The Arkansas advocate., 1833-03-13

= iood VI olluks DuFing tHe three
 hfst days there are a great variety ot
 dances and curious songs and eefemo-
 hies, performed ia front Of tue medi
 cine lodgeby persons fantastieally dress
 ed and painted for the purpose. These
 dances and ceremonies are performed
 around curb of six feet in diameter.
 and ten feet in height, which stands in
 front Of the medicine lodge, containing some ot their most sacred medicines. and preserved with great yeneration as the symbol of the ark, ofssgreat eanoe,2 as their traditions call it. On the first
 day they dance four times; on the Sc. eoed day, eight times on the third day
 twelve, and on the fourth day, sixteen
 times. The principal actors in these scenes arc eight men, naked-bodies ] painted black, with buffalo skin.-with l horns on, thrown over them; their bo- dies in Il horizontal position. and a wreath of willows in each hant. per forming the buffalo dance-two men naked-their bodies painted black with the skin of grisly bear over them, in
 tended to represent thist itBifnai-tWo boys, naked, their bodies and faces black, and spotted with white, represent Ing the sky or llfmament-two boys. ra- ked bodies and faces red, with stripes oi white, ID and down, representing ghosts--two men, naked, bodies black, and heads white, representing bald oa= gies-a great number of boys, bodies yellow, head and feet white, called sseabfi, or antetope-loar very aged men, with sacks of water, on which they beat with stick in the time with the other music. These sacks f9et- tell ka) arc made of tbe skin of the bull buffalo neck, in the form of large tor. toise, which they admirably represent, each containing several gallons of wa lter, which has been kept tightly enelos. led III them from time immemofal. and
 which, from their veneratlon, they can not venture 10 chang. Two men with q rattle in each hand, i1l1-n,1.de, or she. shee=qna raftles, in form ef eoafd shelf which are violently shaken as an accompaniment 10 their voices, which. together, constitute the music fer Ya- rlety oi strange dances and maaosuyres
 loo numerous to mention iii this place. If would require q volume to describe tie gfotesqne and apparently ridiculous performances oi this strange group thet oitieefs, characters, symbols, &c. On tie third day, and during these dancing scenes, the whole village -ap- pears 10 be suddeily thrown Into tie greatest consternatIon bJ the approach ot man who Is running about on the prairie, apparently ill great trouble, and gradually approaching :he village. which lie at length enters, running thgo' every part of Il as If lie were iii great distress; his body Is entirely naked, and 1 painted hlack-his lace lrighttully in- denied with white and red, and III his 1 hand a long rod or wand painted w6ite. 1 He is called by them the Evil Spirit he runs into the lodges and out again with the greatest eagerness, and is con- tlnualls frustrated in all his attempts of impropriety by the great medicine pipe | oi the master of ceremonies, who con- tlnuall3 th1usts il between hlm and tie females who are running and screaming for protection. His wand Is wrested I from hm at le0gth, and the village again restored to Tranquility.
 On the fourth day scene common ces of a nature almost too shocking and l appalling 10 be related, and at the fe. collection of which ] always sIladder when | recur to 1t. The Spanish In- auisitlon in all its horrors could hardly l surpass in cruelty the scenes which 1 1 witnessed here, and in which was sup ported and enabled to look up only from the consideration that these were vol untary iniictions, upon their own bod ies. Weak and exhausted from fasting aud thirsting for four days and nights, one of these poor fellows walks up at a time, near the centre of the lodge, where resting upon his knees and his i head inclined downwards, he submits | to the operation of those to whom it is allotted to perform these acts Of cruei- ty. They take up between the thumb and finger, an inch and half of skin and flesh, with a portion of the tropezius muscle, on the back side of each shoul- l der-and force largo knife through if 1 which is made dull at the point that 1t i may produce as much pain as possible, After the knife IS withdrawn from these incisions, or perforations, spiints the size of mans thumb, are forced thro' them; to these splints are attached couple of cords descending from lhe top of the lodge, by which lie is drawn until his feet are nearly relieved from
 the ground. Then in the same manner