled
their blood and their customs with them, and even in their
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
(43
new diaguise, seem destined to be followed up with oppren-
fliou and endless persecution.
The first and most striking fact amongst the North
American Indians that refers us to the Jews, is that of their
woiBhipping in all parts, the Great Spirit, or Jehovah, aa
the Hebrews were ordered to do by divine precept, instead
of a plurality of gods, as ancient pagans and heathens did
—and their idols of their own formation. The North
American Indians, are no where idolators— they appeal at
once to the Great Spirit, and know of no mediator, either
personal or symbolical.
The Indian tribes are everywhere divided into bands,
with chiefs, symbols, badges, &c., and many of their
modes of worship I have found exceedingly like those of
the Mosaic institution. The Jews had their sanctum sanc-
torums, and so may it be said the Indians have, in their
council or medicine-houses, which are always held as sacred
places. As the Jews had, they have their high-priests and
their prophets. Amongst the Indians as amongst the
ancient Hebrews, the women are not allowed to worship
with the men — and in all cases also they eat separately.
The Indians everywhere, like the Jews, believe that they
are the favorite people of the Great Spirit, and they are
certainly, like those ancient i^qot^Ig, persecuted, as every
man's hand seems raised against them— and they like the
Jews, destined to be dispersed over the world, and seem-
ingly scourged by the Almighty and despised of man.
In their marriages, the Indians, as did the ancient Jews,
uniformly buy their wives by giving presents— and in many
tribes, very closely resemble them in other forms and cere-
monies of their marriages.
In their preparations for war, and in peace-making, they
are strikingly similar. In their treatment of the sick, burial
of the dead and mourning, they are also similar.
In their bathing and ablutions, at all seasons of the year,
as a part of their religious observances — having separate
places for men and women to perform these immersions —
H
P
HI-
I
M
r44
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
i
they resemble again. And the custom amongst the women,
of absenting themselves during the lunar influences, is ex<
actly consonant to the Mosaic law. This custom of separation
is an uniform one amongst the different tribes, as far as I
have seen them in their primitive state, and be it Jewish,
natural or conventional, it is an indispensable form with
these wild people, who are setting to the civilized world, this
and many other examples, of decency and propriety, only to
be laughed at by their wiser neighbors, who, rather than
award to the red man any merit for them, have taken ex-
ceeding pains to call them but the results of ignorance and
superstition.
So, in nearly every family of a tribe, will be found a
small lodge, large enough to contain one person, which is
erected at a little distance &om the family lodge, and occu>
pied by the wife or the daughter, to whose possession cir-
cumstances allot it ; where she dwells alone until she is pre-
pared to move back, and in the meantime the touch of her
hand or her finger to the chief's lodge, or his gun, or other
article of his household, consigns it to destruction at once ;
and in case of non-conformity to this indispensable form, a
woman's life may, in some tribes, be answerable for mis-
fortunes that happen to individuals or the tribe, in the in-
terim.
After this season of separation, purification in running
water, and annointing, precisely in accordance with the
Jewish command, is requisite before she can enter the family
lodge. Such is one of the extraordinary observances
amongst these people in their wild state ; but along the
Frontier, where white people have laughed at them for their
forms, they have departed from this, as from nearly every-
thing else that is native and original about them.
In their feasts, fastings and sacrificing, they are exceedingly
like those ancient people. Many of them have a feast
closely resembling the annual feast of the Jewish passover ;
and amongst others, an occasion much like the Israolitish
feast of the tabernacles, which lasted eight days, (when
^smtMi^^^^
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
746
history tells us they carried bundles of willow hought, and
fasted several days and nights) making sacrifices of the first
fruits and best of everything, closely resembling the sin
ofifering and peace-offering of the Hebrews.*
These, and many others of their customs would seem to
be decidedly Jewish ; yet it is for the world to decide how
many of them, or whether all of them, might be natural to
all people, and, therefore, as well practiced by these people
in a state of nature, as to have been borrowed from a foreign
nation.
Amongst the list of their customs however, we meet a
number which had their origin it would seem, in the Jewish
Ceremonial code, and which are so very peculiar in their
forms, that it would seem quite improbable, and almost im-
possible, that two different people should ever have hit
upon them alike, without some knowledge of each other.
These I consider, go farther than anything else as evidence,
and carry, in my mind, conclusive proof that these people
are tinctured with Jewish blood ; even though the Jewish
sabbath has been lost, and circumcision probably rejected ;
and dog's flesh, which was an abomination to the Jews,
continued to be eaten at their feasts by all the tribes of
Indians ; not because the Jews have been prevailed upon
to use it, but, because they have survived only, as their
blood was mixed with that of the Indians, and the Indians
have imposed on that mixed blood the same rules and
regulations that governed the members of the tribes in
general.
Many writers are of opinion, that the natives of America
are all from one stock, and their languages from one root —
that that stock is exotic, and that that language was intro-
duced with it. And the reason assigned for this theory is,
that amongst the various tribes, there is a reigning similarity
* Bee the fonr days' religions ceremonies of the Mandans, and nse of
the willow bonghs, and sacrifices of fingers, &c. in Vol. I. pp. 251, 270 ;
and also the castom of war-chiefs wearing horns on their head-dresses,
like the Israelitish chiefs of great renown, Vol. I. p. 172, 173.
I:':i
h
s ;■ ■ i
r ■
't ;■
i 1
746
LBTTEBS AXD NOTES OX THB
to looks — and in their languages a striking resemblance to
each other.
Now, if all the world were to argue in this way, I should
reason just in the other; and pronounce this, thou::h
evidence to a certain degree, to be very far from conclusive,
inasmuch as it is far easier and more natural for distinct
tribes, or languages, grouped and used together to eusimilate
than to dissimilate ; as the pebbles on a seashore, that are
washed about and jostled together, lose their angles, and
incline at last to one rounded and uniform shape. So that
if there had been, db origine, a variety of different stocks in
America, with different complexions, with different char-
acters and customs, and of different statures, and speaking
entirely different tongues, where they have been for a
series of centuries living neighbors to each other, moving
about and intermarrying; I think we might reasonably
look for quite as great a similarity in their personal
appearance and languages, as we now find ; when, on the
other hand, if we are to suppose that they were all from
one foreign stock, with but one language, it is a difficult
thing to conceive how or in what space of time, or for
what purpose, they could have formed so many tongues,
and so widely different, as those thnt are now spoken on
the Continent.
It is evident I think, that if an island or continent had
been peopled with black, white and red ; a succession of
revolving centuries of intercourse amongst these different
colors would have had a tendency to bring them to one
standard complexion, when no computable space of time,
nor any conceivable circumstances could restore them
again; re-producing all, or either of the distinct colors,
from the compound.
That cmtoms should be found similar, or many of them
exactly the same, on the most opposite parts of the Coiai
nent, is still less surprising; for these will travel more
rapidly, being more easily taught at treaties and festivals
between hostile bands, or disseminated by individuals
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
747
travelling through neighboring tribes, whilst languages
and blood require more time for their admixture.
That the languages of the North American Indians,
should be found to be so numerous at this day, and so
very many of them radically different, is a subject of great
surprise, and unaccountable, whether these people are
derived from one individual stock, or from one hundred,
or one thousand.
Though languages like color and like customs, are
calculated to assimilate, under the circumstances above
named ; yet it is evident that, (if derived from a variety of
sources), they have been unaccountably kept more distinct
than the others; and if from one root, have still more
unaccountably dissimilated and divided into at least one
hundred and fifty, two thirds of which, I venture to say,
are entirely and radically distinct; whilst amongst the
people who speak them, there is a reigning similarity in
looks, in features and in customs, which would go very far
to pronounce them one family, by nature or by con-
vention.
I do not believe, with some very learned and distin-
guished writers, that the languages of the North American
Indians can be traced to one root or to three or four, or
any number of distinct idioms ; nor do I believe all, or any
one of them, will ever be fairly traced to a foreign origin.
If the looks and customs of the Jews, are decidedly
found and identified with these people — and also those of
the Japanese, and Calmuc Tartars, 1 think we have but
little, if any need of looking for the Hebrew language, or
either of the others, for the reasons that I have already
given ; for the feeble colonies of these, or any other foreign
people that might have fallen by accident upon the shores
of this great Continent, or who might have approached it
by Behring's Straits, have been too feeble to give a lan-
guage to fifteen or twenty millions of people, or in fact to
any portion of them ; being in all probability, in great part
cut to pieces and destroyed by a natural foe; leaving
m'
>i i,
111 I,
748
LETTERS AXD NOTES ON THE
enough perhaps, who had intermarried, to inoculate their
blood and their customs ; which have run, like a drop in a
bucket, and slightly tinctured the character of tribes who
have sternly resisted their languages, which would nat-
urally, under such circumstances, have made but very
little impression.
Such I consider the condition of the Jews in North
America; and perhaps the Scandinavians, and the fol-
lowers of Madoc, who by some means, and some period
that I cannot name, have thrown themselves upon the
shores of this country, and amongst the ranks of the
savages; where, from destructive wars with their new
neighbors, they have been overpowered, and perhaps, with
the exception of those who had intermarried, they have
been destroyed, yet leaving amongst the savages decided
marks of their character; and many of their peculiar
customs, which had pleased, and been adopted by the
savages, while they had sternly resisted others : and deci-
dedly shut out and discarded their language, and of course
obliterated everything of their history.
That there should often be found contiguous to each
other, several tribes speaking dialects of the same language
is a matter of no surprise at all ; and wherever such is the
case, there is resemblance enou3;h also, in looks and cus-
toms, to show that they are parts of the same tribes, which
have comparatively recently severed and wandered apart.
as their traditions will generally show; and such resem-
blances are often found and traced, nearly across the Con-
tinent, and have been accounted for in some of my former
Letters. Several very learned gentlemen, whose opinions
I would treat with the greatest respect, have supposed that
all the native languages of America were traceable to three
or four roots ; a position which I will venture to say will
be an exceedingly difficult one for them to maintain, whilst
remaining at home and consulting books, in the way thai
too many theories are supported ; and one infinitely more
difficult to prove if they travel amongst the different tribes,
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
and collect their own information as they travel * I am
quite certain that I have found in a number of instances,
tribes who have long lived neighbors to each other, and
who, from continued intercourse, had learned mutually,
many words of each other's language, and adopted them for
common use or mottoes, as often, or oftener than we intro-
duce the French or Latin phrases in our conversation;
from which the casual visitor to one of these tribes, might
naturally suppose there was a similarity in their languages ;
when a closer examiner would find that the idioms and
structure of the several languages were entirely distinct.
