University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER XII.

VOYAGE FROM L'EAU QUI COURT TO FORT PIERRE, ON THE TETON RIVER (THE LITTLE MISSOURI),
AND STAY THERE, FROM MAY 13TH TO JUNE 4TH.

On the morning of the 13th of May, the Yellow Stone passed the mouth of the Running-water
River (l'eau qui court[1] ), when the thermometer was at 55°. The Assiniboin was before
us. We reached the mouth of Punca Creek, which runs along the chain of hills obliquely to the
Missouri. At the time when the Puncas separated from the Omahas, they built a kind of fort of
earth, some miles up this river, which, however, they no longer occupy. There are said to be
hot springs in the neighbourhood, such as are known to exist in several places on the banks of the
Missouri. Springs of any kind are, however, very rare in these dry prairies. In this neighbourhood
are many villages of the prairie dogs (Arctomys ludoviciana, Ord.), in the abandoned
burrows of which, rattlesnakes abound. It has been affirmed that these two species of
animals live peaceably together in these burrows; but observers of nature have proved that the
snakes take possession of abandoned burrows only, which is in the usual course of things. Deep

gullies traverse the summits of the banks, above which the turkey buzzards were hovering. On
a sudden, three Punca Indians appeared and hailed us; they were wrapped in their buffalo
skins, and carried their bows and arrows on their shoulders. One of them had a very singular
appearance, having bound up the hair of his head, so that it stood quite upright. Though they
made signs to us to take them on board, we did not stop, but renounced the pleasure of more
closely observing these interesting people. The trees on the edge of the prairie, by which
we passed, were old, thick, and low, with their summits depressed and cramped. They were the
resort of the Carolina pigeon, which is found all along the banks of the river. The red cedars,
in particular, were stunted and crippled, often thicker than a man's body in the trunk, and very
frequently wholly withered. The swallows' nests—numbers of which were built against the steep
banks—were not yet inhabited. We were unable, on account of the shallowness, to reach a fine
grove of poplars on the right bank, and proceeded along the hills of the left bank, which were
seventy or eighty feet in height, where the red cedar abounded, and we stopped to fell a number
of these trees. A wild lateral ravine here opened to the Missouri, up the steep sides of which our
wood-cutters climbed, and cut down the cedars, which were loaded with their black berries. The
wood of this tree emits a very aromatic scent, and it is much used by the steam-boats for fuel, because
it supplies a great deal of steam, and the berries, as we were told, are eaten by the Indians for certain
medicinal purposes. At the bottom of the narrow ravine, there was a thicket of elm, cedar, bird-cherry,
clematis, celtis, celastrus, vine, and other shrubs; and the neighbouring lofty verdant
hills of the prairie produced many beautiful plants, among which was Stanleya pinnatifida, with
its splendid long bunches of yellow flowers. Returning to our vessel, when the bell gave the
signal for departure, we found one of the three Punca Indians whom we had seen in the morning.
He had taken advantage of our slow progress to overtake us. His hair hung down to his
shoulders, and was tied together in a queue. His countenance was good-natured and friendly;
he wore a buffalo robe, had a bow and arrows on his back, and, in his hand, a large hussar sabre,
which he had received as a present. Major Bean gave him some tobacco, powder, lead, and ball;
and after he had satisfied his craving appetite he returned, well satisfied, to his comrades. In the
afternoon the country was by no means attractive, rather flat, and not so verdant; our vessel
sustained many violent shocks. The chain of hills, in the distance, appeared in more and more
singular forms, partly resembling ramparts and batteries, and then again perfectly flat, like tableland.
An isolated, round, conical eminence, which is called the Tower, stands on them. On the
bank were, again, singularly stunted woods and thickets, probably kept down by the cold winds
of the prairie. The soil and the whole character of the country was changed; on the Lower
Missouri it was a black mould, and very fertile. Cedars flourished here, growing to the height of
forty or fifty feet, yet they were often withered, or, at least, many had dry branches on their
summits.

On the following morning, the 14th, we had a very difficult navigation, and were even
obliged to put back, so that the Assiniboin overtook and passed us, and we followed it up the
river on the north bank, and afterwards landed forty men to lighten the vessel; ran happily over
a sand bank, and again passed the Assiniboin. In the preceding year, the whole prairie was seen
from the steamer to be covered with herds of buffaloes, but now there were no living creatures,
except a few wild geese and ducks, which had likewise become scarce, since the termination of
the great forest below the La Platte River. The monotony of this rude landscape was, however,
soon interrupted by the appearance of a canoe, in which were four white men rowing down
the river. A boat was speedily manned, into which Mr. Mc Kenzie and Mr. Sandford went,
well armed, in order to speak to them, because they were supposed to be engagés of the Company
who were deserting. We were informed by them, that the Arikkaras, a dangerous Indian
tribe, had lately murdered three beaver hunters, one of whom was a man named Glass, well
known in the country, of whom I shall have occasion to speak in the sequel.

Upon an island, to which we came, was a real wilderness; the beavers had formed a kind
of abattis, by felling poplars; another island was remarkable because there is a hot spring opposite
to it, on the main land, the water of which has no mineral taste. On the left bank, about five or
six miles below Cedar Island, we observed the remains of Indian huts. Mr. Mc Kenzie had met
here, in the preceding year, a camp of the Punca Indians. On the steep banks were coloured
stripes, or regular strata; some black, doubtless bituminous coal, others reddish brown, and, in
several places, burnt black. Some parts had burnt very lately, and, in many places, had fallen in.
Unhappily we were not able more closely to examine these remarkable strata. We fastened the
vessel for the night to the western coast; and the lightning was very brilliant.

