172 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY ( [BULL 77 
“The village appeared to occupy about three quarters of a mile 
along the river bank, on a level plain, the country behind it rising 
into hills of considerable height. There are little or no woods any- 
where to be seen. The lodges are of a conical shape, and look like 
heaps of earth. A great number of horses are seen feeding in the 
plains around, and on the sides of the hills. I espied a number of 
squaws, in canoes, descending the river and landing at the village. 
The interpreter informed me, that they were returning home with 
wood. These canoes are made of a single buffalo hide, stretched 
over osiers, and are of a circular form. There was but one woman 
in each canoe, who kneeled down, and instead of paddling sideways, 
placed the paddle before; the load is fastened to the canoe. : 
About. two o’clock fourteen of us crossed over, and accompanied the 
chief to his lodge. Mats were laid around for us to sit on, while 
he placed himself on a kind of stool or bench. The pipe was handed 
around, and smoked; after which, the herald, (every chief or great 
man, has one of them) ascended the top of the lodge and seated 
himself near an open place, and began to baw] out like one of our 
town criers; the chief every now and then addressing something to 
him through the aperture before mentioned. We soon discovered 
the object of this, by the arrival of the other chiefs, who seemed to 
drop in, one after the other, as their names were called. 
“When all were seated, the pipe was handed to the chief, who 
began as is usual on solemn occasions, by blowing a whiff upwards as 
it were to the sky, then to the earth, and after to the east and west, 
after which the pipe was sent round. <A mark of-respect in handing. 
the pipe to another, is to hold it until the person has taken several 
whiffs.” (Brackenridge, (1), pp. 245-246.) 
Bradbury, who was also present at the gathering on June 12, 
entered in his journal: 
“ T quitted the feast, in order to examine the town, which I found 
to be fortified all round with a ditch, and with pickets or pallisadoes, 
of about nine feet high. The lodges are placed without any regard 
to regularity, which renders it difficult to count them, but there 
appears to be from 150 to 160, and they are constructed in the same 
manner as those of the Ottoes, with the additional convenience of a 
railing on the eaves: behind this railing they sit at their ease and 
smoke. There is scarcely any declivity in the scite of the town, and 
as little regard is paid to cleanliness, it is very dirty in wet weather.” 
(Bradbury, (1), pp. 114-115.) Later he wrote (pp. 165-166): “I 
am not acquainted with any customs peculiar to this nation, save that 
of having a sacred lodge in the centre of the largest village. This is 
called the Medicine lodge, and in one particular, corresponds with 
the sanctuary of the Jews, as no blood is on any account whatsoever 
to be spilled within it. not even that of an enemy; nor is any one, 
