SOURCE OP ST. Peter's river. 431 



of his fast, frequently swinging himself in the air, so as to 

 be supported merely by the cords which were secured to 

 the strips of skin cut off from his arms and breast. He 

 continued this exercise with few intermissions, during the 

 %vhole of his fast, until the fourth day about ten o'clock, A. 

 M. when the strip of skin from his breast gave way. Not- 

 withstanding which he interrupted not his dance, although 

 supported merely by his arms. At noon the strip from 

 his left arm snapped off. His uncle then thought that he 

 had suffered enough ; he drew his knife and cut off the skin 

 from his right arm, upon which Wanotan fell to the ground 

 and swooned. The heat at the time was extreme. He was 

 left exposed in that state to the sun until night, when his 

 friends brought him some provisions. After the ceremony 

 was over, he distributed to them the whole of his pro- 

 perty, among which were five fine horses, and he and his 

 two squaws left his lodge, abandoning every article of their 

 furniture. 



As we appeared upon the brow of the hill which com- 

 mands the company's fort, a salute was fired from a number 

 of Indian tents which were pitched in the vicinity, from 

 the largest of which the American colours were flying. 

 And as soon as we had dismounted from our horses, we 

 received an invitation to a feast which Wanotan had pre- 

 pared for us. The gentlemen of the company informed us 

 that as soon as the Indians had heard of our contemplated 

 visit, they had commenced their preparations for a festival, 

 and that they had killed three of their dogs. We repaired to 

 a sort of pavilion which they had erected by the union of 

 several large skin lodges. Fine buffalo robes were spread 

 all around, and the. air was perfumed by the odour of sweet 

 scenting grass which had been burned in it. On entering 

 the lodge we saw the chief seated near the further end of 



