Notwithstanding his absence, some mats were spread for us upon the ground, in the back part of the lodge. Upon these we sat down, and after waiting some time, were presented with a large wooden dish of hominy, or boiled maize. In this was a single spoon of the horn of a bison, large enough to hold half a pint, which, being used alternately by each of the party, soon emptied the dish of its contents.
{125} The interior of this capacious dwelling was dimly lighted from a hole at the top, through which the sun's rays, in a defined column, fell aslant upon the earthen floor. Immediately under this hole, which is both window and chimney, is a small depression in the centre of the floor, where the fire is made; but the upper parts of the lodge are constantly filled with smoke, adding much to the air of gloominess and obscurity which prevailed within. The furniture of Long Hair's lodge consisted of mats, ingeniously woven of grass or rushes, bison robes, wooden dishes, and one or two small brass kettles. In the part of the lodge immediately opposite the entrance, we observed a rude niche in the wall, which was occupied by a bison skull. It appeared to have been exposed to the weather, until the flesh and periosteum had decayed, and the bones had become white.
In this lodge we saw a number of squaws of different ages, but all, as we supposed, the wives of Long Hair. This chief, who is somewhat of a Turk in his domestic establishment, has eleven wives, nine of whom are quiet occupants of the same lodge. He has but ten children.
Our visit to this village seemed to excite no great degree of attention. Among the crowd, who surrounded us before we entered the village, we observed several young squaws rather gaily dressed, being wrapped in clean and new blankets, and having their heads ornamented with wreaths of gnaphalium, and the silvery leaves of the prosalea canescens. On the tops of the lodges we also saw some display of finery, which we supposed to have been made on account of our visit. Flags were hoisted, shields, and bows, and quivers, were suspended in conspicuous places, scalps were hung out; in short, the people appeared to have exposed whatever they possessed, in the exhibition of which they could find any gratification of their vanity. Aside from these, we received no distinguished marks of attention from the Grand Pawnees.
{126} After spending an hour or two at their village, we retired to our camp about a mile distant. Here we were shortly afterwards visited by Long Hair, the Malicious chief,[85] and several others. They had with them a young Spaniard, who interpreted Pawnee and French, by whose means we were able to communicate freely with them. They offered some apology, for not receiving us at their village, saying, they could not have left their medicine feast, if the village had been on fire. We caused our intended route to be explained to them, with the objects we had in view, in undertaking so long a journey. To this they answered, that our undertaking was attended with great difficulty and danger; that the country about the head of the Platte was filled with bands of powerful and ferocious Indians, who would lose no opportunity to attack and injure us; that in some parts of our route, we must suffer from want of water, in others there was no game. "In short," said the Grand chief, "you must have long hearts, to undertake such a journey with so weak a force; hearts that would reach from the earth to the heavens." These representations would, it is probable, have had some effect upon our spirits, had we not supposed they were made entirely for that purpose. The Pawnees undoubtedly hoped to alarm our fears to such a degree, that we should be induced to relinquish our proposed journey; their design being to deter us from passing through their hunting grounds, and perhaps hoping by these means to possess themselves of a larger share of the articles we had provided for Indian presents.
Finding our determination was not to be shaken, they advised us to ascend the Loup fork, instead of taking the route by the Platte, which we had mentioned. This advice, and the statement by which it was accompanied, that there were no bisons on the Platte, we suspected of originating from the same motive which had induced them to make the representation {127} above mentioned; it was not, therefore, allowed in any manner to influence our determination.
After collecting from them what information we could obtain, relative to the country to the west, we endeavoured to dismiss them with some presents. They were not, however, easily to be satisfied—they importuned us for tobacco, and other articles, which the limited nature of our supplies would not allow us to give, as we expected soon to meet with Indians, whose good will it would be more important for us to purchase.
Our camp was something more than a mile from the village. The intervening space, as well as the plain for a great extent on all sides, was covered with great numbers of horses, intermixed with men, women, and children. The men having no serious business, pass much of their time in the open air, either on horseback, or engaged at some game of hazard.
The Pawnees are expert horsemen, and delight in the exhibition of feats of skill and adroitness. Many of their horses are branded, but this is the case with such only as are taken in their predatory excursions against the Spaniards of New Mexico, or the south-western Indians; the branded horses all come originally from the Spaniards. It does not appear that the Indians have any method of affixing distinctive marks to their animals. Each Indian has usually but a very limited number of horses, which are as well known, and as universally acknowledged to be his, as the children or other members of his family. Some of the finest horses which we observed, were ornamented with gaudy trappings, and furniture of Spanish manufacture.
We spent some time in attempting to explain to the chiefs the nature and effects of the vaccine disease, and in endeavouring to persuade them to influence some of their people to submit to inoculation; {128} but in this we were unsuccessful. It is now several years since the ravages of the small pox have been experienced among them, and it is probable they feel an undue degree of security against its future visitations. We were, however, by no means confident that they comprehended what we said on the subject of vaccination; if they did, it is not probable their confidence in us was sufficient to induce them to receive it as truth. All we were able to effect, was to persuade the young Spanish interpreter to allow us to make use of his arm, to show the Indians that the proposed operation was by no means a formidable one. With the same intention, the operation was performed upon Major Long's arm, and that of Mr. H. Dougherty.