On the following day, the 15th of May, we saw in the thickets, behind which the prairie
extended, many traces of an Indian camp; heads of elks, stags, and other animals, were scattered
about; the marks of horses' feet were everywhere visible; and a practicable trodden path led
through the thickets. At noon, when the thermometer was at 77°, the Assiniboin again
passed us, and, with the keel-boat Maria, vanished from our sight. At four in the afternoon, we
reached the place where we had stopped the preceding night, with the help of the keel-boat,
which had returned, and at length succeeded in getting forward; but again had a storm of
thunder and lightning. The whole country, beyond the banks, consisted of hills, rising one above
the other; some covered with verdure, some of a yellowish colour, mostly without life and
variety. While the lightning flashed from the dense black clouds, we again overtook the Assiniboin,
which had landed its wood-cutters to fell some cedars on the steep mountain. We, too,
landed 300 paces further up, to cut down cedars for fuel. At this place there was the narrow
deep ravine of a small stream, now dry, in which we caught a pale yellow bat, and saw some snakes,
and the scattered bones of buffaloes. We climbed from the bottom of the ravine up the singular

eminences of the prairie, and collected some interesting plants, particularly the wild turnip.
Two species of cactus were not yet in blossom; they are, probably, not sufficiently known to
botanists. One of them has been taken for the Cactus opuntia; and Captain Back, too, says, that
it is found on an island in the Lake of the Woods; but this is certainly not the above-named plant.
On the highest elevation above the river, we enjoyed a remarkably fine prospect, while the sky
was darkened by black thunder clouds. Around us was the amphitheatre of singularly-formed
mountain-tops; at our feel lay the fine broad river, intersected by innumerable sand banks, which
plainly showed us the difficulties of our navigation. On the banks, at so great a distance from
the dwellings of civilized men, were two large vessels emitting volumes of steam. We were lost
in the contemplation of this vast wilderness, when the bell summoned us on board. Our people
had found a channel with five feet water, but it was so dark and foggy, that we were obliged to
lie to early.

On the following morning, the 16th of May, having passed a village of the prairie dogs, we
reached, at nine o'clock, the Cedar Island, which is said to be 1,075 miles from the mouth of the
Missouri. On the steep banks of this long narrow island, which lies near the south-west bank,
there were thickets of poplars, willows, and buffalo berry; the rest of the island is covered with
a dark forest of red cedars, of which we immediately felled a good number. Their beautiful
violet-coloured wood is traversed towards the edge by white veins, and is found very fit for shipbuilding.
We crossed, with great pleasure, this wilderness of lofty cedars, the rough bark of
which peels off of itself, and hangs down in long slips; many of them were withered, others
broken and thrown down, or lying on the ground, covered with moss and lichen. The notes of
numerous birds were heard in the gloom of this cedar forest, into which no ray of the sun could
penetrate. Here, too, we found everywhere traces of the elks and stags, and saw where they had
rubbed off the bark with their antlers. This may be considered as the limit to which the wild
turkey extends on the Missouri. It is true that this bird is, now and then, found higher up, even
on the Yellow Stone River; but these are exceptions, for beyond this place the woods are too
open and exposed. The Indians, on the Upper Missouri, very readily barter for the tails of these
fine birds, to use them as fans and ornaments, and Mr. Mc Kenzie, accordingly, took a good
supply with him.

On account of the high wind we were obliged to stop longer than we intended at Cedar
Island, and took advantage of the delay to send out our hunters with their fowling-pieces. They
brought back some birds, and a quadruped which was new to me. The wood-cutters had found,
in a hollow tree, a nest of the large wood-rat, with four young ones. This fine animal has a tuft
of hair at the end of its tail, and sometimes the whole tail is covered with hair. In colour and
shape it resembles our Norway rat, and has not yet been mentioned as found on the Missouri,
unless a couple of passages in Lewis and Clarke's Travels, which say, "very large rats were found
here," refer to it.

On the morning of the 17th we saw the first antelopes, or cabris, half a dozen of which fled over
the hills, but at so great a distance that we could not well distinguish them; we, however, subsequently
had the pleasure of seeing one of these animals stop so long on the summit of the bank that we
could very plainly observe it nearer at hand. It gazed for a long time at the steamer, appeared to be
alarmed, trotted away, then stopped again, and disappeared behind the hills. The antelope becomes
more and more common in this part of the country, and we saw several to-day, but the wishes of our
hunters were disappointed. The Indians use the skin of these animals for clothing, but they are
not very eager in the chase of the antelope, except where the buffalo is scarce. As, on sounding
the channel, only four feet of water were found, the steamer was moored to the bank, and we
took our fowling-pieces. With difficulty we penetrated through the thickets of poplar and willow
on the bank, where the large tracks of the elks and of the Virginian deer were everywhere deeply
imprinted in the soft soil. We then reached the prairie, which is perfectly level, and extends for
300 or 400 paces to the hills. It was covered with high grass, and clusters of many different
plants. Our people traversed the prairies in all directions, looking for the pomme blanche, which
was very common. Near the thickets we saw the pretty Carolina pigeon, seeking its food on
the ground, but, when we approached, all the birds immediately flew out of the prairie, and sought
refuge in the recesses of the thickets. We had a fine, starlight, cool evening.

On the 18th we saw the first buffaloes that we had met with on this voyage. Several of
our hunters were immediately landed to pursue them. They ascended into a ravine, and disappeared
behind the hills. We also landed, at noon, when the thermometer was at 68°. Beyond the
thickets on the bank, there were some old isolated trees in the prairie, in which, as well as in the
tall plants, bushes, and grass, there were numerous birds. During the day, the mosquitoes (Tipula)
were so troublesome in the wood, that we could scarcely load our pieces; it is said that, in the
height of summer, this nuisance is still more intolerable. The buffalo hunters returned to the
vessel at the same time with us; they had, indeed, missed their object, but had killed a large
buck antelope, as well as a great many prairie dogs, the heads of which were all mutilated by the
rifle balls. As these little animals retreat to their burrows, on the approach of any strange object,
and only put out their heads, the Americans, with their long rifles, generally hit them in this
part: they are a favourite food among them. Our men brought back the skin and the head,
as well as the flesh of the antelope which they had killed: they likewise brought me a fine
grey eagle and a serpent (Col. eximus). The river being so shallow, we were not able to proceed
on the following day, and continued our excursions on shore. I often passed my time in the
lofty and shady forest which extended beyond the willow thickets on the banks, at the border of
the open prairie. Sitting on an old trunk, in the cool shade, I could observe at leisure the surrounding
scene. I saw the turkey buzzards, that hovered above the hills, contending against
the high wind, while a couple of falcons frequently made a stoop at them, doubtless to defend

their nest. A couple of ravens likewise flew about them. The red-eyed finch, the beautiful
Sylvia æstiva, the Sylvia striata, and the wren, flew around me, the latter singing very prettily.
If I passed beyond the prairie hills, I found the ground, on the long-extended ridge, covered with
the blue flowers of the Oxitropis Lamberti (Pursh.), which grew in tufts about a foot high.
There, too, I saw dens of the foxes and wolves. I saw a fine bird which we had not before met
with, namely, the prairie hen (Tetrao phasianellus), a pair of which rose before me, and of which I
first shot the cock. These birds are found in considerable numbers from this place up to the Rocky
Mountains. In the daytime we suffered great heat in these excursions, while there was also a
high wind, and the ground was hard and dry; the soles of our shoes became so polished on this
ground and the hard dry grass, that it was difficult and fatiguing to walk on the slopes. We were
forced to remain here many days, because the water was very shallow, and, during this time, we
had several violent thunder-storms. It is a peculiarity of this part of the country that, in spring,
rain, storms, and tempests prevail, while the summer and autumn are, in general, very dry. All
the small streams in the extensive prairies then dry up, and there is a general want of water,
except in the vicinity of the large rivers.

