358 THE GEORGE CATLIN INDIAN GALLERY. 



These four sacks of water have the appearance of very great antiquity, aud l>y in- 

 quiring of my very ingenious friend and patron, the medicine-man, after the cere- 

 monies were over, he very gravely told me, that " those four tortoises contained the 

 waters from the four quarters of the world — that these waters had been contained 

 therein ever since the settling down of the waters ! ?; I did not think it Lest to ad- 

 vance any argument against so ridiculous a theory, and therefore could not even in- 

 quire or learn at what period they had "been instituted, or how often or on what oc- 

 casions the water in them had been changed or replenished. 



I made several propositions, through my friend Mr. Kipp, the trader and inter- 

 preter, to purchase one of these strange things by offering them a very liberal price ; 

 to which I received in answer that these and all the very numerous articles used in 

 these ceremonies, being a society property, were medicine, and could not be sold for 

 any consideration; so I abandoned all thoughts of obtaining anything, except what 

 I have done by the medicine operation of my pencil, which was applied to every- 

 thing, and even upon that they looked with decided distrust and apprehension as a 

 sort of theft or sacrilege. 



Such then was the group, and such the appearance of the interior of the medicine- 

 lodge, during the three first and part of the fourth day also of the Mandan religious 

 ceremonies. The medicine-man with a group about him of young aspirants who 

 were under his sole control, as was every article and implement to be used, and the 

 sanctity of this solitary and gloomy looking place, which could not be trespassed 

 upon by any man's presence without his most sovereign permission. 



During the three first days of this solemn conclave there were many very curious 

 forms and amusements enacted in the open area in the middle of the village, and in 

 front of the medicine-lodge, by other members of the community, some of which 

 formed a material part or link of these strange ceremonials. — G. C. 



THE BULL DANCE (NO. 505). 



This very curious and exceedingly grotesque part of their x^erformance, which they 

 denominated Bel-loclili-nalt-pick (the bull dance), of which I have before spoken, as 

 one of the avowed objects for which they held this annual fete, and to the strictest 

 observance of which they attribute the coming of buffaloes to supply them with food 

 during the season, is repeated four times during the first day, eight times on the 

 second day, twelve times on the third day, and sixteen times on the fourth day; and 

 always around the curb, or big canoe, of which I have before spoken. 



This subject I have selected for my second picture (No. 505.) 



505. Bel-lohck-nah-pick (the Bull dance). Painted in 1832. 



(Plate No. 67, page 162, vol. 1, Catlin's Eight Years.) 



This picture, which is a continuation of the ceremonies, is a representation of the Buffalo dance, to 

 the strict observance of which they attribute the coming of Buffalo to supply them with food during 

 the season. This scene is exceedingly grotesque, and takes place several times in each day outside 

 the lodge and around the curb, or big canoe, whilst the young men still remain in the lodge, as seen in 

 the other picture. For this dance, however, the four sacks of water are brought out and beat upon, 

 and the old medicine-man comes out and leans against the big canoe with his medicine-pipe in his hand, 

 and cries. The principal actors in this scene are eight men dancing the Buffalo dance, with the skins 

 of buffalo on them, and a bunch of green willows on their backs. There are many other figures, whose 

 offices are very curious and interesting, but which must he left for my Lectures or Notes to describe. 

 The black figure on the left they call O-Icee-hee-de (the Evil Spirit), who enters the village from the 

 prairie, alarming the women, who cry for assistance, and are relieved by the old medicine-man; and 

 the Evil Spirit is at length disarmed of his lance, which is broken by the women, and he is driven by 

 them in disgrace out of the village. The whole nation are present on this occasion as spectators and 

 actors in these strange scenes. 



The principal actors in it [the Bull dance] were eight men, with the entire skins of 

 buffaloes thrown over their backs, with the horns and hoofs and tails remaining on ; 



