The Arkansas advocate., 1832-12-26

III tue mluule Dy large DedHlSs ana over their tops is laid d close mat Of willows, which protects them from the di.mpness of the earth, with which they are cover ed, of about foot in thickness. The
 floors of these dwellings are of earth, bat So hardened, ;is;;iidl ;is;;iidl swept SC clean. clean
 that they have a hsight polish, and
 would not soil the Whtest linen. in the centre, and immediately under the sky light, IS the fire place--a hole of four or i've feet in diameter, of a circular form, sunk a foot or more below the surface, and curbed around with stone around this are tlie family group, re- cilning in the most picturesque attitudes and groups, resting on their Buffalo robes ard beautiful mats of willow
 These cabins are so spacious that they contain from l5 to % persons--a family andalltheir coifhesions. They allsleep on bedsteads similar in form to ours, but generally not quite as high; they arc made of round poles, rudely framed to- gether. A Buffalo skin is strained across like saeking bottom, on which they place number of Buffalo robes, making the finest bed in the worId.--
 Their beds are all covered with dressed skins, strained over the frame, in the form of curtaius, leaving square hoie to getinto and out of their beds. Some of these curtains are fringcd and other wise beautifully ornamented. The Mandans have nothing in their personal appearance or demeanor to distinguish them in any considerable degree from the neighboring Indians, excepting the singular appearance of their hair. ln this particular, they are different, believe, from all Indians in the world.
 Their hair has all the shades and yari- ety of colors that arc to be seen amongst white society. Many children, male and female, at the age of 10 or l5 years, are seen with their hair of bright sil- very grey, and some almost perfectly white.
 Many of the yoaag women are come ! and some Of them extremely beautl- fal. They marry at a very early age, and whilst young and unmarried they dress with much neataess, and practice more pure, naive modesty, in their dress and denaeaaof, than any female society that 1 ever was in. If modesty De a virtue, it would be we'll if some of our fashionable ladies could study from these simple models. Their beautiful white skin dresses extend from their ehins down, quite to the ground, and are studiously formed to hang loose over their bodies without showing any thing of the shapes of the person; instead of drawing and cordibg themselves up into angles and protuberances, as our fair ladies do, to attract the gaze and ad miration of the world.
 Their dresses are made of the skins of the mountain sheep, which they con- sidcr preferable to all others, being softer, of finer texture, and mach light CT. These skins arc so lngenioes,y dressed that they eaye,around the neck, down the sides, and around the bottom, border of the skin with the hair on, which is cut into kind of fringe hay ing very much the appearance of er- mine. They are ornamented in great variety of ways with porcupine qaills, beads of different coiors, eik's teeth, and shells. After becoming matrons, that blushing modesty in a great degree disappears, and they wear dress made of elk skin, a coarser material, shorter and better calculated for the laborIous duties they have to perform, as slaves to their lords.
 Perhaps nothing ever more complete ly astonished these people than the oPe- rations of my brush. Soon after affi- ving in their village, lvisited and paint ed the two principal chiefs; in very few minutes after having exhibited them, it seemed as if the whole village were crowding upon me 10 see them. was obliged to stop painting, and place them high in a conspicuous place, where allcould see them. The likenesses were recognized, and some commenced yel- ling, some singing, and others crying. The next curiosity was to see me, and so grea. was the rush upon me that Twas in danger of suffocation. The eager curiosity and expression ofastonishment with which they gazed upon me, plain ly showed that they considered me some strange being. They soonresolved that l was the greatest medicine man in the world, for they said l had made living beings--tley said they could see them laugh, and if they could laugh they