THE GEORGE CATLIN INDIAN GALLERY. 359 



their bodies in a horizontal position, enabling them to imitate the actions of the 



buffalo, whilst they were looking out of its eyes as through a mask. 



The bodies of these men were chiefly naked, and ail painted in the most extraor- 

 dinary manner, with the nicest adherence to exact similarity, their limbs, bodies, 

 and faces being in every part covered either with black, red, or white paint. Each 

 one of these strange characters had also a lock of buffalo's hair tied around his 

 ankles, in his right hand a rattle, and a slender white rod or staff 6 feet long in the 

 other, and carried on his back a bunch of green willow boughs about the usual size 

 ot a bundle of straw. These ei ght men, being divided into four pairs, took their po- 

 sitions on the four different sides of the curb or big canoe, representing thereby the 

 four cardinal points; and between each group of them, with the back turned to the 

 big canoe, was another figure, engaged in the same dance, keeping step with them, 

 with a similar staff or wand in one hand and a rattle in the other, and (being four in 

 number) answering again to the four cardinal points. The bodies of these four young 

 men were chiefly naked, with no other dress upon them than a beautiful kelt (or 

 quartz-quaw) around the waist, made of eagles' quills and ermine, and very splendid 

 head-dresses made of the same materials. Two of these figures were painted entirely 

 black with pounded char coal and grease, whom they called the u firmament or night," 

 and the numerous white spots which were dotted all over their bodies they called 

 " stars." The other two were painted from head to foot as red as vermilion could 

 make them ; these they said represented the day, and the white streaks which were 

 painted up and down over their bodies were "ghosts which the morning rays were 

 chasing away." 



These twelve are the only persons actually engaged in this strange dance, which is 

 each time repeated in the same form, without the slightest variation. There are, 

 however, a great number of characters engaged in giving the whole effect and wild- 

 ness to this strange and laughable scene, each one acting well his part, and whose 

 offices, strange and inexplicable as they are, I will endeavor to point out and explain 

 as well as I can from what I saw, elucidated by their own descriptions. 



BULL DANCE DONE OUTSIDE TPIE MEDICIDE LODGE. 



This most remarkable scene, then, which is witnessed more or less often on each 

 day, takes place in presence of the whole nation, who are generally gathered around, 

 on the tops of the wigwams or otherwise, as spectators, whilst the young men are re- 

 clining and fasting in the lodge as above described. On the first day this Bull dance 

 is given once to each of the cardiual points, and the medicine-man smokes his pipe 

 in those directions. On the second day, twice to each ; three times to each on the 

 third day, and four times to each on the fourth. As a signal for the dancers and 

 other characters (as well as the public) to assemble, the old man, master of ceremo- 

 nies, with the medicine-pipe in hand, dances out of the lodge, singing (or rather cry- 

 ing) forth a most pitiful lament, until he approaches the big canoe, against which he 

 leans, with the pipe in his hand, and continues to cry. At this instant, four very 

 aged and patriarchal looking men, whose bodies are painted red, and who have been 

 guarding the four sides of the lodge, enter it and bring out the four sacks of water, 

 which they place near the big canoe, where they seat themselves by the side of them 

 and commence thumping on them with the mallets or drumsticks which have been 

 lying on them ; and another brandishes and shakes the eeh-na-dees or rattles, and all 

 unite to them their voices, raised to the highest pitch possible, as the music for the 

 Bull dance, which is then commenced and continued for fifteen minutes or more in 

 perfect time, and without cessation or intermission. When the music and dancing 

 stop, which are always perfectly simultaneous, the whole nation raise the huzza! 

 and a deafening shout of approbation ; the master of ceremonies dances back to the 

 medicine-lodge, and the old men return to their former place; the sacks of water 