On the 21st of May it was so cool that we were obliged to have fires in the cabins; the river
had risen a little, and we endeavoured to proceed. Captain Pratte, of the Assiniboin, came
on board with a man named May, a beaver hunter, who had left Fort Union, on the Yellow
Stone, in March. He confirmed the account of the murder of the three men by the Arikkaras,
and added the still more alarming intelligence, that thirteen of the Company's engagés had
been killed by the Blackfoot Indians. He said that the herds of buffaloes had left the Missouri,
and had been followed by the Sioux Indians, so that we must expect to see only a few of them on
the river. The keel-boat of the Assiniboin had taken part of our cargo on board on the 22nd, and,
as there was rather more depth of water, the Yellow Stone had been got afloat, after a delay of five
days in this shallow place. We happened to be on the hills when the bell summoned us on board,
and hastened as quickly as possible to the bank, but came too late, and were compelled to follow the
vessel for a couple of hours, clambering over fragments of stone, pieces of rock, to creep through
thickets full of thorns and burs, or to wade through morasses; and not till eleven o'clock did we
get on board. The hills on both sides of the river were of singular forms; some of them were
crowned with rocks resembling ancient towers and ruins. The eminences had some dark spots,
caused by black shining strata of coal. Many of these strata had been on fire, and one of them
was extinguished only last year, after having burnt more than three years. Such a thick stratum
of bituminous coal ran in a well-defined stripe on both sides of the river, at an equal elevation,
along all the hills, as far as the eye could reach; and it is not difficult to follow this stratum
for many hundred miles; it is only interrupted, at intervals, by ravines. Some lofty hills,
hereabouts, are called Bijoux Hills, after a person of that name, who resided here many years.

The next morning we found the Assiniboin at the foot of these hills. Our steamer could not
be moved till noon, and then did not proceed far, but lay to near a sand bank. On the morning
of the 24th, Major Bean left us, accompanied by Mr. Bodmer, to go by land to Sioux
Agency, or Fort Lookout, where he intended to wait for us. He had procured saddle-horses
from that place. As we expected the keel-boat, to lighten the ship, we had time to go ashore
and make an excursion inland. At eleven o'clock the bell summoned us to return. The vessel
was made to drop about 2,000 paces down the river, and then, with much exertion, to proceed
along the north-east bank, where we found the Maria keel-boat, which had likewise run aground,
but had been got afloat by its crew, who laboured up to their waists in water, while the people were
lightening our steamer. Mr. Mc Kenzie and myself went on shore to explore the neighbouring
eminences, where we found many rare plants. The geology and mineralogy of these hills are likewise
interesting. The surface consists of clay of various colours, partly resembling lithomarge;
plates and fragments of foliated gypsum were scattered around, and seemed to stand out in the
clay. When we reached the bare sterile heights which belong to the black burnt stratifications,
I found the soil quite different from what it had appeared to me when I looked at it from below.
The whole consists of a clay, which has undergone the effects of fire, and is partly burnt black
on the surface. We saw no living creatures on these bare heights, except the finch (Fringilla
grammaca), first described by Say. Several caves or dens of wolves, foxes, and marmots, were
observed in the declivities of the hills. Between four and five o'clock, the keel-boat having been
sent on before, the Yellow Stone proceeded along the north-east bank. Near the Shannon, or
Dry River, the sun sank behind the poplar wood on the bank, and we lay to for the night.
From the Shannon, the mouth of which is on the west side, the territory of the Sioux nations is
reckoned to extend up the Missouri. On the east bank, as I have observed, it begins much sooner.

At five o'clock, on the following morning, the 25th of May, we had already reached the
White River, and at noon came to a place where the Cedar Fort, a trading post of the Missouri
Fur Company, had formerly stood. When the Company was dissolved, this and other settlements
were abandoned, and demolished by the Indians. Directly opposite, on the east bank, a stratum
of earth burnt till 1823, in consequence of which a large portion of a hill fell, and now stands
isolated before the bank; it is seventy or eighty feet high, and 150 feet long. In the course of
the day we came to a place where an Arikkara village had formerly stood, on the ridge of the
hills, which was destroyed by the Sioux, and the inhabitants expelled. Opposite to this was
Fort Lookout, where the French Fur Trading Company had a post. A little further up the
river we saw, on the hills, some burying-places of the Sioux Indians; most of them were formed of
a high platform, on four stakes, on which the corpse, sown up in skins, lies at full length; others
consisted of stakes and brushwood, like a kind of hedge, in the middle of which the deceased is
buried in the ground. We were told that the son of a chief was buried in one of the latter, in a

standing posture. On a point of land, at the left hand, round which the Missouri turns to the
west, we saw the buildings of Sioux Agency; the Yellow Stone saluted the post with several
guns, and was welcomed to the fort by the hoisting of a flag, while the whole population, about
fifty in number, chiefly consisting of Sioux Indians, were assembled on the beach. We greeted
our friends Major Bean and Mr. Bodmer, and proceeded a mile further, to an extensive forest,
where we took in wood, and stopped for the night. In order to get acquainted with the Sioux,
in whom I took so much interest, I returned, in a heavy rain, through the bushes and high grass,
to the agency, where Major Bean received me very kindly, though his dwelling, according to the
fashion of the place, was rudely constructed, and he was incommoded by too many visitors.

