The offence taken by the Indians, at the distinction conferred on Ninoch-Kiaiu, gave rise to a report, that the Blood Indians would attack the fort, and murder all the Whites; and, though this report was not literally correct, it was a proof of a hostile temper, which manifested itself in various ways; for example, they thought of withdrawing, and endeavoured to steal our horses. They had already got one in their power, but it was recovered, and six armed men were sent to keep guard in the meadows. The ill-temper of the Blood Indians made Ninoch-Kiaiu expect no good from them, and he had brought all his horses, during the night, into the fort. Some well-disposed Indians, who came to give us assurances of their devotedness, received refreshments, as they happened to come just at breakfast-time. Mr. Bodmer had undertaken to paint Mehkskéhmé-Sukahs in full dress, with his face painted black and red, a leather shirt ornamented with slips of otter skin and ermine, a large bunch of the feathers of birds of prey, woodpeckers' bills, ermine and pieces of red cloth in his hand—a remarkably colossal figure.[108] Another Indian, usually called the Big Soldier, came to have his portrait painted, on being paid for it. His real name was Haschasto (the orator), his dress very richly ornamented, and his stature nearly six feet. It was not easy to make a bargain with him, as he estimated his handsome person very high, and was much offended at our refusal to paint him at such an extravagant price.
Mr. Mitchell having been informed of the speedy arrival of the Blackfoot chief, Kutonapi (the old Kutona), we undertook, on the 11th, in the afternoon, an excursion to go to meet him, he having been hitherto kept away by the beaver hunting. We crossed the river near the part where a great number of young Indians were bathing. They ran across the keel-boat which was lying here, and leaped from it into the water. Their mode of swimming was not like that of the Europeans, but perfectly resembled that of the Brazilians. These slender, well-made young men were extremely active; their colour was a very dark shining reddish-brown, more red than that of most of the Brazilians that I have seen, whose colour is often more yellowish or grey brown. It was not far from the landing-place to a small lateral valley full of poplar copses, where a couple of leather tents were set up. Kutonapi received us, sitting at the further end of his tent, while the other Indians fired their guns on our arrival. In this small indifferent hunting tent, we had to sit down on buffalo skins, while all the inmates, consisting of four or five men, several women, and many children, crowded about the door to see us. The Spanish hunter, Isidore Sandoval,[109] acted as interpreter. There were fifteen or twenty horses grazing about the tent, but there are Blackfeet who possess a much greater number. After we had shaken hands with the men, a vessel, with very fresh water from the Missouri, was presented, to cool ourselves, on which Mr. Mitchell distributed {266} some small presents, tobacco, &c., which Kutonapi accepted with thanks, and immediately began a song in praise of the sun (Natohs), or the lord of life. A wooden dish was set before each of us, containing boiled beaver's tail, with prairie turnips (pomme blanche). The beaver's tail was cut into small slices, and was boiled very tender. It did not taste amiss, and is reckoned a good dish even in the United States. After the Indians had eaten what was left, bundles of beaver skins were produced, and the chief presented Mr. Mitchell with nine skins, and the son gave me a tenth, and continually squeezed my hand to thank me "for having come so far to visit them." The interpreter translated the compliments on both sides, and I can with truth affirm, that the cordiality and the unaffected, respectful politeness with which we were here received, could not be surpassed among civilized nations. The beaver skins were very carefully cleaned and dried, so that they resembled parchment. My double-barrelled gun pleased them much, and the son wished to fire it off, which he did, with the right-hand barrel, which was loaded with ball. The old women smoked with us, but remained before the door of the tent. The merry dark brown children seemed to be cleaner than usual, which might, indeed, be said of the whole of Kutonapi's family. We cordially took leave of these friendly people, and the chief said he should shortly pay us a visit.
On our return to the fort, the trade had been resumed, and was going on very briskly; it gave occasion to many droll scenes; pleasure and discontent were expressed in many different ways. Many Indians were quite affectionate, and embraced the Whites; others were noisy and angry. There was a woman feeding her four or five small children with meat, the youngest of whom, though it had no teeth, had got a little piece crammed into its mouth. There we saw boys holding a mouse, which they shot from each other's hands with arrows, &c. &c.
