240 A Century of Science 



The maintenance of prestige was certainly desir- 

 able. The Ogillalah band of Sioux, among whom 

 he found himself, were barbarians of a low type. 

 " Neither their manners nor their ideas were in the 

 slightest degree modified by contact with civilization. 

 They knew nothing of the power and real character 

 of the white men, and their children would scream 

 in terror when they saw me. Their religion, super- 

 stitions, and prejudices were the same handed down 

 to them from immemorial time. They fought with 

 the weapons that their fathers fought with, and 

 wore the same garments of skins. They were liv- 

 ing representatives of the Stone Age ; for, though 

 their lances and arrows were tipped with iron pro- 

 cured from the traders, they still used the rude 

 stone mallet of the primeval world." These sav- 

 ages welcomed Parkman and one of his white 

 guides with cordial hospitality, and they were en- 

 tertained by the chieftain Big Crow, whose lodge 

 in the evening presented a picturesque spectacle. 

 " A score or more of Indians were seated around 

 it in a circle, their dark, naked forms just visible 

 by the dull light of the smouldering fire in the 

 middle. The pipe glowed brightly in the gloom 

 as it passed from hand to hand. Then a squaw 

 would drop a piece of buffalo fat on the dull 

 embers. Instantly a bright flame would leap up, 



