62 > BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [BULL. 77 
shown in plate 23, a, after the illustration in Catlin’s narrative, but 
it may be of interest to know that the original painting is now in 
the National Museum, Washington. Describing this scene, Catlin 
wrote: 
“The two chiefs, Ha-wan-je-tah and Tchan-dee . . . brought their 
two tents together, forming the two into a semi-circle, enclosing a 
space sufficiently large to accommodate 150 men; and sat down with 
that number of the principal chiefs and warriors of the Sioux na- 
tion.” The several Americans were “placed on elevated seats in 
the centre of the crescent; while the rest of the company all sat 
upon the ground, and mostly cross-legged, preparatory to the feast 
being dealt out. In the centre of the semi-circle was erected a flag- 
staff, on which was waving a white flag, and to which also was tied 
the calumet, both expressive of their friendly feelings towards us. 
Near the foot of the flag-staff were placed in a row on the ground, 
six or eight kettles, with iron covers on them, shutting them tight, 
in which were prepared the viands for our voluptuous feast. Near 
the kettles, and on the ground also, bottomside upwards, were a 
number of wooden bowls, in which the meat was to be served out. 
And in front, two or three men, who were there placed as waiters, 
to light the pipes for smoking, and also to deal out the food.” (Op. 
cit., p. 228.) The account of the ceremony which soon followed 
proves the gathering to have been one of much interest, and to the 
Indians one of great moment. The arrangement of the two large 
tipis so as to form a single shelter recalls the site of the gathering 
near the shore of Lake Traverse only a few years before. It is to 
be regretted that Catlin did not leave a more detailed description 
of the appearance of the great encampment as it was at the time of 
his visit, but he devoted much of his time to painting portraits of 
the Indians, of which he prepared a large number. 
Although Catlin found representatives of many bands of Sioux 
gathered about on the plain surrounding Fort Pierre, nevertheless 
the comparatively permanent village of the Teton was near the mouth 
of the stream of that name. Maximilian, who ascended the Missouri 
during the spring of 1833, arrived at Fort Pierre late in May, and 
in his journal said: “The Sioux, who live on Teton River, near 
Fort Pierre, are mostly of the branch of the Tetons; though there are 
some Yanktons here.” (Maximilian, (1), p. 150.) He elsewhere 
mentioned that “the tents are generally composed of fourteen skins,” 
therefore consider the great number of buffalo required to furnish 
coverings for the lodges mentioned by Catlin. Maximilian wrote 
on May 30, 1833, near Fort Pierre: “ Round an isolated tree in the 
prairie I observed a circle of holes in the ground, in which thick 
poles had stood. A number of buffalo skulls were piled up there; 
