AN INDIAN DANCE. 



33 



Iroquois Indians, by 10 a.m. The delay with them arose 

 from an indisposition to separate and be associated in dif- 

 ferent canoes with the Ojibways we were obliged to hire ; 

 by noon, however, an arrangement was made, it being de- 

 termined that one brigade of three canoes should proceed 

 at once, the other follow on the morrow. Just before 

 starting a large body of heathen Indians, from the camp 

 on the opposite side of the river, came over in a number 

 of small canoes and commenced a dance outside of the 

 pickets of the fort. They were painted and feathered in 

 various ways, and furnished an admirable subject for our 

 artists. Having danced on the outside of the fort for 

 some minutes, they entered and arranged themselves in a 

 semicircle in the quadrangle. The medicine-man and his 

 assistant, gaudily painted and decked with eagles' feathers, 

 sat on the ground beating a drum, and near to them 

 squatted some half dozen squaws, with a few children. 

 About sixty men and boys, headed by the chief, painted 

 and feathered similar to the medicine man, danced or 

 jumped round the ring. Our party being collected in 

 front of the chief, he made a short speech, which was 

 interpreted by a half-breed attached to the expedition 

 to the following effect : — " They were happy to see us on 

 the soil, they were hungry and required food, and trusted 

 to our generosity and the plenty by which we were sur- 

 rounded." The pipe of peace was then lit, and handed in 

 turns for each to take a whiff. The picture of a hand 

 across the mouth and cheek was admirably drawn in 

 black on the faces of the chief and medicine-man. The 

 Ka-ki-whe-on, or insignia, consisted of eagle's feathers stuck 

 in a strip of red cloth about four feet long, and attached 

 to a cedar pole. The whole scene was highly ridiculous, 

 and many of the performers were wretched looking crea- 



VOL. I. D 



