luhsEv, LARGE WAR PARTY. 319 



ties usually number one or two hundred men, and sometimes all the 

 fighting men in the tribe volunteer. Occasionally the whole tribe moves 

 against an enemy, taking the women, children, etc., till they reach the 

 neighborhood of the foe, when the non-combatants are left at a safe dis- 

 tance, and the warriors go on without them. This moving with the 

 whole camp is called "awaha n qti $e\" or "agaq$a n qti fe," because they 

 go in a body, as they do when traveling on the buffalo hunt. 



§ 195. When a large war party is desired the man who plans the 

 expedition selects his associates, and besides these there must be at least 

 two more nuda n banga ; but only the planner and his friend are the 

 nuda n hanga liju. or principal war chiefs. Sometimes, as in the case 

 of W abaskaha (Contributions to N. A. Ethnology, Vol. VI, Part I, p. 

 394), the man paints his face with clay or mud, and wanders around, 

 crying to Wakanda thus : "OWakanda! though the foreigners have 

 injured me, 1 hope that you may help me ! " The people hear him, and 

 know by his crying that he desires to lead a war party ; so they go to 

 him to hear his story. 



Four wag^a are sent to invite the guests, two taking each side of the 

 tribal circle, and hallooing as they pass each tent. There is no cause 

 for secrecy on such occasions, so the crier calls out the name of each 

 guest, and bids him bring his bowl. In the case of Wabaskaha, so 

 great was the wrong suffered that all the men assembled, including the 

 chiefs. This was the day after Wabaskaha had told his story. Then a 

 pipe (the war pipe) was filled. Wabaskaha extended his hands toward 

 the people, and touched them on their heads saying, "Pity me ; do for 

 me as you think best." Then the chief who filled the sacred pipe said 

 to the assembly, " If you are williug for us to take vengeance on the 

 Pawnees, put that pipe to your lips; if (any of) you are unwilling, do 

 not put it to your lips." Then every man put the pipe to his lips and 

 smoked it. And the chief said, " Come ! Make a final decision. De 

 cide when we shall take vengeance on them." And one said, " O leader ! 

 during the summer let us eat our food, and pray to Wakanda. In the 

 early fall let us take vengeance ou them." The four captains were con- 

 stantly crying by day and night, saying, "OWakanda! pity me. Help 

 me in that about which I am in a bad humor." They were crying even 

 while they accompanied the people on the summer hunt. During the 

 day they abstained from food and drink; but at night they used to 

 partake of food and drink water. 



§ 196. Feast. — It was customary for the guests invited to join a large 

 war party to go to the lodge designated, where four captains sat oppo- 

 site the entrance, and two messengers sat ou each side of the door. The 

 ensuing ceremonies were substantially those given in § 188, with the 

 exception of the use of the wa^ixabe or sacred bags, which are never 

 used except when large war parties are organized. 



Sacred bags — These sacred bags, which are consecrated to the thunder 

 or war god, .are so called because when the Indians went on the war- 



