went on shore one after the other, were
met on landing by ten well-dressed young men, who took them up in a robe
highly decorated and carried them to a large council-house, where they
were placed on a dressed buffalo-skin by the side of the grand chief.
The hall or council-room was in the shape of three-quarters of a circle,
covered at the top and sides with skins well dressed and sewed together.
Under this shelter sat about seventy men, forming a circle round the
chief, before whom were placed a Spanish flag and the one we had given
them yesterday. This left a vacant circle of about six feet diameter,
in which the pipe of peace was raised on two forked sticks, about six
or eight inches from the ground, and under it the down of the swan was
scattered. A large fire, in which they were cooking provisions, stood
near, and in the centre about four hundred pounds of buffalo meat as a
present for us. As soon as we were seated, an old man got up, and after
approving what we had done, begged us take pity on their unfortunate
situation. To this we replied with assurances of protection. After he
had ceased, the great chief rose and delivered a harangue to the same
effect; then with great solemnity he took some of the most delicate
parts of the dog which was cooked for the festival, and held it to the
flag by way of sacrifice; this done, he held up the pipe of peace, and
first pointed it toward the heavens, then to the four quarters of the
globe, then to the earth, made a short speech, lighted the pipe, and
presented it to us. We smoked, and he again harangued his people, after
which the repast was served up to us. It consisted of the dog which they
had just been cooking, this being a great dish among the Sioux, and used
on all festivals; to this were added pemitigon, a dish made of buffalo
meat, dried or jerked, and then pounded and mixed raw with grease and
a kind of ground potato, dressed like the preparation of Indian corn
called hominy, to which it is little inferior. Of all these luxuries,
which were placed before us in platters with horn spoons, we took the
pemitigon and the potato, which we found good, but we could as yet
partake but sparingly of the dog."

The "pemitigon" mentioned here is better known as pemmican, a sort of
dried meat, which may be eaten as prepared, or pounded fine and cooked
with other articles of food. This festival concluded with a grand dance,
which at midnight wound up the affair.

As the descript