I believe that in this way, the world, who take but a
superficial glance at them, are, and will be, led into continual
error on this interesting subject ; one that invites, and well
deserves from those learned gentlemen, a fair investit^ation
by them, on the spot ; rather than so limited and feeble an
examination as / have been able to make of it, or that they,
can make, in their parlors, at so great a distance from them,
and through such channels as they are oblige* to look to
for their information.
Amongst the tribes that I have visited, I consider that
thirty, out of the forty-eight, are distinct and radically
* For the satisfaction of the reader, I have introdnced in the Appen-
dix to this Volume, Letter B, a brief vocabulary of the languages of
several adjoining tribes in the North West, from which, by turning to it
they can easily draw their own inferences. These words have all beuu
written down by myself, from the Indian's months, as they have been
correctly translated to me ; and I think it will at once be decided, that
there is very little affinity or resemblance, if any, between them. I have
therein given a sample of the Blackfoot language, yet, of that immense
tribe who all class under the name of Blackfoot, there are the Cotonn^s
and the Grosventres des Prairies — whose languages are entirely distinct
from this— and also from each other— and in the same region, and neigh-
bors to them, are also the Chayennes - the Knistcncaux, the Crows, the
Shoshonees, and Pawnees ; all of whose languages are as distinct, and
as widely different, as those that I have given. These facts, I think,
without my going further, will fully show the entire dissimilarity be*
tween these languages, and support me to a certain extent, at all events
in the opinion I have advanced above.
f •
■;p n
750
LEriERS AM) NOTKS ON THE
different in their InnguaguH, and eighteen are dialects of
some three or four. It is a very simple thing for the off-
hand theorists of the scientific world, who do not go near
these people, to arrange and classify them ; and a very clever
thing to simplify the subject, and bring it, like everything
else, under three or four heads, and to solve, and rwolve it,
by as many simple rules.
I do not pretend to be able to give to this subject, or to
that of the probable origin of these people, the close inves-
tigation that these interesting subjects require and deserve ;
yet I have travelled and observed enough amongst them,
and collected enough, to enable me to form decided
opinions of my own ; and in my conviction, have acquired
confidence enough ta tell them, and at the same time to
recommend to the Government or institutions of my own
country, to employ men of science, such as I have mentioned,
and protect them in their viaits to these tribes, where *' the
truth, and the whole truth,'* may be got ; and the languages
of all the tribes that are yet in existence, (many of which
are just now gasping them out in their last breath), may
be snatched and preserved from oblivion ; ai well as their
hoka and their cuaUmiB, to the preservation of which my
labors have been principally devoted.
I undertake to say to such getitlemen, who are enthusiastic
and qualified, that here is one of the most interesting subjects
that they could spend the energies of their valuable lives
upon, and one the most sure to secure for them that
immortality for which it is natural and fair for all men
to look.
From what has been said in the foregoing Letters, it will
have been seen that there are three divisions under which
the North American Indians may be justly conddered;
those who are dead — those who are dying, and those who
are yet living and flourishing in their primitive condition.
Of the dead, I have little to say at present, and I can render
them no sei'vice— of the living^ there is much to be said,
and I shall regret that the prescribed limits of these epistles,
ths
NORTH AMKUICAN INDIAX3.
rsi
Will forbid me saying all that I deaire to say of them and
their condition.
The present condition of these once numerous people,
contrasted with what it was, and what it is soon to be, is a
subject of curious interest, as well us some importance, to
the civilized world— a subject well entitled to the attention,
and very justly commanding the sympathies of, enlightened
communities. There are abundant proofs recorded in the
history of this country, and to which T need not at this
time more particularly refer, to show that this very
numerous and respectable part of the human family, which
occupied the different parts of North America, at the time
of its first settlement by the Anglo-Americans, contained
more than fourteen millions, who have been reduced since
that time, and undoubtedly in consequence of that settle-
ment, to something less than two millions 1
This is startling fact, and one which carries with it if
it be the truth, other facts and their results, which are
equally startling, and such ns every inquiring mind should
look into. The first deduction that the mind draws from
such premises, is the rapid declension of these people,
which must at that rate be going on at this day ; and sooner
or later, lead to the most melancholy result of their final
extinction.
Of this sad termination of their existence, there need not
be a doubt in the minds of any man who will read the
history of their former destruction ; contemplating them
swept already from two-thirds of the Continent ; and who
will then travel as I have done, over the vast extent of
Frontier, and witness the modes by which the poor fellows
are falling, whilst contending for their rights with acquisi-
tive white men. Such a reader, and such a traveller
I venture to say, if he has not the heart of a brute, will
shed tears for them; and be ready to admit that their
character and customs, are at this time, a subject of interest
and importance, and rendered peculiarly so from the facts
that they are dying at the hands of their christian neighbors;
■> 11
752
L£TT£Bd AND NOTES ON TUB
'
and, from all past experience, that there will probably be
no effectual plan instituted, that will save the remainder of
them from a similar fate. As they stand at this day, there
may be four or five hundred thousand in their primitive
state; and a million and a half, that may be said to be
semi-oiyilized, contending with the sophistry of white
men, amongst whom they are timidly and unsuccessfully
endeavoring to hold up their heads, and aping their modes'
whilst they are swallowing their poisons, and yielding
their lands and their lives, to the superior tact and cunning
of their merciless cajolers.
In such parts of their community, their customs are
uninteresting ; being but poor and ridiculous imitations of
those that are bad enough, those practiced by their first
teachers — but in their primitive state, their modes of life and
character, before they are changed, are subjects of curious
interest, and all that I have aimed to preserve. Their
personal appearence, their dress, and many of their modes
of life, I have already described.
For their Government, which is purely such as has been
dictated to them by Nature and necessity alone, they are
indebted to no foreign, native or civilized nation. For
their religion, which is simply Theism, they are indebted
to the Great Spirit, and not to the christian world. For
their modes of war, they owe nothing to enlightened nations
— using only those weapons, and those modes which are
prompted by nature, and witliin the means of their rude
manufactures.
If, therefore, we do not find iu their systems of polity and
jurisprudence, the efficacy and justice that are dispensed
in civilized institutions — if we do not find in their religion
the light and the grace that flow from Christian faith — if
in wars they are less honorable, and wage them upon a
system of " murderous stratagem" it is the duty of the en-
lightened world, who administer justice in a better way —
who worship in a more acceptable form — and who war on
a more honorable scale, to make great allowance for their
•gnorance, and yield u, ,v.- '**
<l"Po.rf to qa«,io„ li^ '2,k«;e aoy (for i .„ .,
««. generally alike. ^„^ ^ . 'C,°' '"P'^'"* "''^"^
<»nd mo8t geuerally a ^ar .Id . Tf "' "^ ''«<", a ohTrf
of pe«» or w„ „ de".Td 7- '""'"'"•'""'"««
These chieft, wh„«, aue. „. "''«''««' wrvioT
tkei^r office, only a. l™""«.8^°««Uy herediu-y^^
perform fto du.ie. of ?he„'t .T "'" ™"»» *e«1o
P»«'«, K after which thevd/ , °« "" '"xl m war^
ben, „ho i. .he eldest ^tft" T. "" ■»« '--•
decided by the other chie6^.^\ "'' P^'i^ed he is
f k" young „.„ i„ .he fbeti^,^! 7"''? of it ae au^
"elected from among,, .he^lif f "" "^ «">!'='.> • chirf
The chief has no contnT '*«'»"«9.
liberty of hi, anbject" nor "I "'"" ""' «f« « Hmbs or
pious m war, and which Su2\ """™' "d "» ex
'0 follow him, as he leadrtheT.o .T'"" '»'» ""'ves
fc'm when he speaks and ad^^ jl" '""r " ^ ''■^'«» «>
«o more than a faz&r, whoTelr"""- ^" ''''°'' •>» «
Mow or turn about and go Lk Z ^""'.^ '"'"'">' ""y
» wJIing to meet the disgfl .w '• "' "" ^^'"^- if he
h» ohief in the hour of dfZ °™'' *"«■■ "l" de««.
i' may be a di/Bcnlt question ,„ j v,
Wnmentsavoursmostofademo-. •''''°''''"- "■«"
« « m some respects purel/dl "^"'"""""""'•"y.-
^ttocratic. ^ The influeniT„»t "i'"-''"* '" °'he"
tept up, and their 7u2il°7„7"V™"™ '^ "™%
P'^erved in he«Idric\mi w'°,» """ ''''«°°«<>°«
^»d free from i„fl„e„ees of weaUh „.'■ T- '"'^'^ =""ed,
hyauyperaons in Indian .?' ^'°'"' "'"'J"" 'massed
"ip from the bauds of lier„rr'" '/"' "">^' -- »
«b.efa, or others h.gh in offloe, who
. :&
<i :^
7o4
LEITERS AND NOTES ON THE
are looked upon to be liberal and charitable ; and often-
times, for the sake of popularity, render themselves the
poorest, and most meanly dressed and equipped of any in
the tribe.
. These people have no written laws, nur others, save the
penalties affixed to certain crimes, by long-standing custom,
or by the decisions of the chiefs in council, who form a sort
of Court and Congress too, for the investigation of crimes,
and transaction of the public business. For the sessions of
, these dignitaries, each tribe has, in the middle of their vil-
lage, a Government or council-house, where the chiefs oftea
try and convict, for capital offences — leaving the punish*
ment to be inflicted by the nearest kin, to whom all eyes
of the nation are turned, and who has no means of evading
it without suffering disgrace in his tribe. For this purpose,
the custom, which is the common law of the land, allows
him to use any means whatever, that he may deem necessary
to bring the thing effectually about ; and he is allowed to
waylay and shoot down the criminal — so that punishment
is certain and cniel^ and as effective from the hands of a
feeble, as from those of a stout man, and entirely beyond
the hope that often arbes from the " glorious uncertainty
of the law."
