334 THE GEOEGE CATLIN INDIAN GALLERY. 



WaJi-]{e6 (the Shield) ; he could do nothing ; he counted his heads and came down, 

 his medicine was not good, his name was had, and it kept off the rain. The next 

 was Om-i^ah (the Elk) ; on his head the raven was seen, who flies above the storm, 

 and he failed. War-rah-'])a (the Beaver) was the next, my friends; the beaver lives 

 under the water, and he never wants it to rain. My friends ! I see you are in great 

 distress, and nothing has yet been done. This shield belonged to my father, the 

 White Buffalo ; and the lightning you see on it is red ; it was taken from a black 

 cloud, and that cloud will come over us to-day. I am the "White Buffalo's Hair, and 

 I am the son of my father." 



In this manner flourished and maneuvered Walc-a-dah-ha-hce (the White Buffalo's 

 Hair), alternately addressing the audience and the heavens, and holding converse 

 with the winds and the ''je-hi" (spirits) that are floating about in them, stamping 

 his foot over the heads of the magi, who were involved in mysteries beneath him, 

 and invoking the spirits of darkness and light to send rain to gladden the hearts of 

 the Mandans. 



It happened on this memorable day about noon that the steamboat Yellowstone, on 

 her first trip up the Missouri Eiver, approached and landed at the Mandan village, as 

 I have described in a former epistle. I was lucky enough to be a passenger on this 

 boat, and helped to fire a salute of twenty guns of twelve pounds caliber when we 

 first came in sight of the village, some three or four miles below. These guns intro- 

 duced a new sound into this strange country, which the Mandans at first supposed to 

 be thunder; and the young man upon the lodge, who turned it to good account, was 

 gathering fame in rounds of applause, which were repeated and echoed throngh the 

 whole village. All eyes were centered upon him ; chiefs envied him; mothers' hearts 

 were beating high whilst they were decorating and leading up their fair daughters 

 to offer him in marriage on his signal success. The medicine-men had left the lodge, 

 and came out to bestow upon him the envied title of ^'medicine-man" or "doctor," 

 which he had so deservedly won. Wreaths.were prepared to decorate his brows, and 

 eagle's plumes and calumets were in readiness for him ; his friends were all rejoiced ; 

 his enemies wore on their faces a silent gloom and hatred ; and his old sweethearts, 

 who had formerly cast him off, gazed intensely upon him as they glowed with the 

 burning fever of repentance. 



During all this excitement, Wak-a-dah-ha-hee kept his position, assuming the most 

 commanding and threatening attitude ; brandishing his shield in the direction of the 

 thunder (Plato 58, No. 476). Although there was not a cloud to be seen, until he 

 (poor fellow), being elevated above the rest of the village, espied, to his inexpressible 

 amazement, the steamboat plowing its way up the windings of the river below ; puff- 

 ing her steam from her pipes, and sending forth the thunder from a twelve-pounder 

 on her deck! * * * The White Buffalo's Hair stood motionless and turned pale, he 

 looked a while, and turned to the chief and to the multitude, and addressed them 

 with a trembling lip, " My friends, we will get no rain ! there are, you see, no cloads ; 

 but my medicine is great — I have brought a thunder boat! look and see it! the thun- 

 der you hear is out of her mouth, and the lightning which you see is on the waters!" 



At this intelligence the whole village flew to the tops of their wigwams, or to the 

 bank of the river, from whence the steamer was in full view, and plowing along, to 

 their utter dismay and confusion. 



In this promiscuous throng of chiefs, doctors, women, children, and dogs, was Wak- 

 a-dah-ha-hee (the White Buffalo's Hair), having descended from his high place to 

 mingle with the frightened throng. 



Dismayed at the approach of so strange and unaccountable an object, the Mandans 

 stood their ground but a few moments; when, by an order of the chiefs, all hands 

 were ensconced within the piquets of their village,, and all the warriors armed for 

 desperate defense. A few moments brought the boat in front of the village, and all 

 was still and quiet as death ; not a Mandan was to be seen upon the banks. The 

 steamer was moored, and three or four of the chiefs soon after walked boldly down 