Sioux Agency, or, as it is now usually called, Fort Lookout, is a square, of about sixty
paces, surrounded by pickets, twenty or thirty feet high, made of squared trunks of trees
placed close to each other, within which the dwellings are built close to the palisades. These
dwellings consisted of only three block-houses, with several apartments. Close to the fort, in a
northern direction, the Fur Company of Mr. Soublette had a dwelling-house, with a store; and,
in the opposite direction, was a similar post of the American Fur Company. The fort is
agreeably situated on a green spot, near the river, partly covered with bushes, and partly open,
bounded by hills, beyond which the prairie extends, first, with a few old trees, and some wooded
spots, but soon assuming its peculiar bare character. About ten leather tents or huts of the Sioux,
of the branch of the Yanktons or Yanktoans, were set up near the fort.

The Dacotas, as they call themselves, or the Sioux of the French, called by the Ojibuas or
Chippeways, Nandoesi (which has been corrupted into Nadowassis), are still one of the most
numerous Indian tribes in North America. Pike stated their number at 21,575 souls, and they
are still reckoned at 20,000; nay, some even affirm, that they are still able to furnish 15,000 warriors,
which seems rather too high an estimate. Major Long, who gives much information respecting
this people, calculates their number at 28,100, of which 7,055 are warriors, the nation possessing
2,330 tents, which agrees pretty nearly with the statements we received on the Missouri. If
we add the Assiniboins, who are of the same origin, and who are estimated at 28,000, we shall
have for all the Dacotas, 56,100 souls, of whom 14,055 are warriors, and the number of their tents
5,330. Major Long is of opinion that they cannot be calculated at less than 25,000 souls, and
6,000 warriors; 20,000 is, therefore, not too high an estimate.

The territory which they inhabit extends from Big Sioux River, between the Missouri and
the Mississippi, down the latter to Rock River, and northwards to Elk River; then westwards, in
a line which includes the sources of St. Peter's River, and reaches the Missouri below the Mandan
villages, stretches down it, crosses it near Hart River, and includes the whole country on
the western bank, to the Black Hills about Teton River, as far as Shannon River. The Sioux
are divided into several branches, which all speak the same language, with some deviations.

Three principal branches live on the Missouri, viz., the Yanktons, or Yanktoans, the Tetons, or
Titoans, and the Yanktonans, or Yanktoanons. The Mende-Wakan-Toann, or the people of
the Spirit Lake, and some others, live on the Mississippi. All these branches together are, as
Major Long says, divided by the traders into two great classes—the Gens du Lac and the Gens
du Large; i. e., those who live near the Spirit Lake, and are now chiefly found on the banks of
the Mississippi, and those who roam about in the prairies. The Yanktoanons are said to constitute
one-fifth of all the Dacotas, and the Tetons the half of the whole nation.

The Dacotas roam as far as the territory of the Puncas, over the Black Hills, to the Arkansa,
and westwards to the Rocky Mountains, into the territory of the Crows, on the Yellow Stone
River, &c. Pike makes them, as well as the Pawnees, descend from the Tartars; but many objections
may be made to this notion, as the affinity of the North Americans and the people of Asia is not
proved, and the resemblance between them appears to be very limited. In general, these Indians
have more strongly-marked countenances and higher cheek-bones than many other tribes on the
Missouri, nor are their features so regular or pleasing, yet there is no considerable difference in
their physiognomy. Bradbury says they are much inferior in stature to the Osages, Mandans,
and Puncas, and by no means so robust; but this assertion must be very much restricted, because
there are many tall men among the Dacotas. The Yanktons live in Sioux Agency, or the
furthest down the Missouri, among which tribe we now were. All these Dacotas of the Missouri,
as well as most of those of the Mississippi, are only hunters, and, in their excursions, always live
in portable leather tents. Only two branches of them are exceptions to this rule, especially the
Wahch-Pe-Kutch, on the Mississippi, who cultivate maize and other plants, and therefore live in
fixed villages. All these Indians have great numbers of horses and dogs, the latter of which often
serve them as food. The Dacotas, on the Missouri, were formerly dangerous enemies to the
Whites. Bradbury calls them blood-thirsty savages; whereas now, with the exception of the
Yanktonans, they bear a very good character, and constantly keep peace with the Whites. Pike
seems to have too high an idea of their valour; at least, this is the opinion now entertained on
the Missouri. Such of these Indians as reside near the Whites, are frequently connected with
them by marriages, and depend on them for support. They then become negligent hunters,
indolent, and, consequently, poor. This was partly the case at Sioux Agency, where they rarely
possessed more than two horses. One of the most considerable men among them, wholly devoted
to the Whites, was Wahktageli, called the Big Soldier, a tall, good-looking man, about sixty years
of age, with a high aquiline nose, and large animated eyes. Besides him, there were several
elderly, and some slender young men of this nation, here. They had, in general, a rather narrow,
oval countenance, narrow, long eyes, and aquiline, or straight, well-formed noses; their
colour was a dark brown. They wore their hair hanging down long over the shoulders, and
often platted en queue; the older men, however, let it hang loosely, cut off a little below the

neck, and turned back from the forehead. Younger people generally wore it parted, a large lock
hanging down on the nose; young men had the upper part of the body only wrapped in their
large white or painted buffalo hides. They had long strings of blue and white wampum shells
in their ears; some of them wore one, two, or three feathers, which were partly stripped till
towards the point.

[ILLUSTRATION]

Mr. Bodmer having expressed a wish, immediately on the arrival of the Big Soldier, to paint
his portrait at full length, he appeared in his complete state dress. His face was painted red
with vermilion, and with short, black, parallel, transverse stripes on the cheeks. On his head he
wore long feathers of birds of prey, which were tokens of his warlike exploits, particularly of the
enemies he had slain. They were fastened in a horizontal position with strips of red cloth. In
his ears he wore long strings of blue glass beads, and, on his breast, suspended from his neck, the
great silver medal of the United States. His leather leggins, painted with dark crosses and
stripes, were very neatly ornamented with a broad embroidered stripe of yellow, red, and sky-blue
figures, consisting of dyed porcupine quills, and his shoes were adorned in the same manner.
His buffalo robe was tanned white, and he had his tomahawk or battle-axe in his hand. (See his
portrait, which is a striking likeness, in Plate VIII). He appeared to stand very willingly as a

model for Mr. Bodmer, and remained the whole day in the position required, which, in general, the
Indians find it difficult to do. The remainder of these people were now entirely without ornaments,
naked, and the upper parts of their bodies not at all painted, but only wrapped in their buffalo
robes. On their backs they carried their quivers, which were made of leather, in which their
arrows are kept; they carry their bows in their hands. (See the woodcut.)

