318 THE GEORGE CATLIN INDIAN GALLERY. 



On a hard-trodden pavement in front of their village, which place is used for all 

 their public meetings and many of their amusements, the young men who were to 

 compose the dance had gathered themselves around a small fire, and each one seated 

 on a buffalo robe spread upon the ground. In the center and by the fire was seated 

 a dignitary, who seemed to bo a chief (perhaps a doctor or medicine man), with a 

 long pipe in his hand, which he lighted at the fire and smoked incessantly, grunting 

 forth at the same time, in half-strangled gutturals, a sort of song which I did not 

 get translated to my satisfaction, and which might have been susceptible of none. 

 While this was going on another grim-visaged fellow in another part of the group 

 commenced beating on a drum or tambourine, accompanied by his voice ; when one 

 of the young men seated sprang instantly to his feet and commenced singing in time 

 with the taps of the drum, and leaping about on one foot and the other in the most 

 violent manner imaginable. In this way he went several times around the circle, 

 bowing and brandishing his fist in the faces of each one who was seated, until at 

 length he grasped one of them by the hands and jerked him forcibly up upon his feet, 

 who joined in the dance for a moment, leaving the one who had pulled him up to 

 continue his steps and his song in the center of the ring whilst he danced arouud in 

 a similar manner; jerking up another and then joining his companion in the center, 

 leaving the third and fourth, and so on, to drag into the ring, each one his man, until 

 all were upon their feet, and at last joined in the most frightful gesticulations and 

 yells that seemed almost to make the earth quake under our feet. This strange man- 

 oeuvre, which I did but partially understand, lasted for half or three-quarters of an 

 hour, to the great amusement of the gaping multitude who were assembled around, 

 and broke up with the most piercing yells and barks like those of so many affright- 

 ened dogs.— G. C, page 55, vol. 1, Catlin's Eight Years. 



454. Straw Dance, Sioux; children made to dance with burning straws tied to 



their bodies to make them tough and brave. Painted in 1832. (No plate.) 



455. Sham Fight, Mandan boys ; school of practice every morning at sunrise back 



of the village ; instructed in it by the chiefs and braves. Painted in 1832. 

 (Plate No. 57, page 131, vol. 1, Catlin's Eight Years.) 



OTHER MANDAN DANCES AND AMUSEMENTS. 



In my last letter I gave an account of the buffalo dance (see No. 440), and in future 

 epistles may give some descriptions of a dozen other kinds of dance, which these peo- 

 ple have in common with other tribes; but in the present letter I shall make an en- 

 deavor to confine my observations to several other customs and forms, which are very 

 curious and peculiar to the Mandans. 



Of these, one of the most pleasing is the Sham fight and sham scalp-dance of the 

 Mandan boys, which is a part of their regular exercise, and constitutes a material 

 branch of their education. During the pleasant mornings of the summer the little 

 boys between the age of seven and fifteen are called out to the number of several 

 hundred, and being divided into two companies, each of which is headed by some 

 experienced warrior, who leads them on in the character of teacher. They are led 

 out into the prairie at sunrise, when this curious discipline is regularly taagbt them. 

 Their bodies are naked, and each one has a little bow in his left hand, and a number 

 of arrows made of large spears of grass, which are harmless in their effects. Each 

 one has also a little belt or girdle around his waist, in which he carries a knife made 

 of a piece of wood and equally harmless ; on the tops of their heads are slightly at- 

 tached small tufts of grass, which answer as scalps, and in this plight they follow the 

 dictates of their experienced leaders, who lead them through the judicious evolu- 

 tions of Indian warfare ; of feints, of retreats, of attacks, and at last to a general 

 fight. Many manoeuvres are gone through, and eventually they are brought up face 

 to face, within 15 or 20 feet of each other, with their leaders at their head stimulat- 



