s friendly, we resolved to remain during the night
to a dance, which they were preparing for us. Captains Lewis and Clarke,
who went on shore one after the other, were met on landing by ten
well-dressed young men, who took them up in a robe, highly decorated,
and carried them to a large council-house, where they were placed on a
dressed buffalo-skin by the side of the grand chief. The hall, or
council-room, was in the shape of three-quarters of a circle, covered at
the top and sides with skins well dressed and sewed together. Under this
shelter sat about seventy men, forming a circle round the chief, before
whom were placed a Spanish flag and the one we had given them yesterday.

This left a vacant circle of about six feet in diameter, in which the
pipe of peace was raised on two forked sticks, about six or eight inches
from the ground, and under it the down of the swan was scattered; a
large fire, in which they were cooking provisions, stood near, and in
the centre about four hundred pounds of excellent buffalo-meat, as a
present for us.

As soon as we were seated an old man got up, and after approving what we
had done, begged us to take pity on their unfortunate situation. To this
we replied with assurances of protection. After he had ceased, the great
chief rose and delivered an harangue to the same effect; then, with
great solemnity, took some of the most delicate parts of the dog which
was cooked for the festival, and held it to the flag by way of
sacrifice; this done, he held up the pipe of peace, and first pointed it
towards the heavens, then to the four quarters of the globe, and then to
the earth, made a short speech, lighted the pipe, and presented it to
us. We smoked, and he again harangued his people, after which the repast
was served up to us. It consisted of the dog which they had just been
cooking, this being a great dish among the Sioux, and used on all
festivals; to this were added pemitigon, a dish made of buffalo-meat,
dried or jerked, and then pounded and mixed raw with grease and a kind
of ground potato, dressed like the preparation of Indian corn called
hommony, to which it is little inferior. Of all these luxuries, which
were placed before us in platters with horn spoons, we took the
pemitigon and the potato, which we found good, but we could as yet
partake but sparingly of the dog.

We ate and smoked for an hour, when it became dark; everything was then
cleared away for the dance, a large fire