In a former Letter I gave some account of Mah-to-toh-pa (the four
bears), second chief of the Mandans, whom I said I had painted at
full length, in a splendid costume. I therein said, also, that “this
extraordinary man, though second in office, is undoubtedly the first
and most popular man in the nation. Free, generous, elegant, and
gentlemanly in his deportment—handsome, brave and valiant; wearing a
robe on his back, with the history of all his battles painted on it,
which would fill a book of themselves if they were properly enlarged
and translated.”
I gave you also, in another epistle, an account of the manner in
which he invited me to a feast in his hospitable wigwam, at the same
time presenting me a beautifully garnished robe; and I promised to
say more of him on a future occasion. My readers will therefore
pardon me for devoting a Letter or two at this time, to a sketch of
this extraordinary man, which I will give in as brief a manner as
possible, by describing the costume in which I painted his portrait;
and afterwards reciting the most remarkable incidents of his life,
as I had them from the Traders and the Indian agents, and afterwards
corroborated by his own words, translated to me as he spoke, whilst I
was writing them down.
The dress of Mah-to-toh-pa then, the greater part of which I have
represented in his full-length portrait, and which I shall now
describe, was purchased of him after I had painted his picture; and
every article of it can be seen in my Indian Gallery by the side of
the portrait, provided I succeed in getting them home to the civilized
world without injury.
Mah-to-toh-pa had agreed to stand before me for his portrait at an
early hour of the next morning, and on that day I sat with my palette
of colours prepared, and waited till twelve o’clock, before he could
leave his toilette with feelings of satisfaction as to the propriety of
his looks and the arrangement of his equipments; and at that time it
was announced, that “Mah-to-toh-pa was coming in full dress!” I looked
out of the door of the wigwam, and saw him approaching with a firm and
elastic step, accompanied by a great crowd of women and children, who
were gazing on him with admiration, and escorting him to my room. No
tragedian ever trod the stage, nor gladiator ever entered the Roman
Forum, with more grace and manly dignity than did Mah-to-toh-pa enter
the wigwam, where I was in readiness to receive him. He took his
attitude before me (+plate+ 64), and with the sternness of a Brutus
and the stillness of a statue, he stood until the darkness of night
broke upon the solitary stillness. His dress, which was a very splendid
one, was complete in all its parts, and consisted of a shirt or tunic,
leggings, moccasins, head-dress, necklace, shield, bow and quiver,
lance, tobacco-sack, and pipe; robe, belt, and knife; medicine-bag,
tomahawk, and war-club, or _po-ko-mo-kon_.
The shirt, of which I have spoken, was made of two skins of the
mountain-sheep, beautifully dressed, and sewed together by seams which
rested upon the arms; one skin hanging in front, upon the breast, and
the other falling down upon the back; the head being passed between
them, and they falling over and resting on the shoulders. Across each
shoulder, and somewhat in the form of an epaulette, was a beautiful
band; and down each arm from the neck to the hand was a similar one,
of two inches in width (and crossing the other at right angles on the
shoulder) beautifully embroidered with porcupine quills worked on the
dress, and covering the seams. To the lower edge of these bands the
whole way, at intervals of half an inch, were attached long locks of
black hair, which he had taken with his own hand from the heads of
his enemies whom he had slain in battle, and which he thus wore as a
trophy, and also as an ornament to his dress. The front and back of
the shirt were curiously garnished in several parts with porcupine
quills and paintings of the battles he had fought, and also with
representations of the victims that had fallen by his hand. The bottom
of the dress was bound or hemmed with ermine skins, and tassels of
ermines’ tails were suspended from the arms and the shoulders.
The _Leggings_, which were made of deer skins, beautifully dressed,
and fitting tight to the leg, extended from the feet to the hips, and
were fastened to a belt which was passed around the waist. These, like
the shirt, had a similar band, worked with porcupine quills of richest
dyes, passing down the seam on the outer part of the leg, and fringed
also the whole length of the leg, with the scalp-locks taken from his
enemies’ heads.