As I have in a former place said, cruelty is one of the
leading traits of the Indian's character; and a little
familiarity with their modes of life and government will
soon convince the reader, that certainty and cruelty in
punishments are requisite (where individuals undertake to
inflict the penalties of the laws), in order to secure the lives
ond property of individuals in society.
In the treatment of their prisoners also, in many tribes,
they are in the habit of inflicting the most appalling
tortures, for which the enlightened world are apt to condemn
them as cruel and unfeeling in the extreme; without
stopping to learn that in every one of these instances, these
cruelties are practiced by way of retaliation, by individuals
or families of the tribe, whose relatives have been previously
^^^t With in a similar wav h ..." * ''^^
fnanea they deem it 1 • ^ ^^ ^^^^'^ enemip- j
that amongst thLe^triberZf ! *^' '"^^^^ ^''^uld vet kn
cruelties are practic d bVt 1^^^^
required to atone for .t, ^""^ ^^^' ^ew whos« i ' *
with Im fi, • *^°se who havA \. . ^'^e^ are
w«n by their enemies .r,^ *i. ® ^^^^n s mikrl^ a i!
r-w^iii. «i-«t SK',"'' " ~"t;
W8 practice any virL ., ' ""'' 'fitment of r,J '
abundant p.oof of e, J;;™ J-;«", do „o. ^.^
-„«ied i. u^^^ :rf "» '^«' »"'■ -°w n
»v.ge, that no instance hi b » ' t ''' *" ""^ '""""f the
•hou- captiye female^ a vi„„I ^l fT ""^ ™'»» '<>
w«iftre. ^" '">>''«"■'>»<) in civili^d
If their punishments are certain j
mer,. „f being/« ..„ a:^ ^"^ »»/ «™el, they have the
""«»• It ia natural to be cr^elt °f ""^ '° "=«-■ «»«•
do not see that the improvell T^' ""^ '» 'ti", I
Chnstian world have yet SSl *' "'"8'""'»'' ^d
the savage. To their frienZl. "'™ »° ^'■'J' muoh above
f<" oapital offenoeg) are ,™o„l« .. P^^tments (except
f"^ »ith. No Ln n tt r^' ''':°"»'.''». «tirely dis'
dmg puniehmen*; each on. f^ ^°°1"'"lo'degra.
«l>«tyu> use them This LvioTt'"? ■"' «™l's,a„d*S
■» the tribe can deprite hiT f^'l^n^^' :""" °» P"^"
' ^'"'"' «««•> one views the
M ' '
7m^
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
chief as amenable to him as the most humble individual in
tke tribe.
On an occasion when I had interrogated a Sioux chief, on
the upper Missouri, about their Government — their punish-
ments and tortures of prisoners, for which I had freely
condemned them for the cruelty of the practice, he took
oocaaion, when I had got through, to ask 7n« some questions
relative to modes in the civilized world, which, with his
comments upon them, were nearly as follows: and struck
mej as I think they must every one, with great force.
" Among white people, nobody overtake your wife*— take
your children — take your mother, cut oflf nose — cut eyes
out— bum to death ?" No I '* Then you no cut off nose —
you no cut out eyes — you no bum to death — very good."
He also told me he had often heard that white people
hung their criminals by the neck, and choked them to death
like dogs, and those their own people ; to which I answered,
"yes." He then told me he had learned that they shut
each other up in prisons, where they keep them a great
part of their lives beaiuse they cavHt pay money I I replied
in the aifirmative to this, which occasioned great surprise
and excessive laughter, even amongst the women. He told
me that he had been to our Fort, at Council Blufi&, where
we had a great many warriors and braves, and he saw three
of them taken out on the prairies and tied to a post and
whipped almost to death, and he had been told that they
submit to all this in order to get a little money, " yes."
He said he had been told that when all the white people
were born, their white medicine-man had to stand by and
look on— that in the Indian country the women would not
allow that — they would be ashamed — that he had been
along the Frontier, and a good deal amongst the white
people, and he had seen them whip their little children — a
thing that is very cruel — he had heard also, from several
white medicine-men, that the Great Spirit of the white people
was the child of a white woman, and that he was at last
put to death by the white people I This seemed to be a
me a chapter of mh. ' "® ^^ver die " tt.
of the moral, of their women ! 7°?"°'"" ""■™P«ion
I"d W g„ves to get their bo„r&c t'*^'"^ °P=° ""-■
was compdled to reply in ih. .T' • ^" "" "f "hioli I
olo«.. my note-book, and LTertv?'""'"' '"^ <!"itaglad to
*.t had collected aroundte ^ '" f «>?», f'"" *^ t'h o, „"
»d adently), that these and an h„„7'",«'*°''='' '» myself
to the civilized «.orId, and ar 1 "I'l "'^''^ ^'<»» belong
'" "0 '"»""<«, reciprocated bvWh,"'^''<^°"=«'«i»Iy^
»va«c." ^ W the "cn>el and rele„tlefs
Of their modes of war of i,- u
written by othertravellersLie^nid,," ^""l ^'"^ ^^ been
ent place, mast be brief. All wa". „7 ""* '"" '» "■« pres.
deeded on by the chiefs and 1°! "' " ^'''™"^»' "«
« majority decides all qnes ions T^ l"^"'"' "^-^
oh.ef oondttcls and Ic«Js-his oL t^ v""" ''^»*«. ">«
"sent through the tribe by hTj"" *" ''^^d^^d «'em
who con«„te to go u, war, IZl 2^""% '"^ '^"'y »'»'
■te «em ; he is then a ^Ctenw' ,"?! """=» ""■""S''
war, and bound by no comt^w °^ ** «>'<'»" '"
pride, and dre^ "of the d4t» ofT"' ^'^''P' *" "f
the soldier, are enlisted, thf ^^1;"'°^ ^"'^- ^"^
presence of the whole trib; wheTeach'" f"*™^ »
dress, with weapons in hand d, ''"°""' ^rrior's
striking the reddened post' htlTal "? f P-«'»>y. ^d ^
not to de«rt his party ^ ^^"^ *« ^o'e™-" oath
The chief leads in fall dres, to ™.i, ,,•
"Pxsuous a mark as possible rrt- '"""elf as con.
«" chiefly denuded,Td.he,>i^brT^/ "'"" ^'^ ■»-
red earth or vermi ion, and ofte„l ^? '^""^'''^ ""<>
grease, so as complete wT ,f™'"''», «th charcoal and
'be close Of hostilities, the two pties a. often
11
758
LETTERS AND NOTES ON' THE
brouglit together by a flag of truce, where they sit in Treaty,
and solemnize by smoking through the calumet or pipe of
peace, as I have before described ; and after that, their
warriors and braves step forward, with the pipe of peace in
the left hand, and the war club in the right, and dance
around in a circle — going through many curious and
exceedingly picturesque evolutions in the "pipe of peace
dance.^^
To each other I have found these people kind and hon-
orable, and endowed with every feeling of parental, of filial,
and conjugal affection, that is met in more enlightened
communities. I have found them moral and religious ; and
1 am bound to give them great credit for their zeal, which
is often exhibited in their modes of worship, however in-
sufficient they may seem to us, or may be in the estimation
of the Great Spirit.
T have heard it said by some very good men, and some
who have even been preaching the Christian religion
amongst them, that they have no religion — that all their
zeal in their worship of the Great Spirit was but the
foolish excess of ignorant superstition — ^that their humble
devotions and supplications to the Sun and the Moon,
where many of them suppose that the Great Spirit resides,
were but the absurd rantings of idolatry. To such opinions
as these, I never yet gave answer, nor dx'ew other instant
inferences from them, than, that from the bottom of my
heart, I pitied the persons who gave them.
I fearlessly assert to the world, (and I defy contradiction,)
that the North American Indian is everywhere, in his native
state, a highly moral and religious being, endowed by his
Maker, with an intuitive knowledge of some great Author
of his being, and the Universe ; in dread of whose dis-
pleasure he constantly lives, with the apprehension before
him, of a future state, where he expects to be rewarded or
punished according to the merits he has gained or forfeited
in this world.
I have made this a subject of unceasing enquiry during
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
75»
all my travels, and from every individual Indian with
whom I have conversed on the subject, from the highest to
the lowest and most pitiably ignorant, I have received
evidence enough, as well as from their numerous and
humble modes of worship, to convince the mind, and elicit
the confessions of, any man whose gods are not beaver and
muskrat's skins — or whose ambition is not to be deemed
an apostle, or himself, their only redeemer.
Morality and virtue, I venture to say, the civilized world
need not undertake to teach them ; and to support me in
this, I refer the reader to the interesting narrative of the
Eev. Mr. Parker, amongst the tribes through and beyond
the Eocky Mountains ; to the narratives of Captain Bonne-
ville, through the same regions ; and also to the reports of
the Eeverend Messrs. Spalding and Lee, who have crossed
the Mountains, and planted their little colony amongst
them. And I am also allowed to refer to the account given
by the Eev. Mr. Beaver, of the tribes in the vicinity of the
Columbia and the Pacific Coast.
Of their extrordinary modes and sincerity of worship, I
speak with equal confidence ; and although I am compelled
to pity them for their ignorance, I am bound to say that
I never saw any other people of any colour, who spend so
much of their Uvea in humbling themselves before, and wor-
shipping the Great Spirit, as some of these tribes do, nor
any whom I would not as soon suspect of insincerity and
hypocrisy.
Self-denial, which is comparatively a word of no meaning
in the enlightened world ; and self-torture and almost self- ,
immolation, are continual modes of appealing to the Great
Spirit for his countenance and forgiveness ; and these, not in
studied figures of rhetoric, resounding in halls and syna-
gogues, to fill and astonish the ears of the multitude ; but
humbly cried forth from starved stomachs and parched
throats, from some lone and favorite haunts, where the
poor penitents crawl and lay with their faces in the dirt
from day to day; and day to day, sobbing forth their
cs
(60
LETTERS AND NOTES OX THE
humble confessions of their sins, and their earnest implo-
rations for divine forgiveness and mercy.
