friend, the hunter; and it would have been a difficult point to decide whether the listeners or the narrator der

e more about what these people were,

atitudes, red men with black hair, and without beards. They, perhaps, might have been divided into four parts: the Mexicans and Peruvians, who were, to a considerable extent, civilized; the Caribs, who inhabi

e Esquimaux are

istance across Behring's Straits is so short, it is thought they came from Asia, and are a part of the same people. The red men

first of their wigwams, and the

hey eat, and what

w they talk t

ll about their spe

s are very handsome. The Sioux, the Blackfeet, and the Crows, form their wigwams nearly in the same manner; that is, by sewing together the skins of buffaloes, after properly

way of making a wigwam than c

the middle, like a tent, leaving space for light and for the smoke to pass. This tent-like roof is supported by beams and upright posts, and it is covered over outwardly by willow boughs and a thick coating of earth; then comes the last coveri

dan wigwam is

re substantial than such as may be erected and taken down at pleasure. Some of the wigwams of the Crow Indians, covered as

ter than the Mandan lodges, and they

Crows or Sioux strike their tents or wigwams. I have seen several hundred lodg

, it must b

made, the signal given, and all at once the

y carry the wigwa

are placed the coverings, rolled up together. The dogs pull along two poles, each with a load, while the horses are taxed according to their strength. Hundreds of h

what length they must stretc

Pict village on the Red River, with its five or six hundred beehive-like wigwams of poles, thatched with

raise corn for food; but the flesh of t

the Indians c

lso, making of it a sort of soup. I have often seated myself, squatting down on a robe spread for me, to a fine joint of b

eal like an English dinne

ept in bladders. They eat, also, the flesh of the deer and other animals: that of the dog is reserved for feasts and especial occasions. They have, also, beans and peas, peaches, melons and strawberries, pears, pumpk

kind of clothe

nds. Some wear long hair, some cut their hair off and shave the head. Some dress themselves with very few or

; every thing b

ing up before you, while I describe him, and tha

cy that I can

f mountain sheep, ornamented with porcupine quills and paintings of his battles. From the edge of his shoulder-band hung the long black locks that he had taken with his own hand from

figure he mu

skins, and fastened to a belt round the waist. His mocassins, or shoes, were buckskin, embroidered in the richest

Bold as a lion, I will be bound f

utifully white, was formed of bone, strengthened with the sinews of deer, drawn tight over the back of it; the bow-string was a three-fold twist of sinews. Seldom ha

thought he wa

l filled with deadly shafts. Some of their points were flint, and some were steel, and most of them were stained with blood. He carried a pipe, a tobacco sack, a belt

t sort of a

was in his t

ot say what his

so ornamented with the beaks of woodpeckers, and hairs from the tail of the white buffalo. One thing I ought not to omit; on the lower half of the pipe, which was painted

was in his t

the red willow. His medicine bag was beaver skin, adorned with ermine and hawks' bills; and his belt, in whi

out the scalping knife. It m

their own weapons: their bows were strung with the sinews of deer; their arrows were headed with flint; their knives were sharpened bone; their war-clubs were formed of wood, cut into different shapes, and armed with sharp stones; and their tomahawks, or hatchets, were of the same materials: but now, many of thei

es an Indian s

e round it through the skin, and then the hair and skin together, sometimes with the hand, and

ping would be sure to

. The hair, as well as the scalp, of a fallen foe is carried off by the victorious Indian, and with it his clothes are afterwards ornamented. It is said, that, during the old French war, an Indian slew a Frenchman who wore a wig. The warrior st

the Indian

ver seen a wig b

use of fire-arms is gradually extending among them. Some of their clubs are merely massy pieces of hard, heavy wood, nicely fitted to the hand, with, perhaps, a piece of hard bone stuck in the head part

ible weapon, when w

, in sheath. c, d, war-club

Indians, with their clubs and to

I: they would b

re admirable. The bow formed of bone and strong sinews is a deadly weapon; and some Indians

that Indian must have had!

the panther, or the otter; and some of t

rrow is sure to kill a

row is withdrawn, the poisoned barb may remain in the wound. How opposed are these cruel stratagems of war to the precepts of the gospel of peace, wh

f you go among the Indians, and th

a shield. You heard that

ade as hard as possible, by smoking them, and by putting glue upon them obtained from the hoofs of animals;

safe, after all; for I shall carry a large s

man, that, in spite of his war horse and his eagle plumes, his bow and well-filled quiver, his long lance, tomahawk and scalping-knife, his self-possession forsakes him. He has heard, if not seen, what the white man has

that an Indian would be more

le from the brow of a bluff, he has an advantage; but, when he comes face to face with the white man, he is superstitiously afraid of him. The power of the white man, in war

ting against one another? They are all brothers,

jury to their tribe. There can be no peace till revenge is taken; they are almost always retaliating one on another.

t is very

ted in the truths of Christianity, and the gospel of peace, which red men have not, and yet how ready they are to draw t

do the Indian

ifferent languages, and therefore yo

Tell me what any two or t

ndan, menahka; a Tuscarora, hiday;

ardest to remember. I should n

you go among them; or else you wi

erhaps some of them may know English; or we may mak

Sioux, on wee; a Riccaree, wetah; a Mandan,

if you become a wood-ranger, or a trapper. Remember, you must le

a time. We cannot do every thing at on

h; in Mandan, ptemday; in Tuscar

fferent names

custom with us; you must say among the Indians, How ke che wa? Chee na e num? Dati youthay its? or, Tush hah thah mah ka

suit me; but Austin must

nd then we will ask you no more about languag

is won, nah e ne won, nah en. I will just add, that weetah, is twenty; nahen tchee hoo, is fifty

n the Indi

en the white and the red man, the latter has put, instead of his name, a rough drawing of the animal or thing after which he had been called. If the Indian

How c

the form represented by their names in the same manner. If you were to see these s

ows, and hatchets, and turtles, and b

n we will talk this matter over." A few days afterwards, the Indian came to the white man's house, who insisted on having his horse restored to him. The other then told him: "Friend, the horse which you claim belonged to my uncle, who lately died; according to the Indian custom, I have become heir to all his property." The white man not being satisfied, and renewing hi

ew that he had better give u

to have something new to tell them on their next visit, they took their d