The _Moccasins_ were of buckskin, and covered in almost every part with
the beautiful embroidery of porcupines’ quills.
The _Head-dress_, which was superb and truly magnificent, consisted
of a crest of war-eagles’ quills, gracefully falling back from the
forehead over the back part of the head, and extending quite down to
his feet; set the whole way in a profusion of ermine, and surmounted
on the top of the head, with the horns of the buffalo, shaved thin and
highly polished.
The _Necklace_ was made of fifty huge claws or nails of the grizzly
bear, ingeniously arranged on the skin of an otter, and worn, like the
scalp-locks, as a trophy—as an evidence unquestionable, that he had
contended with and overcome that desperate enemy in open combat.
His _Shield_ was made of the hide of the buffalo’s neck, and hardened
with the glue that was taken from its hoofs; its boss was the skin of
a pole-cat, and its edges were fringed with rows of eagles’ quills and
hoofs of the antelope.
His _Bow_ was of bone, and as white and beautiful as ivory; over its
back was laid, and firmly attached to it, a coating of deers’
sinews, which gave it its elasticity, and of course death to all that
stood inimically before it. Its string was three stranded and twisted
of sinews, which many a time had twanged and sent the whizzing death to
animal and to human victims.
[Illustration: 64]
The _Quiver_ was made of a panther’s skin and hung upon his back,
charged with its deadly arrows; some were poisoned and some were not;
they were feathered with hawks’ and eagles’ quills; some were clean and
innocent, and pure, and others were stained all over, with animal and
human blood that was dried upon them. Their blades or points were of
flints, and some of steel; and altogether were a deadly magazine.
The _Lance_ or spear was held in his left hand; its blade was two-edged
and of polished steel, and the blood of several human victims was seen
dried upon it, one over the other; its shaft was of the toughest ash,
and ornamented at intervals with tufts of war-eagles’ quills.
His _Tobacco-sack_ was made of the skin of an otter, and tastefully
garnished with quills of the porcupine; in it was carried his _k’nick
k’neck_, (the bark of the red willow, which is smoked as a substitute
for tobacco), it contained also his flint and steel, and spunk for
lighting——
His _Pipe_, which was ingeniously carved out of the red steatite (or
pipe-stone), the stem of which was three feet long and two inches
wide, made from the stalk of the young ash; about half its length was
wound with delicate braids of the porcupine’s quills, so ingeniously
wrought as to represent figures of men and animals upon it. It was
also ornamented with the skins and beaks of wood-peckers’ heads, and
the hair of the white buffalo’s tail. The lower half of the stem was
painted red, and on its edges it bore the notches he had recorded for
the snows (or years) of his life.
His _Robe_ was made of the skin of a young buffalo bull, with the fur
on one side, and the other finely and delicately dressed; with all the
battles of his life emblazoned on it by his own hand.
His _Belt_, which was of a substantial piece of buckskin, was firmly
girded around his waist; and in it were worn his tomahawk and
scalping-knife.
His _Medicine-bag_ was the skin of a beaver, curiously ornamented
with hawks’ bills and ermine. It was held in his right hand, and his
_po-ko-mo-kon_ (or war-club) which was made of a round stone, tied up
in a piece of rawhide, and attached to the end of a stick, somewhat in
the form of a sling, was laid with others of his weapons at his feet.
Such was the dress of Mah-to-toh-pa when he entered my wigwam to stand
for his picture; but such I have not entirely represented it in his
portrait; having rejected such trappings and ornaments as interfered
with the grace and simplicity of the figure. He was beautifully and
extravagantly dressed; and in this he was not alone, for hundreds of
others are equally elegant. In plumes, and arms, and ornaments, he is
not singular; but in laurels and wreaths he stands unparalleled. His
breast has been bared and scarred in defence of his country, and his
brows crowned with honours that elevate him conspicuous above all of
his nation. There is no man amongst the Mandans so generally loved,
nor any one who wears a robe so justly famed and honourable as that of
Mah-to-toh-pa.