I have seen man thus prostrating himself before his
Maker, and worshipping as Nature taught him; and I
have seen mercenary white men with his bottle and its
associate vices, unteaching them ; and after that, good and
benevolent and pious men, devotedly wearing out their
valued lives, all but in vain, endeavoring to break down
confirmed habits of cultivated vices and dissipation, and
to engraft upon them the blessings of Christianity and
civilization. I have visited most of the stations, and am
acquainted with many of the excellent missionaries, who,,
with their families falling by the diseases of the country
about them, are zealously laboring to benefit these be
nighted people ; but I have, with thousands and miUiona
of others, to deplore the ill success with which their
painful and faithful labors have generally been attended.
This failure I attribute not to the want of capacity on
the part of the savage, nor for lack of zeal and Christian
endeavors of those who have been sent, and to whom the
eyes of the sympathizing part of the world have been
anxiously turned, in hopes of a more encouraging account.
The misfortune has been, in my opinion, that these eflforta
have mostly been made in the wrong place — along the
Frontier, where (though they have stood most in need of
CVristian advice and example) they have been the least
ready to hear it or to benefit from its introduction ; where
wTiisky has been sold for twenty, or thirty, or fifty years,
and every sort of fraud and abuse that could be engendered
and visited upon them, and amongst their families, by in-
genious, money'Tnaking white man ; rearing up under a
burning sense of injustice, the most deadly and thwarting
prejudices, which, and which alone, in my opinion, have
stood in the way of the introduction of Christianity — of
agriculture, and everything which virtuous society has
attempted to teach them ; which they meet and suspect,
ftnd reject as some new trick or enterprise of white man
NORTH AMERICAX INDIANS.
761
which is to redound to his advantage rather than for tjieir
own benefit.
The pious missionary finds himself here, I would venture
to say, in an indescribable vicinity of mixed vices and
stupid ignorance, that disgust and discourage him ; and just
at the moment when his new theory, which has been at first
received as a mystery to them, is r,bout to be successfully
revealed and explained, the whisky bottle is handed again
from the bushes ; and the poor Indian (whose perplexed
mind is just ready to catch the brilliant illumination of
Christianity), grasps it, and, like too many people in the
enlightened world, quiets his excited feelings with its
soothing draught, embracing most affectionately the friend
that brings him the most sudden relief; and is contented
to fell back, and linger— and die in the moral darkness
that is about him.
And notwithstanding the great waste of missionary
labors, on many portions of our vast Frontier, there have
been some instances in which their efforts have been
crowned with signal success, (even with the counteracting
obstacles that have stood in their way), of which instances
I have made some mention in former epistles.
I have always been, and still am, an advocate for mis-
^sionary efforts amongst these people, but I never have had
much faith in the success of any unless they could be made
amongst the tribes in their primitive state ; where if the
strong arm of the government could be extended out to pro-
tect them, I believe that with the example of good and pious
men, teaching them at the same time, agriculture and the
useful arts, much could be done with these interesting and
tolented people, for the successful improvement of their
moral and physical condition.
I have ever thought, and still think that the Indian's
mind is a beautifiil blank, on which any thing might be
written, if the right mode were taken to do it.
Oould the enlightened and virtuous society of the East,
ihave been brought in contact with him as his first neigh-
I?
762
LETTEKS AND NOTES ON THE
bors, and his eyes been first opened to improvements and
liabits worthy of his imitation; and could religion have
been taught him without the interference of the counteract-
ing vices by which he is surrounded, the best efforts of the
world would not have been thrown away upon him, nor
posterity been left to say, in future ages, when he and his
race shall have been swept from the face of the earth, that
he was destined by Heaven to be unconverted and
uncivilized.
The Indian's calamity is surely &.T this side of his origin
— his misfortune has been in his education. Ever since
our first acquaintance with these people on the Atlantic
shores, have we regularly advanced upon them; anJ far
a-head of good and moral society have their first teachers
travelled (and are yet travelling), with vices and iniquities
80 horrible as to blind their eyes for ever to the light and
loveliness of virtue, when she is presented to them.
It is in the bewildering maze of this moving atmosphere
that he, in his native simplicity, finds himself lost amidst
the ingenuity and sophistry of his new acquaintance. He
fltands amazed at the arts and improvements of civilized
life — his proud spirit which before was founded on his
ignorance, droops, and he sinks down discouraged, into
melancholy and despair; and at that moment grasps the
DOttle (which is ever ready), to soothe his anguished feelings
to the grave. It is in this deplorable condition that the
civilized world, in their approach, have ever found him ;
and here in his inevitable misery, that the charity of the
world has been lavished upon him, and religion has
exhausted its best efforts almost in vain.
!N'otwithstanding this destructive ordeal, through which
<ill the border tribes have had to pass, and of whom I have
spoken but in general terms, there are striking and noble
exceptions on the Frontiers, of individuals, and in some
instances, of the remaining remnants of tribes, who have
followed the advice and example of their Christian teachers ;
who have entirely discarded their habits of dissipation, and
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
763
sucoessftiUy outlived the dismal wreok of their tribe-
having embraced, and are now preaching, the Chrbtiaa
religion; and proving by the brightest example, that they
are well worthy of the sincere and well-applied friendship
of the enlightened world, rather than their enmity and
persecution.
By nature they are decent and modest, unassuming and
inoffensive— and all history (which I could quote to the end
of a volume), proves them to have been found friendly and
hospitable, on the first approach of white people to their
villages on all parts of the American Continent — and
from what I have seen, (which I offer as proof, rather than
what T have read), I am willing and proud to add, for tbo
ages who are only to read of these people, my testimony to
that which was given by the immortal Columbus, who
wrote back to his Royal Master and Mistress, from his first
position on the new Continent, " I swear to your Majesties,
that there is not a better people in the world than these ;
more affectionate, affable, or mild. They love their neigh-
bors as themselves and they always speak smilingly."
They are ingenious and talented, as many of their curious
manufactures will prove, which are seen by thousands in
my Collection.
In the mechanic arts they have advanced but little,
probably because they have had but little use for them, and
have had no teachers to bring them out. In the fine arts,
they are perhaps still more rude, and their productions are
very few. Their materials and implements that they work
with, are exceedingly rare and simple ; and their principal
efforts at pictorial effects, are found on their buffalo robes;
of which I have given some account in former Letters, and
of which I shall herein furnish some additional iu formation.
I have been unable to find anything like a system of
hieroglyphic writing amongst them; yet their picture
writings on the rocks, and on their robes, approach some-
what towards it. Of the former, I have seen a vast many
in the course of my travels ; and I haye satisfied myself
. I
Jli
7«4
LETTURS AND NOTES ON THE
that ihej are generally the tolenu (symbolio names) merely^
of Indians who have visited those places, and from a similar
feeling of vanity that everywhere belongs to man much
alike, have been in the habit of recording their names or
symbols, such as birds, beasts, or reptiles ; by which each
family, and each individual, is generally known, as white
men are in the habit of recording their names at watering
plaoes, &c.
Many of these have recently been ascribed to the North-
men, who probably discovered this country at an early
period, and have been extinguished by the savage tribes.
I might have subscribed to such a theory, had I not at the
Bed Pipe Stone-Quarry, where there are a vast number of
these inscriptions out in the solid rock, and at other places
also, seen the Indian at work recording his totem atnongst
those of more ancient dates, which convinced me that they
had been progressively made, at different ages, and without
any system that could be called hieroglyphical writing.
The paintings on their robes are in many cases exceed-
ingly curious, and generally represent the exploits of their
military lives, which they are proud of recording in this
way and exhibiting on their backs as they walk.
From these brief hints, which I have too hastily thrown
together, it will be seen that these people are ingenious,
and have much iu their m:)de as well as in their manners^
to enlist the attention of the merely curious, even if they
should not be drawn nearer to them by feelings of sym-
ipathy and pity for their existing and approaching misfor-
tunes.
But he who can travel amongst them, or even sit down
in his parlor, with his map of North America before him^
with Halkett's Notes on the History of the North American
Indians (and several other very able works that have been
written on their character and history), and fairly and truly
contemplate the system of universal abuse, that is hurrying
fluch a people to utter destruction, will find enough to
enlist all his sympathies, and lead him to cultivate a more
got u,i,UW into .he ™y.^ri^ ^' l»«Pl«. ("ho hrf j^
they were begia^i^g'.^ ^^ZZ^ '^'°"'"""' "Wo^
huadred miles to the Weal, w Z. ^"' T^"* ""^al
wlmky.^le„ aad traded LZ T"* ™«« "^ ""a
eoormous exactions their semd^T T!'^'™*. »o whose
We s«bjeot«l them, wiU I^w'^'^'? «■"> Wetite,
% have to quit their aoquSarir^ "■""• *>««
their aeoustomed priee, for .hem_^"^? "' W «en times
years upoa the plains, with the" M W^ ™'?'' '" "' ''<"'
n«. Jso. for the flesh and the sK™ ^^ f"** "'"' "''"«
faloes ; where their oaraage b„t 1 .k ° '"' "' "«' >>uf-
stop in a few years, and wS tU l , '""' "«■«*». ™t
<k.p.ir, they^il, find Ttat""'"*^ °' '""'«" '"«1
»pon the vaoant waste, whi ht^r./'!?'°5 " ""^ ""'O'
the empty air, ami the desperatr^!f , *'■» '"'"'i»« but
»nd fastnesses of the Book v Z ^ *" "" """"^^
white man wiU returTohtaT^'"' '/"''' """"""k/
mirfortun^ save that of t^lZTlT: 'T' * ^
Suoh a reader will find en^.hTl ,. ""''^ "''"^'■
his whole soul's indignati^f at t t",'"T'""'^°S«g«
system of i,«-ustioe, wLh hi. h 7 *"»'» »"<• '"ail
Uuding of oir for fhthet ^Zt^''T *° ''-^ "'^t
^T.':Xi;:jpr----^^^^^^^^^ •
tH^ttern:t°rn%^~v'''^'^-t
those worthy Bivines thl" d^e rdlr"'°°' "'
were instrumental in brin^in., ,-. y^ice ana whose services
were of opinion that th / ^et^^^ ' "'^'^ ^^ ^^^^
^ ''^'' effecting a plan that would
766
LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE
redound to the Indian's benefit. Such was once my own
opinion — but when I go, as I have done, through every
one of those tribes removed, who had learned at home to
use the ploughshare, and also contracted a passion, and a
taste for civilized manufactures ; and after that, removed
twelve and fourteen hundred miles West, to a wild and
lawless region, where their wants are to be supplied by the
traders, at eight or ten times the prices they have been in
the habit of paying ; where whisky can easily be sold to
them in a boundless and lawless forest, without the restraints
that can be successfully put upon the sellers of it in their
civilized neighborhoods ; and where also they are allured
from the use of their ploughs, by the herds of buffaloes
and other wild animals on the plains ; I am oompelled to
state, as my irresistible conviction, that I believe the
system one well calculated to benefit the interests of the
voracious land-speculators and Indian Traders ; the first of
whom are ready to grasp at their lands, as soon as they
are vacated — and the others at the annuitiea of one hundred
and twen^ thousand extravagant customers. I believe the
system is calculated to aid these, and perhaps to &cilitate
the growth and wealth of the civilized border; but I
believe, like everything else that tends to the white man's
aggrandizement, and the increase of his wealth, it will
have as rapid a tendency to the poverty and destruction of
the poor red men ; who, unfortunately, almost seem doomed,
never in any way to be associated in interest with their
pale-faced neighbors.
