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Show 12 A TRlP ACROSS THE PLAINS, furnished with a vnlve, which may be made to cover the cltimney during rain ot· snow. I n~ernally th~ following a!• rangement is ob':)erved : the fire IS placed In the centre, and the baggage around the circumference of the circle, while the family occupy the intermediate space. 1'hese Indians, as well as the tribes ge nerally east of the Rocky mountain.3, are considerably skilled in the fine a rts, making very beautiful moccasin~ and other article~ of wearing apparel, 'fhe Buffalo robe Is tanned ve.ry niCely, being white, and almost as soft as buff casstmere.Their arn1s are speat·s and l)ows and arrows. A few have rales. 'rhe Sioux and Pawnees are almost constantly at war with each other. vVe noticed at this encampment, a Frenclt gentleman, who inforn1ed us that he had been with the tribe th i rty-tw0 years. Novelists frequently tell us of beauti (ul Indian maidens, but among the diffe rent rl'ibes o'l the northern ~·oute to California, a pretty squaw is a rara avis-so rare, Indeed, that 1 have neve l' seen a single specimen. They a1·e '•heavy set," and not tall enough, with broad f <{ C'8S and prominent chec k bones. They also, as a gene .. ral thing, usc too much paint, which diffe rs too much from carmine to aid any in improving their complexion. They ,u·e, generally, ve:·y fa ithlul wives, whether their husbands be Indians or whites. Ne,ll'ly all the huntel'cl and trappers in the Indian country, have one or two wtves, selected from the nearest tribe. -Tho squaws do all the "hard work," while theit· 0 lords" are busied in taking care of themselves, doing a little hunting, fi shing, or fig hting, when it suits their convenience. CHAPTER Ill. indian tno~lc o i trnl'c lli n ;:- Uout·t l l ouse or «Jhurcla- «Jhim• tt cy Roc k - Scott's BhdTs·-Bla("k§mit.h Shop nnd Horse «Jreek. After leaving these Indians, we traveled about nine miles and encamped. f-Ieavy sand J'oad. During the next day we met considerab\e nutnbers of Sioux travelling toward some othc1· encampment. Each family has one or ·more of a very indiffel'ent kind of pony, which fron1 ill usage do not make n very flashy ap pearance~ A~b LIFE f.N CALIFORNI.A. 13 When abeut to travel, the ht:~sband ta-kes his arms mounts his pony, and goes .altead, leaving his squaw t~ pack up the baggage and bt1ng up the reai·. This is effected in the followin.g manner. The lodge poles, are Jash· :ed to the saddJe of a pony by or~e et~·d, while the other d rags on the g1·~un cl.. Pieces at·e·placed across these ends of tho poles, and upon them the bagg~ge is placed. V cry o ften two or three papooses are piled ·up on the ·top of the load . · lf it be the onlr pony , it is, when all things are ready, ~ounted by the squaw and the cavalcade sets forward. I t the!·e be a spare pony, she rides it and lead$ the one ca r ry tt~·g t~·e ~aggnge. A variety ~t l.a •·ge dogs. kept by these l1 Ibos, are also cot11po lled to assi -;t In these migra tions. Srnall?r pole~ a~e attached lo t hem, nnd on these, is pJnced, what ts co n~~d~ re.d by the squu ws, a just proportion of the ~aggngc . l h11:; 1s a duty , which the dogs dislike very much, but t.he fi nal arguments of their rnist resses-kicks nnd cuff~. -Induce ther:n to subn·1it, nftt' l' they get fairly starled, t ~ese arguments wllh nn occasionnt tzoo, tzoo, wRhkash· no e.e tt cha (get on, get on, you devilish beast ) keep th<·n1 nwvtng. If they be not watched, two OJ' three of then1 t~a n ngo . ~0 get ~r a figh t, is soo.·n co nverted into a general 1ow, du11ng wb1ch they get thell' louds off, which js qu' te an annoyance to the ~q u a ws, who mu~t stop and repack them, ?t courRe stopplng tl~e..fight. .,first. T hese dClgs nro al s? hrg hly vn ~ue d at; an nrtJcle of tood. Dog is conside r-ed fa r ah ~nd ol all meats, both by I nd ians a nd t rappf' I' -·.Pan thcrs Is thought to be next lJcs t, while the rneuts w{J esteem most hig~ly , are pret ty fnt· down in the lis t. About furty ~ fi ve mi lf's further tra velli ng, overhca,·y sand road brought us to the •·Church" O J' " Cou rt II ou e;' Rock· 'r h is nat u r a l c u rio. i t y is s e ve r a l m i Ie s ·to t he Ic Ct of ~he road .. It is composed of a whitish , soft rock , nnd , a~ 1 ts I~ a me 1m ports,. resem bios very much, a large <' hu rc h O l cou1 t house. Clun1ney Rock, seen distinctly rrom the " chu rch," though twelve miles off, is a lso a very stnk ing e~a m p l e ol some of N ntu rc's freaks. 'rhe lower part or this rock is shaped li!<e a cone. 'f ho top is sunnounwd ~y a ".c himney'' .sov~nt_Y-five feet high ,. of almost equal diu. meteJ, through Its entl l'e length. Heigh t of the whole rock, two hundred ancf fi fty feet.! 31 , |