On the 12th of August, about noon, Kutonapi arrived in the fort with his band, firing their guns, and was received with the usual discharge of the cannon. The cheerfulness that then prevailed among us was immediately interrupted by discord and mourning. Some Blood Indians had stolen three horses belonging to the fort, and search was made in vain after the thieves, when, in the afternoon, a much more serious event occurred. Mr. Bodmer had just begun to paint the portrait of Hotokaneheh (the head of the buffalo skin), with his large, handsomely ornamented calumet, when we heard a shot in an adjoining room, and immediately saw the people running together. A Blood Indian, who had often been in the fort, and had, till that time, always conducted himself well, had shot, with a pistol, one of our young men named Martin. All the people were assembled round the perpetrator, and nobody knew the cause of this event. The Indian seemed, indeed, to be rather confounded, but affirmed that his pistol had gone off by accident. Many of the young men were for having him shot, because, as they said, he had doubtless committed the murder designedly; but Mr. Mitchell decided with more moderation, considering the occurrence as an unfortunate accident. When the first moments of exasperation were {267} past, he forbade the murderer the fort, but at the same time strictly enjoined the engagés to refrain from all acts of violence towards this Indian. Ninoch-Kiaiu, who was present, did not take the matter so easily. Though he had been offended in the forenoon, because brandy was refused him, he warmly took part with the Whites, and was going to shoot the murderer; but being prevented in this, he beat him with the butt-end of his gun, and drove him, as well as several Gros Ventres des Prairies, who happened to be present, with blows, out of the fort. Kutonapi, who was likewise present, stepped forward, and made a violent speech, in which he described, in lively colours, the offences of the Blood Indians against the Whites, and exhorted us to take vengeance for them. Mr. Mitchell thanked him, but persevered in the more temperate course, which, in his situation, was the most judicious. Berger, the interpreter, returned, whom Mr. Mitchell had sent to summon a numerous body of Blackfeet of 250 tents, which he had left on the Muscleshell River, and who might join us in about a week. Most of the Indians about the fort had withdrawn, so that, on the 14th of August, there were only twenty-three tents; but on the same day others came, and with them one Bird, a half Indian, and a treacherous, very dangerous man, who had great influence among the Blackfeet. He had been formerly in the service of the American Fur Company, had then gone over to the Hudson's Bay Company, and cheated both. He was a tall, strong man, with a brownish complexion, thick black hair, spoke the language of the Blackfeet perfectly, and lived constantly among them. At present he was not in the service of either Company, but lived by catching beaver, and hunting, for his own account.[110] At this time, however, he came from Fort Union, and brought letters for Mr. Mc Kenzie. Niatohse, the chief of the Gros Ventres des Prairies, who has been already mentioned, also arrived, and, being a man who was much esteemed, was very well received. Mr. Patton, clerk of the Company, who had hitherto had the direction at Fort Mc Kenzie, a man well known in the Rocky Mountains, and thoroughly acquainted with the business of the fur trade, left us on this day with eleven engagés, in a strong pirogue, to return to Fort Union, and thence to Fort St. Louis. The vacancy left in the fort by their departure was soon filled up by the number of Indians who arrived; among whom we were visited by Mexkemanastan, whom we had lately seen on Bighorn River, whose portrait was taken by Mr. Bodmer.[111] This business attracted many Indians, who were often troublesome. When the portrait of such a man struck the Indians as being very like, they said, "Bodmer could write very correctly," as they have no proper word for drawing. A certain Blood Indian, with his wife, was present the whole time, and was a constant trouble to us. He repeatedly invited us to his tent, which we were at last obliged to accept. On our way to his tent, we saw in the Indian camp a great many women with their noses cut off; a frightful mutilation, the punishment for infidelity, which, as I have already said, is frequently inflicted among these people. In the spacious and light tent we found the owner lying on a kind of couch {268} of basket-work, with a back to it, and covered with a buffalo skin. He was a man of bad character, who, only the year before, had fired his gun, loaded with small shot, in the face of a white man. In the centre of the tent there was a small fire, which emitted great heat. Dried berries were set before us and this neat tent was not disagreeable, as these people had no children, and great cleanliness prevailed in their dwelling. Isidore Sandoval acted as interpreter. We had every day conversations of this kind, in which we always found something new to observe.