The system of trade, and the small-pox, have been the
great and wholesale destroyers of these poor people, from
the Atlantic Coast to where they are now found. And no
one but Gbd, knows where the voracity of the one is to
stop, short of the acquisition of every thing that is desirable
to money-making man in the Indian's country ; or when
the mortal destruction of the other is to be arrested, whilst
there is untried flesh for it to act upon, either within or
beyond the Bocky Mountains.
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
m
From the first settlements on the Atlantic Coast to where
it is now carried on at the base of the Rocky Mountains,
there has been but one system of trade and money-making,
by hundreds and thousands of white men, who are despe-
rately bent upon making their fortunes in this trade, with
the unsophisticated children of the forest ; and generally
they have succeeded in the achievement of their object
The Governments of the United States and Great Britain,
have always held out every encouragement to the Fur
Traders, whose traffic !\as uniformly been looked upon as
beneficial, and a source of wealth to nations ; though surely,
they never could have considered such intercourse as
advantageous to the savage.
Besides the many thousands who are daily and hourly
soiling whisky and rum, and uselet . gewgaws, to the
Indians on the United States, the Canada, the Texian and
Mexican borders, there are of hardy adventurers, in the
Booky Mountains and beyond, or near them, and out of all
limits of laws, one thousand armed men, in the annual
employ of the United States Fur Companies— an equal
number in the employment of the British Factories, and
twice that number in the Russian and Mexican possessions;
all of whom pervade the countries of the wildest tribe*
they can reach, with guns and gunpowder in their hands,
and other instruments of death, unthought of by the simple
savage, calculated to terrify and coerce him to favorable
terms in his trade: and in all instances they assume the
right, (and prove it, if necessary, by the superiority of
their weapons,) of hunting and trapping the streams and
lakes of their countries.
These traders, ir. addition to the terror, and sometimes
death, that they c.\rry into these remote realms, at the
muzzles of their guns, as well as by whisky, and the small-
pox, are continually arming tribe after tribe with fire-arms;
who are able thereby, to bring their unsuspecting enemies
into unequal combats, where they are slain by thousands,
and who have no way to heal the awful wound but by
4
768
LBlTliRS AND NOTKS ON THE
arming themflelves in turn; and in a similar maaner
reeking tlieir vengeaooe upon their defencdeas enemies on
the West In this wholesale way, and by whisky and
disease, tribe after tribe sink their heads and lose tbeir
better, proudest) half, before the next and sueoeeding waves
of oiviliaation flow on, to see or learn anything definite of
them.
Without entering at this time, into any detailed history
of this immense system, or denunciation of any of the men
or their motives, who are engaged in it, I vrould barely
observe, that, from the very nature of their traffic^ where
their goods are to be carried several thousands of miles on
the most rapid and dangerous streams, over mountains and
other almost discouraging obstaeles ; and that at the con
tinnal hazard to their lives, from accidents and diseases of
the countries, the poor Indians are obliged to pay such
enormous prices for their goods, that the balance of trade is
so decidedly against them, as soon to lead them to poverty ;
and, unfortunately for them, they mostly contract a taste
for whisky and rum, which are not only ruinous in their
prices, but in their effects destructive to life— destroying the
Indians, much more rapidly than an equal indulgence will
destroy the civilized constitution.
In the Indian communities, where there is no law oS the
land or custom denominating it a vice to drink whisky, and
to get drunk ; and where the poor Indian meets whisky
tendered to him by white men, whom he considers wiser
than himself, and to whom he naturally looks for example ;
he thinks it no harm to drink to excess, and will lie drunk
as long as be can raise the means to pay for it. And afler
bis first means, in his wild state, are exhausted he becomes
a beggar for whisky, and begs until he disgusts, when
the honest pioneer becomes his neighbour ; and then, and
not before gets the name of the " poor, degraded, naked,
and drunken Indian," to whom the epithets are well and
truly applied.
On this great system of carrying the Fur Trade into the
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
;o»
Rocky Mountains and other parts of tho wilderness country
where whisky is sold at the rate of twenty and thirty dollar*
per galloa, aad most other articles of trade at a similar rate :
I know of no better comment, nor any more excusable, than
the quotation of a few passages from a very popular work,
which is being read with great avidity, from the pen of a
gentleman whose name gives currency to any book, and
whose fine taste, pleasure to all who read. The work I
refer to " The Rocky Mountains, or Adventures in the Far
West: by W. Irving," is a very interesting one; and its
incidents, no doubt are given with great candor, by the
excellent oflicer. Captain Bonneville, who spent five years
in the region of the Rocky Mountains, on a furlough;
endeavoring, in connexion with others, to add to his
fortune, by pushing the Fur Trade to some of the wildest
tribes in those remote regions.
" The worthy Captain (says the Author) started into the
"country with one hundred and ten men; whose very
** appearance and equipment exhibited a piebald mixture
"half-civilized and haif-savage, &c." And he also preludes
his work by saying, that it was revised by himself from
Captain Bonneville's own notes, which can, no doubt, be
relied on.
This medley group, it seems, traversed the country to the
Rocky Mountains, where, amongst the Nez Perces and
Flatheads, he says, " They were friendly in their dis.
^' positions, and honest to the most scrupulous degree in
" their intercourse with the white men. And of the same
" people, the Captain continues— Simply to call these people
" religious, would convey but a faint idea of the deep hue
" of piety %nd devotion which pervades the whole of their
" conduct, Their honesty is immaculate ; and their purity
"of purpose, and their observance of the rites of their
"religion, are most uniform and remarkable. They are,
"certainly, more like a nation of saints than a horde of
" savages."
Afterwards, of the " Root Diggers,^' in the vicinity of the
49
n
770
LETTERS AND NOTES OX THE
Great Salt Lake, who are a baad of the Snake tribe, (and
of whom he speaks thus : — " In fact, thej are a simple,
"timid, inoffensive race, and scarce provided with any'
"weapons, except for the chase"); he sajs that, "one-
" morning, one of his trappers, of a violent and savage
" character, discovering that his traps had been carried off
" in the night, took a horrid oath that he would kill the-
" first Indian he should meet, innocent or guilty. As he
" was returning with his comrades to camp, he beheld two-
" unfortunate Boot«Diggers seated on the river bank, fishing
" — advancing upon them, he levelled his rifle, shot one-
" upon the spot, and flung his bleeding body into the
" stream."
A short time afterwards, when his party of trappers
"were about to cross Ogden's river, a great number of
" Shoshokies or Boot-Diggers were posted on the opposite-
" bank, when they imagined they were there with hostile
"intent; they advanced upon them, levelled their rifles,,
" and killed twenty-five of them on the spot. The rest fled
" to a short distance, then halted and turned about, howling
"and whining like wolves, and uttering most piteous^
" wailings. The trappers chased them in every direction ;
" the poor wretches made no defence, but fled with terror ;
" neither does it appear from the accounts of the boasted
"victors, that a weapon had been wielded, or a weapon
" launched by the Indians throughout the affair."
After this affiiir, this " piebald" band of trappers wandered
off to Monterey, on the coast of California, and on their
return on horseback through an immense tract of the Boot-
Digger's country, he gives the further following accounts of
their transactions : —
" In the course of their journey through the country of
" the poor Boot-Diggers, there seems to have been an em-
"ulation between them, which could inflict the greatest
" outrages upon the natives. The trappers still considered
" them in the light of dangerous foes ; and the Mexicans^
'* very probably, charged them with the »»in of horse-
^ORTH AMERICAN I.VBIANS
"stealing; we have no othp. ^ * ^"
;; inramous barbarities, o^t iottctr^^^^^ ^^ '^^
«ory, they were cuiltv— i,, . ^^^ording to their uwn
" fd bea.^ and lffl% f,X-|. *' p„„, i„, ^ il
^' heir «nfon«oato victim, a wT" "^ ""^^y-ohasing
««o«ad .h, neck with .tei, l,f „^f ^ °<"«'»g them
to death." °^°». "nd then dragging them
It IS due to Canfai'n -D
knowthat these o^^ i^:^:::fV^'' *^« -orld should
muted by his men, wh n hey^f;? ^*^°*« --e com
th. shores of the Great sIulZT, ' ^°"^ *° ^^Plore
miles from him, and beyond hi ' ^ '""'^^ ^"^^^eds of
work, both the Captain TndtH. '°°*'°^'' ^^^ *^^t in his
-pressed in a prober wa^'hli TbW °' ^'^.^-^' ^^v
ish transactions. abhorreace of such fiend
A part of the same "niebal.1 •
were encamped in the Bicca e oun'^r''." "' *^^PJ^«^«.
