364 THE GEOKGE CATLIN INDIAN GALLEEY. 



cords, the sanguinary hands through which ho had just passed turned hack to per- 

 form a similar operation on another who was ready, and each one in his turn passed 

 into the charge of others, who instantly introduced him to a new and improved stage 

 of their refinements in cruelty. 



SEVERE TORTURE TO THE POINT OF DEATH. 



Surrounded hy imps and demons as they appear — a dozen or more — who seem to be 

 concerting and devising means for his exquisite agony, gather around him, when one 

 of the numher advances toward him in a sneering manner and commences turning 

 him around with a pole which he brings in his hand for the purpose. This is done in 

 a gentle manner at first, but gradually increased, when the brave feUow, whose proud 

 spirit can control its agony no longer, burst out in the most lamentable and heart- 

 rending cries that the human voice is capable of producing, crying forth a prayer to 

 the Great Spirit to support and protect him in this dreadful trial, and continually re- 

 peating his confidence in his protection. In this condition he is continued to be 

 turned faster and faster, and there is no hope of escape from it, nor chance for the 

 slightest relief, until by fainting his voice falters and his struggling ceases, and he 

 hangs apparently a still and lifeless corpse. When he is by turning gradually brought 

 to this condition, which is generally done within ten or fifteen minutes, there is a 

 close scrutiny passed upon him among his tormentors, who are checking and holding 

 each other back as long as the least struggling or tremor can be discovered, lest he 

 should be removed before he is (as they term it) "entirely dead." 



When brought to this alarming and most frightful condition, and the turning has 

 gradually ceased, as his voice and his strength have given out, leaving him to hang 

 entirely still and apparently lifeless, when his tongue is distended from his mouth, 

 and his medicine-bag, which he has affectionately and superstitiously clung to with 

 his left hand, has dropped to the ground, the signal is given to the men on top of the_ 

 lodge by gently striking the cord with the pole below, when they very gradually and 

 carefully lower him to the ground. 



THE VICTIM LOWERED TO THE GROUND. 



In this helpless condition, he lies like a loathsome corpse to look at, though in the 

 keeping (as they call it) of the Great Spirit, whom he trusts will protect him and 

 enable him to get up and walk away. As soon as he is lowered to the ground thus, 

 one of the bystanders advances and pulls out the two splints or pins from the breasts 

 and shoulders, thereby disengaging him from the cords by which he has been hung 

 up, but leaving all the others with their weights, &c., hanging to his flesh. 



In this condition he lies for six or eight minutes, until he gets strength to rise and 

 move himself, for no one is allowed to assist or off"er him aid, as he is here enjoying 

 the most valued privilege which a Mandan can boast of, that of " trusting his life to 

 the keeping of the Great Spirit " in this time of extreme peril. 



A FINGER OR MORE CUT FROM EACH VICTIM'S HAND. 



As soon as he is seen to get strength enough to rise on his hands and feet and drag 

 his body around the lodge, he craU'ls, with the weights still hanging to his body, to 

 another part of the lodge, where there is another Indian sitting with a hatchet in his 

 hand and a dried buffalo skull before him ; and here, in the most earnest and humble 

 manner, by holding up the little finger of his left hand to the Great Spirit, he ex- 

 presses to him in a speech of a few words his willingness to give it as a sacrifice, when 

 he lays it on the dried buff"alo skull, when the other chops it off" near the hand with a 

 blow of the hatchet. 



Nearly all of the young men whom I saw passing this horrid ordeal gave, in the above 

 manner, the little finger of the left hand ; and I saw also several who immediately 

 afterwards (and apparently with very little concern or emotion), with a similar 



