o'clock at night, when we informed the chiefs that
they must be fatigued with all these attempts to amuse us, and retired,
accompanied by four chiefs, two of whom spent the night with us on
board....
The tribe which we this day saw are a part of the great Sioux nation,
and are known by the name of the Teton Okandandas: they are about two
hundred men in number, and their chief residence is on both sides of the
Missouri, between the Chayenne and Teton Rivers. In their persons they
are rather ugly and ill made, their legs and arms being too small, their
cheek-bones high, and their eyes projecting. The females, with the same
character of form, are more handsome; and both sexes appear cheerful and
sprightly; but in our intercourse with them we discovered that they were
cunning and vicious....
Their lodges are very neatly constructed, in the same form as those of
the Yanktons: they consist of about one hundred cabins (made of white
buffalo dressed hide), with a larger one in the centre for holding
councils and dances. They are built round with poles, about fifteen or
twenty feet high, covered with white skins. These lodges may be taken to
pieces, packed up, and carried with the nation wherever they go, by dogs
which bear great burdens. The women are chiefly employed in dressing
buffalo-skins; they seem perfectly well disposed, but are addicted to
stealing anything which they can take without being observed. This
nation, although it makes so many ravages among its neighbors, is badly
supplied with guns. The water which they carry with them is contained
chiefly in the paunches of deer and other animals, and they make use of
wooden bowls. Some had their heads shaved, which we found was a species
of mourning for their relations. Another usage on these occasions is to
run arrows through the flesh, both above and below the elbow.
While on shore to-day we witnessed a quarrel between two squaws, which
appeared to be growing every moment more boisterous, when a man came
forward, at whose approach every one seemed terrified and ran. He took
the squaws, and without any ceremony whipped them severely. On inquiring
into the nature of such summary justice, we learned that this man was an
officer well known to this and many other tribes. His duty is to keep
the peace; and the whole interior police of the village is confided to
two or three of these officers, who are named by the chief, and remain
in power some days, at least till the c
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