CHAPTER VII.
Indian Females and Feasts.
Many of the inhabitants of this town had been present at our arrival at the Grand Pawnee village, and to them the novelty of our appearance was over. To the rest, however, more particularly the women and children, all was new, and our day of entering into the town, was one of jubilee. We found the pathway lined with women and children, and the spaces between the lodges, crowded with them. Here and there were knots of wild-looking boys, with their bows and arrows tucked under their arms, staring with open mouths, upon the travelling lodges as they termed our heavy wagons. Groups too of females—the married women with troops of children—some on their backs and others at their heels, crowded round. Young and beautiful girls, also, wild as deer, were gazing at us with deep curiosity, but maintained a timid distance.
The most dauntless of the crowd, were two or three old crones, squalid and dirty in the extreme, and who, if aught might be judged from their looks, were the oldest women that ever lived. Every thing was withered about them, but their tongues, which still flourished with the vigour of former years. They were like racers: they had run against time, and gained the heat. Each of these beldames singled out her victim, from among the members of our party, and exerted herself to the utmost to render his situation agreeable, by dinning his ears with her garrulity.
Another worthy of this class, had been entrusted with the care of about a dozen children of all ages and sexes. These she had ranged upon the dome-like top of one of the lodges to see the spectacle, as we passed by. She stood in front of her elfish brood, keeping at bay by the violent exertions of both tongue and talons, the crowd, who, in their anxiety to obtain a view, were attempting to invade her sanctuary.
The persons who had placed their little goblin young ones in her charge, understood well her nature. Her tongue knew no rest. At one moment it was busy in bestowing a shower of wholesome advice, upon some refractory little urchin, whose curiosity would not permit him to sit easy; and at another it was waging a wordy war with the passers by. She fluttered, and ruffled round her bevy, with all the peevish irritability of an old wet-nurse hen, placed in charge of a family of graceless young ducks, who need all her advice and attention, to keep them from danger.
After winding our way through the town, we at length came to the lodge of Blue Coat,[E] the chief of this village. He had nothing of the stern coldness of the leader of the Grand Pawnees. He attended personally and assiduously to our comfort—assisting even in unloading, and bringing in our baggage. When this was finished, he seated himself and opened a conversation, through the interpreter. There was an intelligence in his remarks, and an ease in his manners, which almost made his guests forget they were conversing with a wild, untutored savage.
[E] The name of Blue Coat, is given to the chief of the Republican Pawnees on account of his wearing a blue camblet coat. He is proud of the title and prefers it to his Indian one. He is much more refined in his manners and ideas than the rest of his nation, and is considered by the traders, and his own people, the very beau ideal of an Indian warrior.
It was not long before the lodge became crowded. The old warriors, moved with a hushed step, across the building, and listened, to our conversation. Occasionally, some distinguished brave stalked in. There was a great difference between his manners, and those of the less noted warriors. The latter, stole quietly into the lodge, taking their stations in some remote and retired nook, as if they entertained a doubt of their privilege of entry. But as to the former, the bold and lofty carriage; the swelling chest; the uplifted head; the slightly expanded nostril; the keen searching eye, which flashed daringly around, showed him to be one who owned no ruler, and who knew that none in that assembly, would dare dispute his will. He would take his seat in the most conspicuous part of the lodge, and gaze calmly, and silently upon the strangers.
It was not long before messengers came from different lodges, inviting us to feasts, which had been prepared in honour of our arrival. We had learned by this time, that there was no escape from the invitations of an Indian host, so we followed the guide, who led us to the dwelling of the second chief.
We found him seated upon a small leather mat. He was a fat, oily fellow, with a jolly, good-natured face. Still its expression was tempered by that gravity, which, from long habit, has become almost natural to the race, and proverbial among the whites.
Around him were lounging about a dozen Indians. Some, reclining with their backs against the pillars supporting the roof, with their eyes half closed, were smoking their stone pipes. Some were lying half asleep upon the clay floor, with their feet within a few inches of the fire; and others were keeping up a sleepy song.
At a short distance from the fire, half a dozen squaws were pounding corn, in large mortars,[F] and chattering vociferously at the same time. In the farther part of the building, about a dozen naked children, with faces almost hid by their bushy, tangled hair, were rolling and wrestling upon the floor, occasionally causing the lodge to echo to their childish glee. In the back ground, we could perceive some half a dozen shaggy, thievish-looking wolf-dogs, skulking among the hides and bundles, in search of food, and gliding about with the air of dogs, who knew that they had no business there.
[F] The mortar is in universal use among the uncivilized tribes, answering the purpose of a mill. The hollow is formed, by kindling a fire upon the top of a block of wood, into which it gradually sinks itself, until it forms a sort of bowl. The cavity is then cleansed from the coal-black, and is fit for use.
These mortars are generally a foot in diameter, and about eight inches deep. Corn is pulverised in them, by using a billet of wood as a pestle.
