rially assisted by a liberal contribution of beef, corn-meal, flour, sugar, a little coffee, and a very small allowance of extras. The corn-meal very frequently finds a voracious consumer in a favorite pony. Five days' rations of each of the other articles are generally astonishingly well stowed away in one.

Not always possessed of the convenience of "white man's fire," though the use of lucifers, when to be obtained, is one of the modern innovations, the Indian finds a ready means of producing combustion by a rag soaked in a solution of ashes, (corncob it is said,) and ignited by means of flints, rubbed rapidly against each other, a flint and steel, and frequently by the simple rubbing of two sticks. This, however, is often found a a difficult and tedious process.

The culinary utensils of a wigwam, it may be imagined, are exceedingly primitive. Skewers of green sticks, hot stones, a battered iron kettle, captured probably in a raiding expedition upon the frontier settlements, spoons made out of buffalo horn, worked into shape by the use of grease and heat, calabash cups and bowls, mud vessels of various kinds, stone mortars and pestles, corn-crackers, sheath-knives, which also answers the purpose of scalping, composes the whole list. Roasting is done. by embalming the meat in a thick coating of clay mud.

CHAPTER XXIX.

SOCIAL AFFAIRS-MARRIAGE-MORALS-PARENTAL AFFECTION-CHILDREN

NAMES THE COUNCIL-WAR-TACTICS-CAMPING

SIGNALING THE WAR PONY.

N social matters, the Indian is controlled entirely by motives of convenience or expediency, custom or superstition. The rule, in every phase of intercourse, preserves the same unvarying adherence to old forms.

Marriage has no responsibilty, except that inspired by terror of the male. The wife is the servant of the husband. To this sphere of degradation the women submit without complaint. In return, the men, apart from the position which custom has given her, show towards the woman, when obedient, a degree of kindness and toleration, which would indicate that their savage natures were capable of some of the softer qualities of the heart.

The young women are no exception to the same class in civilized life. They exert an influence of decided weight over the young men, and, through them, over the entire village, The young warrior dwells with pride upon the smiles of the Indian maiden. In hopes of winning her esteem, he seeks the glories of the war-path; and, enriched by ponies captured, or returning with scalps as the tokens of his bravery, he expects to advance himself in the favor and admiration of the object of his savage love.

The young women laud heroism, and the warrior who has taken the most scalps, captured the most ponies, and has the greatest deeds to recount, is sure to win the heart of any maiden

of the village.

The time of marriage, in the woman, is twelve or beyond. The man is at liberty to marry as soon as he can support a wife. The usual form is to ask the mother and father, or, if they are not living, the nearest relative. The maiden, generally, is not consulted until after her parents consent. If matters are satisfactory, the brother of the young warrior makes a present to the brother of the maiden, if she have a brother, or to the parents. Generally a pony is given to the person thus having the disposition of the maiden, and, when the arrangement is perfected, he sends back a pony with the bride. The ceremony of marriage is completed by transferring the bride to the lodge of the bridegroom. The friends of the family throng around the lodge with presents, and the affair terminates in a general feast. The assertion that the savage secures his squaw by purchase, probably originates in this exchange of presents, at least in regard to the southern tribes. Captive squaws are only to be purchased.

cases are not common.

In regard to morality, among themselves, the savages exercise, in many cases, the utmost accountability. Woman, having no position except that voluntarily accorded to her, is often the object of inflexible severity. Infidelity in her marital relations is punishable with the greatest harshness. The usual practice is to clip off the end of the offender's nose, and drive her from the lodge. Instances of the application of this mode of treatment are to be seen in almost all of the wild tribes, but the Sometimes an ear is cut off. In the man, the hair is shorn. It is very rare that human life is sacrificed upon such grounds. Kidnapping another warrior's squaw is an offence which generally results in the death of the offending savage, if caught. When in contact with the whites, such a thing as morality does not exist. Polygamy is a common. practice. In times of child-birth, it is the custom, in some of the tribes, to drive the women out of the lodge into the woods, or upon the plain. This is supposed to harden the offspring; or, rather, only the hardy ones are expected to survive such. harsh, or literally savage, treatment.

With all his ferocity, the Indian exhibits towards the children of his blood a wonderful degree of attachment. The mutual exchange of parental and filial affection, is probably the most redeeming features of his character. This trait is probably more fully developed than any other, unless it be a thirst for the blood of his enemies.

In speaking on this subject, the savages compare the white man to the buffalo. An old Indian once remarked to the writer, that he "did not like the white man's way. It was like the buffalo. When the calf grew up, he went out into the herd, and forgot his father and mother. White children went away, and were gone for many years, and forgot their parents, like the buffalo. The red man wept when he had no parents, or when he had no children to take care of him when he grew old.” Indian parents, I have found, also, make a strong distinction in the treatment of their offspring. The boys, who are to become braves, are never punished, whatever may be their offence. It is considered beneath the pride of even a prospective warrior to subject him to the humiliation of bodily indignity for misconduct. The very young are remarkably tractable, and the older boys, imitating the qualities of the warrior, naturally become as serene and inflexible in their general behavior as old men.

In regard to names, the savages have peculiar notions. Boys receive their's, generally, in consequence of some amusing action or characteristic. It is the custom to apply to the young warrior, during his first participation on the war-path, a name suggested by some specialty of bravery or cunning exhibited, by which he will always thereafter be known. For instance, if he creeps up and looks over a hill, and there watches the enemy, he might be called "The Wolf that Looks Over the Hill." Sometimes names are suggested by marked physical peculiarities, and, more frequently, by objects in nature, particularly mountains and the larger animals, such as "Iron Mountain,” “Big Buffalo-head," &c. It also frequently happens, when the young warrior has grown to manhood, and has shown a daring spirit, while the old brave, his father, is no longer strong and active

enough to endure the fatigue and exposure of the war-path, the paternal brave gives his name to the son, to perpetuate it and incite an imitation of his example. On such occasions of transfer, the father gives a feast, and gives away a pony. Little Raven, the first, was a warrior greatly distinguished. The father, after giving his own name and the memory of his deeds to his son, the present chief of that cognomen, took the name of "Mares Lodge."

The women are named in recognition of their personal charms or defects such as "Pretty Face," "Bright Eye," "Wall Eye," "Big Mouth," "Marrow Greese," &c.; and very rarely, and only in commemoration of some remarkable act, after animals. The "Young Grass that Shoots in Spring," (Mon-e-setah), was the name of the niece of Black Kettle, the chief of the Cheyennes. This poetical form is often adopted in the families of chiefs and braves of importance.

The council of old men, presided over by the head civilchief, has the administration of everything of a civil character belonging to the village. On the question of war, the young men are invited to attend and sit in an outer circle, and the war-chief sits with the civil-chief. The young men take no part in the discussion, but have a voice in determining action. It frequently happens that young men will take the war-path without the permission of the council, but this is an act of individual responsibility.

The habits of life of the Indian are such, and his spirit of that restless nature, that he never remains quiet where there is excitement in his path. Naturally, in matters about the village, he is indolent and utterly worthless. The thrilling scenes of the war-path and the chase, seem to alter his entire nature. He now rises to a wonderful degree of energy and resolution, Blood and depredation are irresistible incentives to the most remarkable exhibitions of fortitude and perseverance.

An Indian never makes a present without expecting one in return, consequently among themselves these interchanges of civility do not frequently occur. It would be unnecessary to