beavers out of their streams, when fil J' ''^u *''PP^^g '^^
•rees had stolen a number of thliri ^"^ *^'* *^« ^icca-
morning made prisoners ofto tH "t^^^^*' ^ *^«
loitered ante their camp, and probP i u^'^'^'^^^' ^^«
of the offence committed when?h ^ ^^ ^ '''*^°"* ^no^^Mge
foot as hostages, until ell^VeZ Tl'^^^^ ^^^ -^
returned. ^ """^ ^^ t^e horses should be
" The mountaineers declared tT,„* ,
relinquiahed, the pri J r^tadT'^r'^ ''°"'""»
*To give force to their thl, ! i .?°'^ '" d""*-
; wa, heaped up ,nd kindirilo a' bT '^ '"" '''«<"»
" released one hone and th.! .u^°' ^''^ K««>'Ma ■
;; nothing but the relln;lt„.Tar;^''"' ""^'"^ "■"
"puwhaae the Uvea of theirl^ti" ^ "' '?"''' ™"M
" to their &^ moving off ST' '^ '""'"''°°«^ ""=■»
" howling., when the Ll.Tt 7 P""'"* ""^^ «>"1
772
LBTTSRS AND NOTES ON THE
"that lead to terrible recrimination on the part of the In-
" dians. Should we hear of any atrocities committed by the
('fiiccarees upon captive white men; let this signal and
*' recent pxovooation be borne in mind. Individual cases
" of the kind dwell in the recollections of whole tribes
" — and it is a point of honor and conscience to revenge
" them."*
To quote the author further r-^"The facts disclosed
'• in the present work, clearly manifest the policy of estab-
" lishing military posts, and a mounted force to protect our
" Traders in their journeys across the great Western wilds ;
" and of pushing the outposts into the heart of the singular
" wilderness we have laid open, so as to maintain some
" degree of sway over the country, and to put an end to
" the kind of ' black mail,' levied on all occasions by the
" savage ' chivalry of the mountains '"I
The appalling cruelties of the above quotations require
no comment ; and I hope the author, as well as the Captain,
who have my warmest approbation for having so frankly
revealed them, will pardon me for having quoted them in
this place, as one striking proof of the justice that may be
reasonably expected, in prospect; and that may fairly be
laid to the past proceedings of these great systems of
trading with, and civilizing the savages ; which have been
carried on from the beginning of our settlements on the
Atlantic Coast, to the present day, making first acquaintance
with them, and first impressions of the glorious effects of
civilization^^and of the sum total of which, this instance
is but a mere point ; but with the singular merit which
redounds to the honor of Captain Bonneville, that he has
* Daring the sommer of this transaction X was on the Upper Mis-
souri rirer, and had to pass the Biccaree viUag>e in my bark canoe, with
only two men, which the reader will say justly accounts for the advice
sf Mr. M'Kenzie, to pass the Biccaree village in the night, which I did,
as I have before described, by which means it is possible I preserved my
life, as they had just killed the last Fur Trader in their village, and as I
have learned since, were "4ctneing hia aealp" when I came by them.
!■"'■
t V
frankly told the whole f„,,i, , "«
«.a« wu, ^,^^ ^j^ epistw, rt*:.^"
of the savage, and why JT '"^ "^ «ised in the „■ !
From these, and hundreH««P .i.
-d eqnaUy bartarout^er^ *"*»' "igh. be named
men may weU feel a dread a?« ^ ^ "^ *«». that Xi!
^^^afterat^citiesl^et n:?fr^'''=''"M^^^
jua ly for revenge, in » eoun rT;t ?." *> ^""^^ ""d .°
pnn«h , but where the ornel 1^,1^,7^'^ "^ ■"> '»« »»
own way-«.d white men fal ?lfr''/'°«''«°<'« « !■«
then- hnd. "' ""^ 'be common law of
Of the hundreds and thousands of ,.
are denominated by whitn ™. ? ""'' "»"•*«, aa thev
.ell of them in the^ei^'i^d rkl'r^ "j! "■"' »»- '"
'" mmd by the re«ler, whoZll t°''°"" «'» >« kept
tbat thoy are all oommitr7r?„dt ^'"'°? "-^ *''^
Indian hunt, not, nor trap, anvwlT ground-that the
nor asks him for hi, land! ^^ f °° "'"'"« ■»«•''« "oil
wbe« they have depo°s .r^Ws "^ T"^ ^-^
the.rw,ves and their little children "^ *"" "»''».
I have aaid that the principal means „f ,v. ^
tbew people, were the system „?, i ""^ •'«™°«o'> of
d«<!tion of small-pox, the Xlil f ' ""* *' '■""•
quant, sooner or iTter upon "he ! f"^' ""' '» '^'^■
rtisky selling to .v^yTV jZIiT""' "' ''"^^ «■">
n'-:
774
LETTERS AND NOTKS* ON THS
dence, that of the numerous tribes which have already dis«
appeared, and of those that have been traded with, quite
to the Bockj Mountains, each one has had this exotic
disease in their turn — and in a few months have lost one
half or more of their numbers; and that from living
evidences, and distinct traditions, this appaling disease has
several times, before our days, run like a wave through
the Western tribes, over the Bocky Mountains, and to the
Pacific Ocean — thinning the ranks of the poor Indians to
an extent which no knowledge, save that of the overlook-
ing eye of the Almighty, can justly comprehend.*
I have travelled faithfully and far, and have closely
scanned, with a hope of fairly portraying the condition
and customs of these unfortunate people ; and if, in taking
leave of my readers, which I must soon do, they should
censure me for my oversight, or any indiscretion or error,
I will take to myself these consoling reflections, that they
will acquit me of intention to render more or less than
justice to any one ; and also, that if in my zeal to render a
service and benefit to the Indian, I should have fallen short
of it, I will, at least, be acquitted of having done him an
injury. And in endeavoring to render them that justice,
it belongs to me yet to say that the introduction of the fatal
causes of their destruction above-named, has been a subject
of close investigation with me during my travels; and I
have watched on every part of the Frontier their destructive
* The Reverend Mr. Parker in his Tour across the Bocky Mountains
■ays, that amongst the Indians, below the Falls of the Golnmbia, at
least Beven-eighths, if not nine-tenths, as Dr. M'Laughlin believes,
have been swept away by disease between the years 1829, and the time
that he visited that place 1836. " So many and so sudden were the
deathi which occurred, that the shores were strewed with the unburied
dead, whole and large villages were depopulated, and some entire tribes
have disappeared." This mortality, he says, " extended not only from
the Oascades to the Pacific, but from very far North to the coast of
California." These facts, with hundreds of others, show how rapidly
the Indian population is destroyed, long before we become acquainted
with them.
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
77(^
influences, which result in the overthrow of the savage
tribes, which, one succeeding another, are continually be-
coming extinct under their baneful influences. And before
I would expatiate upon any system for their successful
improvement and preservation, I would protrude my
opinion to the world, which I regret to do, that so long as
the past and present system of trade and whisky-sellin^
is tolerated amongst them, there is little hope for their
improvement, nor any chance for more than a temporary
existence. I have closely studied the Indian character in
its native state, and also in its secondary form along our
Frontiers ; civilized, as it is often (but incorrectly) called.
I have seen it in every phase, and although there are many
noble instances to the contrary, and with many of whom I
am personally acquainted, yet the greater part of those who-
have lingered along the Frontiers, and been kicked about like
dogs, by white men, and beaten into a sort of a civilization,
are very far from being what I would be glad to see them,
and proud to call them, civilized by the aids and example*
of good and moral people. Of the Indians in their general
capacity of civilized, along our extensive Frontier, and
those tribes that I found in their primitive and disabused
state, I Have drawn a Table, which I offer as an estimate of
their comparative character, which I trust will be found to
be near the truth, generally, though like all general rules
or estimates, with its exceptions. (Vide Appendix C.)
Such are the results to which the present system of civi-
lization brings that small part of these poor unfortunate
people, who outlive the first calamities of their country;
and in this degraded and pitiable condition, the most of
them ehd their days in poverty and wretchedness, without
the power of rising above it. Standing on the soil which
they have occupied from their childhood, and inherited
from their fathers; with the dread of *' pale faces," and the
deadly prejudices that have been reared in their breasts
against them, for the destructive influences which they
have introduced into their country, which have thrown th»
Wl
»
i
I •
;*:
778
LKTTBRS AND NOTES.
greater part of their Mends and connexions into the grave,
And are now protnising the remainder of them no better
prospect than the drearj one of liring a few years longer
and then to sink into the ground themselves ; surrendering
their lands and their fair hunting-grounds to the enjoyment
of their enemies, amd their bones to be dug up and strewed
about the fields, or to be labelled in our Museums.
For the Christian and philanthropist, in any part of the
world, there is enough, I am sure, in the character, condi-
tion, and history of these unfortunate people, to engage his
sympathies— for the Nation, there is an unrequited account
of sin and injustice that sooner or later will call for national
retr^tion — and for tte American citizens, who live, every-
where proud of their growing wealth and their luxuries^
over the bones of these poor fellows, who have surrendered
their hunting-gi-ounds and their lives to the enjoyment of
their cruel dispossessors, there is a lingering terror yet, I
fear, for the reflecting minds, whose mortal bodies must
soon take &eir humble places with their red, but injured
brethren, under the same glebe ; to appear and stand, at
last, with guilt's shivering conviction, amidst the myriad
XWiks of accusing spirits, that are to rise in their own fields^
«fe the final day of resurrection !
FaoM the accounts brouirht f« xr
«». rear the .„.„.p„ ,„ „.« j^' ' 7™ "■« l» .be ..„„„ .,
fhng up .Wr residence 1„ „, « J" '"^ '»»" ««•' «>■* o.ta,i.,,
•mved from ,h.„, j i^ ,^ ^^^ J" ^«r. who w „„„
numerous tribe. "'"»'«'M«ng and <,„j.
The Biccarees, he said had t u
dl«.« had subsided, and 'aft., .iZ' for"'™ °' "" "^ "^ *<■'
' »! . I"g. pan, of their ene Je ft T '°°°"" '" »• •«" «W.d
Pe-f., i. resistanee, in ,h,ei ,CJ^'- »" •■■»■« «»hti., de.
««« part, the utter had coneertei!' V™™"" '"^ "k" «"
which ,a. oiTeoted b, their si™ ^o *" '■ "t °"° -«"««»■
on .0 .he prairie, e.,„.^ „., ^ CJ ™ "* ™"' *' '''>«'
•ben,, ...hat the,,e„ Blcc.«edo»hl !?."'?"'' ''°™»)'okni
.«a .h.y did no. .ish 4„ «,e,._,t7^ *'* ""'f Woo* «" all dead,
a«P«.te., a. th^ couid, t; .,t t^i^r;*^ *""P»»' «
Ibej were thus ont h, pieces and destrol '" """'' "^ ""
Ihe accoiota given bv two „r ,i .'.
