﻿526 
  ANNUAL 
  REPORT 
  SMITHSONIAN 
  INSTITUTION, 
  1927 
  

  

  That 
  Kurz 
  was 
  ever 
  looking 
  for 
  interesting 
  objects 
  to 
  add 
  to 
  his 
  

   collection 
  has 
  been 
  shown 
  by 
  many 
  notes 
  in 
  his 
  journal. 
  While 
  rid- 
  

   ing 
  near 
  the 
  fort 
  on 
  March 
  27 
  he 
  found 
  a 
  most 
  interesting 
  piece 
  — 
  

  

  a 
  medicine 
  doll 
  lying 
  on 
  the 
  trail. 
  Such 
  images 
  are 
  said 
  to 
  have 
  the 
  power 
  to 
  

   invoke 
  spirits 
  and 
  also 
  to 
  exert 
  curative 
  effects 
  on 
  sick 
  children. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  stuffed 
  

   doll, 
  made 
  of 
  tanned 
  skin 
  of 
  an 
  animal. 
  It 
  is 
  about 
  2 
  feet 
  high 
  and 
  adorned 
  

   with 
  the 
  usual 
  ornaments 
  children 
  wear 
  — 
  bracelets 
  and 
  a 
  necklace 
  of 
  " 
  dove's 
  

   eggs 
  " 
  made 
  of 
  blue 
  and 
  white 
  porcelain. 
  An 
  Indian 
  squaw 
  doctor 
  who 
  attends 
  

   to 
  sick 
  children 
  lost 
  this 
  conjuring 
  doll 
  ; 
  therefore 
  I 
  dare 
  not 
  let 
  the 
  squaws 
  

   at 
  our 
  camp 
  know 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  in 
  my 
  possession. 
  

  

  April 
  1: 
  

  

  Since 
  last 
  Saturday 
  winter 
  has 
  returned 
  with 
  rigor. 
  A 
  heavy 
  fall 
  of 
  snow, 
  

   frightful 
  cold, 
  and 
  violent 
  north 
  wind. 
  

  

  Kurz 
  was 
  at 
  the 
  camp 
  some 
  miles 
  from 
  Fort 
  Union, 
  cold, 
  weak- 
  

   ened, 
  and 
  discouraged. 
  He 
  wished 
  for 
  a 
  change 
  and 
  did 
  not 
  realize 
  

   how 
  quickly 
  his 
  wish 
  would 
  be 
  a 
  reality. 
  

  

  LEAVES 
  FORT 
  UNION 
  

  

  On 
  April 
  17, 
  Culbertson 
  arrived 
  at 
  Fort 
  Union 
  from 
  higher 
  up 
  the 
  

   Missouri, 
  from 
  the 
  country 
  of 
  the 
  Blackfeet. 
  Kurz 
  arranged 
  to 
  ac- 
  

   company 
  him 
  on 
  his 
  journey 
  down 
  the 
  river, 
  and 
  on 
  April 
  19 
  wrote 
  

   in 
  his 
  journal: 
  

  

  Left 
  Fort 
  Union 
  at 
  11 
  o'clock 
  this 
  morning 
  to 
  begin 
  my 
  return 
  journey 
  home. 
  

   My 
  studies 
  in 
  this 
  country 
  are 
  now 
  completed. 
  

  

  They 
  had 
  a 
  keel 
  boat 
  with 
  a 
  cabin 
  — 
  

  

  which 
  will 
  protect 
  us 
  from 
  wind 
  and 
  frost. 
  The 
  cabin 
  has 
  a 
  flat 
  roof, 
  on 
  top 
  

   of 
  which 
  the 
  pilot 
  manipulates 
  the 
  lengthened 
  rudder. 
  

  

  He 
  had 
  difficulty 
  in 
  learning 
  to 
  row 
  properly. 
  He 
  gave 
  the 
  names 
  

   of 
  the 
  party 
  of 
  12: 
  

  

  Baptiste 
  Champagne 
  was 
  at 
  the 
  helm, 
  Morgan 
  and 
  I, 
  together 
  with 
  Hawthorn, 
  

   Cadotte, 
  Joe 
  Delores, 
  and 
  three 
  Canadians, 
  assisted 
  now 
  and 
  then 
  by 
  a 
  young 
  

   Blackfoot 
  (Culbertson's 
  brother-in-law), 
  took 
  turns 
  at 
  the 
  oars. 
  Our 
  cook 
  was 
  

   a 
  negro, 
  and 
  Culbertson 
  was 
  in 
  command. 
  

  

  Game 
  was 
  plentiful 
  along 
  the 
  Missouri. 
  On 
  April 
  23 
  : 
  

  

  Cadotte 
  killed 
  a 
  big 
  horn 
  that 
  had 
  left 
  the 
  herd 
  and 
  was 
  clambering 
  down 
  a 
  

   steep 
  bluff. 
  

  

  A 
  buffalo 
  was 
  killed 
  the 
  following 
  day, 
  and 
  they 
  reached 
  Fort 
  

   Berthold 
  at 
  sunset 
  of 
  April 
  25. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  neighborhood 
  of 
  the 
  fort 
  I 
  saw 
  a 
  great 
  many 
  tents 
  occupied 
  by 
  Assini- 
  

   boins 
  and 
  Apsahrokes. 
  

  

  Kurz 
  left 
  Fort 
  Berthold 
  at 
  sunrise 
  on 
  April 
  26. 
  

  

  We 
  came 
  rapidly 
  down 
  the 
  river. 
  Stopped 
  at 
  Fort 
  Clark. 
  While 
  the 
  ^o^lr- 
  

   geois 
  went 
  to 
  talk 
  with 
  Dorson, 
  I 
  watched 
  a 
  ball 
  game 
  played 
  by 
  Ricara 
  girls. 
  

   Many 
  prairie 
  fires. 
  We 
  spent 
  the 
  night 
  at 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  Cannon 
  Ball 
  River. 
  

  

  