5th. of January Satturday 1805
—
a cold day Some Snow, Several Indians visit us with their
axes to get them mended, I imploy my Self Drawing a Connection
of the Countrey [5]
from what
information I have rec[e]ved.
a Buffalow Dance (or Medeson) (
Medecine) for 3
nights passed in the 1
st. Village, a curious Custom the old
men arrange
themselves in a circle & after Smoke[ing] a pipe
which is handed them
by a young man, Dress[ed] up for the
purpose, the young men who have their
wives back of the
Circle go [each] to one of the old men with a whining
tone
and request the old man to take his wife (who presents [herself]
necked except a robe) and—(or
Sleep with her) the
Girl then takes the Old Man (who verry often can
scarcely
walk) and leades him to a convenient place for the business,
after which they return to the lodge; if the old man (or a
white
man) returns to the lodge without gratifying the Man &
his wife, he
offers her again and again; it is often the Case that
after the 2
d. time without Kissing the Husband throws a new
robe over
the old man &c. and begs him not to dispise him
& his wife (We
Sent a man to this Medisan Dance last
night, they gave him 4 Girls) all
this is to cause the buffalow
to Come near So that they may Kill them
[6]