•bo Maodan, i^ri.,' ZZ^'J""'''"*' .•^"^ -<- we„ .„e.^.
The disease ™ introduce dllTh. * ", ''*""''°'^ '° "» ""o*^-
.-"..rfrou, 8.. Uuis, .S^ZZl:' "" '"' "™'"^-'
«" when it approached the Pn„er M ""' *" "'" "o «..
» Upper M,s,o„r,, and i„p,„de„|,„<,pp,j
("7)
I II
778
APPINDIX.
'>A
to tra/le at the Msudan village, which was on the bank of the met,
where the chieft and others were allowed to come on board, by which
means the disease got ashore.
I am constrained to belioTe, that the gentlemen in charge of the
steamer did not believe It to be the small-pox ; for if they had known it
to be such, I cannot coDoelvo of such iroprodence, as regarded their own
interests in the country, as well as the fate of these poor people, by
allowing their boat to advance into the coantry under such circum
stances.
It seems that the Mandans were snrroonded by several war->parties of
iheir more powerful enemies the Sioux, at that unlucky time, and they
conlil not therefore disperse npon the plains, by which many of them
lonld have been saved ; and they were necessarily inclosed within the
]ii(|uet8 of their village, where the disease in a few days became so very
malignant that death ensued in a few hours after its attacks ; and so
slight were their hopes when they wore attacked, that nearly half of
thcin destroyed themselves with their knives, with their guns, and by
dashing their brains out by leaping head-foremost from a thirty foot
ledge of rocks in front of their village. The first symptom of the dis-
ease was a rapid swelling of the body, and so very virulent had it be-
come, that very many died in two or three hours after their attack, and
that in many cases without the appearance of the disease upon the skin.
Utter dismay seemed to possess all classes and all ages, and they gave
themselves ap in despair, as entirely lost. There was but one continual
crying and howling and praying to the Great Spirit for his protection
during the nights and days { and there being but few living, and those in
too appaling despair, nobody thought of burying the dead, whose bodies,
whole families together, were left in horrid and loathsome piles in their
own wigwams, with a few baffalo robes, kc, thrown over them, there to
decay, and be devoured by their own dogs. That buch a proportion of
their community as that above-mentioned, should have perished in so
skort a time, leems y«t to the rea^r, an unaccountable thing; >'at in
addition to the cavses Jut mentioned, it must be borne in v-'-v that
this frigfatAil disease is everywhere far more fatal amongst native
than in civiliied population, which may be owing to some extraordinary
constitntional susceptibility ; or, I think, more probably, to the exposed
lives they live, leading more directly to fatal consequences. In this, as
. /
in most of their diseases ih. ■ ^79
Some have attribnterl ♦».»
tlan mine todecH,. Tliev.^ '"'"'■"•Mwlwkd™. ,
-mmunW.,, and ,...„ no, ;::,'" .*'- « in eW,,^'
f ' 7 *' "-« Of 'heir f..., «pl 1 ;: ' "* "'"""" "■«
.»d protection from .„<,j|, .,„'!"""» "'""o' fcir exemption
fo-mer, of ei,i,i.ed introduction ' ''""" '"""«'™. "I. »c iL
Dnring the season of ,|,e
O'er the greater part „r .j„ ^^,,^ "• ^«.«c cboier. .fcieh
"« . traveller throogh those „^ n, 2 ^' ? ""^ '*" '">»«« I
•«d I learned fro» .hat I s.;r:;~*'«*e.,it...e.t;,
other part, since that time, that i. .J, 'J'" " " ' '"e heard in
e«rry,»g dhmay ^ jeath .„o„„, .1, ""'' """ "" f™*"".
eaaes, so far a. the, had adopteTa , °° "■= '"*" ™ "»■?
tribes lining exdnsively on meat and .L.T^""' '' '"" '» the
progress was .nddenlyLpea , „ , ' "" "" »' =»"■ »»
looked „pon a. i„p„^„. ,„ science ... I *' " " """J'" "'ieh I
many careful enqniries ; and so f., a'. I b„ 7 °"° ™ *'' ' ""le
the IW-ntier over .hicb I h.,. since '.'; 7*" """^ "■" ■»« of
•scertained thatsnch became the nlL.T' ° "y Mtisfaction
«' t..,e. tc th. West, .nir.L: r"::'' " "■" ""■ *«« "
to reel., them. Among., ttl u '''°' '""' ''''' ' '''«>
*.,ae.e„^e,rei.«:rthrd::t;,7t;:; ":r " °" "** ' -"'
l..ve.Ir.«iy.a|d so mnch and „L„, ^ '''*"''" °'''''''" '
rneai,. This «ne fellow sat in hi. wig,,.
,
Lit
fv^t,
780
APPENDIX.
and watched eTery one of his family die about him, his wives and his
little children, after he had recovered from the disease himself; when
he walked out, arouhd the village, and wept over the final destruction
of his tribe ; his braves and warriors, whose sinewy arms alone he could
depend on for a continuance of their existence, all laid low ; when be
came back to his lodge, where he covered his whole family in a pile,
with a number of robes, and wrapping another around himself, went out
upon a hill at a little distance, where he laid several days, despite all
the solicitations of the Traders, resolved to starve himself to death. He
remained there till the sixth day, when he had just strength enough to
creep back to the village, when he entered the horrid gloom of his own
wigwam, and laying his body along-side of the group of his family, drew
his robe over him and died on the ninth day of his fatal abstinence.
So have perished the fricudly and hospitable Mandans, from the best
accounts I could get ; and although it may be possible that some few
individuals may yet be remaining, I think it is not probable ; and one
thing is certain, even if such be the case, that, as a nation, the Mandans
are extinct, having no longer an existence.
There is yet a melancholy part of the tale to be told, relating to the
ravages of this frightful disease in that country on the same occasion,
as it spread to other contiguous tribes, to the Minatarees, the Knisten-
eauz, the Blackfeet, the Chayennes and Grows ; amongst whom twenty.
five thousand perished in the course of four or five months, which most
appaling facts I got from Major Pilciier, now Superintendent of Indiau
Affairs at St. Louis, from Mr. M'Eenzie, and others.
It may be naturally asked here, by the reader, whether the Gcvertt>
mcnt of the United States have taken any measures to preveut the
ravages of this fatal disease amongst these exposed tribes ; to which I
answer, that repeated efibrts have been made, and so far generally, as
the tribes have ever had the disease, (or, at all events, within the recoU
lections of those who are now living in the tribes,) the Government
agents have succeeded in introducing vaccination as a protection ; but
amongst those tribes in their wild state, and where they have not suf<
fered with the disease, very little success has been met with in the
attempt to protect them, on account of their superstitions, which have
generally resisted all attempts to introduce vaccination. Whilst I was
OB the Upper Missouri, several surgeons were sent into the countiy
1
APPENDIX
781
with the Indian agents, where I several times saw the attempts made
without success. They have perfect confidence in the skill of their own
physicians, until the disease has made one slaughter .o '.heir tribe, and
then, having seen white men amongst them protected oy it, they are
disposed to receive it, before which they cannot believe that so' minute a
puncture in the arm is going to protect them from so fatal a disease ;
and as they see white men so earnestly urging it, they decide that it
must be some new mode or trick of pale faces, by which they are to ga.n
some new advantage over them, and they stubbornly and successfully
resist it.
THE WELSH COLONY,
Which I bareiy spoke of in page 319, which sailed under the direction
of Prince Madoc, or Madawc, from North Wales, in the early part of
the fourteenth century in ten ships, according to numerous and accredited
authors, and never relumed to their own country, have been supposed
to have landed somewhere on the coast of North or South America;
and from the best authorities, (which I will suppose everybody has read
rather than quote them at this time), I believe it has been pretty clearly
proved that they landed either on the coast of Florida or about the
mouth of the Mississippi, and according to the history and poetry of
their country, settled somewhere in the interior of North America,
where they are yet remaining, intermixed with some of the savage tribes.
In my Letter just referred to, I barely suggested, that the Mandans,
whom I found with so many peculiarities in looks and customs, which I
have already described, might possibly be the remains of this lost colony
amalgamated with a tribe, or part of a tribe, of the natives, which would
acconnt for the unusual appearances of this tribe of Indians, and also
for the changed character and customs of the Welsh Colonists, provided
tkese be the remains of them.
Since those notes were written, as will have been seen by my
snbseqaent Letters, I have descended the Missouri river from the Man-
dan Tillage to St. Louis, a distance of eighteen hundred miles, and have
taken pains to examine its shores ; and from the repeated remains
of the ancient location of the Mandans, which I met with on the banks
of that river, I ain fully convinced that I have traced them down nearly
to the mouth of the Ohio river ; and from exactly similar appearances.
*
^
'' .LI
782
APPENDIX.
which I recfiUect to have seen several years since in severul places in
the interior of the state of Ohio, I am fully convinced that they have
formerly occupied that part of the country, and have, from some cause
or other, been put in motion, and continued to make their repeated
moves until they arrived at the place of their residence at the time of
their extinction, on the Upper Missouri.
These ancient fortifications, which are very numerous in that vicinity,
■ome of which enclose a great many acres, and being built on the banks
of the rivers, with walls in some places twenty or thirty feet in height,
with covered ways to the water, evince a knowledge of the science ol
fortifications, apparently not a century behind that of the present day,
were evidently never built by any nation of savages in America, and
present to us incontestible proof of the former existence of a people
very far advanced in the arts of civilization, who have, from some cause
or other, disappeared, and left these imperishabh proofs of their former
existence.
Now I am inclined to believe that the ten ships of Madoc, or a part of
them at least, entered the Mississippi river at the Balize, and made
their way up the Mississippi, or that they landed somewhere on the
Florida coast, and that their brave and persevering colonists made their
way through the interior, to a position on the Ohio river, where they
cultivated their fields, and established in one of the finest countries on
earth, a flourishing colony ; but were at length set upon by the savages,
whom, perhaps, ihey provoked to warfare, being trespassers on theii'
hunting-grounds, and by whom, in overpowering hordes, they were
besieged, until it was necessary to erect these fortifications for their
defence, into which they were at last driven by a confederacy of tribes,
and there held till their ammunition and provisions gave out, and they iii
the end have all perished, except, perhaps, that portion of them who
might have formed alliance by marriage with the Indians, and their ofi"-
spring, who would have been half-breeds, and of course attached to the
Indians' side ; whose lives have been spared in the general massacre ;
and at length, being despised, as all half-breeds of enemies are, have
gathered themselves into a band, and severing from their parent tribe.
have moved off, and increased in numbers and strength, as they have
advanced up the Missouri river to the place where they have been
known for many years past by the name of the Mandana, a corruption
Al'FBNDlX.
