DENIG] TRIBES OF THE UPPER MISSOURI 447 



tnences the ceremony of unrolling it, and at the taking off of each 

 envelope says a few words equivalent to " Peace we wish," " Look 

 over us. Wakofida," "This to the Sun," "This to the Earth," etc., 

 giving, as it were, some distinction or value to each envelope. After 

 a long time and the untying of many knots, the pipe and stem ap- 

 pear, with a tobacco sack, a bunch of sweet-smelling grass, a probe 

 for the pipe, and a small sack containing a charm or amulet. The 

 pipe is on this occasion rilled from the tobacco (or mixture) sack 

 by the chief of the soldiers, though not lit. and in this way handed 

 to his own chief. He (the chief) now stands up, the different depu- 

 tations of nations sitting opposite each other on either side of the 

 lodge. He first presents the pipe to the East, singing a gentle and 

 harmonious song for about a minute, then presents it South, West, 

 North, to the Sky and lastly to the Earth, repeating the song at each 

 presentation. 



In conclusion he turns it slowly three times round, and lays it down, 

 all responding hoo-o-oo as the pipe is placed on the ground. The 

 chief now sits down in his place, and the Chief of the soldiers rises. 

 He lights the pipe with a piece of the sweet-smelling grass — if the 

 strangers are of the Crow nation a piece of dried buffalo dung is used 

 to light it — stands up and presents it precisely to the same points as 

 the chief had done without singing, giving three puffs or whiffs of the 

 pipe to every presentation, finishing in the same way the chief had 

 done, and, receiving a loud prolonged universal hoo-o-oo or grunt of 

 approbation, he then resumes his seat. The chief now rises the sec- 

 ond time and having had the pipe relighted, holding the stem in his 

 hand advances and presents it, or rather places it in the mouth of the 

 head man of the strange deputation, allowing him to take a few 

 whiffs, passes to the next and the next, they sitting and he moving 

 round from one to another until all the strangers have been smoked, 

 then he hands the pipe to the chief of the soldiers and sits down. 

 This officer now presents the pipe in the same way to his own chief 

 and going round the other side smokes all his people, and hands the 

 pipe to another soldier, who goes the whole round again, and this is 

 repeated over in silence for at least two hours, when the pipe is laid 

 down by the chief, and speeches or signs begin by which they arrange 

 the preliminaries of a peace. After all is settled the pipe undergoes 

 the ceremony of rolling up. which is fully as long, though not in 

 silence, conversation becoming general and ordinary pipes being 

 introduced. The termination on this occasion is a grand feast in the 

 soldiers 1 lodge to the strangers, and invitations to 50 or more other 

 feasts in camp, to all of which they must go, and when all is finished 

 the strangers are accommodated with temporary wives during their 

 short residence. 