The features of the women resembled, on the whole, those we have already described, yet
their faces, for the most part, were not so broad and flat as those of the Saukies, or Musquake
women, and some were even pretty. The tents of the Sioux are high pointed cones, made of
strong poles, covered with buffalo skins, closely sewed together. These skins are scraped on
both sides, so that they become as transparent as parchment, and give free admission to the light.
At the top, where the poles meet, or cross each other, there is an opening, to let out the smoke,
which they endeavour to close by a piece of the skin covering of the tent, fixed to a separate
pole standing upright, and fastened to the upper part of the covering on the side from which
the wind blows. The door is a slit, in the front of the tent, which is generally closed by another
piece of buffalo hide, stretched upon a frame. A small fire is kept up in the centre of the tent.
Poles are stuck in the ground, near the tent, and utensils of various kinds are suspended from
them. There are, likewise, stages, on which to hang the newly-tanned hides; others, with
gaily-painted parchment pouches and bags (see Plate XLVIII. Fig. 8), on some of which they
hang their bows, arrows, quivers, leather shields, spears, and war clubs.

[ILLUSTRATION]

We paid a visit to Wahktageli in his tent, and had some difficulty in creeping into the
narrow, low entrance, after pulling aside the skin that covered it. The inside of this tent was

light, and it was about ten paces in diameter. Buffalo skins were spread on the ground, upon
which we sat down. Between us and the side of the tent were a variety of articles, such as
pouches, boxes, saddles, arms, &c. A relation of the chief was employed in making arrows, which
were finished very neatly, and with great care. Wahktageli immediately, with much gravity,
handed the tobacco-pipe round, and seemed to inhale the precious smoke with great delight.
His wife was present; their children were married. The conversation was carried on by
Cephier, the interpreter kept by the Agency, who accompanied us on this visit. It is the custom
with all the North American Indians, on paying a visit, to enter in perfect silence, to shake hands
with the host, and unceremoniously sit down beside him. Refreshments are then presented, which
the Big Soldier could not do, as he himself stood in need of food. After this the pipe circulates.
The owner of a neighbouring tent had killed a large elk, the skin of which the women were then
busily employed in dressing. They had stretched it out, by means of leather straps, on the
ground near the tent, and the women were scraping off the particles of flesh and fat with a very
well-contrived instrument. It is made of bone, sharpened at one end, and furnished with little
teeth like a saw, and, at the other end, a strap, which is fastened round the wrist. The skin is
scraped with the sharp side of this instrument till it is perfectly clean.[2] Several Indians have iron
teeth fixed to this bone. Besides this operation, we took particular notice of the harness of the
dogs and horses, hanging up near the tent, both these animals being indispensable to the Indians
to transport their baggage on their journeys. Even the great tent, with many long, heavy poles,
is carried by horses, as well as the semi-globular, transparent wicker panniers, under which the
little children are protected against sun and rain, by spreading blankets and skins over them.
Smaller articles are conveyed by the dogs, as we shall relate in the sequel. Many of the Sioux
are rich, and have twenty or more horses, which they obtained originally from the Spaniards on
the Mississippi, and the frontier of New Mexico on the Oregon, but which are now found in great
numbers among the several Indian nations. One of their most important employments is to
steal horses, and the theft of one of these animals, from another nation, is considered as an exploit,
and as much, nay more honoured than the killing of an enemy. The dogs, whose flesh is
eaten by the Sioux, are equally valuable to the Indians. In shape they differ very little from the
wolf, and are equally large and strong. Some are of the real wolf colour; others black, white, or
spotted with black and white, and differing only by the tail being rather more turned up. Their
voice is not a proper barking, but a howl, like that of the wolf, and they partly descend from
wolves, which approach the Indian huts, even in the daytime, and mix with the dogs.

Among the peculiar customs of the Sioux is their treatment of the dead. Those who die

at home are sewed up, as I have before stated, in blankets and skins, in their complete dress,
painted, and laid with their arms and other effects on a high stage, supported by four poles, till
they are decomposed, when they are sometimes buried. Those who have been killed in battle
are immediately interred on the spot. Sometimes, too, in times of peace, they bury their dead in
the ground, and protect them against the wolves by a fence of wood and thorns. There were
many such graves in the vicinity of the Sioux Agency, among which was that of the celebrated
chief, Tschpunka, who was buried with his full dress and arms, and his face painted red. Very
often, however, they lay their dead in trees; and we saw, in the neighbourhood of this place, an
oak, in which there were three bodies wrapped in skins. At the foot of the tree there was a
small arbour, or shed, made of branches of poplar, which the relations had built for the purpose
of coming to lament and weep over the dead, which they frequently do for several days successively.
As a sign of mourning, they cut off their hair with the first knife that comes to hand,
daub themselves with white clay, and give away all their best clothes and valuable effects, as well
as those of the deceased, to the persons who happen to be present. The corpse of a young
woman had been enveloped in skins about a week before, and placed between the branches of the
oak, with six pieces of wood under it; and a little higher in the tree there was a child. Guided
by the obliging interpreter, we viewed everything remarkable in the Sioux agency, which, indeed,
is confined to the Indians and their mode of life. Major Bean had the kindness to accommodate
us for the night.

We passed the 26th of May here, when Mr. Bodmer finished his very capital likeness of
Wahktageli. The elk, killed by the Indians, furnished us with fresh meat, and we considered
ourselves very well off. In the afternoon, Messrs. Mc Kenzie and Sandford came from the
Yellow Stone to visit us, and we returned on board in the evening.

