208 Expedition to the 



viously appointed, to preserve order, and keep the peace. In 

 token of their office, they paint themselves entirely black ; 

 usually wear the crow, and arm themselves with a whip or 

 war-club, with which they punish on the spot, those who 

 misbehave, and are at once both judges and executioners. 

 Thus at the bison hunts they knock down or flog those, 

 whose manoeuvres tend to frighten the game, before all are 

 ready, or previously to their having arrived at the proper 

 point, from which to sally forth upon them. 



Four or five such officers, or soldiers, are appointed at a 

 council of the chiefs held in the evening, to preserve order 

 amongst the hunters for the succeeding day. 



On the following morning, all the men, excepting the su- 

 perannuated, depart early in pursuit of the favourite game. 

 They are generally mounted, armed with bows and arrows. 

 The soldiers of the day accompany the rapidly moving ca- 

 valcade on foot, armed with war-clubs, and the whole are 

 preceded by a footman bearing a pipe. 



On coming in sight of the herd, the hunters talk kindly 

 to their horses, applying to them the endearing names of 

 Father, brother, uncle, &£.; they petition them not to fear 

 the bisons, but to run well, and keep close to them, but at 

 the same time to avoid being gored. 



The party having approached as near to the herd, as they 

 suppose the animals will permit, without taking alarm, they 

 halt, to give the pipe- bearer, an opportunity to perform the 

 ceremony of smoking, which is considered necessary to their 

 success. He lights his pipe, and remains a short time with 

 his head inclined, and the stem of the pipe extended towards 

 the herd. He then smokes, and puffs the smoke towards 

 the bisons, towards the heavens, and the earth, and finally 

 to the cardinal points successively. These last they dis- 

 tinguish by the terms, sunrise, sunset, cold country, and 

 warm country, or they designate them collectively, by the 

 phrase of the four winds, Ta-da-sa-ga-to-ba. 



