The Sioux— 
Passage of 
the South 
Fork 
— 56— 
horseback appeared on a little rise in the neighbor- 
hood of our camp. They rode in a line up to our 
camp, giving a salute in our honor out of as many 
guns as they could muster, and sat down with us in a 
semi-circle. All appeared in gala attire, decked as 
far as possible with ornaments and bright rags, and 
with their faces freshly painted. One of them wore 
a red English uniform, on which he prided himself 
not a little. They had three leaders with them. One 
of them delivered an address, which may have been 
very eloquent, but of which none of us understood a 
word. To judge by his gestures, however, he had 
taken the pale faces to his heart, and expected in re- 
turn evidences of our appreciation thereof. The pipe 
of peace was of course not forgotten, but went around 
the circle several times. The Indians received tobac- 
co, which was divided out among the warriors by 
these leaders, and were again regaled with sweetened 
mush. In the afternoon, a second party of Indians 
arrived a-foot, with two divers colored flags, on one 
of which a star was embroidered, and on the other a 
cock. The Indian who bore the former was painted 
red in the face; he who bore the other, wholly black. 
Speeches and smoking, presents and feeding were re- 
peated. Toward evening our guests left us, seem- 
ingly satisfied with their reception. While this was 
going on in our camp the rest of the Indians had 
broken up their own camp, and had established them- 
selves across the river just opposite to us. The whole 
shore became alive. The tents were erected in sev- 