The following morning (27th) was cool, windy, and cloudy, and, at half-past seven, the thermometer
at only 54°. It was so cold that we had fires in our cabins the whole day. Major Bean
had the courtesy to present me with the complete dress of the Big Soldier, an interesting souvenir
of the friendly reception we had met with in his house. The Assiniboin passed us rapidly in the
afternoon, and we followed. A well-known Sioux chief, called Tukan Haton, and, by the
Americans, the Little Soldier, was on board with his family, intending to accompany us to Fort
Pièrre, on the Teton River. These Indians were in mourning for some of their relations
lately deceased; their dress was, therefore, as bad as possible, and their faces daubed with
white clay. The Big Soldier also paid us a visit previous to our departure. He had no feathers
on his head, but only a piece of red cloth. After receiving some food he took leave, and we
saw the grotesque, tall figure stand for a long time motionless on the beach. As the vessel proceeded
very quickly, our Indians laid down their heads as a sign that they were giddy, but
they were soon relieved, as the water became shallow. We lay to not far above the stream which

Lewis and Clarke call the Three Rivers. Here we again had leisure to make an excursion in the
wood, where the ground was covered with pea vine (Apios tuberosa),[3] and a plant resembling
convallaria. The Carolina pigeon was frequent here, and was sought after by our people for
their dinner, to which the river contributed some cat-fish, of the usual olive-brown kind. Our
Indians kindled their fire in the neighbouring wood, and lay around it, but soon returned to the
vessel.

Early on the 28th, part of the goods had been put into the keel-boat, to lighten the steamer,
which was accomplished by eight o'clock. From this place to the Big Bend of the Missouri is
fifteen miles, before reaching which we came to an island, which has been formed since Lewis
and Clarke were there. The same stratum of coal, which I have before mentioned, ran along the
hills, and was visible at a great distance. We soon overtook the Assiniboin, and reached the Big
Bend which the Missouri takes round a flat point of land; following the course of the river, it
is twenty-five miles round, while the isthmus is only one mile and a half across. The large
peninsula, round which the Missouri turns, is flat, and bordered with poplars and willows; the
opposite bank is higher, steep, and bare. A couple of antelopes were, in this place, frightened by
the noise of oursteamer; these animals are said to be very numerous here in the winter time. The
Little Soldier sat by the fireside, smoking his pipe, in doing which, like all the Indians, he inhaled
the smoke, a custom which is, doubtless, the cause of many pectoral diseases. The tobacco,
which the Indians of this part of the country smoke, is called kini-kenick, and consists of the
inner green bark of the red willow, dried, and powdered, and mixed with the tobacco of the
American traders. According to Say, they also smoke the leaves of the arrow-wood (Viburnum),
when they have none of the bark.

On the 29th, we were nearly at the end of the Big Bend, and stopped, at seven o'clock in
the morning, to cut down cedars. Here we ascended the lofty, steep hills, which were partly
bare, and burnt black, and from which we had a view of the whole bend of the river. To the
south, we saw the tops of the Medicine Hills, which are about eight miles from the Medicine
Creek, on the west bank. Towards noon there appeared, on the western bank, steep, rocky walls,
and, behind them, singularly-formed hills, some resembling pyramids, others, round towers, &c.
At this place we suddenly espied a canoe, with four men in it, which touched at a sand bank; a
boat was put out, and brought back two of the strangers, who proved to be Mr. Lamont, a member
of the Fur Company, and Major Mitchell, one of their officers, and Director of Fort
Mc Kenzie, which is situated near the falls of the Missouri. They came last from Fort Pièrre, and
were on their way to St. Louis, but we persuaded them to return with us. Having taken in

wood on the morning of the 30th, we came to a leather tent on the bank, in which three of the
Company's engagés and some Indians lived, to take care of 100 horses, belonging to Fort Pièrre.
They had lately killed three antelopes, and gave us some of the fresh meat. At seven o'clock
we had, on the right hand, Simoneau's Island, which, in Lewis and Clarke's map, is called Elk
Island; it was covered with lofty, green poplars. Soon after twelve o'clock we came to a plantation,
made by the inhabitants of Fort Pièrre, where we found about ten men, who had got
ready a great quantity of fine stack wood for our vessel. At this place, which is only three miles
from the fort, we observed hills, of a singular form, often cleft perpendicularly, and, in the river,
several islands, all of which have now different names from those given to them by Lewis and
Clarke. Before six, in the evening, we reached the mouth of Teton River, or the Little Missouri,
which the Sioux call the Bad River. It rises in the Black Hills, and has a long course, with
many windings; but is said, however, to be straight for 150 miles from the mouth. In this
part of the Missouri are vast sand banks, on which we saw a numerous flock of pelicans.
These birds, however, only stop here on their passage, and do not build their nests. The river is
very wide at the mouth of the Teton, and has extensive low prairie, with a border of poplars and
willows. The French Fur Company had formerly a fort just above the mouth of the Teton,
which was abandoned when the Companies joined, and another built further up, which was called
Fort Teton; this, too, was abandoned; and Fort Pièrre (so called after Mr. Pièrre Chouteau) was
erected higher up, on the west bank, opposite an island.

The steamer had proceeded a little further, when we came in sight of the Fort, to the great
joy of all on board: the colours were hoisted, both on the steamer and on the fort, which produced
a very good effect between the trees on the bank; a small village, consisting of thirteen Sioux tents,
lay on the left hand. Our steamer first began to salute with its cannon, which was returned from
the shore by a running fire of musketry, and this was answered from our deck by a similar very brisk
fire. Before we reached the landing-place, we perceived an isolated, decayed old house, the only
remains of Fort Tecumseh, and, ten minutes afterwards, landed at Fort Pièrre, on the fifty-first
day of our voyage from St. Louis. A great crowd came to welcome us; we were received by
the whole population, consisting of some hundred persons, with the white inhabitants at their
head, the chief of whom was Mr. Laidlow, a proprietor of the Fur Company, who has the
management at this place. There were many Indians among them, who had done their part to
welcome us by firing their muskets, which they carried in their hands. There seemed to be no end
of shaking hands; a thousand questions were asked, and the latest news, on both sides, was eagerly
sought for. Mr. Fontenelle, who was to undertake a journey to the Rocky Mountains, was
already here, having performed the journey, on horseback, in eleven days. As soon as we set
foot on land, we proceeded, accompanied by numbers of persons, to the Fort, to which there is a
straight road of about a quarter of a mile. We put up at Mr. Laidlow's house, where we rested
beside a good fire.