Mr. Mitchell thought now of building a new fort, for which he endeavoured to choose the most suitable situation. On the 16th of August we rode out for this purpose, ascended the chain of hills behind the fort, where the little prairie dogs retreated into their burrows, and then perceived two armed Indians, who, as soon as they observed us, turned their horses, and galloped up to us. They had not noticed our double-barrelled guns, and doubtless came up to frighten us, and to try their fortune with us; for, as soon as they came near, and saw our arms, they turned round and trotted away.[112] On our calling after them, they stopped at some distance; one of them gave his gun to the other, returned to us, and gave us to understand by signs, "that an Indian had run away with his sister, the wife of a third person, and they had ridden out to look for him, in order that they might shoot him." Apparently following the traces, they quickly disappeared from our view. A little further on we met with about twenty of our own people, who were sent to work at the foundation of the new fort. They were well armed, and had carts with their bedding, and other necessaries. They had orders to remain out the whole week, and not return till Saturday. Other men were sent out to burn charcoal for the smith, for which poplar wood is very serviceable. We rode before these people, and had, on our right hand, a fine prospect into the valley of the Teton River, which, as a stripe of verdure, made an agreeable break in the yellow, scorched prairie. In the valley we saw three or four Indian tents under high poplar trees. Looking to the left hand from this high ridge, we saw, in the foreground, a great bend of the Missouri, on which there were several beautiful copses of poplar, and bright verdant spots; and further upwards, on the south bank, the mouth of the stream, called, by Lewis and Clarke, Snow River,[113] which was the most extreme point of my journey on the Upper Missouri, though at that time I still hoped to reach the three principal sources of that river, the Jefferson, the Madison, and the Gallatin.[114] Before us, a little to the left, in a south-western direction, we saw, at some distance, the first chain of the Rocky Mountains, which does not reach the snowy region,[115] and behind us the beautiful {269} mountain called the Bear's Paw. From this lofty point we rode to the left, over steep eminences, to the Missouri, and then along the banks of the river, through thickets of willows and shady tufts of poplars, maples, and elms, mixed with buffalo-berry, roses, dogwood, and other shrubs. The ground was covered with luxuriant grass, of which some hay had been made by the people of the fort, and it was still lying in cocks. The path led along the north bank, under shady trees, and we overlooked the spot, on the opposite bank, where Mr. Mitchell thought of building his new fort, in a verdant prairie, near an extensive poplar forest. We there saw several Gros Ventres walking about, their horses grazing, their tents being pitched in a neighbouring wood.
We had scarcely set out on our return to the fort, and reached the shady spot on the bank, when Dauphin, one of our people, came galloping on an Indian horse, quite out of breath, and told Mr. Mitchell that Ninoch-Kiaiu desired to inform him that his nephew had been murdered by the Blood Indians—that he should immediately attack them, and, therefore, advised us to return as speedily as possible. He added, that he had instantly caused the people, who had been sent to work at the new fort, to return. We rode rapidly back to the eminence, and there found our people, who, with several Indians, were returning to the fort. Mr. Mitchell very seriously reprimanded them for their conduct, since he had not revoked his orders; on which Latresse[116] answered, in a very loud voice, that "they had not come to be shot by the Indians;" in short, they behaved in a cowardly and rebellious manner; but nothing was to be done, and we all went together to the fort. We learned, now, that the nephew of the Bear Chief, a very quiet, well-disposed Indian, had ridden out in the morning to look for a horse which had been stolen from him, and had been murdered not far off, on the hills near the Teton River, by the Blood Indians, who had attacked him with their guns, knives, and clubs. Ninoch-Kiaiu was furious. Some Blood Indians had been immediately pursued, but without success, and then it was proposed to kill the man who lived near the fort, to whose tent we were lately invited; this idea, however, was abandoned, because he was quite innocent of the murder; they had spared him, and smoked their pipes with him. Another of those Indians had been forced, by firing at him, to cross the river; the Bear Chief now came to Mr. Mitchell to consult with him what was to be done. A sensible old Indian advised that this matter should not be treated as a concern of the whole tribe, but as a private affair, and, consequently, they should wait patiently for an opportunity when they might take vengeance on some member of the murderer's family. The chief, who felt that his honour was deeply wounded, was silent, and lost in thought. As a sign of mourning, he had put on his worst clothes, but not cut off his hair, saying that "his head was too great and strong to do this." He had loaded with ball the double-barrelled gun which he had lately received, and suddenly hastened away without saying a word. He afterwards sent word to Mr. Mitchell, that he must go to revenge his kinsman, whose dead body he would not see; but, that it might fall into good {270} hands, he would make a present of it to Mr. Mitchell, whom he requested to bury it.[117] As the murder of the Indian was a consequence of the offence which Ninoch-Kiaiu had offered to the Blood Indians, on the occasion of Martin's death, the present could not well be refused, and we were obliged to be very cautious how we left the fort, as the Blood Indians were hostilely disposed towards us.
