THE GEORGE CATLIN INDIAN GALLERY. 451 



equally adopted by the other tribe, and consequently eventually lead to the similarity 

 which we find amongst the modes of dress, &c., of the different tribes. 



The tunic, or shirt, of the Mandan men is very similar in shape to that of the Black- 

 feet — made of two skins of deer, or mountain-sheep, strung with scalp-locks, heads, 

 ;md ermine. The leggings, like those of the other tribes of which I have spoken; are 

 made of deer-skins and shaped to lit the leg, embroidered with porcupine quills, and 

 fringed with scalps from their enemies' heads. Their moccasins are made of buck- 

 skiu, and neatly ornamented with porcupine quills. Over their shoulders (or, in other 

 words, over one shoulder and passing under the other) they very gracefully wear a 

 robe from the young buffalo's back, oftentimes cut down to about half its original 

 size, to mako it handy and easy for use. Many of these are also fringed on one side 

 with scalp-locks, and the flesh side of the skin curiously ornamented with pictured 

 representations of the creditable events and battles of their lives. 



Their head-dresses are of various sorts, and many of them exceedingly picturesque 

 and handsome, generally made of war-eagles' or ravens' quills and ermine. These are 

 the most costly part of an Indian's dress in all this country, owing to the difficulty of 

 procuring the quills and the fur. The war-eagle being the vara avis, and the ermine 

 the rarest animal that is found in the country. The tail of a war-eagle in this village, 

 provided it is a perfect one, containing some six or eight quills, which are denomi- 

 nated first-rate plumes, and suitable to arrange in a head-dress, will x>urchase a toler- 

 able good horse (horses, however, are much cheaper here than they are in most other 

 countries). I have had abundant opportunities of learning the great value which 

 these peoxde sometimes attach to such articles of dress and ornament, as I have been 

 purchasing a great many, which I intend to exhibit in my Gallery of Indian Paintings, 

 that the world may examine them for themselves, and thereby be enabled to judge of 

 the fidelity of my works and the ingenuity of Indian manufactures. 



In these purchases I have often been surprised at the prices demanded by them, and 

 perhaps I could not recite a better iustance of the kind than one which occurred h^re 

 a few day since. One of the chiefs, whom I had painted at full length, in a beautiful 

 costume, with head-dress of war-eagles' quills and ermine, extending quite down to 

 his feet and whom I was soliciting for the purchase of his dress complete, was will- 

 ing to sell me all but the head-dress, saying that '• he could not part with that, as he 

 would never be able to get quills and ermine of so good a quality to make another 

 like it." I agreed with him, however, for the rest of the dress, and imx>ortuued him 

 from day to day for the head-dress, until he at length replied that if I must have it 

 he must have two horses for it ; the bargain was instantly struck, the horses were 

 procured of traders at twenty-five dollars each, and the head-dress secured for my 

 collection. 



There is occasionally a chief or a warrior of so extraordinary renown that he is al- 

 lowed to wear horns on his head-dress, which give to his aspect a strange and ma- 

 jestic effect. These are made of about a third x>art of the horn of a buffalo bull, the 

 horn having been split from end to end, and a third part of it taken and shaved thin 

 and light and highly polished. These are attached to the top of the head-dress on 

 each side in the same place that they rise and stand on the head of a buffalo, rising 

 out of a mat of ermine skins and tails, which hang over the top of the head-dress 

 somewhat in the form that the large and profuse locks of hair hang and fall over the 

 head of a buffalo bull. See head-dress in Plates 14, 64, and 91, of three different 

 tribes. 



DRESS OP THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS. 



The same custom I have found observed amongst the Sioux, the Crows, the Black- 

 feet, and Assineboins, and it is one of so striking a character as needs a few more words 

 of observation. There is a peculiar meaning or importance (in their estimation) to 

 this and many other curious and unaccountable appearances in the habits of Indians, 

 upon which the world generally look as things that are absurd and ridiculous, merely 