Fort Pièrre is one of the most considerable settlements of the Fur Company on the Missouri,
and forms a large quadrangle, surrounded by high pickets (see the wood-cut), round which the
buildings stand in the manner already described. At the north-east and south-west corners there

are block-houses, with embrasures, f, f, the fire of which commands the curtain; the upper story
is adapted for small arms, and the lower for some cannon; each side of the quadrangle is 108
paces in length; the front and back, g, g, each 114 paces; the inner space eighty-seven paces in
diameter. From the roof of the block-houses, which is surrounded with a gallery, there is a fine
prospect over the prairie; and there is a flag-staff on the roof, on which the colours are hoisted.
The timber for this fort was felled from forty to sixty miles up the river, and floated down, because
none fit for the purpose was to be had in the neighbourhood. Mr. Laidlow's dwelling-house, d, d,
consisted of one story only, but was very conveniently arranged, with large rooms, fire-places, and
glass windows. Next this house was a smaller building, e, for the office and the residence of a
clerk. The other clerks, the interpreters for the different Indian nations, the engagés and their
families, altogether above 100 persons, lived in the other buildings, a, a, a, a. Opposite, in c, c,
were the stores, at that time of the value of 80,000 dollars; and in other rooms, the furs
obtained from the Indians by barter. The fort has two large doors, g, g, opposite each other,
which are shut in the evening: in b there was an enclosed piece of garden ground. The situation
of the settlement is agreeable; the verdant prairie is very extensive, animated by herds of cattle
and horses; of the latter, Fort Pièrre possessed 150, and of the former, thirty-six, which afforded
a sufficient supply of milk and fresh butter. Indians, on foot and on horseback, were scattered
all over the plain, and their singular stages for the dead were in great numbers near the fort;
immediately behind which, the leather tents of the Sioux Indians, of the branches of the Tetons
and the Yanktons, stood, like a little village; among them the most distinguished was the tent
of the old interpreter, Dorion, a half Sioux, who is mentioned by many travellers, and resides
here with his Indian family. This tent was large, and painted red; at the top of the poles composing
it some scalps fluttered in the wind. A great number of Indian dogs surrounded this
village, which did not differ from those we have already described. Many of them were perfectly
similar to the wolf in form, size, and colour; they did not bark, but showed their teeth when any
one approached them.

Near the fort we roused, in the thickets, a Virginian deer, and saw wolves, in the middle of the
day, prowling about in the prairies; but we could not get near them, and fired at them in vain
with our rifles. Round an isolated tree in the prairie I observed a circle of holes in the ground,
in which thick poles had stood. A number of buffalo skulls were piled up there; and we were told
that this was a medicine, or charm, contrived by the Indians in order to entice the herds of buffaloes.
Everywhere in the plain we saw circles of clods of earth, with a small circular ditch, where the
tents of many Indians had stood. This time we visited the Indian tents uninvited; in that which
we first entered there were several tall, good-looking men assembled; the owner of the tent was
a man of middle-size; his complexion very light, and his features agreeable. His wives were
dressed very neatly, and were remarkably clean, especially the one who appeared to be the principal;
she wore a very elegant leather dress, with stripes and borders of azure and white beads,
and polished metal buttons, and trimmed as usual at the bottom with fringes, round the ends of
which lead is twisted, so that they tinkle at every motion. Her summer robe, which was dressed
smooth on both sides, was painted red and black, on a yellowish white ground. (See the portrait
of the Dacota woman, Plate IX.) She estimated all these articles of dress very highly. Among
the effects piled up inside the tent, there were several interesting things, such as cradles for the
infants, viz., ornamented boards, to which they are fastened with broad leathern straps, one passing
over the head, and the other over the middle of the body. The workmanship of these leathern
straps was remarkably neat and curious; for instance, they were entirely covered with a ground of
milk-white porcupine quills, on which figures of men, of a vermilion colour, and black figures of
dogs, and other similar patterns, were most tastefully embroidered, and all of the most lively and
well-chosen colours. After we had conversed with the men, the pipe circulated. The pipes of

the Dacotas are very beautiful, in truth the most beautiful of all the North American Indians,
which they make, in various forms, of the red indurated clay,[4] or stone. (See the figures of the
various Dacota pipes, Plate XLVIII. fig. 12, and in the preceding woodcuts.)

The pipe has a long, flat, broad wooden tube, which is ornamented with tufts of horse-hair,
dyed red, yellow, or green, and wound round with strings of porcupine quills of divers colours.
We looked at the women as they were at work. For the shoes which they made they had softened
the leather in a tub of water, and stretched it in the breadth and length with their teeth. In the
middle of the hut was a fire, over which the kettle was suspended by a wooden hook; they
now all use iron kettles, which they obtain from the traders. Before most of the tents poles were
placed, leaning against each other, to which gaily-painted parchment pouches were hung, and
likewise the medicine-bags, as they are called, in which the medicine, or charms, are preserved,
and which they open and consult only on solemn or important occasions, such as campaigns and
the like. Here, too, were suspended the bow and quiver of arrows, spears, and a round shield of
thick leather, with a thin cover, also of the same material. In another tent the women were
dressing the skins, either with a pumice-stone, or with the before-described toothed instrument,
which was here entirely of iron. They then pulled the skin over a line, in all directions, backwards
and forwards, to make it pliable.

The Sioux at Fort Pièrre were in general slender, sometimes muscular-men, of middling
stature, though some of them were tall. They had oval faces, with prominent cheek-bones,
slightly-curved and well-formed noses; the inner angle of the eye often drawn down. Their
faces were painted red, some with white rings round the eyes, and others with a black point
on the forehead, or a white circle with a black point on each cheek. Some had strings of wampum
in their ears, but the greater part of them strings of white or blue glass beads, and round their
necks an elegant, and frequently broad necklace, embroidered with white beads. The neck and
breast of several were marked with dark blue tatooed stripes, or only with some small figures. These
Indians let their hair grow as long as possible, and plait it behind in a long tail, which is ornamented
with round pieces of brass, and often hangs down to a great length, as among the
Chinese. Many of the Dacotas have three such tails, one behind, and one at each side, for the
Indians on the Upper Missouri take much pride in long hair, whereas those in the country lower

down the river, cut it short. Some wore feathers in their hair, which are tokens of their exploits,
and are determined with great precision, according to the merit of the wearer. The annexed
figure of a Dacota shows the manner in which the hair is divided into plaits.

[ILLUSTRATION]

The women wore their hair hanging down, naturally parted on the middle of the head, and
the parting painted red. Their robes were coloured red and black. Their shoes are neatly
ornamented with various figures made of dyed porcupine quills. I purchased several Dacota
shoes; and, among them, a pair, on the upper part of which the figure of a bear's footstep was very
neatly embroidered in bright colours. (Plate XLVIII. fig. 9.) The old women are generally very
ugly and dirty, as they are obliged to do very hard work.

