each other, and immensely facilitated the transaction of business;
but, in my opinion, it was most important in demonstrating that the
western American never shrinks from encountering and overcoming
obstacles that to most people would seem insurmountable.

KISSING DAY.

The Sioux Indian is an exceptionally fine specimen of physical manhood.
His whole method of life tends to this result. He lives in the open air.
He may be said to be born with arms in his hands. From the moment he is
old enough to draw a bowstring, he commences warfare on birds and small
animals. As he advances to manhood, he becomes familiar with the use of
firearms, and extends his warfare to the buffalo and the larger animals.
He rides on horseback from infancy, and excels as a daring horseman. He
goes on the warpath when half-grown, and learns strategy from the wolf
and the panther. He is a meat eater, which diet conduces to the growth
of a lean, muscular, athletic frame, and a bold and highly spirited
temperament. He is taught to spurn labor of any kind as unmanly, and
only fit for women. His life occupation is, in the language of the old
school histories and geographies, "hunting, fishing and war," in each
and all of which accomplishments he becomes surpassingly expert.

I attribute the superiority of the Sioux over many other tribes to their
meat diet and their method of transportation--the horse. This
peculiarity has been noticed by travellers and historians for many
years. There is an old and true adage which says, "We are what we eat."
Washington Irving, in his story of "Astoria," says in regard to this
subject:

"The effect of different modes of life upon the human frame and
human character is strikingly instanced in the contrast between
the hunting Indians of the prairies and the piscatory Indians of
the sea coast. The former, continually on horseback, scouring
the plains, gaining their food by hardy exercise, and subsisting
chiefly on flesh, are generally sinewy, tall, meagre, but well
formed and of bold and fierce deportment. The latter, lounging
about the river banks, or squatting or curved up in their
canoes, are generally low in stature, ill-shaped, with crooked
legs, thick ankles, and broad flat feet. They are inferior also
in muscular power and activity, and in game qualities and
appearance, to their hard-riding brethren of the prairies."

The general habits of the Sioux war