THE GEORGE CATLIN INDIAN GALLERY. 401 



The head-dress, which was superb and truly magnificent, consisted of a crest of 

 war-eagles' quills gracefully falling back from the forehead over the back part of the 

 head, and extending quite down to his feet, set the whole way in a profusion of ermine, 

 and surmounted on the top of the head with the horns of the buffalo, shaved thin and 

 highly polished. 



The necklace was made of 50 huge claws or nails of the grizzly bear, ingeniously 

 arranged on the skin of an otter, and worn, like the scalp-locks, as a trophy, as an 

 evidence unquestionable that he had contended with and overcome that desperate 

 enemy in open combat. 



His shield was made of the hide of the buffalo's neck, and hardened with the glue 

 that was taken from its hoofs; its boss was the skin of a pole-cat, and its edges were 

 fringed with rows of eagles' quills and hoofs of the antelope. 



His bow was of bone, and as white and beautiful as ivory; over its back was laid 

 and firmly attached to it a coating of deers' sinews, which gave it its elasticity, and of 

 course death to all that stood inimically before it. Its string was three-stranded and 

 twisted of sinews, which many a time had twanged and sent the whizzing death to 

 animal and to human victims. 



The quiver was made of a panther's skin and hung upon his back, charged with its 

 deadly arrows; some were poisoned and some were not; they were feathered with 

 hawks' and eagles' quills ; some were clean and innocent, and pure, and others were 

 stained all over, with auimal and human blood that was dried upon them. Their 

 blades or points were of flints, and some of steel; and altogether were a deadly mag- 

 azine. 



The lance or spear was held in his left hand ; its blade was two-edged and of po- 

 ished steel, and the blood of several human victims was seen dried upon it, one over 

 the other; its shaft was of the toughest ash, and ornamented at intervals with tufts 

 of war-eagles' quills. 



His tobacco-sack was made of the skin of an otter, and tastefully garnished with 

 quills of the porcupine ; in it was carried his k'nick-k'neck (the bark of the red willow, 

 which is smoked as a substitute for tobacco); it contained also his flint and steel, and 

 spunk for lighting. 



His pipe, which was ingeniously carved out of the red steatite ( or pipe-stone), the 

 stem of which was three feet long and two inches wide, made from the stalk of the 

 young ash ; about half its length was wound with delicate braids of the porcupine's 

 quills, so ingeniously wrought as to represent figures of men and animals upon it. It 

 was also ornamented with the skins and beaks of woodpeckers' heads, and the hair 

 of the white buffalo's tail. The lower half of the stem was painted red, and on its 

 edges it bore the notches he had recorded for the snows (or years) of his life. 



His robe was made of the skin of a young buffalo bull, with the fnr on one side, 

 and the other finely and delicately dressed, with all the battles of his life emblaz- 

 oned on it by his own hand. 



His belt, which was of a substantial piece of buckskin, was firmly girded around 

 his waist, and in it were worn his tomahawk and scalping-knife. 



His medicine-bag was the skin of a beaver, curiously ornamented with hawks' bills 

 and ermine. It was held in his right hand and his Po-ko-mo-kon (or war-club) which 

 was made of a round stone, tied up in a piece of rawhide, and attached to the end of 

 a stick, somewhat in the form of a sling, was laid with others of his weapons at his 

 feet. 



Such was the dress of Mah-to-toh-pa when he entered my wigwam to stand for his 

 picture; but such I have not entirely represented it in his portrait, having rejected 

 such trappings and ornaments as interfered with the grace and simplicity of the fig- 

 ure. He was beautifully and extravagantly dressed ; and in this he was not alone, 

 for hundreds of others are equally elegant. In plumes, and arms, and ornaments, he 

 is not singular ; but in laurels aud wreaths he stands unparalleled. His breast has 

 been bared and scarred in defense of his country, and his brows crowned with hon- 

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