May 9th.—After breakfast we were invited to the principal chief’s lodge, to attend a council which had been called for the purpose of listening to the invitation sent to them by the President of the United States through the above-mentioned agent, to attend a general council at Fort Laramie. The Pawnees declared themselves satisfied with the offers of government, and several speeches were then made expressive of the prospect that ere long the condition of their people would be bettered, especially since they might now indulge the hope of soon having teachers among them to give them instruction. During the council a severe thunderstorm was passing over, and while the chief, Fatty, was speaking, after a loud peal of thunder: “See,” said he, “the Great Spirit is pleased with us this morning and expresses his satisfaction by speaking loudly to us!!”—At the close we were yet invited to partake of a feast with them. A large dish of corn-soup was brought in and set before the chiefs;—the medicine man then came forward, and, taking a spoonful of the soup, went to the fire, and making a small hole in the ashes he poured it in. After putting the spoon back again into the dish he returned to the sacrifice at the fire, which was blessed thrice by holding both hands over it; then, turning round to the assembly, and fronting the chiefs, looking up to heaven, he stretched out his hands thrice in silent benediction, and then returned to his seat. The dish was then passed round, each person partaking of a mouthful or two of the soup.
The council being over, and the thunderstorm having somewhat subsided, towards noon we started on our return, the object of our visit to the Pawnee villages being now fully accomplished. We had now only to retrace our steps, as that was the nearest way for us to travel. We prepared our coffee and lunch at the same beautiful spot, where we had halted yesterday. In getting a fire, however, to boil our coffee, we had considerable trouble, the matches in our pockets being damp, and the grass and wood being all wet from the rain, which was yet falling. But at last our Pawnee friends succeeded in finding some dry rotten wood, which, by means of paper and powder, we succeeded in igniting. In the evening we arrived at the Lower Village, where we staid over night at Siskatuppe’s lodge.
May 10th.—Towards morning a very heavy thundergust passed over the village, and the water came pouring into the lodge, from the small opening above (which is made to let out the smoke), and the shrill voices of the women, who seemed to be scolding one another while engaged in cleaning up the water, disturbed us considerably in our slumbers. In the morning the Pawnees informed us that the Platte was rising; we, therefore, hastened to get ready for travelling, and crossed the river without much difficulty, in the same manner as at the first time. Arrived at the opposite bank, we made a present of some tobacco to our Pawnee friends, for assisting us in crossing the river. A large company of Pawnees followed us, who intended going to the Omahaw village in order to trade for corn. When we arrived at the ferry of the Elkhorn, a heavy gust was threatening to overtake us, and we had hardly crossed, secured our baggage, and got into the hut of the ferrymen, when a furious hailstorm passed over us. The rain having detained us so long, that it was impossible to reach another camping ground by daylight, we pitched our tent here for the night.
May 11th.—During the night, another gust passed over us, but our tent kept us dry and comfortable. One of the ferrymen, who had arrived during the night from Council Bluffs, informed us that the bridge across the Papilion, over which we had passed, had been washed away by the high water occasioned by the heavy rains, and that he had been obliged to swim the stream, which had swollen to the size of a river. We, therefore concluded to take another route, which would lead along a high ridge between the Great and Little Papilion, and strike the former opposite the Omahaw village, at the confluence of the two streams, where we hoped to get assistance, should we find any difficulty in crossing.
When we arrived at the place, we found both streams very much swollen by the heavy rains. Collecting some wood together, we made a fire, and prepared our dinner, while the party of Pawnees, who had followed us, were busied in crossing the Little Papilion, in order to get to the Omahaw village. After we had finished our meal, and had come to the crossing of the Great Papilion, preparations were made for getting our wagon, baggage, and ourselves on the other side and here we found Mr. Sharpee, who has travelled several times to the Rocky Mountains, and was accustomed to meet with such exigencies as the present, to be of invaluable service to us. Under his direction the tent-cloth was spread out on the ground, upon which was placed the wagon-body. The corners of the cloth were then laid over the body, and around the whole a rope was tightly tied to keep the cloth firmly adhering to it. Thus a boat was soon constructed, in which the forewheels and tongue were put, and then launched in the stream, with Mr. Sharpee and Mr. Allis on board. A rope had previously been attached, the end of which an Indian took in his mouth, and swam across, the boat being drawn after him. The contents being quickly taken out on the other side, it was towed back again by the Indian with Mr. Sharpee still in it. The second load consisted of the hindwheels with Mr. Sharpee and br. Oehler. Meanwhile another Indian had formed a boat of a buffalo-skin, stretched out by sticks placed crosswise, in which the baggage was all safely transported to the other side. The animals were driven into the stream, and forced to swim across. Finally, the boat was brought over the third time, and br. Smith and a lame Pawnee man were taken to the other side. When the boat had made this its last trip, it had not leaked more than about an inch of water. During the whole time, while we were crossing, the rain was pouring down in torrents upon us. Having now safely gained the other shore with all our effects, and put everything in travelling order, we proceeded about three miles farther, when we came to a slough, which had also been filled up by the rains. It was impossible to ford it, at the place where the road led across. After reconnoitering a little, we found a place where the water was fordable, but with an almost perpendicular bank of about ten feet on the other side. The mules having been unharnessed, Mr. Sharpee and br. Oehler took them across, although they almost stuck fast in the mud. Mr. Allis and br. Smith then pushed the wagon into the slough, thus forming a bridge for them to cross over. All hands were then employed in pulling the wagon out of the mud up the bank, till the end of the tongue reached the top, to which the doubletree was then tied. The mules being reharnessed, and all the other available muscular power being applied in pushing up the wagon, we finally succeeded in getting it up on the bank. We had now yet two miles to travel, in order to reach the Presbyterian mission station at Bellevue, and were truly thankful that there were no more streams or sloughs to cross. About sundown we arrived at our station, and were heartily welcomed by Mr. McKinney and the Mission family, though our outward appearance was not very prepossessing, our clothing being bespattered with mud, from the various adventures of the day.—
On the 14th of May the steamboat El Paso came up the Missouri to Council Bluffs, and on the morning of the 15th we took passage in her down the river. On the evening of the 16th the boat arrived at Weston, and in the afternoon of the 17th left there for Kansas, where we arrived at dark. After breakfast on the following morning, the 18th, we proceeded to Westfield, eight miles, on foot, where we arrived just as the congregation were leaving the church after the service, which had been held by the national assistant, Frederic Samuel—truly thankful to the Lord to find all well at home, after an absence of nearly four weeks.
DESCRIPTION
OF THE MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE PAWNEE INDIANS
(By Br. D. Z. Smith.)