268 CALENDAR HISTORY OF THE KIOWA [eth.ann. n 



most extravagant expressions ol' joy ami satisfaction. Tlio heart of the venerable 

 chief was melted at this evidence of the white man's friendship, and he lose upon 

 his feet, and taking Colonel Dodge in his arms and, placing his left cheek against 

 the left cheek of the colonel, held him for some minutes without saying a word, 

 ■whilst tears were flowing from his eyes. He then embraced cacli officer in turn in 

 the same silent and atfectiouate manner, which form took half an hour or more 

 before it Avas comjdetcd. 



From this moment the council, which before had been a very grave and uncertain 

 one, took a pleasing and friendly turn, and this excellent old man ordered the women 

 to supply the dragoons with something to eat, as they were hungry. The little 

 encampment, which heretofore was in a woeful condition, having eaten up their last 

 rations twelve hours before, were now gladdened by the approach of a number of 

 women who brought their "back loads" of dried buffalo meat and green corn, and 

 threw it down amongst them. This seemed almost like a providential deliverance, 

 for the country between here and tlie Comanchees was entirely destitute of game 

 and our last provisions were consumed. 



The council thus proceeded successfully and pleasantly for several days, wliilst 

 the warriors of tlie Iviowas and Wi<'os [Wacos], two adjoining and friendly tribes 

 living farther to the west, were arriving, and also a great many from other bands 

 of the Comanchees, who had heard of our arrival, until two thousand or more of 

 these wild and fearless-looking fellows were assembled, and all, from tlieir horses' 

 backs, with weapons iu hand, were looking into our pitiful little encampment of two 

 hundred men, all in a state of dependence and almost literal starvation, and at the 

 same time nearly one-half the number too sick to have made a successful resistance 

 if we were to have been attacked {CatUn, 7). 



The result of the council was that a large delegation from the allied 

 tribes returned with the troops to Fort Gibson, where arrangements 

 were made for the subseiiuent treaties of 1835 and 1837, as already 

 described, which mark the beginning of the modern history of the 

 Kiowa, Comanche, Wichita, and affiliated bands. 



The Wichita, as well as the Kiowa, still remember this friendly meet- 

 ing. Nasthoe, a Wichita chief, in giving testimony in 1894 in regard to 

 the location of the old \'illage, said : " I was told that the white people 

 and the Osage and the Kidi-kitashe [Wichita] came to that old village, 

 where they lived and brought that girl and boy, and inside of one of 

 tho.se tipis they had made a feast among themselves, and the soldiers 

 had fired their guns around there. The meaning of that was a peace ' 

 {Greer Counti/, 1). 



While with this expedition Catlin painted a number of portraits, 

 the first on record from these tribes. He has this to say of his Kiowa 

 subjects: 



Theheadchief of tlie Ivioways, whose name isTeh-toot-sah [Dohasiin, see page 175], 

 wo found to be a very gentlemanly and high-minded man, who treated the drf.goons 

 and officers with great kindness while in his country. His long hair, which was put 

 up in several large clubs and ornamented with a great many silver brooches, extended 

 quite down to his knees. This distinguished man, as well as several others of his 

 tribe, have agreed to join us on the march to Fort Gibson, so I shall have much of 

 their company yet, anil probably much more to say of them at a future period. Bon- 

 son-gee (The Xi'W Fire) [Bohon-konkya, lilack-cap], is another chief of this tribe, 

 and called a very good man ; the principal ornaments which he carried on his person 

 were a boar's tusk and his war whistle, which were hanging on his breast. Qnay- 

 ham-kay (The Stone Shell) is another fair specimen of the warriors of this tribe 



