THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. 49 



67. THE OSAGE MIMIC. (Painted 1843.) 



This picture is painted from an incident that took place in my studio at Tah-le-quah, in 

 the Cherokee nation, during the session of the International Council, in 1843. 



I was often absent for a short time, sketching, and listening to the various speeches made 

 in council. My door being of rather a rude construction, fastened only by a common wooden 

 latch, all Indians who chose had free ingress. Among those who paid me frequent visits, 

 was an Osage boy, about seventeen years of age, by the name of Wash-cot-sa, an hereditary 

 chief, possessed of an amiable disposition and inquiring mind. He seemed to observe every 

 thing going on in my studio, and would endeavor to imitate any thing done by me. On one 

 occasion I had been absent for a short time, and during the interim he and one of his com- 

 panions sauntered in ; and finding themselves alone, he concluded to try his hand at painting. 

 He assumed the palette and brushes, placed his subject in a favorable position, and had 

 made some few chalk -marks upon the canvass, when I entered ; he immediately discovered 

 me, and, dropping the palette and brushes and pointing to the canvass, said it was pe-shee 

 very bad. I endeavored to induce him to return to his work, but to no purpose. 



68. AN OSAGE SCALP-DANCE. (Painted 1845.) 



All tribes of wild Indians scalp their captives, save the women and children, who are 

 treated as slaves, until ransomed by the United States Government. 



On returning from the scene of strife, they celebrate their victories by a scalp-dance. 

 The chiefs and warriors, after having painted themselves, each after his own fancy, to give 

 himself the most hideous appearance, encircle their captives, who are all placed together. 

 Thus stationed, at a tap on their drums they commence throwing themselves into attitudes 

 such as each one's imagination suggests as the most savage, accompanied by yells, for the 

 purpose of striking terror into the hearts of their captives. 



This picture represents the scalp-dance of the Osages around a woman and her child ; 

 and a warrior in the act of striking her with his club, his chief springing forward and ar- 

 resting the blow with his spear. 



69. KI-HIOCA-TE-DAH, OB PASSING CHIEF. (Painted 1843.) 



Principal Chief of the Quapaws. Once a very powerful and warlike tribe, but now reduced 

 to a small number ; they reside with the Senecas. This chief is represented by the agent 

 as being a very good man, and possesses the entire confidence of his whole people. 



70. WOHUM-PA, AN IOWA CHIEF, AND THIS ARTIST. (Painted 1843.) 



It was with much difficulty that I induced this chief to sit for his portrait. I was anxious 

 to paint one of his warriors upon the same canvass with him ; to this he objected, saying 

 that they were no good, and that chiefs only were worthy of such a distinguished honor ; 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 ex- 

 ploits. The hands represent the scalps taken from the heads of his enemies. I tried re- 

 peatedly 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 of sdio 

 while he was present without his invitation. 



71. KA-SA-ROO-KA, OB ROARING THUNDER. (Painted 1842.) 

 Principal Chief of the Wichetaws. or Pawnee Picts. 



72. NASH-TAW, oa THE PAINTER. (Painted 1842.) 

 Second Chief of tt- Wichetaws or Pawnee Picts, and a brother of Ka-sa-roo-ka, 