I said his robe was of the skin of a young buffalo bull, and that the
battles of his life were emblazoned on it; and on a former occasion,
that he presented me a beautiful robe, containing all the battles
of his life, which he had spent two weeks’ time in copying from his
original one, which he wore on his shoulders.
This robe, with his tracings on it, is the chart of his military life;
and when explained, will tell more of Mah-to-toh-pa.
Some days after this robe was presented, he called upon me with Mr.
Kipp, the trader and interpreter for the Mandans, and gave me of each
battle there pourtrayed the following history, which was interpreted
by Mr. Kipp, from his own lips, and written down by me, as we three
sat upon the robe. Mr. Kipp, who is a gentleman of respectability and
truth; and who has lived with these people ten years, assured me, that
nearly every one of these narrations were of events that had happened
whilst he had lived with them, and had been familiarly known to him;
and that every word that he asserted was true.
And again, reader, in this country where, of all countries I ever
was in, men are the most jealous of rank and of standing; and in a
community so small also, that every man’s deeds of honour and chivalry
are familiarly known to all; it would not be reputable, or even safe
to life, for a warrior to wear upon his back the representations of
battles he never had fought; professing to have done what every child
in the village would know he never had done.
So then I take the records of battles on the robe of Mah-to-toh-pa
to be matter of historical fact; and I proceed to give them as I
wrote them down from his own lips. Twelve battle-scenes are there
represented, where he has contended with his enemy, and in which he has
taken fourteen of their scalps. The groups are drawn according to his
own rude ideas of the arts; and I proceed to describe them in turn, as
they were explained to me.
ROBE OF MAH-TO-TOH-PA (+Plate+ 65).
1. Mah-to-toh-pa kills a Sioux chief—the three heads represent the
three Riccarees, whom the Sioux chief had previously killed. The Sioux
chief is seen with war-paint black on his face. Mah-to-toh-pa is seen
with the scalp of the Sioux in one hand, and his knife in the other,
with his bow and quiver lying behind him.[3]
2. A Shienne chief, who sent word to Mah-to-toh-pa that he wished to
fight him—was killed by Mah-to-toh-pa with a lance, in presence of a
large party of Mandans and Shiennes. Mah-to-toh-pa is here known
by his lance with eagles’ quills on it.
[Illustration: 65]
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
3. A Shienne killed by Mah-to-toh-pa after Mah-to-toh-pa had been left
by his party, badly wounded and bleeding; the twenty-five or thirty
foot-tracks around, represent the number of Shiennes, who were present
when the battle took place; and the bullets from their guns represented
as flying all around the head of Mah-to-toh-pa.
4. Shienne chief with war-eagle head-dress, and a beautiful shield,
ornamented with eagles’ quills, killed by Mah-to-toh-pa. In this
battle the wife of the Shienne rushed forward in a desperate manner to
his assistance; but arriving too late, fell a victim. In this battle
Mah-to-toh-pa obtained two scalps.
5. Mah-to-toh-pa, with a party of Riccarees, fired at by a party of
Sioux; the Riccarees fled—Mah-to-toh-pa dismounted and drove his horse
back, facing the enemy alone and killing one of them. Mah-to-toh-pa is
here represented with a beautiful head-dress of war-eagles’ quills,
and one on his horse’s head of equal beauty; his shield is on his arm,
and the party of Sioux is represented in front of him by the number of
horse tracks.
6. The brother of Mah-to-toh-pa killed by a Riccaree, who shot him with
an arrow, and then running a lance through his body, left it there.