788
or abbreviation, perhaps, of " Madawgtcys," the name applied by tht
Welsh to the followers of Madawc.
If this be a sUrtling theory for the world, they will be the more sure
to read the following brief reasons which I bring in support of my
opinion ; and if they do not support me, they will at least be worth
knowing, and may, at the same time, be the means of eliciting further
and more successful enquiry.
As I have said, on page 415 and in other places, the marks of the
Mandan villages are known by the excavations of two feet or more
in depth, and thirty or forty feet in diameter, of a circular form, made
in the ground for the foundations of their wigwams, which leave a
decided remain for centuries, and one that is easily detected the moment
that it is met with. After leaving the Mandan village, I found the
marks of their former residence about sixty miles below where thef
were then living, and from which they removed (from their own account)
about sixty or eighty years since ; and from the appearance of the num-
ber of their lodges, I should think, that at tliat recent date there muit
save been three times the number that were living when I was amongst
/hem. Near the mouth of the big Shienne river, two hundred miles
below their last location, I found still mere ancient remains, and in as
many as six or seven other places between that and the mouth of the
Ohio, and each one, as I visited them, appearing more and more ancien' ,
convinciog me that these people, wherever they might have come from,
have gradually made their moves up the banks of the Ifissouri, to the
place where I ▼isited them.
For the most part of this distance they have been in the heart of the
great Sioux country, and being looked upon by the Sioux as trespassem,
have been continually warred upon by this numerous tribe, who have
endeavored to extinguish them, as they have been endeavoring to do
ever since onr first acquaintance with them ; but who being always
fortified by a strong picqnet, or stockade, have successfully withstood
the assaults of their enemies, and preserved the remnant of their tribe.
Throagh this sort of gauntlet they have run, in passing through the
countries of these warlike and hostile tribes.
It may be objected to this, perhaps, that the Riccarees and Minatareet
build their wigwams in the same way , but this proves nothing, for the
Minatarees are Grows, from the north-west ; and by their own showiag.
v'3 1
784
AFPBXDIX.
fled to the Mandans for protectioD, and forming their Tillages by the
side of them, boilt their wigwams in the same manner.
The Riccarees have been a very small tribe, far inferior to the Man-
dans ; and by the traditions of the Mandans, as well as from the evidence
of the first explorers, Lewis and Olarke, and others, have lived, until
qnite lately, on terms of intimacy with the Mandans, whose villages
they have successively occupied as the Mandans have moved and vaca-
ted them, as they now are doing, since disease has swept the whole of
the Mandans away.
Whether my derivation of the word Mandan from Madamgwya be
correct or not, I will pass it over to the world at present merely as
presumptive proof, for want of better, which, perhaps, this enquiry may
elicit ; and, at the same time, I offer the welsh word Mandon, (the
woodroof, a species of madder used as a red dye,) as the name that
might possibly have been applied by the Welsh neighbors to these people,
on account of their very ingenious mode of giving the beautiful red ana
other dyes to the porcupine quills with which they garnish their dresses.
In their own language they called themselves See-poha-ka-nu mah-ka-kee,
,^he people of the pheasants,) which was probably the name of the
primitive stock, before they were mixed with any other people ; and to
have got such a name, it is natural to suppose that they must have come
from a country vrhen pheasanta existed, which cannot be found short of
reaching the timbered country at the base of the Rocky Mountains,
some six or eight hundred mUes West of the Mandans, or the forests of
Indiana and Ohio, some hundreds of miles to the South and East of
where they last lived.
The above facts, together with the other one which they repeatedly
related to me, and which I have before alluded to, that they had often
been to the hill of the Bed Pipe Stone, and that they once lived near it.
carry conclusive evidence, I think, that they have formerly occupied a
country much farther to the South; and that they have repeatedly
changed their locations, until they reached the spot of their last resi-
dence, where they have met with their final misfortune. And as evidence
in support of my opinion that they came from the banks of the Ohio,
and have brought with them some of the customs of the civilized people
who erected those ancient fortifications, I am able to say, that the
numerous specimens of pottery which have been taken from the graves
APPKNmZ.
785
and tumuli about those ancient works, (many of which may be seen now,
in the Cincinnati Museum, and some of which, my own donations, and
which have lO much surprised the enquiring worid,) were to be seen in
great numbers in the use of the Mandaus j and scarcely a day in the
■•immer, when the riiitor to their village would not see the women at
work with their hands and fingers, moulding them from black clay, into
vases, cups, pitchers, and pots, and baking them in their little kilns in
ibe sides of the hill, or under the bank of the river.
In addition to this art, which I am sure belongs to no other tribe on
the Continent, these people have also, as a secret with themselves, the
extraordinary art of manufacturing a very beautiful and lasting kind of
Mne glass beads, which they wear on their necks in great quantities,
«nd decidedly value above all others that are brought amongst them
by the Fur Traders.
This secret is not only one that the Traders did not introduce amongst
them, but one that they cannot learn from them ; and at the same time,
beyond a doubt, an art that has been introduced amongst them by some
•civiliced people, as it is as yet unknown to other Indian tribes in that
vicinity, or elsewhere. Of this interesting fact Lewis and Clark have
given an aeoount thirty-three years ago, at a time when no Traders, or
other white people, had been amongst the Mandans, to have taught
them so curious an art.
The Mandan eanoes which are altogether different from those of all
other tribes, are exactly the Welsh coracle, mada of raw-hidea, the skins
of baffaloes, stretched underneath a frame made of willow or other
boughs, and shaped nearly round, like a tub ; which the woman carries
on her head from her wigwam to the water's edge, and having stepped
into it, stands in front, and propels it by dipping her paddle forward,
and drawing it to Jur, instead of paddling by the side.
How far these extraordinary facts may go in the estimation of the
nader, with numerous others which I have mentioned in Yolume I.,
whilst speaking of the Mandans, of their various complexions, colours
of hair, and blue and grey eyes, towards establishing my opinion as a
sound theory, I cannot say ; but this much I can safely aver, that at the
moment I first saw these people, I was so struck with the peculiarity of
their appearance, that I was under the instant conviction that they were
an amalgam of a native, with some civilized race ; and from what I hav*
50
h
786
APFENDIJL
eeen of them, and of the remains on the Missonri and Ohio rivers, I feel
fully convinced that these people have emigrated from the latter streani ;
and that they have, in the manner that I have already stated, with
many of their customs, been preserved flrom the almoit total destmction
of the bold colonists of Madawe, who, I believe, settled upon and
occupied for a century or so, the rich and fertile banks of the Ohio, tn
adducing the proof for the support of this theory, if I have failed to
complete it, I have the satisfaction that I have not taken up much of
the reader's time, and I can therefore claim his attention a few moments
longer, whilst I refer him to a brief vocabulary of the Mandan langpuage
in the following pages, where he may compare it with that of the Welsh ;
and better perhaps, than I can, decide whether there is any affinity ex>
isting between the two ; and if he finds it, it will bring me a friendly aid
in support of the position I have taken.
From the comparison, that I have been able to make, I think I am
authorized to say, that in the following list of words, which form a part
of that vocabul&ry, there is a striking similarity, and quite suflBcient to
excite surprise in the minds of the attentive reader, if it could be proved
that those resemblances were but the results of accident between two
foreign and distinct idioms.
English.
Mandan.
Welah.
«»••••••••••••••••• • JKO«
Mi.
You
He..
She.
B..
We..
Ne.
They Eonah.....
Chwi ,
B A
I<a.>.»aM<»«» E ••..
Ount Hwynt
Noo Ni
Hwna meu,. . ,
Hoaa fern....
Wuueonet. TrhaiHyna...
NbfOrthereiinotilegoik Nagoes
(Nage
.Vo \ Nag
iNa
Add Pan Pen
The Oreat Spirit MahopenetaMawr penaethir*. .
Ysprid mawrf...
Bronounetd.
M«
Obwe
A
A
Hooynt
Ne
Hoona
Hona
Nagoali
Pan
Maoor panMttMr
Uspiyd maoor
• St ael M » gNkt tb Ut—b mi or pitnelpal— MTMelga or tapnaib
ilht areat Spirit.
APPENDIX.
787
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AFFSNDIX.
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APPENDIX.
78»
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▲PPaNDIX.
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APPENDIX.
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APPENDIX-0.
OBABAOTBB^Paoi 715.)
Origktdt, Bteoniofy,
OrigiiMU Seeonianf.
HandMiiM
Ugly
Warlike
Peaeeable
Mild
AutoM
Proud
H amble
IfodMt
Dlfldent
Honert
Honest
Virtaoiu
LibidiDow
Honorable
Honorable
Tempemto
Diuipated
. Ignorant
Conceited
Free
BulATed
Yain
Humble
AetiTe
Crippled
Bloqaent
Eloquent
Affabto
Beierf ed .
Independent
Dependent
fiodia
Taoitnm
arateltal
Orateftd
HoBpitai*
HoipitabI*
Happy
Miserable
Ohsritabl*
CbariUbl*
Healthy
Sickly
Beligioos
BeUgiou
Long4iTed
Short-liTod
WonhipM
Wortbipfbl
Bed
Pale.red
Credalou
Bupioions
Sober
Drunken
Bnpentitiou
Sapentitkrai
WUd
wad
Bold
Timid
Increasing
Decreasing
Straight
Crooked
FaithlU
Faithful
QraceAil
ttraeeleM
Stout-hearted Broken-hearted
Cleanly
FUtby
Indolent
Indolent
BraTe
BrtTO
FnlWblood
Mixed-blood
BevengefU
BeT«Dg«fbl
Living
Dying
Jealous
Jealou
Bioh
Poor
Omel
Omel
Landholders
Beggars
fIVtI.
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>'-/^.-