On the 17th August, early in the morning, the howling and lamenting of the Indians in the camp was heard; and, soon afterwards, the corpse of the murdered man was brought into the fort. It was wrapped up very tightly in buffalo skins, and tied to a sledge drawn by one horse. An old man, with a multitude of women and children, his relations, followed the body with loud lamentations. An aged woman in the train had just cut off one joint of her little finger as a sign of mourning, and held the bleeding stump wrapped in a handful of wormwood leaves. When our people had taken the body from the sledge between the two gates of the fort, and carried it into the Indian apartment, a young man, the brother of the Bear Chief, made a speech to the weeping relatives, saying—"Why do you lament and cry?—see, I do not cry: he is gone into the other country, and we cannot awaken him; but, at least, two Blood Indians must accompany him and wait upon him there." An infant, and a boy, the brother of the deceased, died on the same night; and the Indians said that the murdered brother had called the others away. Thus we had three dead bodies in the fort. As that of the Indian had long been exposed to the air and the sun, it was necessary to make haste to get it out of the way; and Berger, the interpreter, had the disagreeable office of painting, putting on its best clothes, and ornamenting it in the Indian fashion. The two Indians were laid in the same grave, wrapped in a red blanket and buffalo skin, over which was laid a piece of coloured stuff, given by Mr. Mitchell. The bottom and sides of the grave were lined with boards; the body, too, was covered with wood; his bridle, whip, and some other trifles, were thrown in, and the grave filled up with earth.
Towards noon, on the same day, a number of Indians, with their loaded dog sledges, and all their baggage, were seen descending the heights on the other side of the Missouri. It was the band of the Blackfeet, announced by Berger. Some of these people, handsomely dressed, soon arrived as messengers, one of whom carried in his hand the ensign of the Crows. Ninoch-Kiaiu came with them, who now continually talked of going to a little camp of the Blood Indians, on the other side of the river, to take vengeance, yet still remained with us. His brother, who likewise made a great noise, walked about the fort with a loaded pistol, and, at last, begged Mr. Mitchell to have him conveyed over the river, because it was thought that two Blood {271} Indians had been seen, whom he wanted to shoot; to which Mr. Mitchell very calmly replied, that "if he intended to kill any body, he would not assist him." With an expression of violent passion, the Indian, on this, mounted his horse and galloped away, "in order," as the chief said, "to quiet his heart for the present, by the death of a Kahna, as they might, at some future time, shoot the real murderer." The chief's aged uncle, Natoie-Poóchsen (the word of life), was one of the principal mourners. He had cut off his hair, and besmeared it, as well as his feet and legs, with whitish clay. Mr. Bodmer made a good portrait of him in this dress. He went about howling and crying, while the Bear Chief thought only of procuring brandy. He had in his hand a little mustard-glass filled with this precious liquor; and one of his friends, who also possessed some brandy, sipped a small quantity, and, embracing the chief, discharged it into his mouth, which is considered, among the Blackfeet, as the highest proof of friendship.[118]