Mah-to-toh-pa was the first to find his brother’s body with the lance
in it: he drew the lance from the body, kept it four years with the
blood dried on its blade, and then, according to his oath, killed the
same Riccaree with the same lance; the dead body of his brother is here
seen with the arrow and lance remaining in it, and the tracks of the
Riccaree’s horses in front.
The following was, perhaps, one of the most extraordinary exploits
of this remarkable man’s life, and is well attested by Mr. Kipp, and
several white men, who were living in the Mandan village at the time of
its occurrence. In a skirmish, near the Mandan village, when they were
set upon by their enemies, the Riccarees, the brother of Mah-to-toh-pa
was missing for several days, when Mah-to-toh-pa found the body
shockingly mangled, and a handsome spear left piercing the body through
the heart. The spear was by him brought into the Mandan village, where
it was recognized by many as a famous weapon belonging to a noted brave
of the Riccarees, by the name of Won-ga-tap. This spear was brandished
through the Mandan village by Mah-to-toh-pa (with the blood of his
brother dried on its blade), crying most piteously, and swearing that
he would some day revenge the death of his brother with the same weapon.
It is almost an incredible fact, that he kept this spear with great
care in his wigwam for the space of four years, in the fruitless
expectation of an opportunity to use it upon the breast of its owner;
when his indignant soul, impatient of further delay, burst forth in the
most uncontroullable frenzy and fury; he again brandished it through
the village, and said, that the blood of his brother’s heart which was
seen on its blade was yet fresh, and called loudly for revenge. “Let
every Mandan (said he) be silent, and let no one sound the name of
Mah-to-toh-pa—let no one ask for him, nor where he has gone, until you
hear him sound the war-cry in front of the village, when he will enter
it and shew you the blood of Won-ga-tap. The blade of this lance shall
drink the heart’s blood of Won-ga-tap, or Mah-to-toh-pa mingles his
shadow with that of his brother.”
With this he sallied forth from the village, and over the plains,
with the lance in his hand; his direction was towards the Riccaree
village, and all eyes were upon him, though none dared to speak till he
disappeared over the distant grassy bluffs. He travelled the distance
of two hundred miles entirely alone, with a little parched corn in
his pouch, making his marches by night, and laying secreted by days,
until he reached the Riccaree village; where (being acquainted with
its shapes and its habits, and knowing the position of the wigwam of
his doomed enemy) he loitered about in disguise, mingling himself in
the obscure throng; and at last, silently and alone, observed through
the rents of the wigwam, the last motions and movements of his victim,
as he retired to bed with his wife: he saw him light his last pipe and
smoke it “to its end”—he saw the last whiff, and saw the last curl of
blue smoke that faintly steeped from its bowl—he saw the village awhile
in darkness and silence, and the embers that were covered in the middle
of the wigwam gone nearly out, and the last flickering light which had
been gently playing over them; when he walked softly, but not slyly,
into the wigwam and seated himself by the fire, over which was hanging
a large pot, with a quantity of cooked meat remaining in it; and by
the side of the fire, the pipe and tobacco-pouch which had just been
used; and knowing that the twilight of the wigwam was not sufficient to
disclose the features of his face to his enemy, he very deliberately
turned to the pot and completely satiated the desperate appetite, which
he had got in a journey of six or seven days, with little or nothing
to eat; and then, as deliberately, charged and lighted the pipe, and
sent (no doubt, in every whiff that he drew through its stem) a prayer
to the Great Spirit for a moment longer for the consummation of his
design. Whilst eating and smoking, the wife of his victim, while laying
in bed, several times enquired of her husband, what man it was who was
eating in their lodge? to which, he as many times replied, “It’s no
matter; let him eat, for he is probably hungry.”