Upon our entering, the lounging Indians roused themselves from the floor; the smokers woke from their reveries, and the dogs slunk out of sight. The women and children, however, went on as before, the former pounding and chattering, and the latter frolicking over the floor. When we had seated ourselves, a large bowl of boiled buffalo flesh was placed before us, and signs made for us to fall to. The chief himself acted as master of ceremonies. He thrust his hands into the bowl, and turned over and over the heap of smoking meat, selecting the best morsels, and welcoming us with warmest expressions of friendship. Several times, appearing to be annoyed by the noise and clamour of his wives, he turned round, and let out a volley of angry words, which, however, they treated with no attention. There is but little doubt that he was a hen-pecked husband, for with all his jovial appearance, there was a cowering look about his eye, when he met the vinegar glance of one or two of his oldest wives.
Before we had finished with him, half a dozen different messengers had assembled in the lodge, waiting for us to follow them to the abode of some of the other chiefs. It is customary for the guest, when he is unable to dispose of the whole provision placed before him, to send what is left to his own quarters. The duty of carrying it, is generally entrusted to one of the junior members of the family, who when departing upon his errand, receives a particular caution from the squaws to be careful and bring back the bowl.
It was near sunset when we finished our visits. We had gone from lodge to lodge, followed by a crowd of men, women, and children, until we had visited nearly half the dwellings in the village. Our receptions were different, according to the dispositions of our hosts. Some were stern and solemn in their demeanour, and others as sociable, and even lively as the whites. In some of the lodges, the females were of an acid temper, and to these our presence was not as agreeable as we could have wished. They made no hesitation in speaking their minds to the half-breed interpreter, who in turn, with iron gravity, translated the whole to us, without abating an epithet, or softening a single peppery expression.
When we emerged, we found a small crowd collected in front, which drew back as we appeared. Curious as they were, there was nothing troublesome or forward in their mode of gratifying their curiosity. The children followed at a distance. The older Indians would mark the route which we must take, and then hurrying on, would seat themselves in some situation, where the whole party must pass in review before them. There was none of the prying, meddling spirit which is shown among the whites.
We had scarcely reached the lodge of the chief, and were congratulating ourselves that the eating part of the business was terminated, when the heavy bear-skin which hung over the mouth, was flapped back, and a boy came across to the place where the Interpreter was sitting. This immediately caused us to suspect that another feast was on foot, and we were making for the door, when we were arrested by the Interpreter, who was too much of an Indian not to relish these eating parties. He shouted out, that three of us had been invited to attend at the lodge of one of the older warriors, who had prepared something which he thought would be more acceptable than buffalo flesh and corn. Although but little inclined to attempt any thing in the way of eating, still we determined to accompany him, for we were curious to see what new article of food, could be raked up in the village, where every soul seemed to live on buffalo flesh and corn.
Following our guide, therefore, after a dark walk we reached the place of invitation.
The interior of the lodge was illumined by the light of a bright fire, burning cheerily in the centre. In front of it was seated the warrior who had invited us. He was an old man with a bottle nose, and a most ponderous corporation; and when seated behind it with his feet doubled under him after the Turkish fashion, he looked like a large sphere.
Upon our entrance, after sundry puffs and heaves, he rose to his feet, and welcomed us, pointing out seats upon several mats which had been placed for us, at his side. He then told his squaw, whose leanness was in proportion to his rotundity, to place before us the article to be disposed of. We watched her narrowly as she moved to a large kettle hanging over the fire. There was something in it of a reddish-yellow colour. What could it be? We had never fallen upon any article of that description before. The squaw seized upon a long, sharp-pointed stick, and commenced spearing into the pot; but at every attempt the active occupant contrived to dodge from her weapon, in spite of her efforts. However, it is an old adage, that “perseverance conquers all difficulties,” and at length she struck the object of her search, and drew out, impaled upon the point of her weapon, a large boiled pumpkin. This she immediately commenced dividing in strips.
While the ceremony of spearing had been going on, we watched with some curiosity, to see what all this trouble was to produce; but when the pumpkin made its appearance, the expression of countenances was most ruefully changed. I looked round towards my companions. Their eyes were fixed with silent agony upon the preparing feast. There was no retreat—it must be eaten; and we were the persons who were doomed to do it. I had hoped to derive a little comfort from them. I had hoped too, that they might relish a sodden and water-soaked pumpkin; and that under cover of their appetites, I might escape unobserved. The expression, however, of their faces forbade the idea, and I determined to perform my share of the mastication, in a manner creditable to a civilized man.
We fell to desperately, therefore, under the vigilant eye of our fat host, who was continually plying us with fresh pieces, according to the laws of Indian hospitality, and to refuse which would be regarded as a slight. How we managed to get through that vegetable feast, I can hardly say; it was one of the severest trials of the whole of our campaign; yet we did get through with it, and emerged from the lodge in safety.
When we returned to the abode of the chief we found it crowded. Groups were squatting in every direction, wrapped in their robes, indulging in a low, muttered conversation. This was occasionally broken by a deep, emphatic exclamation, which always bursts with a convulsive sound from the chest of an Indian, when engaged in a debate of some interest. But upon our return the conversation gradually flagged, and their sole occupation was to sit, with their eyes fastened upon us, as we were collected round the fire.