WICHETAWS. 47 



he insisted on being painted in the act of shaking hands with me, so 

 that when the Great Father (the President of the U. S.) saw it, he 

 might know that he was a friend of the white man. He is a great 

 warrior, his arms bearing evidence of this fact, having been pierced 

 with balls and arrows in several places from the hands of the Sioux. 

 He was very particular as to the correct imitation of the painting on 

 his blanket, which is to him the history of his war exploits. The 

 hands represent the scalps taken from the heads of his enemies. I 

 tried repeatedly to get some of his warriors to sit, but they could not 

 be induced to do it without the consent of their chief. Such was 

 their fear of him, that they dared not enter my studio while he was 

 present without his invitation. 



WICHETAWS, OR PAWNEE PICTS. 



This tribe live on the head- waters of Red River ; are similar in 

 their manners and customs to the Wacoes, Caddoes, and Comanches ; 

 they live in villages and raise some corn, but depend mostly upon the 

 chase for their subsistence. They are a small tribe, numbering about 

 three hundred warriors, are extremely poor, and use the bow and 

 spear, having no fire-arms among them. 



Tl. 



KA-SA-ROO-KA, or ROARING THUNDER. 



(Painted 1842.) 



Principal Chief of the Wichetaws or Pawnee Picts. This chief, 

 together with his brother, visited the Cherokee Nation in the fall of 

 1842, and remained until after the close of the International Council 

 in June, 1843. During his stay he spent his time with John Ross, 

 the Principal Chief; he spoke no English, and having no interpreter, 

 he manifested all his wants by signs. He was treated with the 

 utmost kindness and friendship by Mr. Ross, to whom he became 

 very much attached. He is painted as he appeared on the morning 

 after his arrival at Fort Gibson from the prairies. 



