NARRATIVE OF 1853. 115 
with the chiefs, all seeming anxious to extend their hospitality, and, as a delicacy, offering him a 
dish of buffalo’s blood boiled with berries. The next morning the town crier announced the chief’s 
intention to move camp, and the horses being immediately brought in, in less than one hour the 
whole encampment was drawn out in two parallel lines on the plain, forming a very picturesque 
scene. Their lodge poles being fastened as a sort of sled, with the small ends tied across the 
horses or dogs’ backs, and the others dragging on the ground, their goods are packed on them, 
as well as the children and the infirm, while some of the women and children also ride on the 
horses’ backs. From three to five hundred pounds are thus transported by each horse at the 
rate of twenty miles a day. The dogs each drag about forty pounds. Thus a thousand Indians 
accompanied him as far as Milk river, where the main party remained to hunt, and the thirty 
principal men, with their families, came with him to Fort Benton, by nearly the same track he 
had followed in going. In eleven days he had gone 160 miles and back, effected the business 
he was sent for, made a number of sketches of the country and the Indians, and collected a 
partial vocabulary. The accompanying sketch is a view of the Three Buttes and the Blackteet 
Indians engaged in the hunt, taken by Mr. Stanley on his return from Fort Benton. 
Cypress mountain thus appears to be in about latitude 50° 05’, longitude 111915. Along 
its southern base flows Bow river, a branch of the Saskatchawan. 
COUNCIL WITH THE BLACKFEET. 
On the 21st instant we held our talk with the Blackfeet. Тһе Piegans, Bloods, and Blackfeet 
were represented. About thirty chiefs, braves, and warriors were present. They were accom- 
panied by their women and children, the whole party numbering about a hundred. Some 
principal chiefs of the Gros Ventres, who had accompanied me to attend the council, became 
impatient at the delay and went back. The council was held ina large room in the fort, 
appropriated for a council chamber. The interpreter was Hammell, an intelligent voyageur, 
who had been in the country many years. The interpreter, besides performing his duty of 
translating, always acts as the executive officer in charge of the Indians. He provides their 
quarters, attends to their wants, and is responsible for their safety and comfort. The principal 
chiefs were quartered in the council chamber, and the others had their lodges outside of the 
fort. On this occasion the chiefs and warriors were all richly caparisoned. Their dresses, of 
softly prepared skins of deer, elk, or antelope, were elegantly ornamented with ur work. 
These are made by their women, and some must have occupied many months in making. 
The other articles of their costume were leggins made of buffalo skins, and moccasins, also 
embroidered, and a breech-cloth of blue cloth. 
Their arms were the northwest guns and bows and arrows. On all solemn кет шы when I 
met the Iudians on my route they were arrayed with the utmost care. My duties in the field 
did not allow the same attention on my part, and the Indians sometimes complained of this, 
saying, ** We dress up to receive you, and why do you not wear the dress of a chief r 
When the Indians, on the occasion above referred to, were assembled in the council chamber 
I addressed the Piegans, and first thanked them for their hospitality to Mr. Stanley. Pointing 
to Little Dog, one of their chiefs, I said : ‘You have shown your кор иш to us by going 
through difficult passes and over bad roads. You have promised to go with us further if we 
desire it. "This shows your good faith, and I sincerely thank you for it. I myself have come 
à great distance, and have passed many tribes on my way to the great ocean of the west. I 
shall pass through many more tribes, with whom you have waged war for many years, and I 
