4 SMITHSONIAN INIISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. Sy 



smoky atmosphere and l)ro\vned grass proves that it was a scene wit- 

 nessed late in the autumn, and suggests Indian summer, that most de- 

 lightful season of the year in the northern valley. This painting was 

 one of six purchased from the artist by the American Art Union in 

 1849. It bore the number i6y in the catalogue that year and was dis- 

 tributed with others December 21, 1849. It is a work of great beauty 

 and interest, and is believed to be one of Eastman's earliest Indian 

 pictures. 



Others had witnessed and mentioned the game being played at, or 

 rather on. Prairie du Chien. Pike reached the village April 18, 1806, 

 and two days later, Sunday, April 20, held a council with Winnebago 

 chiefs, and that same afternoon, so he wrote in his journal : ^ '' they 

 had a great game of the cross on the prairie, between the Sioux on the 

 one side, and the Puants and Reynards on the other. The ball is made 

 of some hard substance and covered with leather, the cross sticks are 



round and net work, with handles of three feet long In the 



game which I witnessed, the Sioux were victorious, more I believe, 

 from the superiority of their skill in throwing the ball than by their 

 swiftness, for I thought the Puants and Reynards the swiftest run- 

 ners." The great chief Wabasha was present at the gathering and con- 

 sequently the Sioux who that day played against the Winnebago and 

 Fox were probably of his band, who had come down the Mississippi 

 from their village on Wabasha Prairie, mentioned by many who passed 

 up and down the ri\er during succeeding years. But it remained for 

 Catlin to leave the most interesting account of a game of ball played by 

 women on the level ground at Prairie du Chien. This was witnessed 

 during the summer of 1835, about five years after Eastman was sta- 

 tioned at Fort Crawford. Catlin was at the ])ost when, so he wrote:* 

 " Wa-be-sha's band of the Sioux came there, and remained several 

 weeks to get their annuities." A day came when the men " wanted a 

 little more amusement, and felt disposed to indulge the weaker sex in 

 a little recreation also ; it was announced amongst them, and through 

 the village, that the women were going to have a ball-play ! 



" For this purpose the men, in their very liberal trades they were 

 making, and filling their canoes with goods delivered to them on a 

 year's credit, laid out a great quantity of ribbons and calicoes with 

 other presents well adapted to the wants and desires of the women ; 

 which were hung on a pole resting on crotches, and guarded by an old 



' Pike, A[aj. Z. M., An account of expeditions to the sources of the Mississippi, 

 and through the western parts of Louisiana, p. 100. Philadelphia, 1810. 



" Catlin, George, Letters and notes on the manners, customs, and condition 

 of the North American Indians. London, 1841. 



