330 Mr. Ranking on the Origin 



noon, and sunset. There was a sacred closet, with a couple 

 of spread eagles at the top looking at the sun. Here were de- 

 posited their gold, jewels, and pearls. Some time after my 

 return to M. de la Salle, the prince came to us in a magnifi- 

 cent barge, with drums beating, and the women that attended 

 him playing on several instruments, some in his own, and some 

 in other barges. The prince gave M. de la Salle six of his 

 richest robes, and a collar of pearls*.^' — M. de la Salle's last 

 Expedition, 26th March, 1693, in Collections of the New York 

 Hist. Soc, 1814, vol. ii. p. 265—276. 



The Indians of the Missouri, described in Brackenridge^ 

 p. 185, are interesting: he says — 



" A few^ days after our arrival at the Aricara village, we heard 

 it in great commotion before day-light. The chief had arrived 

 after defeating the Sioux ; two or three of his men were killed 

 and ten wounded. His army, 300, was expected to enter the 

 village in triumph ; the horse and foot advanced in regular 

 procession with a slow step and solemn music,[in alternate pla- 

 toons of 12 abreast, and extended a quarter of a mile; their ban- 

 ners were the buffalo, bear, pheasant, and dog. The troops wore 

 cinctures and crowns of feathers: the whole joined in song 

 and step with great precision. Their few scalps were divided 

 in small locks of hair, to make a show, and fastened on long 

 poles. The scene was truly affecting, fathers, mothers, bro- 

 thers, wives, sisters caressing each other, without interrupting 

 the solemnity of the song and the step. A youth badly wounded 

 kept himself upon his horse with a calm countenance ; his 

 mother threw her arms round him and wept aloud ; he shortly 

 expired. The inhabitants were dressed in their finery, their 

 painted shields and trophies were raised on high poles near the 

 lodges ; music, songs, and dances, by females with the arms 

 and parts of the dress of the men, were kept up after the dinner, 

 which consisted of buffalo and dog meat, and homony prepared 

 with marrow. One of the dancers caused loud laughter by her 

 recitations. The chief showed me some dressed buffalo robes, 

 upon which he had rudely painted his battles, but there was 



* The Natches, not far from this prince, were near perishing during their long 

 voyage, and the above are like them in many respects. — The first Natches came 

 to the Mississipi from Mexico before the arrival of the Spaniards, and the remains 

 ollowed after the conquest by Cortez. — Du Praiz, vol. iii. oh, 5. There is a tribe 

 ear them, named il/o»^oM/atches.— <See Charlevoix^ voU i. p. 259.. 



