554 TRIBES OF THE UPPER MISSOURI [BTH. ANN. 48 



their horses in bundles, and put on when the attack is about to be 

 made. 



The faces of most of them on starting or in battle are painted 

 with vermilion, the entire face being a bright red, though no orders 

 are given to this effect. Indians generally paint on all public oc- 

 casions, but no other parts of the body are painted at this time. 



The costume of those on foot does not differ from that of a hunter, 

 except he has both gun and bow, if possible, sometimes adding a 

 shield, and a bundle of moccasins on his back, which, with a blanket, 

 or skin capot, leggings of the same and breech flap, completes the 

 dress. 



No great display of dress can be made on foot and is not often 

 seen except among the Blackfeet, when it is the same or nearly the 

 same as the mounted warriors. The hair of the young warriors is 

 dressed out and adorned in many ways, sometimes enclosing small 

 j)ortions in front with beads, shell, or wampum, which hangs down on 

 each side of the face. The Crows have small portions combed up in 

 front and the whole of the rest tied in a queue behind, which is spread 

 out and stiffened with patches of gum, spotted with white clay, and 

 looks like turkey feathers. The elder warriors generally tie up their 

 hair in a knot in front, which projects out from the forehead like a 

 thick short horn. During the march not much attention is paid 

 either to painting or ornaments, but on the eve of battle, if pos- 

 sible, it is done. Nothing uniform appears, however, in their cos- 

 tume, ornaments, or hair dressing, each one suiting his fancy in 

 these particulars, except the acknowledged marks of warriors are 

 not worn by untried and inexperienced recruits. 



The back dress, if not a continuance of the headdress, is mostly a 

 wolf skin thrown over his robe, the tail trailing on the ground and 

 the snout on his shoulder. Crow-skin headdresses are also worn 

 by young warriors, and owl feathers are worn by new beginners. 

 No portion of their war dress is constructed so as to emit jingling 

 sounds, though such are worn on other occasions. Every Indian has 

 either a blanket, buffalo robe, or dressed skin of some kind covering 

 the whole jDerson, and these are painted with their battle scenes or 

 garnished with beads and porcupine quills in many ways. His robe 

 is his bed by night and his cloak in the day, under which in the 

 winter is worn a blanket capot, made with a hood to cover the head. 

 In the large summer war parties, portions of lodges of two to four 

 skins each are taken along with which they make cabins to pro- 

 tect themselves from the rain, but in the winter no shelter is made. 

 When parties are too small to admit of proceeding without fear of 

 night attacks from their enemies while in their country, they make 

 small forts every night of dry timber along some stream, or of rocks 

 when timber is not to be had. 



