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  ANNUAL 
  REPORT 
  SMITHSONIAN 
  INSTITUTION, 
  1927 
  

  

  hot 
  in 
  a 
  fire, 
  prepared 
  in 
  front 
  of 
  the 
  huts 
  then, 
  having 
  tightly 
  closed 
  the 
  one 
  

   fhey 
  wish 
  to 
  use, 
  carry 
  the 
  stones 
  inside 
  and 
  pour 
  water 
  upon 
  them. 
  

  

  Many 
  of 
  the 
  older 
  Indians 
  died 
  at 
  that 
  time, 
  and 
  — 
  

  

  If 
  an 
  old 
  woman 
  dies 
  there 
  is 
  nobody 
  to 
  bury 
  her 
  except 
  ourselves. 
  We 
  have 
  

   already 
  sent 
  two 
  down 
  the 
  river 
  iu 
  perforated 
  skin 
  boats 
  — 
  ^left 
  tliere 
  to 
  go 
  to 
  

   the 
  bottom. 
  

  

  Kurz 
  was 
  expecting 
  to 
  leave 
  Fort 
  Berthold 
  and 
  evidently 
  desired 
  to 
  

   make 
  as 
  many 
  sketches 
  as 
  possible 
  under 
  the 
  conditions. 
  August 
  26 
  : 
  

  

  Have 
  made 
  a 
  sketch 
  of 
  the 
  great 
  Place 
  of 
  Sacrifice 
  dedicated 
  to 
  the 
  sun 
  and 
  

   moon. 
  A 
  painted 
  buffalo 
  skull 
  set 
  on 
  the 
  summit 
  of 
  a 
  small 
  mound 
  is 
  sur- 
  

   rounded 
  by 
  other 
  skulls, 
  both 
  human 
  and 
  bufEalo. 
  In 
  front 
  of 
  every 
  skull 
  a 
  

   bit 
  of 
  white 
  down 
  is 
  placed 
  on 
  a 
  small 
  stave. 
  Beside 
  the 
  circle 
  of 
  skulls 
  stand 
  

   two 
  posts 
  to 
  which 
  are 
  hung 
  bear 
  skins. 
  Fastened 
  to 
  

   the 
  posts 
  are 
  bundles 
  of 
  fagots, 
  above 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  

   bundles 
  is 
  a 
  fur 
  cap 
  to 
  indicate 
  the 
  man. 
  * 
  * 
  ♦ 
  

   Also 
  visited 
  the 
  village, 
  now 
  deserted. 
  Entrances 
  to 
  

   the 
  huts 
  were 
  barricaded. 
  Saw 
  the 
  cask 
  that 
  is 
  said 
  

   to 
  represent 
  the 
  Ark. 
  Among 
  the 
  clay 
  huts 
  stood 
  a 
  

   small 
  blockhouse. 
  The 
  casklike 
  structure 
  was 
  not 
  

   found 
  in 
  the 
  principal 
  village 
  but 
  in 
  a 
  smaller 
  one, 
  

   probably 
  in 
  the 
  land 
  of 
  the 
  Mandans. 
  

  

  It 
  was 
  no 
  longer 
  safe 
  for 
  Kurz 
  to 
  remain 
  at 
  

   Fort 
  Berthold; 
  the 
  Indians 
  were 
  becoming 
  

   more 
  enraged 
  and 
  suspicious 
  of 
  his 
  actions. 
  

   Therefore 
  he 
  decided 
  to 
  go 
  to 
  Fort 
  Union, 
  at 
  

   the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  Yellowstone. 
  

  

  {i 
  

   Fig. 
  5.— 
  Hidatsa. 
  Chief 
  

   Le 
  Corbeau 
  Rouge. 
  At 
  

   Fort 
  Berthold, 
  August 
  

   7, 
  1851 
  

  

  FORT 
  UNION, 
  NEAR 
  THE 
  MOUTH 
  OF 
  THE 
  

   YELLOWSTONE 
  

  

  On 
  Monday, 
  September 
  1, 
  1851, 
  Kurz. 
  

   with 
  one 
  companion, 
  an 
  engagee 
  named 
  Bel- 
  

   lange, 
  left 
  Fort 
  Berthold 
  for 
  Fort 
  Union. 
  

  

  They 
  had 
  poor 
  horses 
  and 
  carried 
  very 
  little 
  in 
  addition 
  to 
  guns 
  and 
  

  

  ammunition. 
  

  

  The 
  distance, 
  as 
  the 
  crow 
  flies, 
  is 
  about 
  170 
  miles; 
  by 
  the 
  river 
  route 
  more 
  

   than 
  twice 
  as 
  far. 
  

  

  The 
  grass 
  was 
  high 
  on 
  the 
  prairie 
  and 
  they 
  had 
  great 
  fear 
  of 
  

   lurking 
  Indians. 
  They 
  passed 
  large 
  herds 
  of 
  buffalo, 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  

   day 
  before 
  reaching 
  their 
  destination 
  met 
  some 
  Hidatsa 
  Indians 
  by 
  

   whom 
  they 
  were 
  kindly 
  received 
  and 
  given 
  " 
  choice 
  bits 
  of 
  fresh 
  

   meat, 
  a 
  great 
  quantity 
  of 
  which 
  was 
  hanging 
  out 
  to 
  be 
  dried 
  by 
  the 
  

   sun." 
  Late 
  that 
  day 
  they 
  arrived 
  at 
  Fort 
  Williams, 
  " 
  trading 
  post 
  of 
  

   the 
  opposition, 
  and 
  3 
  miles 
  above 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  Yellowstone 
  lay 
  

   Fort 
  Union." 
  They 
  were 
  soon 
  within 
  the 
  palisade 
  of 
  Fort 
  Union 
  

   and 
  Kurz 
  met 
  his 
  "new 
  hourgeois 
  Denig." 
  Before 
  breakffist 
  on 
  the 
  

  

  