398 THE GEORGE CATLIN INDIAN GALLERY. 



The originals were destroyed by fire and water at Philadelphia before 

 the Oatlin collection was presented to the Smithsonian Institution. (See 

 also page 5, Catlin's catalogue of 1848.) 



Mr. Catlin writes : 



The paintings on their rohes are in many cases exceedingly curious and generally 

 represent the exploits of their military lives, which they are proud of recording in this 

 way and exhibiting on their backs as they walk. 



In plates 306 and 307 are facsimiles of the paintings on a Crow robe which hangs in 

 my collection, amongst many others from various tribes, exhibiting the different 

 tastes and state of the fine arts, in the different tribes. All the groups on these two 

 plates are taken from one robe, and on the original are quite picturesque, from the 

 great variety of vivid colors which they have there given to them. The reader will 

 recollect the robe of Mah-to-toh-pa, which I described in the first volume of this work 

 (see pages 39 and 81 herein), and he will find here something very similar — the battles 

 of a distinguished war chief's life, all portrayed by his own hand, and displayed on 

 his back as he walks, where all can read, and all of course are challenged to deny.* 



In Plate 308 are fac-8imile outlines from about one-half of a group on a Pawnee robe^ 

 also hanging in the exhibition, representing a procession of doctors or medicine men, 

 when one of them, the foremost one, is giving freedom to his favorite horse. This is 

 a very curious custom, which I found amongst many of the tribes, and is done by hia 

 announcing to all of his fraternity that on a certain day he is going to give liberty to 

 his faithful horse that has longest served him, and he expects them all to be present. 

 At the time and place appointed they all appear on horseback, most fantastically 

 painted and dressed, as well as armed and equipped, when the owner of the horse 

 leads the procession and drives before him his emancipated horse, which is curiously 

 painted and branded, which he holds in check with a long lasso. When they have 

 arrived at the proper spot on the prairie the ceremony takes place of turning it loose 

 and giving it, it would seem, as a sort of sacrifice to the Great Spirit. This animal, 

 after this, takes his range amongst the bands of wild horses, and if caught by the lasso, 

 as is often the case, is discharged, under the superstitious belief that it belongs to the 

 Great Spirit, and not with impunity to be appropriated by them. 



Besides this curious custom there are very many instances where these magicians 

 (the avails of whose practice enable them to do it, in order to enthral the ignorant and 

 superstitious minds of their people, as well as, perhaps, to quiet their own apprehen- 

 sions) sacrifice to the Great or Evil Spirit their horses and dogs by killing them in- 

 stead of turning them loose. These sacrifices are generally made immediately to their 

 medicine-bags, or to their family medicine, which every family seems to have attached 

 to their household, in addition to that which appropriately belongs to individuals. 

 And in making these sacrifices, and all gifts to the Great Spirit, there is one thing 

 yet to be told — that, whatever gift is made, whether a horse, a dog, or other article, 

 it is sure to be the best of its kind that the giver possesses, otherwise he subjects him- 

 self to disgrace in his tribe, and to the ill will of the power he is endeavoring to con- 

 ciliate. t 



In Plate 309 there is a facsimile copy of the paintings on another Pawnee robe, the 

 property and the designs of a distinguished doctor or medicine man. In the center he 

 has represented himself in full dress on his favorite horse, and at the top and bottom, it 



*The reader will bear- in miud that these drawings, as well as all those of the kind that have here- 

 tofore been given, and those that are to follow, have been correctly traced with a camera from the 

 robes and other works of the Indians belonging to my Indian mnseum. — G-. Catlin. 



t Lewis and Clarke, in their tour across the Eocky Mountains, have given an account of a Mandan 

 chief who had sacrificed seventeen horses to his medicine-bag, to conciliate the good will of the Great 

 Spirit ; and I have met many instances where, while boasting to me of their exploits and their liberal- 

 ity, they have claimed to have given several of their horses to the Great Spirit and as many to white 

 men. — G. Catlin. 