Mah-to-toh-pa knew full well that his appearance would cause no other
reply than this, from the dignitary of the nation; for, from an
invariable custom amongst these Northern Indians, any one who is hungry
is allowed to walk into any man’s lodge and eat. Whilst smoking his
last gentle and tremulous whiffs on the pipe, Mah-to-toh-pa (leaning
back, and turning gradually on his side, to get a better view of the
position of his enemy, and to see a little more distinctly the shapes
of things) stirred the embers with his toes (readers, I had every
word of this from his own lips, and every attitude and gesture acted
out with his own limbs), until he saw his way was clear; at which
moment, with his lance in his hands, he rose and drove it through the
body of his enemy, and snatching the scalp from his head, he darted
from the lodge—and quick as lightning, with the lance in one hand,
and the scalp in the other, made his way to the prairie! The village
was in an uproar, but he was off, and no one knew the enemy who had
struck the blow. Mah-to-toh-pa ran all night, and lay close during the
days; thanking the Great Spirit for strengthening his heart and his
arm to this noble revenge; and prayed fervently for a continuance of
his aid and protection till he should get back to his own village. His
prayers were heard; and on the sixth morning, at sunrise, Mah-to-toh-pa
descended the bluffs, and entered the village amidst deafening shouts
of applause, while he brandished and shewed to his people the blade of
his lance, with the blood of his victim dried upon it, over that of his
brother; and the scalp of Won-ga-tap suspended from its handle.
[Illustration]
Such was the feat represented by Mah-to-toh-pa on his robe—and the
lance, of which I have just spoken, is seen in the hand of his
portrait, which will stand in my Gallery, and of which I have thus
formerly spoken:—“The lance or spear of Mah-to-toh-pa, when he stood
for his portrait, was held in his left hand; its blade was two-edged,
and of polished steel, and the blood of several human victims was
seen dried upon its surface, one over the other; its shaft was of the
toughest ash, and ornamented at intervals with tufts of war-eagle’s
quills.”
In the portrait, of which I am speaking, there will be seen an eagle’s
quill balanced on the hilt of the lance, severed from its original
position, and loose from the weapon. When I painted his portrait,
he brought that quill to my wigwam in his left hand, and carefully
balancing it on the lance, as seen in the painting; he desired me to be
very exact with it, to have it appear as separate from, and unconnected
with, the lance; and to represent a spot of blood which was visible
upon it. I indulged him in his request, and then got from him the
following explanation:—“That quill (said he) is great _medicine_! it
belongs to the Great Spirit, and not to me—when I was running out of
the lodge of Won-ga-tap, I looked back and saw that quill hanging to
the wound in his side; I ran back, and pulling it out, brought it home
in my left hand, and I have kept it for the Great Spirit to this day!”
“Why do you not then tie it on to the lance again, where it came off?”
“Hush-sh (said he), if the Great Spirit had wished it to be tied on in
that place, it never would have come off; he has been kind to me, and I
will not offend him.”
7. A Riccaree killed by Mah-to-toh-pa in revenge of the death of a
white man killed by a Riccaree in the Fur Traders’ Fort, a short time
previous.
8. Mah-to-toh-pa, or four bears, kills a Shienne chief, who challenged
him to single combat, in presence of the two war-parties; they fought
on horseback with guns, until Mah-to-toh-pa’s powder-horn was shot
away; they then fought with bows and arrows, until their quivers were
emptied, when they dismounted and fought single-handed. The Shienne
drew his knife, and Mah-to-toh-pa had left his; they struggled for the
knife, which Mah-to-toh-pa wrested from the Shienne, and killed him
with it; in the struggle, the blade of the knife was several times
drawn through the hand of Mah-to-toh-pa, and the blood is seen running
from the wound.
This extraordinary occurrence also, was one which admits of, and
deserves a more elaborate description, which I will here give as it
was translated from his own lips, while he sat upon the robe, pointing
to his painting of it; and at the same time brandishing the identical
knife which he drew from his belt, as he was shewing how the fatal blow
was given; and exhibiting the wounds inflicted in his hand, as the
blade of the knife was several times drawn through it before he wrested
it from his antagonist.
