8 PAWNEES. 



curtain of willow work, which they suspoiul in front of the 

 couch, which serves to keep off the gaze of the curious. 

 There is a noise on the top, and we think of the men we 

 saw standing upon the roof, and [)crhaps fear it may cave 

 in. We look for the supi)orts. There are pillars arranged 

 in a circle around the lire. Tliese are not Avrought 

 according to any class of architecture with which ^\'c arc 

 acquainted, l)ut are more natural, they are sinii)ly 

 forked sticks, perhaps deprived of the rough l)ark; 

 these are the su})i)orts of the roof, and usually there are 

 two circles of them between the outer edge and the centre 

 or fire place. To these posts arc hung vai-ious implements 

 of war, as the lance, the war cluh, and the shield made of 

 the thick skin of the Imffalo. The inhabitants of the lodge 

 if at home are variously employed ; the women and girls 

 may be pounding corn in a ru(h' mortar, one end of which 

 is sharpened and driven into the gnnmd near the door ; 

 the pestle is large enough to require the strength of two 

 women, which would equal the strength of four ordinaiy 

 women with us. In another part stmie are dressing robes 

 or deer skins, though this is more commonly out-of-door 

 work. The children, as naked as born, unless it l)e with 

 some addition of dirt, are perhaps engaged in some games 

 of chance or of sldll. There may chance to be a young man 

 that is engaged at the toilette — plucking out his beard or 

 eye brows, or having the head shaved and besmeared with 

 paint according to the most improved fashion. A tuft of 

 hair is left for the scalping knife, which extends down the 

 back, and perhaps it is deficient in length and he has it 

 lenothened a la mode, with the addition of some of the 

 horse's mane or tail braided on the end. Our immediate 

 company are engaged around the fire smoking the long 

 pipe, and at the same time engaged in acts of devotion. 

 There is something singular in this 'ceremony worthy of 

 our particular attention. The head man takes out his pipe 

 and tobacco pouch, which is the head and skin of a polecat, 

 and hands it to his neighbor, who receives it and exam- 

 ines it with care to see whether the passage through the 



