THE GEORGE CATLIN INDIAN GALLERY. 255 



numbers ou the level prairie above, and stretcbiug down by bimdreds to lick at the 

 salt, forujiug in distance large masses of black most pleasingly to contrast Avitb the 

 snow-white and the vivid green which I have before mentioned. — Page 219. vol. 1, 

 Catlin's Eight Years. 



343. Pa-wnee village in Texas, at the base of a spur of the Rocky Mountains; 

 lodges thatched with x)rairie grass. Painted in 1834, while with First 

 United States Dragoons. 



(Plate No. 173, page 70, vol. 2, Catlin's Eight Years.) 



The original sketch was drawn and text written by Joseph Chad- 

 wick, a companion of Mr. Catlin in this journey. Mr. Catlin was ill, 

 and remained at the Comanche village. 



We Avere four days traveling over a beautiful country, most of the way prairie, 

 and generally along near the base of a stupendous range of mountains of reddish 

 granite, in many places i)iled up to an immense height without tree or shrubbery ou 

 them, looking as if they had actually dropped from the clouds in such a confused 

 mass, and all lay where they had falJen. Such we found the mountains inclosing the 

 Pawnee village, on the bank of Red River, about ninety miles from the Camanchee 

 town. The dragoon regiment was drawn up within half a mile or so of this village, and 

 encamped in a square, where we remained three days. Wo found here a very numer- 

 ous village, containing some five or six hundred wigwams, all made of long ]>rairio 

 grass, thatched over poles, which are fastened in the ground and bent in at the top, 

 giving to them, in distance, the appearance of straw bee-hives. 



To our very great surprise, we have found these peoxile cultivating quite extensive 

 fiekls of corn (maize), pumpkins, melons, beans, and squashes; so, with these aids 

 and an abundaut supply of buffalo meat, they may be said to be living very well. 



The next day after our arrival here Colonel Dodge opened a council with the 

 chiefs, in the chiefs' lodge, where he had the most of his officers around him. He first 

 explained to them the friendly views with which he came to see them, and of the wish 

 of our Government to establish a lasting peace with them, which they seemed at once 

 to appreciate and highly to estimate. 



The head chief of the tribe is a very old man, and he several times replied to 

 Colonel Dodge in a very eloquent manner, assui'iug him of the friendly feelings of his 

 chiefs and warriors towards the pale faces in the direction from whence we came. 



After Colonel Dodge had explained, in general terms, the objects of our visit, he 

 told them that he should expect fiom them some account of the foul murder of Judge 

 Martin and his family on the False Washita,* which had been perpetrated but a few 

 Aveeks before, and which the Camanchees had told us was done by the Pawnee Picts. 

 The colonel told them, also, that he learned from the Camanchees that they had the 

 little boy, the son of the murdered gentleman, in their possession, and that he should 

 expect them to deliA'^er him up as an indisjjensable condition of the friendly arrange- 

 ment that was now making. They positively denied the fact and all knowledge of it, 

 firmly assuring us that they knew nothing of the murder or of the boy. The demand 

 Avaa repeatedly made and as often denied, until at length a negro man was discov- 

 ered, who was living with the Pawnees, who spoke good English, and, coming into 

 the council- house, gave information that such a boy had recently been brought into 

 their village, and was now a prisoner amongst them. This excited great surprise and 

 indignation in the council, and Colonel Dodge then informed the chiefs that the coun- 

 cil would rest here, and certainly nothing further of a peaceable nature would trans- 

 pire until the boy was brought in. In this alarming dilenmia all renuiiued in gloomy 

 silence for awhile, when Colonel Dodge further informed the chiefs that, as an evi- 

 dence of his friendly intentions towards them, he had, on starting, jmrchased at a 

 very great price, from their enemies, the Osages, two Pawnee (and one Kiowa) girls, 



*Seo, as to this muidor, "Itiueniiy for 18;H," herein. — T. D. 



