Comment by Ed. See James's Long's Expedition, in our volume xiv, p. 202. See also group of painted robes in Catlin, North American Indians, ii, pp. 240-249; on the entire subject see Garrick Mallery, "Picture Writing of American Indians," in Bureau of Ethnology Report, 1888-89.
[226] For description of this ornament see our volume xiv, p. 235.—Ed.
[227] See our volume xv, p. 71.—Ed.
[228] The early travellers speak of the fortifications of the Mandan villages. La Vérendrye (Canadian Archives, 1889, p. 17) mentions "ramparts" and "trenches." Bougainville (Northern and Western Boundaries of Ontario, p. 83) says the villages are surrounded by staked earthworks with a moat; Catlin (North American Indians, i, p. 81) describes this village as picketed upon one side only—that exposed to the prairie.—Ed.
[229] See p. [267] for illustration of this peculiar cylinder of planks, used as a religious emblem. Catlin, North American Indians, i, p. 88, says it was called the "Big Canoe."—Ed.
[230] See p. [267] for illustration of Mandan huts. Alexander Henry (Henry-Thompson Journals, i, pp. 337-339) gives an account of the process of building these huts. The Mandan houses were the most elaborate Indian dwellings north of New Mexico, and characterized the tribal stage of industrial development. The energy required to cut and prepare the timbers with the rude implements in vogue, indicates an advance upon the industry of the wandering prairie tribes. See L. H. Morgan, "Houses and House Life of American Aborigines," in Geographical and Geological Survey of the Territories, Contributions to Ethnology, 1881, iv, pp. 125-130. A few of these huts may still be seen on the Fort Berthold reservation, North Dakota. See O. D. Wheeler, "Last of the Mandans," in Wonderland, 1903, who suggests that these Mandan dwellings were the forerunners of the sod-houses of the early settlers.—Ed.
[231] See Bodmer's drawing of the interior of the hut of Dipauch, Plate 52, in the accompanying atlas, our volume xxv.—Ed.
[232] See p. [285] for illustration of a Mandan bed. La Vérendrye (Canadian Archives, 1889, p. 21) speaks of these beds as "made like tombs surrounded with skins." Catlin gave a more detailed description, in North American Indians, i, pp. 82, 83. A buffalo skin stretched upon the poles, with the fur side uppermost, made a comfortable reclining place. The curtains were frequently adorned with Indian embroidery or picture writing.—Ed.
[233] See our volume xiv, pp. 188-190, 208.—Ed.
[234] It was into these caches, which he speaks of as "caves," that La Vérendrye's bag of Indian presents disappeared upon his first visit to their villages in 1738-39; Canadian Archives, 1889, p. 17. Furthermore he says (p. 21), "Their fort is full of caves, in which are stored such articles as grain, food, fat, dressed robes, bear skins."—Ed.