436 EXPEDITION TO TUB 



lodge, owing to the season, and to the number collected 

 therein, as also undoubtedly to the immense quantities of 

 hot meat exposed in the dishes, that we were compelled to 

 apologize to Wanotan for our sudden departure. 



Upon the whole, we were much gratified at this feast; it 

 was worthy of the powerful chief who gave it; it was offer- 

 ed with an open hand and a free heart ; it was served up with 

 the usual ceremonies and it included abundance of their 

 best and most highly prized food. 



The next day Wanotan came to pay us a formal visit ; 

 he was dressed in the full habit of an Indian chief; wc 

 have never seen a more dignified looking person, or a 

 more becoming dress. The most prominent part of his ap- 

 parel was a splendid cloak or mantle of buffalo skins, dress- 

 ed so as to be of a fine white colour ; it was decorated with 

 small tufts of owl's feathers, and others of various hues, 

 probably a remnant of a fabric, once in general use among 

 the aborigines of our territory, and still worn in the north- 

 east and north-west parts of this continent, as well as in. 

 the South Sea Islands ; it is what was called by the first 

 European visitors of North America the feather mantles 

 and feather blankets, which were by them much admired. 

 A splendid necklace, formed of about sixty claws of the 

 grizzly bear, imparted a manly character to his whole ap- 

 pearance. His leggings, jacket, and moccassins, were in the 

 real Dacota fashion, being made of white skins, profusely 

 decorated with human hair ; his moccasins were variegated 

 with the plumage of several birds. In his hair, he wore 

 nine sticks neatly cut and smoothed, and painted with ver- 

 milion ; these designated the number of gun-shot wounds 

 which he had received, they were secured by a strip of red 

 cloth ; two plaited tresses of his hair were allowed to hang 

 forward ; his face was tastefully painted with vermilion ; in 



