THE GEORGE CATLIN INDIAN GALLERY. 323 



SmoJcing horses (Plate 292, No. 4G3) is another of the peculiar and very curious cus- 

 toms of this tribe. When General Street and I arrived at Kee-o-kuli's village wo were 

 just in time to see this amusing scene on the prairie a little back of his village. The 

 Foxes, who were making up a war-party to go against the Sioux, arid had not suita- 

 ble horses enough by twenty, had sent word to the Sacs the day before (according to 

 an ancient custom) that they were comiug on that day, at a certain hour, to smoJce 

 that number of horses, and they must not fail to have them ready. On that day and 

 at the hour the twenty young men who were beggers for horses were on the spot, and 

 seated themselves on the ground in a circle, where they went to smoking. The vil- 

 lagers flocked around them in a dense crowd, and soon after appeared on the prairie, 

 at half a mile distance, an equal number of young men of the Sac tribe, who had 

 agreed each to give a horse, and who v/ere then galloping them about at full speed, 

 and gradually, as they went around in a circuit, coming in nearer to the center, until 

 they were at last close around the ring of young fellows seated on the ground. 

 Whilst dashing about thus, each one, with a heavy whip in his hand, as he came 

 within reach of tl»e group on the ground, selected the one to whom he decided to pre- 

 sent his horse, and, as he passed him, gave him the most tremendous cut with his 

 lash over his naked shoulders ; and as ho darted around again he plied the whip as 

 before, and again and again with a violent crack, until the blood could be seen trick- 

 ling down over his naked shoulders, upon which he instantlj' dismounted and placed 

 the bridle and whip in his hands, saying, "Here, you are a beggar; I present you a 

 horse, but you will carry my mark on your back." In this manner they were all in a 

 little time whipped up, and each had a good horse to ride home and into battle. His 

 necessity was such that he could afford to take the stri^^es and the scars as the price 

 of the horse, and the giver could afford to make the present for the satisfaction of 

 putting his mark upon the other, and of boasti-ng of his liberality, which ho has 

 always a right to do when going into the dance, or on other important occasions. — G. C. 



464. Mandaus Attacking a Party of Riccarees, whom they had driven into a ravine 



near the Mandan village, where they killed the whole number. Painted 

 in 1832. (No plate.) 

 The Mandans and Riccarees were almost constantly at war prior to 18G2. 



465. Chippeways Making the Portage around the Falls of Saint Anthony, with 



two hundred bark canoes, in 1835. Painted in 1832. 



(Plate No. 239, page 138, vol.2, Catlin's Eight Years.) 



After the business and amusements of this great treaty between the Chippeways 

 and Sioux were all over, the Chippeways struck their tents by taking them down 

 and rolling up their bark coverings, which, with their bark canoes, turned up amongst 

 their wigwams, were carried to the water's edge, and all things being packed in, men, 

 women, dogs, and all were swiftly propelled by paddles to the Falls of Saint Anthony, 

 where we had lepaired to witness their mode of jjassing the cataract by making (as it 

 is called) the portage, which we found to be a very curious scene, and was done by 

 running all their canoes into an eddy below the fall, as near as they could get by 

 paddling, when all were landed and everything taken out of the canoes (Plate 231', 

 No. 405), and, with them, carried by the women around the fall and half a mile or so 

 above, where the canoes were put into the water again ; and goods and chattels being 

 loaded in, and all hands seated, the paddles were again put to work, and tlie light 

 and bounding crafts proceeded upon their voyage. — G. C, 1835. 



466. Camanchees Moving (at Great Comanchee Village), and Dog Fight; dogs, as 



well as horses, drag the lodge-jjolcs with packs upon them. Painti'd in 

 1834, when with First Dragoons. 



(Plate No. 166, page 66, vol. 2, Catlin's Eight Years.) 



