New-York daily tribune., 1858-12-11
AMENITIES AMONG THE NORTH
WESTERN INDIANS.

! hsOrs NsUghsn ard Oxen accompany wing Us down -
the mouth o the Judith River for the purpose OF dis
trbuting the annuity Que tie Black Foot tr.be from
Urce Sam. In psssirg down the river there Is not
much in the scenery TO sttrsct attention except tie
quaiIt foim- which the sandstone las re .eYed from
the action Of water sometimes resembling cities towns
ard forts and at Others presenting huge lkenesses Of
telsts and birds Tie shores are very steep and
rough.
At about o'clock, as Fe rounded point, " clrce
in view q large baAd + Iadigrs moving camp-5ome
thee luLjlcd Od. .es Of tie B ack Foot nation iny
down the treaty ground 10 meet M4jor Vaughan. 1t
va. very Wild bat ples ing s'gi' TIE banks %
cLe s'e Ale quite Ligh while a. the her they run or
into b. .utiul prse, snj the river lelf i .orlable
Some Of TIE large party were coming down the hills
some in tie act of forditg aud some, the Other side
about pitching cen p fvr the hight. The were in
their Cress with tho exception of tie paint aui .,
uourted upor the finest Of horses, daDcing a,ound
lrGndshrg THAR weapons. and in frendJ mqnner
shouting tic whoop. The hspPy faces Of the women
ard children 'oeeher with the usual number Of d)gs
d ade very picturesque scene; tho1gh, pe-hsps not
a. graLd critainly Mt a. startling, aud ors tia.
enjoyed much more than hat At Major Owene council
ground, for here was complete ,afety, surrounded
hy more han the same runber Of friendly Inian-.
TIE Icst Of ttete ILd.sns large, fue looking fe
lows with kindly expression Of face III III those
on tie OF er eide.
Their manner of moving ay be Of interest 20 those
who not familiar with their Customs. As the tins
for changing camp draws nigh the chief mounts his
horse ard for tire rides und the ercanp nent
in silence. He then makes a speech in which he calls
to their ind all the advantages that the next camp, at
that sea of the year, has above the one they
about 20 .osve tells them what they viii find there,
and says hat he viii move lodge il so auydays. He
then rides around the encampment a. before, and re-
turns to his own lodge. H. the of few days,
We begin to signs Of breaking up email partes
stan Of ard commerce bringing IN the ho-ses; tie
women commerce packing their things, and general
hustle denotes that the caMpis about to raise. Fuoy
on some bright morning, see the chiefs meiiclne
bag, ot ger hanging ty the side Of his lodge but AZ
lis SADDLE bow. This il the signal The women hurry
Of from the band of horses to the derett parts OF the
villege with thote desired 70 carry the lodge poles,
SKINS, provision. and other thDgs; tie men, - the
uean time, riding about, or lolipg the back Of
some fnc borse.
Not less interetrg is tie mode Of taking do wn and
putting up one OF Their shin lodgc-. Tie cover is
mad. Of the dressed skns of the buffalo, sewed to-
getler with speNs Of the same in tie shape
of a cloak. They then place poles from eleven up
ward according TO the size OF the cover in the form
used for stacking arms Leaving them sufficiently vide
apart ct the bottom to stre IN the skin lightly; this
DONE pin tie edges to the ground and your house is all
ready. 1t is taken GOWN in the way. The poles
have small hole in end, through which they run
string and strap them to the horses side, AMI he
will drag them all day with from two hundred to two
hundred ard fifty pounds upon them.
Or the 23i we arrived at The treaty ground, AMI
found that tho boats with tie goods had not yet ~
nved, but tia, II ey would be up the next day. We
landed and pitched our tent inteudipg To remain aod
witness the distribution Of tre goods. Some sxty or
feveuiy lodges cane III at night, ard commenced max
ing urrar geucuts for the ceremony. On the 2J.h,
abou noon, the boats made their 81 Ipearance round
ing poiot about three miles bsloF, aud were hsiled
by the Iudsus in very singular well as very i'm
pressiye malper. Tney al coDgnga,ed uponthe bank
Of II rser sat down. up howl, and then re-
maiued perfectly still and quiet until the boats came
abreast Of ttem they then gave arothcr whooP, and
neal, all dir ersed and wen. to hee lodges. A. soon
as the goods were tai ont and laid upon the bank,
they were covered up and email cord stretched
around them and the boats went back for the cargo
Of ore tha lad been stove the day fcre in r!ing to
come up Dophan's Rspids, about % miles below.
Tie Indians Continued to srrive during the day and
st night the sce.e was enliveued with q dance.
On tie norow, the goods were distnjutel The
manner in which this snnuity is distributed by M+J'r
Vaughan the best tnat could be adopted, and gives
entire satisfaction to the Iadans, which IL the hrst
thing TO look after. lie forms circle oi the heads
Of all the lodges, and commencing, say with coffee,
goes around the ring, aud gives cup full 70 eich,
until tae supply is exhausted then another article,
and another in the way, until the whole annIity
is distributed In this 16y, al are satisfied, Tor al
are to get their share. Formerly the goods were
given up the chief ard he gave 70 whom 10 chose,
keeping tie most ior himself Major Vaughan told
that otter atcr lie tat given out the eoois III the
old way, some would to him and say that they
bad not received anything. and that. to save himself
great deal of trouble, he had adopted his prese i
n ethod lie acded that all go away satisfied,
feeling that they have been fairly dealt with.
Major Vaughan seems from what saw and beard,
to be very efficient Agent and "a be much loved by
tie Indians. II Is tie opinion Of al who familiar
with Indian affair." that the most Of our ladian troubles
have grown out OF tie want of capacity tte pat OF
nqony of our Indian Agents. Tie Ioiian Agent ought
TO be as much fitted by nature and education, TO un
deIstand the Indians character ard TO win his love
and respSct, ss young becoming merchants, law
yer etc. are for TIE duties Of their respective caogs
How much better is il to appoibt such uen as Col.
Nesmith of Oregon, Msjors Oren Of the Fiat lie ad
and Vaughan of the Black Foo. agercies-men who
have been among the indians for years, ard under
statd every hook and crock in their deceiu natures
than to take a political iemsgosue from the East
whose whole knowledge Of the Indian character has
been gathered from Cooper's Leather Stocking tales
ard who expects TO meet Unca'es throughout al the
rnsp 40 mon. la. the differ.