68 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [ BULL, 77 
vited us to a feast at his lodge: we accordingly accompanied him, 
and found him occupying the largest and most complete structure in 
the village, although I was assured that the Sioux frequently make 
them much larger. It was intended to be used whenever yequired, 
for the accommodation of any casual trader that might come among 
them for the purpose of traffic, and was accordingly called ‘The 
Trader’s Lodge.’ It was made of twenty-six buffalo-hides, perfectly 
new, and white as snow, which, being sewed together without a 
wrinkle, were stretched over twenty-four new poles, and formed a 
conical tent of thirty feet diameter upon the ground, and thirty-five 
feet in height.” This must have been a magnificent example of the 
tipi of the plains tribes, and is one of the largest of which any record 
has been preserved. 
Moving in a southeastwardly direction from the great village, they 
passed many mounted Indians killing buffalo, and later in the day 
passed another Oglala village of some 50 lodges, moving southward. 
The surface of the prairie for many miles was strewn with the re- 
mains of buffalo, which had been killed by the Indians and from-which 
only choice pieces had been removed. (Op. cit., pp. 254-257.) They 
were now ascending the western slopes of the Black Hills, and ap- 
proaching the region dominated by the Cheyenne, and two days later, 
September 29, 1850, were a short distance south of a village of the 
latter tribe. 
The region just mentioned, the southeastern part of Wyoming, 
was traversed by a missionary who, July 24, 1835, encountered a 
party of 30 or 40 mounted Indians. “They were Ogallallahs, headed 
by eight of their chiefs, clad in their war habiliments, and presenting 
somewhat of a terrific appearance ... They told us their whole 
village was only a few hours’ travel ahead of us, going to the 
Black Hills for the purpose of trading.” Late the following day the 
party overtook the Indians, “consisting of more than two thousand 
persons. These villages are not stationary, but move from place to 
place, as inclination or convenience may dictate. Their lodges are 
comfortable, and easily transported. They are constructed of eight 
or ten poles about eighteen feet long, set up in a circular form, the 
small ends fastened together, making an apex, and the large ends are 
spread out so as to enclose an area of about twenty feet in diameter. 
The whole is covered with their coarse skins, which are elk, or buffalo, 
taken when they are not good for robes. A fire is made in the centre, 
a hole being left in the top of the lodge for the smoke to pass out- 
All that they have for household furniture, clothing, and skins for 
beds, is deposited around according to their ideas of propriety and 
convenience. Generally not more than one family occupies a lodge.” 
(Parker, (1), pp. 66-67.) 