A party of about 150 Shienne warriors had made an assault upon the
Mandan village at an early hour in the morning, and driven off a
considerable number of horses, and taken one scalp. Mah-to-toh-pa,
who was then a young man, but famed as one of the most valiant of the
Mandans, took the lead of a party of fifty warriors, all he could at
that time muster, and went in pursuit of the enemy; about noon of the
second day, they came in sight of the Shiennes; and the Mandans seeing
their enemy much more numerous than they had expected, were generally
disposed to turn about and return without attacking them. They started
to go back, when Mah-to-toh-pa galloped out in front upon the prairie,
and plunged his lance into the ground; the blade was driven into the
earth to its hilt—he made another circuit around, and in that circuit
tore from his breast his reddened sash, which he hung upon its handle
as a flag, calling out to the Mandans, “What! have we come to this?
we have dogged our enemy two days, and now when we have found them,
are we to turn about and go back like cowards? Mah-to-toh-pa’s lance,
which is red with the blood of brave men, has led you to the sight of
your enemy, and you have followed it; it now stands firm in the ground,
where the earth will drink the blood of Mah-to-toh-pa! you may all go
back, and Mah-to-toh-pa will fight them alone!”
During this manœuvre, the Shiennes, who had discovered the Mandans
behind them, had turned about and were gradually approaching, in order
to give them battle; the chief of the Shienne war-party seeing and
understanding the difficulty, and admiring the gallant conduct of
Mah-to-toh-pa, galloped his horse forward within hailing distance, in
front of the Mandans, and called out to know “who he was who had stuck
down his lance and defied the whole enemy alone?”
“I am Mah-to-toh-pa, second in command of the brave and valiant
Mandans.”
“I have heard often of Mah-to-toh-pa, he is a great warrior—dares
Mah-to-toh-pa to come forward and fight this battle with me alone, and
our warriors will look on?”
“Is he a chief who speaks to Mah-to-toh-pa?”
[Illustration: 66]
“My scalps you see hanging to my horse’s bits, and here is my lance
with the ermine skins and the war-eagle’s tail!”
“You have said enough.”
The Shienne chief made a circuit or two at full gallop on a beautiful
white horse, when he struck his lance into the ground, and left it
standing by the side of the lance of Mah-to-toh-pa, both of which were
waving together their little red flags, tokens of blood and defiance.
The two parties then drew nearer, on a beautiful prairie, and the
two full-plumed chiefs, at full speed, drove furiously upon each
other! both firing their guns at the same moment. They passed each
other a little distance and wheeled, when Mah-to-toh-pa drew off his
powder-horn, and by holding it up, shewed his adversary that the
bullet had shattered it to pieces and destroyed his ammunition; he
then threw it from him, and his gun also—drew his bow from his quiver,
and an arrow, and his shield upon his left arm! The Shienne instantly
did the same; _his_ horn was thrown off, and his gun was thrown into
the air—his shield was balanced on his arm—his bow drawn, and quick
as lightning, they were both on the wing for a deadly combat! Like
two soaring eagles in the open air, they made their circuits around,
and the twangs of their sinewy bows were heard, and the war-whoop, as
they dashed by each other, parrying off the whizzing arrows with their
shields! Some lodged in their legs and others in their arms; but both
protected their _bodies_ with their bucklers of bull’s hide. Deadly and
many were the shafts that fled from their murderous bows. At length the
horse of Mah-to-toh-pa fell to the ground with an arrow in his heart;
his rider sprang upon his feet prepared to renew the combat; but the
Shienne, seeing his adversary dismounted, sprang from his horse, and
driving him back, presented the face of his shield towards his enemy,
inviting him to come on!—a few shots more were exchanged thus, when the
Shienne, having discharged all his arrows, held up his empty quiver and
dashing it furiously to the ground, with his bow and his shield; drew
and brandished his naked knife!
