278 PICTURE-WRITING OF THE AMERICAN INDIANS. 
smoke, which at first sight was suggested, as in that case the red would 
have been nearest the roof instead of farthest from it. 
Fig. 206, 1821~22.—The character represents the falling to 
earth of a very brilliant meteor. 
eae 
FG, 206. 
Fig. 207, 1822~23.—A nother trading house was built, which 
was by a white man called Big-Leggings, and was at the 
mouth of the Little Missouri or Bad river. The drawing is 
distinguishable from that for 1819~20. 
IN. 
FIG. 207. 
Fig. 208, 1823~24.— White soldiers made their first appearance in 
the region. So said the interpreter, Clement, but from the unanimous 
interpretation of others the event portrayed is 
the attack of the United States forces accom- 
panied by Dakotas upon the Arikara villages, 
the historic account of which is given in some 
detail in Chap. xv1, infra. 
Fig. 208. The device represents an Arickara palisaded 
village and attacking soldiers. Not only the remarkable character and 
triumphant result of this expedition, but the connection that the Dakotas 
themselves had with it, made it a natural subject for the year’s totem. 
All the winter counts refer to this expedition. 
’ 
Fig. 209, 1824~25.—Swan, chief of the Two-Kettle 
tribe, had all of his horses killed. Device, a horse 
pierced by a lance, blood flowing from the wound. 
He 
Fa. 209. 
Fig. 210, 1825—26.—There was a remarkable flood in the 
Missouri river and a number of Indians were drowned. 
With some exercise of fancy the symbol may suggest 
Fi. 210. heads appearing above a line of water, and this is more 
distinct in some of the other charts. 
Fig. 211, 1826-27.—*An Indian died of the dropsy.” So Basil 
Clement said. It was at first suggested that this circumstance was 
noted because the disease was so unusual in 1826 as to excite remark. 
Baron de La Hontan (c), a good authority concerning the North- 
western Indians before they had been greatly affected by inter- 
course with whites, specially mentions dropsy as one of the dis- 
Fic.2u, eases unknown to them. Carver, op. cit., also states that this 
malady was extremely rare. The interpretations of other charts ex- 
