The Arkansas advocate., 1833-03-13
LITTLE ROCK, lA ID VEs1,NF2sI5AA, MARCH la. Isaa

l spilAts are his bow and quiver. his shield
 his lance and medicine bags, with two.
 three and sometimes as many as four
 Dull Buffaloas heads and horns.
 With all these weights attached to
 him, he IS gradually raised by the cord.
 antil ali these appurtenances are free and his feet six Or seven feet :,hore fhe ground; in this condition, with the
 blood flowing in streams from his hands and feet. he hangs in the most exquisite agony, attefing the most pitiful groans, cries which found to be, when inter.
 Preted, his earnest prayer 10 the Al mighty to spare his lile--to forgive his sins-tlat he may be successful in bat
 tie, and always have buffalo .in abun- dance for his subsistence. Ks soon is one was thus suspended, the same ope-
 ration was performed on a second, a
 third and fourth, &c. an;il tie wall lngs and mingled cries of agony, with the si.nguinary appearance of the lodge, which was becoming like human slaughter house, sickened me to the heart and stomach. Sometimes eight or ten were ilaHging in ti1ls condition at once, (some by the back, and others by the muscles in the bFcas0 without apparently, exciting in the faces Of tlleiI friends, who were about them, the least expression of sympathy or compassion. The length of time that they were tLas suspended, was sometimes hall, and at other times se1ote hour, depending on the constitution and bodily vigor of the suhleet; fof they were never let down until they had fainted from exhaustion, and esefy eeiefnal dppearaace Q eristia,e f.fe had entirely vanished. They were then gradually lowered 10 the ground. and left to rise when they could rise by themselves, without the aid of any one.
 " hen they were able 10 do this, they advanced toanother part Of the lodge, where they sacrificed one, two or three fingers by laYing them on tie skull of q baffalo3s head, when they were struck off by a hatehet.
 After these transactions within tlle lodge arc completed, they are led out in front of the lodge with aIl their weights dragging after them, where, in ihe circular area, in presence of the whole village, who are here assembled, scene takes place of still more ap Paliing nature, and to the sufferer still more excraeiating than the one just de scribed. Around their emblem of the ark, an hundred or more young men, naked, holding each other by thc hand, their bodies painted in ali varieties of coiors and curious forms, commence a rotary movement with the greatest ve- ioclty possible, uniting their voices in most piercing yells of lamentations. Out side oi this cfifie are led the bleeding penitents, each one wfi4l an athletic man on each side Of him. who take them by lcathern thong fastened q round the wrist, aud commence running around the circles with ali speed ttlat is possible, and violently urge them for ward, until from weakness and exhaus ton they begin 10 lauIter, and al length si. down into the dirt, where they are still dragged until all appearace of life is gone. and until all inc articles at- taehed to their wounds have been torn out and left; to effect which it is often necessary fer several Of them to jump on them with the whole weight of their bodies.
 They are then Jeff, apparently in lifeless condition, until they can rise of themselves and walk away. Whilst ly- ing in this position, many fine presents of robes, guns, horses, &c. are brought and placed by them, which their squaws come and carry to lheir lodge.
 Here ends this cruel and barbarous ceremony, which in frequentinstances, they have not bodily strength to survive aud die in the operation. Many how ever, submitto these torlures every year for the greater part of their lives, and their limbs appear completely nangled and disfgured by scars.
 ii is impossible to describe the feel ings one has whilst witnessing q scene Of this kind--to look about him and real ize that a scene. so much like q dream is reality-that men of stately form, with wisdom in their looks, should be acting so stupid tragedy in all the fervor of earnest devotioa-and that such has been the unaltered form which each re volying year, for centuries past, has brought about, whilst the rapid march and brightening intellect of civilized improvement have illumined the world, yet left them not spark, nor, with all their knowledge and improvements, dreamed of what is done and doing in this Western World.
 have made four paintings which will embrace the whole of these scenes, and