Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1862-07-24

lis broad-branching antlers, the ante
I lope, with its soft dark eye" the
wolf, both mountain and prairie, over
whose sneaking pursuit of some
wounded or defenceless animal, the
turkey buzzard hovers and circles
with unhagging interest the beaver
whose two chisel-like teeth will fell
a cotton wood tree q foot in diameter,
as handsomely, if not quite as quickly
as the wood-chopper the black tailed
deer, with its scent!esss hind fcet-all
alike fell before the deadly aim of our
sportsmen. We were also visited by
the black bear and the mountain
4 sheep, with its enormous horns, upon
I which he hurls himself when spring
| ing from peak to peak among the pre-.
/ cipitous lights which he frequents
! We brought back with US to st. Joe
a grizzly bear, the most vicious brute
on the globe, and took home three
amiable young wolves, prairie dog
| looking more like huge aldermanic
1 grey squirrel than it does like dog
two cat owls, the sharp.sightedness oI
whose great yellow eyes in the darn
furnished Homer with an epithct fol
I his Atheps-" the bright eyed" no,
the "blue-eyed Minerva
| The atmosphere is exceedingly dry
and pure. Buffalo tongues and strips
of meat hung in the sun will be dried
| through and thoroughly cured in a
few days without a speck Of salt. So
/ far as our observations went, the air
is too bracing for pulmonary invalids,
irritating instead of soothing the
lungs. We say most earnestly to all
sick men, especially to those troubled
with organic difficulties in the chest
! disbelieving all the stories told you
! by kind friends of marvellous cures
effected by change of air, and stay al
home. You cannot heal an old fever
sore by tanning it with new fan.
The Forts, so called, are, with the
exception of the Government fort,
Randall, mere trading posts, occupied
by the Indians, half breeds, horses
and cur dogs, living together within
tho same high inclosurc, in fragrant
and harmonious fellowship. There is
not livery stable in this city, which
is not more desirable place to live
in than either Fort Benton, Fort Union
or Fort Berthold. About mile above
Fort Benton we dedicated, in honor of
our castain new fort-Fort La Barge
which, we trust, will be, in point OF
nGatness and comfort, an exception to
the filthy lairs to which we have re-
| ferred. The passengers of the Shreye-
port, which we had overtaken and
brought along with us, assisted at the
rites. DR.. Mckcllops presided, and
brief speeches, under the quiet stars
amid the white tents of the gold seek
crs dotting the bottom lands. were
made by Rev. Mr.. Francis and Messrs
Barrell, Meade, Chapman, and others
and the whole affair passed off pleas.
antly, with hearty cheers for the new
| fort, the captain, the Union, and the
old flag waving over us. From the
bluffs of this point the Rocky Mount
ain chain is distinctly visible, its
snowy peaks looming up in the west
ern horizon in solitary and majestic
grandeur.
Indians of numerous tribes were
constantly visiting the boat after we
reached the 1ancton Sioux reserva-
ton. The chiefs and braves of the
Sioux, Mandans, Ricarees, Gtos Kentres,
Crows, Bloods, Pegans, Blackfcet, and
others, came on board and accompa-
nicd us, in greater or less numbers,
throughout our voyage. The Gros
Ientrs chief and squaw who came to
this city are the best specimens we
saw on the trip. At all the principal
ports the boat was thronged by the
inevitable red skins. Their black
eyes were peering into every nook
and Granny, and their light fingers
did not fail to appropriate any attrac.
tive articles which might. be Lying
round loose" Our own room, which
had been made by parting off the aft
er cabin, contained three windows, all
of which were turned into tabfeaa1
frames, each being filled with swart,
curious faces, whose imperturable stare
after a few hours became disagreed
bic. The personal appearance of the
Indians is in the highest degree gro
tesQue aud fantastic. There is with
them no fashion in dress, no aping Of
upper tcndom, but. each one arrays
himself as scclncth best in his own
eyes. One wraps bead -bespangled
| government blanket about him and
/ lies down to pleasant dreams anoth-
er disports himself in the sultry noon
in huge buffalo robe I; another exults
| in bob-tailcd military coat buttoned
up to the chin with brass buttons, and
reaching almost down to his hips an
other rejoices in pair of leggins and
wolf skin cap another struts abou,
in brecch-cloth oflimited dimensions
and uncertain tenure of fposition, and
another riots in un-fg-leafed Paradis
aical freedom. The women are as
brawny and muscular as their stall
wart lords, and dress themselves with
as little taste and decency. Pigments
are in great demand. The squaws,
instead of roageiRg their checks like
civilized ladies, bedanb their foreheads
and eyebrows with fiery red pant.
This is the favortc color of the braves
and they spread it on thick just be
! fore starting on war expedition. We
noticed one great bare-chested fellow,
whose ugly face was painted coal
black, his arms and breast beiuS
striped with the same color, like a
gridiron. lie looked like the devil as
represented in the ancient Mysteries.
The food of the Indians consists
! largely Of wild meat, which, without