The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1882-09-15

InlH preliminary performance ended,
our attention for Che fret time was
called 70 the dancers, who, unnoticed
by ", had been reclining on the ground
and were called into line, straight as a
npelling class, by signal consisting OF
a loud and vigorous hump from The
principal drummer. There were thirty.
Blk young, fno-looking men, who stood
twenty feet from Us and the tent. Each
one was naked to tho waIst, his lower
limbs being concealed by calico shirt
or gag shawl wrapped lengthwise
around him. OF thirty-two the face.
/ arms and body 10 tho waist we're Faint
ed a vivid yellew, in some cases di7e-si-
fed by streal,g Of red. One lemon-hued
countenance was covered with regularly.
placed spots OF white, another qhastly
lace with syots OF black. On tie IeH
arm OF each was o bracelet OF dowpy
White cotton or white feathers, and on
the loft leg an anklet of the same. All
bao turkey-bones, ornamerted With O
feather or two, through which they
vbistled shrilly in concert several times
and at the close of each dance. Their
hands were dropped at their sides.
Four at tho end OF the line had
green wreaths, which they frequently
held sloft toward the sun. The music
wes produced by the combined effect
Of the four persons beating on the tom.
tonl, the wailing chant Of the women
and three dozen whistles. Their dance
consists simply in motion Of the BODY.
% they do not lift the foot from the
ground. / can never begin to tell the
effect of it ALL those thirty-six hideous
and gbastly bodies swaying together in
perfect harmony, their eyes directed TO
the god of the heavens, the bright calico
flags foaSng with q Fourth of July
ehect over their heads, tho savage spec
tstors presenting all grades Of the white
mans influence, from tbe Indian farmer
In citizens clothes, with shingled Lair
ana Respectable aspect, to the veriest
savage in blanket, war-paint and
teathers.
These Indians had spent the preceding
night II almost continuous dancing. vet
they did rot appear exhausted. In
about ten minutes the line of perform.
ers stopped with shrill concert wbistle
iron the turkcy-bones, ani then drop-
ped In graceful attitudes on tho ground.
by the tent vcrc four poles, from which
ropes were hanging. IL is strange that
through ell these years the dance still
retains lts oldtims significance and bar.
barlIy, thopgl early all Of the instru.
ments used IN its performance now are
oi the white man's manufacture. There
were blankets instead OF buffalo robes.
the druggists pliuts iustead OF dyes
they lad themselves obtained from ma
ture, ropes instead cf pieces of raw
hide, beads and brass bells instead OF
wampum ard died quills, and so ON.
Tue big medicine pole" forty feet in
heieht, was orranlented with stripes of
red and green and quantity Of plants
massed about its base. Toward these
poles advanced, leading his pony by n
iel;ow, With 'Deanuiui moving mar,
Three Chiefs now stepped forward.
One held The pony willie the yonng
mRu wac led to sort CT bed made of
beughs, on which he threw himself faco
downward. Tie hair bei = brushed aside
from his iiCad ana ,huely Lack,
oLe n 'sed the skin from III, left should.
er, tDe othcr pieici0g ihiprlh the mp
lifted tleeh with hup tn,ic and run
ming a1Eewcr al ont the SIZE OF an or
dinary lead pencil through the incision
made by b c kniic. The skegor was
tied to the rcny's rope, and the victim
arose frcri his knees, whistle in mouth,
srd dared ATound the tent, the pony
following, hut held at its head by a
chief, who frequently gave slight pull,
and soon The sAewer broke loose from
The flesh, aud tie zeaiot was free. This
osrloTmanc2 lurst seem very tame to
he Indians, VINO m.ra not allowed to
follow their u,Jai custom OF Tightening
he pouy into .ii1 ran, thus violently
tearing the flesh from the back OF tho
lancer. 4 snail piece OF the flesh be-
S&s fEf JSqgma Il {t6bs sN ARs sa baak s he
walk toward the medicine pole With
solernity he raised his extended arm
Lovard the sun as If in invocation, then
dropped the piece of 1esn into the pile
Of plants at ths bottom OF the pole.
His vile, frod will religious zeal, now
eS,lSu ivt "a'u Sr' rasI - rI+iaii ,4,.v
y tesh cut from her arm and snealed
her face with the blood The Young
man having returned to tho dancers. sil
iro5e sad performed for few moments
with great animation. 1t the cicse an
other brave was thought forward to be
led 10 pony.
Then came al i.-:orvAl Of rest, in
which the thirty.six principal perform
ars, who must not eat or drink til the
aye over, watched The t5nta-
lizing process OF tie rthora taking re.
whioh sore sor,o hind cf
short bread, er,s' ribs of hsovcs and
DOES, veritaile .i0gs. which. having
been beaten to ds..n ~ith cluas, were
roasted whole Owe su open fire. I bad
til I saw these bQii,s puiied ihto heerry
unusual state Of la.ness by the process
i cooking.
After the rouast. dancing recon-
nenced with g,'at yieor, eight coming
forward, one OF time, TO be cut and
tied to tie poles One lNaSny Cyclops,
who in the years gone by lad allowed
two OF his fingers 10 ilg Cut off as an ex-
ample Of fortitnde ard zeal, had, with
utmost urc oucern, a piece OF flesh cut
from each arm 10 be placed in the
sacred pile. It was not long before
down every back Of the whole line
trickled little rill Of blood from the
incision. This year was omitted the
inhumsn act of having Sits cut in the
children's arms which they a'e said
not to endure with the stoical calm OF
their fathers, but with cbild-liSe indig-
nation and tear'. The ceremony was
kept up thruuah another night; then
the famished thirty.six, for the first
time in the same number OF hours, par
took OF meat and drink and dropped
upon the Rrouud iii their b'anbets TO
deep the sleep OF utter exhaustion.