The Sioux, who live on Teton River, near Fort Pièrre, are mostly of the branch of the Tetons;
though there are some Yanktons here. The former are divided into five branches, and the latter
into three. Like all the North American Indians, they highly prize personal bravery, and, therefore,
constantly wear the marks of distinction which they have received for their exploits; among
these are, especially, tufts of human hair attached to their arms and legs, and feathers on their
heads. He who, in the sight of the adversaries, touches a slain or a living enemy, places a feather
horizontally in his hair for this exploit. They look upon this as a very distinguished act, for
many are often killed in the attempt, before the object is attained. He who kills an enemy by a
blow with his fist, sticks a feather upright in his hair. If the enemy is killed with a musket, a
small piece of wood is put in the hair, which is intended to represent a ramrod. If a warrior is
distinguished by many deeds, he has a right to wear the great feather-cap, with ox-horns,

which will be described in the sequel. This cap, composed of eagle's feathers, which are fastened
to a long strip of red cloth, hanging down the back, is highly valued by all the tribes on the Missouri,
and they never part with it except for a good horse. In a battle with the Pawnees, a Sioux
chief was killed, who wore such a cap; the conqueror wore it as a trophy, and the Sioux recognised
him by it in the next battle; they made great efforts to kill him, and succeeded in wounding
him; but his horse was too fleet for them, and he always escaped. Whoever first discovers the
enemy, and gives notice to his comrades of their approach, is allowed to wear a small feather,
which is stripped, except towards the top. (See the woodcut, page 150.) The scalps taken in
battle are drawn over small hoops, and hung on the top of the tent-poles. He who takes a
prisoner wears a particular bracelet. These Indians frequently possess from thirty to forty horses,
and are then reckoned to be rich. The tents are generally composed of fourteen skins, each
worth two dollars. We were told, that wealthy people sometimes have eight or nine wives,
because they are able to support them. The Sioux do not understand the treatment of diseases,
but generally cure wounds very well. Before their death, they usually determine whether they
will be buried, or be placed on a stage, or in a tree.

There was, among the Dacotas at this place, a young Punca Indian, whose name was Ho-Ta-Ma,
a handsome, friendly man, who often amused himself with different games; frequently he
was seen with his comrades playing at what was called the hoop game, at which sticks, covered
with leather, are thrown through a hoop in motion. In the daytime the Indians were often seen
galloping their horses, mostly riding on their bare backs: sometimes they ran races, as Mr.
Bodmer has represented in the Vignette to Chapter XXX. In the evening they drive their horses
into the fort, as they are more safe from a hostile attack, and horse-stealing is universally practised
by the Indians. The Indian families residing here are mostly related to the white inhabitants
of the fort, and, therefore, constantly abide near them. The men lead a very indolent life; for,
besides the chase and war, their only occupations are eating, smoking, sleeping, and making
their weapons.

During our stay here, on board the vessel, we were continually besieged by Indians, who did
not move from the spot. Our time was, therefore, divided between these visitors and our excursions
into the prairie. On the 2nd of June, 7,000 buffalo skins and other furs were put on board
the Yellow Stone, with which it was to return to St. Louis. We took this opportunity of sending
letters to Europe: the Assiniboin was assigned us for the continuation of the voyage. The
weather, at this time, was very unfavourable; it rained at a temperature of 57°, and we were
obliged to have a fire in our cabin throughout the day. The Assiniboin had already taken our baggage
on board, but still lay on the east bank, for an attempt to bring it over to our side had failed,
because the water was too low. In the afternoon, when we visited Mr. Laidlow in the fort, six
Sioux, from the prairie, arrived on horseback, whose horde, of 200 tents, was at the distance of a

day's journey. They brought word that, two days' march from the fort, there were numerous
herds of buffaloes. Among these new comers there were some elderly men; the plaits of their hair
were wound about with strips of skin, and their faces were painted red; their bodies were fleshy,
which was a proof that they had suffered less from hunger than those in the fort. They paid
a visit first to the Assiniboin, and then to Mr. Laidlow, who gave them food and tobacco. Mr.
Lamont, who had taken leave of us to-day, to go by the steam-boat to St. Louis, embarked with
some of the Company's clerks: he was saluted with several cannon shot, and before evening the
Yellow Stone rapidly descended the river. While Messrs. Mc Kenzie, Sandford, and Mitchell
took up their abode in the fort, we went on board the Assiniboin, from which I made, on the 4th
of June, an interesting excursion into the prairie, in order to make myself acquainted with the
eastern bank.

I left the vessel at half-past seven o'clock, the thermometer being at 59°, and immediately
ascended the steep eminences, of which the lower were covered partly with bright green, partly
with dry, yellow grass, and the higher ones bare, with the surface frequently blackened by fire.
A path, trodden by the elks to the river, led me to the highest summit, from which I had a
pleasing prospect of the opposite bank and the fort. It lay, clearly delineated, in the extensive
verdant plain, bounded by a singular chain of hills; and I again distinguished, half way up the
mountains, the black stripe of the extensive stratum of coal. At noon it was warm, and I returned
much heated, the thermometer being at 72°. We received a visit from six or seven
newly arrived Tetons, whom the interpreter, Dorion, introduced to us. They were particularly
interested by the steam-boat, and, after they had very minutely examined it, they were served
with dinner and pipes. The dinner chiefly consisted of bacon, which the Indians do not like;

they, however, swallowed it, in order that they might not appear uncourteous. Among them was a
Teton, named Wah-Menitu (the spirit, or god, in the water), and who had such a voracious appetite,
that he devoured everything which the others had left; his face was painted red; he had a
remarkably projecting upper lip, and an aquiline nose much bent. In his hair, which hung in
disorder about his head, with a plait coming over one of his eyes or nose, the feather of a bird of
prey was placed horizontally; but observed that he had a right to wear three. Mr. Bodmer, who
desired to draw this man's portrait, gave him some vermilion, on which he spat, and rubbed his
face with it, drawing parallel lines, in the red colour, with a wooden stick. Wah-Menitu stayed
on board for the night; sung, talked, laughed, and joked without ceasing; and seemed quite to
enjoy himself.