The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1875-11-04

Win the rooes OF buffalo calves, their heads
up as if in the act of climbing it each of
the branches above the fork is ornamented
in a similar manner, with the addition of
| shawls, calico, &c, and covered at the top
with black muslin. Attached to the fork
Is bundle of cottonwood and willow limbs,
buffalo robe and horns, firmly bound
together, so as to form rude image of
buffalo, to which were hung strips of new
| calico, muslin, stroudng, feathers. shawls
&c., of various lengths and qualities The
longer and more snowy articles were near
the ends, This was placed in position
to face the east
The lodges of the encampment are arrang-
ed i'll circles around the medicine house
having their entrances towards it, the
nearest circle being some ten rods distant
In the afternoon party of about dozen
warriors and braves proceeded to the medi-
cine house, followed by large part of the
encampment. They were highly painted,
and wore shirts only, with head dresses of
feathers, which extended down the back to
the ground, and were kept in their proper
places by means Of an ornamcnted strap,
claspinS the waist. Some of them had
long horns attached to their head-dresses,
were armed with lanccs and revolvers, and
carried couple of long poles, mounted
from end to end with feathers, the one
white and the other black They bore also
shields highly ornamented with paint,
feathers and hair.
They took their station upon the side
70 hn ant ha
ing behind them Many old woman occu-
pied position to the right, and near the
entrance, who set up a trcmulous shricking,
the drums began to beat, and the dance
began, only the party above described
participating in it. They at first slowly
advanced toward the central post, followed
by the musicians, several of whom carried
a side of raw hide (dried, y which they beat
upon with sticks, making about as much
music as to beat upon the sole of an old shoe
while the drums, the voices of the women
and the rattling of pebbles in painted
instruments of raw hide, filled out the choir.
After slowly advancing nearly to central
post, they retired backwards, again ad-
vanced a little further than before this
was done several times, until they crowded
upon the spectators, drew their revolvers,
held them up and discharged them in the
air. Soon after, the women rushed for
ward, with a shrieking yell, threw their
blankets violently upon the ground, snatch
ed them up with the same tremulous shrek
which had been produced before, and re-
tired, which closed this part of the entertain
ment. The ornamented shields used on
this occasion, were aferward hung up with
the medicines.
Soon after followed the great buffalo
medicine. Ninety Indians-men, women
and children-disguised in buffalo robes,
(having the pates and horns on them, in
imitation of bufaloes, collected upon the side
of a hill, just outside the camp. At the
proper signal, the great medicine chief
standing some distance to the left of the
entrance of the medicine house, holding
something in his hand that made smoke
they came, in long procession, took
several turns around the medicine house
before finding the entrance, when they
cautiously entered, nearly the whole popua-
tion of the encampment standing about mid
way between the first circle of lodges and
the medicine house when the last buffalo
had entered, all these started upon the run
for the entrance, followed by great many
on horseback.
Upon entering the medicine house, the
buffalo were found lying down, huddled to-
gethcr around the central post, heads either
towards it or directly from it. The great
medicine chief dainted white, wearing buff
falo robe and fur head dress, stood opposite
and facing the entrance, holding in his
hands something similar to the squirt gun
of our boyhood days. He was accompanied
by two old men, also wrapped in buffalo
robes. After some fifteen or twenty
minutes of silence, the two old men advanc-
cd and commenced an examination of the
buffalo, feeling them, punching them, and
talking to them, occasionally holding up Il
small stick, apparently pulled out of the
side of buffalo, and addressing few
words to the medicine chief, who would
step forward and squirt small quantity
of the contents of his gun into the hair of
the animal one of the other men would
then make Il short speech, holding up the
stick to view, and concluded by placing it
upon the buffalo from which it was first
taken. Hereupen the wild tremulous
shricking of the women filled the air. This
was repeated several times, and finally
at a signal from the medicine chief, the
ceremony ended.