BUSHNELL] VILLAGES WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI 145 
“The whole was extremely interesting. The great number of red 
men, in a variety of costumes, the singing, dancing, beating the 
drum, &c., while the lofty trees of the forest, illumed by the fires, 
spread their branches against the dark sky, formed a tout ensemble 
so striking and original, that I regretted the impracticability of 
taking a sketch of it on the spot.” 
Two days after the dance, on November 28, 1833, Maximilian 
visited the chief Yellow Bear in his lodge. The interior presents an 
interesting appearance: “The beds, consisting of square leathern 
cases, were placed along 
the sides of the spacious 
hut, and the inmates sat 
round the fire variously 
occupied. The Yellow 
Bear, wearing only his 
breech-cloth, sat upon 
a bench made of willow 
boughs, covered with 
skins, and was painting 
a new buffalo robe with 
figures in vermillion 
and black, having his 
colours standing by him, 
ready mixed, in old pot- 
sherds. In leu of a 
pencil he was using the 
more inartificial substi- 
tute of a sharp-pointed 
piece of wood. The 
robe was ornament- 
ed with the symbols of 
valuable presents which he had made, and which had gained the Yel- 
low Bear much reputation, and made him a man of distinction.” 
(Maximilian, (1), pp. 419-423.) 
Among the historic village sites which have been studied and sur- 
veyed by the State Historical Society of North Dakota, as men- 
tioned in the preceding sketch of the Mandan, was that “of the 
largest Hidatsa village on Knife river.” The map made for the 
society is here reproduced in figure 12. This, to quote Libby, “ shows 
the present appearance of the . . . largest Hidatsa village site, 
located just north of the mouth of Knife river. From the position 
and direction of the doorways, it is seen that these villages show no 
such large grouping as is characteristic of the Mandan village 
..” It was observed that the circles marking the positions of 
Fie, 12.—Plan of the large Hidatsa village. 
