OCR Text |
Show Lcwi$ und Clarke's Expcclition kindness anfl friendship. Sevet·al of the chiefs lae ~aid wen desir•ous of visiting thei1· gt'('a f fat hct·, but as the chic!' wh~ went to the United Stales last summer harl not returned, and they had some fea t•s f'ot· his safety, on arcount of' the Sioux, thl'y did not wish to leave home until thl'y heard of him. 'Vith rf'gaJ'tl to himself, he 'vould continue with his nation, to see that they followed our advice. The sun being now vct·y hot, the ch.ief of the Chay. enncs invited us to his lodge, which was at no great distance from the river. 'Ve followed him, and found a very large lodge. made of twenty buffaloe skins, surrounded bJ' eighteen OJ' twenty lod~es, ncar]y equal in size. The rest of the nation arc expected to-mor·row, and will make the numbet• of one hundred anti thirty or fifty lodg<·s, containing from tbt·ee hundred and fifty to fom· hundt•ed men, at which the men of the nation may be computed. These Cbayennes arl· a fine lool{ing people, of a largr. stature, straight limbs, high check-hones and noses, and of a complexion similar to that ot' the Ricaras. Their cars are cut at tbe lower pat•t, but few wear oPnaments in ~hem: the hail' is generally <mt over t.hc eydJl'ows and small ot·naments lbll down the ehl•t•k£1, the t•emaindcr being either twist<·d with ho•·se or buffilloe laair. and divitlcd ovl'r each shou ldcr, m· else flowing loosely behind. Their decorations consist chiefly of blue beads, s11ells, red paint~ brass rings, bears· claws, am~ strips of ot· ter skins, or which last tlaey, as well as the Rit>aras. a.r·c \'CI'Y fond. The women are coarse in thrit• features. with wide mouths, aud ugly. Their· dress consists ora habit falling ~o the midleg, and made of two equal pic~ (~es hf lcathet·, sewed l'1·om the bottom with aa·m holes, with a flail hanging nearly half way down the body, both before and behind. These are burnt various figures, by means of a hot sti('.k, and adot·ned with brads, shells, and elks' tusks, which all Indians admir·e. The othet• ornaments at·e blue beads in the eat·s, but the hail• is plain and flows down the b""cl~. The summer dress of' tht men is a simpl~ buffalttc robe, a cl6th round the waist, mot-c, Jlsins, and ocea~ional1y leggings. Living remote ('rom tho whites, they are ~hy anti (,autious, but are peaceably tlispo· sed, and pr·ofess to make war against no people except the Sioux, with whom they ha..ve been engaged in contests im· memor·iaiJy. In the it· excursions they a1·e accompanied by their dogg aud horses, which they [JOssess itt great numbers, tl1e fot·mer serving to ca•·•·y almost all theit· light baggage. After smoJdng for some time, captain Clarke ga ve a small medal to the Chaycnne chief, and cxplainr.d at the same time the meaning of it. lie seemed alm'mcd at this present, aml sent for a robe and a quantity of buffaloe meat, which he ;ave to captain Clat·kc, and l'e<1uested him to take back the m(•.dal, for he knew that all white peOJlle were medicine, and he was afraid ol' th~ medal, or of auy thing else which the white t>coplc gave to the Indians. Captain Clat·ke then IICpPated his intention in gil'iog the medal, which was the medicine his great father had dit·ected hjm to deliver to all ehiefs who listenctl to his word and followetl his counsels; and that as he had done so, tlae medal was given as a proof that we believe£1 him sincere. He now apprared satidie(l anti received the medal, in l'ettll'll fot• whirh he gaTe double the quantity of bu1faloc meat he had otfcrcd before. 1fe seemed now quite reconciled to the whites, aml requested t.hat some traders might he sent among the Chayennes, who livetl, he saitl, in a counfa•y full of beavet·, but did not undet•stand well how to catch them, and were discouragctl f1·om it by having no sale for tlaem when caught. Captain CJaa·ke promised that they should be soon supplied with goods, and 'aught the best mode of catching beaver. The Bjgwhite, chief of the Mandans, now addressed them at some lt•ngth, explaining the pacific intentions of his nation; and the Chayeunc observed that hoth the Ricaras and Man.. ans seemed to be in l'ault; but at the end of the council the Mandan chief was treatrd with gt·eat civility, and the gt·eatest harmony pl'cvailed among them. 'rhe gt•eat ebief, howeYer, iafermed ns, tlaat ncme ef thr Jlioara~ c-oulf\ be pre .. |