The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1807-05-22
CO NTIk Ed.


ofthe prairie des Chens) who reide this river,
TENT fix OF his young inform Mr.. Pike that
he had waited three days with meat, &c. but that
laa night his people had began to drink: that, on
the next day, he would meet him with his people,
MIR Frazer aud one of the interpreters returned with
anfwer to the Indians that If the weather per-
United, the part. mu paison, the feafon was far
advanced
Mr.. Frazer on his return Gated that the chief &C
quieiced in the reafon for proceeding, but he had
prepared pipe (infead Of letter) to preient to
Mr. Pike, that he might thew all the other bands
OF the Sioux above, with meilse inform them of
his being chief OF his father and that he
wifhed him he treated with frend(hip and refpeet
When the party arrived oppoGte to the lodges, the
Indians were paraded the bank with their guns
they fired iaute, with what might be termed three
rounds of ball it returned IRON, the boats
This mode of alu,irg might have been les agreeable
TO others than folders, as the Indians had been
drinking, and feen,ed deiirous of ihewing how near
to the boats they could ioot without niurng them
Mr.. Pike went afhore armed with poltoS, and his
fword, IN order To accompany the chief but as
marx OF confidence in the Indians he caufed fuch Of
his party accompanied him to leave their arms be-
hind, where centines placed 20 guard the boats
AT the lodge OF the chief, he found clean mat
and pillow to lit upon; the pipe was laid before him
orutches, while the CHIEF placed bef on the right
hand, and the interpreter with MIR Frazer on the
left. Alter fnioking, the chief addreIed Mr. Pike
nearly as follows: Notwithstanding fayy Won a.
the prairie, am happy take you by the hand a.
mong my own people, and let my young men fee
the refpea due to their new father When at Saint
Louis in the ipring, my father told ME, If looked
down the river ihould fee one of his young warri-
ors coming up ] now find true and an, happy
TO Zee who knows that the Great Spirit is the Fa
ther of all, both the white and the red people If
one die, the other cannot live long have never
been at war with our new father /; and hope always
that now exits. now prefent you with pine TO
thew to the upper bands in token of our good under
Handing, that they may fee my work, and initiate
my condu9 to you.
g went to St. Louis ON nameful vliit to car
ry murderer. You gave tn. man his life / am
thankful for it. l have provided fometh 2 for YOU
TO eats but, perhaps you cannot eat Ia: if TO- give il
TO your young men"
To this ipeech Mr.. Pike replied" that although at
the prairie ne had told the chief his bunels up the
Miilihppi he would again relate it," He then aated
the objects TO which his attention was direaed with
regard TO ;he Indians who had by the ceion of Lon
iiiana by Spain, under the care of the United
States the different pois propelled be efabliined
tor Implying them with neceiTares where the agent,
OF the government might hear and attend to their
wants, and endeavcr to make peace between the ST.
oux and the Sauteurs. And, that it was probable
his return, he ihould have fome OF rhe Sauteurs
with him, and would alto take fore of their chiefs
to Saint Lons, where they might ettle the differences
exiting between their nations and put an end to their
long and bloody wars. He accepted the nine with
peaiure, as the gift of great mans and brother
that it ihould be as he wilhed
MIR Pike then partoek Of the dinner which wa,
provided for him, conGGing fwild rye and venifon
ana tent four large bowl, of it to the men who ac-
companed him. After dinner he went to fee one of
their dances, 1t a curious performances The
men and women danced unfortunately. They were
all drehcd in their gayeG manner each of them
holding tmal kin OF iome kind in their hands
Ihey frequently ran up to, pointed their fkin and
pulled with their breath or blew at each other The
perion thus blown on, whether man or woman would
.ntsantly fall, and appear alno lifesfs or in great
agony, would recover Aowly, rife, and again ioin
an the dance. This is called their great medicine
or as Mr. Pike continue, the word, the dance of re-
EEion. The byttanders actually believe that r)me-
thing is pulled blown into each o,her's body
which produces the falling and other effects h:cb
take place All the Indians are not of the initiated
They n'rt rit make prtients of forty fifty dollars
value TO the iociety, and give feat, when thev are
admitted with great ceremony. Mr.. Frazer faid h.
once in lodge with fume yon;rg men, when one
OF theie dancers entered they immediately threw
their blankets over him, aud forced him out On his
laughing at them, the young Indians called him
sOol, and laid he did not know what the daricer
could blow into his body
On returning 20 the boat, Mr.. Pike fcnt for thu
OttOblCCO
four knives, half pound of vermillion and QUAR-
OF ialt. Mr Frazr having 9ced p.rn,iilion To pre-
fent them isme rum, it agreed to- and ker Of
eight gallons made up between them He in
formed he chief that he dared not give it without
tile psrnmliion Of MIR Pike. The chief then thanked
MIR. Pike for his prefenta and fad" they nun come
free a,he did not ak for then: to which thu latter
replied, tlat " to bole who did not ak for any thing
he gave freely, but to ;hofe who aiked for much he
gave only Z htte, or none"
During the time which MIR. Pike was a, the In
dian camp, he had folders placed TO keep the crowd
from his boatsi du'y they dhcharged with VIII
lance, driving back the women, children, and men
whenever they approached When leaving thefe In
dams, their warriors idi, thst as Mr. Pike had ina
ken hands with their chief, they muH with his fol-
diers; requsn he willingly complied with
The party embarked about three o'clock and af.
tended the river about three miles that evening -
when they oysrI4ken by Mr. Frazer, who had
tarried little longer At the village with his pc.
rogues.
This part Of the river 7bout two miles wide and
full Of i1sud, it hevs hills or prairie knobs on both
fde, Oppoie TO Ront river they psfled the prairie
ia Crolie, 90 called from game at bail pIbyed IRE
queutly upon it by the Sioux IndiassJ Thisis a
hludiome prairie, and has fnall fquare hill upon
st. fn.'ar 10 thofe mentioned Ivy Carver rs rear i,
bounded by hills, IN the laaie manner as the prairie
dos Cheus. On this prairie there are hole, dug BY
She Sioux when ~ expectation Of attack in which
they Era put their women and children and after.
~srds crawl theuieve,. Thefe holes are generally
round and about fourteen feet IN diameter but Tome
are haif.moors, aud quite breaH work The latter
are the ckief's Sor-. and the u~irciuaf red,utfs