The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1867-11-26
The Gamanehe Indians.
Hoao they Lice, Dress and Ea

In the Cleveland Plain Dealer of the 10Th
ult. we find the following interesting communi-
cation from writer who has passed many years
among the Indians in the far West:
The dwellings of the wild or rowing tribes are
| termed lodges, and consist generally of buffalo
| hides either finely tanned without the hair, as
| with the Camanches and others, or of raw hides,
with reed mattings and various other material,
as with some Osages. IF hides are used, from
nine to twelve in number, on an average, are
placed upon frame work of poles, bell-shaped.
Their interior arrangement is varied by the taste
and the means for its qualification to the owner,
some being very conveniently and comfortably
arranged, with hunks or berths of reed mating
or hide stretched upon a frame around the walls,
while beneath are slowed the various articles of
the household or family property. The fire oc-
cupes the centre and the smoke fills the interior,
finally wreathng it's way upward and finding
exit at the top. Their lodges are not arranged
with that order and precision which character
lied the 'tented field of our military life, but
are scattered here and there. When marriage
occurs among the Camanches separate lodge is
erected in which to spend the honeymoon, after
which its occupants can return to the ''paternal
homestead"
A single squaw. however, is free to choose any
grace is attached thereto, and, however immoral
it will not interfere with her prospects for mar
riage, in which event the past is overlooked and
becomes blank, and she is received and respec-
ted among the best. In fact, virtue among them
is lax, and only controlled by fear, while amcug
Indians generally it is almost unknown and un-
recognized Truthfully must say that modesty
decacy and refinement and all the noble attri-
butes which blend together manhood and wo-
manhood, cement society, make life happy, purify
the world, make us true men and women, and fit
us Tor the sphere we occupy, are to them un-
known. In fact, with years of study of the In
dian character, [ have found but few, and those
isolated cases, wherein there existed qualities to
excite either admiration, esteem respect and
never to justify the romance found in the ema-
nations from the pen Of many writers of sickly
sentimentalism. Beauty never saw among any
ull blooded 'maidens Of the prairie"
The wild Indians subsist mainly upon buffalo
meat, having no -four, coffee, or sugar, except
such as is given them with their annuities or as
an extra feast as upon the occasion of a council,
or such as they obtain by the exchange Of their
robes and furs, of which they take a great num-
Der when buffalo are plenty. They hunt the
buffalo with bow and arrow, with which they
are very proficient, and so accurate that they
will send an arrow into space as large as ones
hand at geod pistol range, and strike piece of
coin very frequently With bow, which your
correspondent could not bend sufficiently to shoot
with force, they will send an iron pointed arrow
entirely through buffalo.
The dress of the Indians is somewhat varied,
many possessing article of civilized costume,
while others wholly clad in their native garb.
Thus, now and then one will disport coat some
time at once recherche and fashionable, swallow
tale and brass buttons, the pride and glory, in
days long past, of some votary of fashion, the
welknown uniform of the sboys in blue;" one
will display hat of shape and fashion long un-
known; and so ON through the wardrobe. But
their native dress rules the majority-leggings
of heavy cloth or flannel, with heavy fringe or
Margin often ornamented with little bells, beads,
etc, sometimes a shirt of their own make, Or OBJ
tanned with their annuities or by traffic, blanket
robe around their body, moccasins of different
patterns in each tribe, and head barred to the sun
and storm
The dress of the squaws differ little from the
above, except skirt of calico or other light ma
terlal in summer, and Of heavy cloth Of stroud
ing in winter; leggngs the same as those of the
men, with additional ones of buckskin tight-ft-
ting like hose, and attached to the moccasin;
now and then some young squaws are finely
dressed and bedecked with fnery and ornaments
of beads, and of silver brooches as large as tea
saucer, rings i'll their and on their fingers,
etc
The squaws do all the labor of the camp,
bringing wood and water, pitching and striking
the lodges when moving, packing and unpacking
the animals, curing the buffalo meat, which is
done by cutting into thin slices and drying, and
in fact doing all the outdoor and indoor labor,
in addition to the ordinary duties of womanhood,
while the "brave" is 'lord of all he surveys"
and reclnes in stolid Indifference if otherwise
unemployed.