“Yes!” said Mah-to-toh-pa, as he threw _his_ shield and quiver to the
earth, and was rushing up—_he_ grasped for his knife, but his belt
had it not; he had left it at home! his bow was in his hand, with
which he parried his antagonist’s blow and felled him to the ground! A
desperate struggle now ensued for the knife—the blade of it was several
times drawn through the right hand of Mah-to-toh-pa, inflicting the
most frightful wounds, while he was severely wounded in several parts
of the body. He at length succeeded however, in wresting it from his
adversary’s hand, and plunged it to his heart.
By this time the two parties had drawn up in close view of each other,
and at the close of the battle, Mah-to-toh-pa held up, and claimed in
deadly silence, the knife and scalp of the noble Shienne chief.[4]
9. Several hundred Minatarees and Mandans attacked by a party of
Assinneboins—all fled but Mah-to-toh-pa, who stood his ground,
fired, and killed one of the enemy, putting the rest of them to
flight, and driving off sixty horses! He is here seen with his lance
and shield—foot-tracks of his enemy in front, and his own party’s
horse-tracks behind him, and a shower of bullets flying around his
head; here he got the name of “_the four bears_,” as the Assinneboins
said he rushed on like four bears.
10. Mah-to-toh-pa gets from his horse and kills two Ojibbeway women,
and takes their scalps; done by the side of an Ojibbeway village, where
they went to the river for water. He is here seen with his lance in
one hand and his knife in the other—an eagle’s plume head-dress on his
horse, and his shield left on his horse’s back. I incurred his ill-will
for awhile by asking him, whether it was manly to boast of taking
the scalps of women? and his pride prevented him from giving me any
explanation or apology. The interpreter, however, explained to me that
he had secreted himself in the most daring manner, in full sight of the
Ojibbeway village, seeking to revenge a murder, where he remained six
days without sustenance, and then killed the two women in full view of
the tribe, and made his escape, which entitled him to the credit of a
victory, though his victims were women.
11. A large party of Assinneboins entrenched near the Mandan
village attacked by the Mandans and Minatarees, who were driven
back—Mah-to-toh-pa rushes into the entrenchment alone—an Indian fires
at him and burns his face with the muzzle of his gun, which burst—the
Indian retreats, leaving his exploded gun, and Mah-to-toh-pa shoots
him through the shoulders as he runs, and kills him with his tomahawk;
the gun of the Assinneboin is seen falling to the ground, and in front
of him the heads of the Assinneboins in the entrenchment; the horse of
Mah-to-toh-pa is seen behind him.
12. Mah-to-toh-pa between his enemy the Sioux, and his own people, with
an arrow shot through him, after standing the fire of the Sioux for a
long time alone. In this battle he took no scalps, yet his valour was
so extraordinary that the chiefs and braves awarded him the honour of a
victory.
This feat is seen in the centre of the robe—head-dress of war-eagles’
quills on his own and his horse’s head—the tracks of his enemies’
horses are seen in front of him, and bullets flying both ways all
around him. With his whip in his hand, he is seen urging his horse
forward, and an arrow is seen flying, and bloody, as it has passed
through his body. For this wound, and the several others mentioned
above, he bears the honourable scars on his body, which he generally
keeps covered with red paint.
Such are the battles traced upon the robe of Mah-to-toh-pa or four
bears, interpreted by J. Kipp from the words of the hero while sitting
upon the robe, explaining each battle as represented.
[3] The reader will see in +plate+ 65, an accurate drawing of this
curious robe, which now hangs in the +Indian Gallery+, and on the
following pages, each group numbered, and delineated on a larger
scale, which are _fac-similes_ of the drawings on the robe.
[4] This celebrated weapon with the blood of several victims
dried upon its blade, now hangs in the +Indian Gallery+, with
satisfactory certificates of its identity and its remarkable
history, and an exact drawing of it and its scabbard can be seen in
+plate+ 99, _a_.
LETTER—No. 22.