98 COMANCHE DRESS. 



fails to make a precipitate retreat, as they invariably kill such men 

 as offer the slightest impediment to their operations, and take women 

 and children prisoners, whom they hold in bondage of the most servile 

 character. They are sometimes absent from their tribes two years or 

 more before their success is sufficient to justify their returning with 

 credit to themselves. 



The use of the bow, which is the favorite arm and constant appendage 

 of the prairie Indian, and which he makes use of exclusively in hunting 

 the buffalo, is taught the boys at a very early age ; and by constant and 

 careful practice, they acquire a degree of proficiency in the art that 

 renders them, when grown up to manhood, formidable in war, as well as 

 successful in the chase. Their bows are made of the tough and elastic 

 wood of the "bois d'arc," or Osage orange [Madura aurantiaca) strength- 

 ened and reinforced with the sinews of the deer wrapped firmly around 

 them, and strung with a cord made of the same material. They are 

 not more than one-half the length of the old English long-bow, which 

 was said to have been sixteen hands' breadth in length. The arrows are 

 twenty inches long, of flexible wood, with a triangular point of iron at 

 one end, and two feathers, intersecting each other at right-angles, at the 

 opposite extremity. At short distances the bow, in the hands of the 

 Indian, is effective, and frequently throws the arrow entirely through the 

 huge carcass of the buffalo. In using this instrument, the Indian 

 warrior protects himself from the missiles of his enemy with a shield of 

 circular form, covered with two thicknesses of hard, undressed buffalo- 

 hide, separated by a space of about an inch, which is stuffed with hair : 

 this is fastened to the left arm by two bands, in such a manner as not 

 to interfere with the free use of the hand, and offers such resistance that 

 a rifle-ball will not penetrate it unless it strikes perpendicular to the 

 surface. They also make use of a war-club, made by bending a withe 

 around a hard stone of about two pounds weight, which has been 

 previously prepared with a groove in which the withe fits, and is thereby 

 prevented from slipping off. The handle is about fourteen inches long, 

 and bound with buffalo-hide. 



The Comanche men are about the medium stature, with bright, copper- 

 colored complexions and intelligent countenances, in many instances 

 with aquiline noses, thin lips, black eyes and hair, with but little beard. 

 They never cut the hair, but wear it of very great length, and ornament 

 it upon state occasions with silver and beads. Their dress consists of 

 leggins and^noccasins, with a cloth wrapped around the loins. The 

 body is generally naked above the middle, except when covered with 

 the buffalo-robe, which is a constant appendage to their wardrobe. The 



