“_Indian Knowledge of English Affairs_—Mr. Catlin, in one of his
Lectures on the manners and customs of the North American Indians,
during the last week, related a very curious occurrence, which
excited a great deal of surprise and some considerable mirth
amongst his highly respectable and numerous audience. Whilst
speaking of the great and warlike tribe of Sioux or Dahcotas, of
40,000 or 50,000, he stated that many of this tribe, as well as of
several others, although living entirely in the territory of the
United States, and several hundred miles south of her Majesty’s
possessions, were found cherishing a lasting friendship for the
English, whom they denominate Saganosh. And in very many instances
they are to be seen wearing about their necks large silver medals,
with the portrait of George III. in bold relief upon them. These
medals were given to them as badges of merit during the last war
with the United States, when these warriors were employed in the
British service.
“The Lecturer said, that whenever the word Saganosh was used,
it seemed to rouse them at once; that on several occasions when
Englishmen had been in his company as fellow-travellers, they had
marked attentions paid them by these Indians as Saganoshes. And on
one occasion, in one of his last rambles in that country, where
he had painted several portraits in a small village of Dahcotas,
the chief of the band positively refused to sit; alleging as his
objection that the pale faces, who were not to be trusted, might
do some injury to his portrait, and his health or his life might
be affected by it. The painter, as he was about to saddle his
horse for his departure, told the Indian that he was a Saganosh,
and was going across the Big Salt Lake, and was very sorry that
he could not carry the picture of so distinguished a man. At this
intelligence the Indian advanced, and after a hearty grip of the
hand, very carefully and deliberately withdrew from his bosom, and
next to his naked breast, a large silver medal, and turning his
face to the painter, pronounced with great vehemence and emphasis
the word Sag-a-nosh! The artist, supposing that he had thus gained
his point with the Indian Sagamore, was making preparation to
proceed with his work, when the Indian still firmly denied him
the privilege—holding up the face of his Majesty (which had got a
superlative brightness by having been worn for years against his
naked breast), he made this singular and significant speech:—‘When
you cross the Big Salt Lake, tell my Great Father that you saw his
face, and it was bright!’ To this the painter replied, ‘I can never
see your Great Father, he is dead!’ The poor Indian recoiled in
silence, and returned his medal to his bosom, entered his wigwam,
at a few paces distant, where he seated himself amidst his family
around his fire, and deliberately lighting his pipe, passed it
around in silence.
“When it was smoked out he told them the news he had heard, and in
a few moments returned to the traveller again, who was preparing
with his party to mount their horses, and enquired whether the
Saganoshes had no chief. The artist replied in the affirmative,
saying that the present chief of the Saganoshes is a _young_ and
_very beautiful woman_. The Sagamore expressed great surprise and
some incredulity at this unaccountable information; and being
fully assured by the companions of the artist that his assertion
was true, the Indian returned again quite hastily to his wigwam,
called his own and the neighbouring families into his presence, lit
and smoked another pipe, and then communicated the intelligence
to them, to their great surprise and amusement; after which he
walked out to the party about to start off, and advancing to the
painter (or Great Medicine as they called him), with a sarcastic
smile on his face, in due form, and with much grace and effect, he
carefully withdrew again from his bosom the polished silver medal,
and turning the face to the painter, said, ‘Tell my _Great Mother_,
that you saw our Great Father, and that we keep his face bright!’”
[30] This gentleman, the summer previous to this, while I was
in company with him at Prairie du Chien, gave me a very graphic
account of the Red Pipe Stone Quarry, and made for me, from
recollection, a chart of it, which I yet possess, and which was
drawn with great accuracy.
[31] But a few weeks before I left the mouth of Yellow Stone, the
news arrived at that place, that a party of trappers and traders
had burnt two Riccarees to death, on the prairies, and M‘Kenzie
advised me not to stop at the Riccarree village, but to pass them
in the night; and after I had got some hundreds of miles below
them, I learned that they were dancing two white men’s scalps taken
in revenge for that inhuman act.
[32] The greater part of the world can never, I am sure, justly
appreciate the meaning and application of the above sentence,
unless they have an opportunity to encounter a swarm of these
tormenting insects, on the banks of the Missouri or Mississippi
river.
[TN1] Transcriber's note: “we will fight you” seems like an odd thing
to say in this context, but that is what the print edition has. Maybe
it should be “we will fight for you”?
LETTER—No. 55.