Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-06-14
INDIAN SWEAT BATH.
A Novel Experience Of An Army
Officer Among the Cheyennes.
ALMOST STEAMED TO DEATH.
Strange Religious Ritcs and CcrcmO-
MES Accompanying the Bahia
source Of Mortality Among the Red
Men.
special Correspondence Of the EVENING STAR.

In CAMP. MONTANA, May %.
WZ1z2zzm URJNG the month of April 1 went
"a va into camp with three troops of my
Nj regiment on the Rosebud river, Mon
WI tana. The Northern Cheyennes live
c. along this stream, and we had ridden
In hot haste, at the summons OF their agent, to
quell threatened outbreak among them.
Our work of pacifcation has occupied sew
eral weeks During this time we have been en-
camped on q lovely little nook on the Lame
Deer, tributary of the Rosebud. Around us
rise pine-dotted hills, fringed here and there
with rocky bluffs of rich and varied tInts. and
on the plain above and below are scattered the
smoky, conical lodges of our Cheyenne neigh
bors The weather is sunny and mild. we have
plenty of wood, water and grass--the holy
trinity of the western cavalrvman above
all, we do not have to rise with each mornings
dawn to pursue hopeless Indian trail across
weary miles of the sage-strewn alkaline desert.
which is so familiar to our cavalry scouting
columns. Mounted skrmish drill and daily
forays into the surrounding hills give us plenty
of fresh air and exercise, and for the rest we
depend on our individual wits for the amuse-
ment, which it is the principal duty of officer
and trooper alike to seek in camp.
INTERESTED IN THE SWEAT BATH.
As means toward this end. Capt F., first
cavalry. my tent mate and troop commander.
and brought out a copy OF Clark on Indian
Sign Language" and with the assistance of our
daily visitors from the Cheyenne tepccs began.
some time ago. to study this pantomimic
method of intercourse common to all plains
Indians. In turning over the pages of Capt.
Philo Clark's book | came across. one lazy
afternoon. g description OF the Indian sweat
hotla g a.,
should furnish it. |. too. would take IA sweat
bath, and right away. For eleven years / had
seen on every creek and river of various Indian
reservations, here and on the Pacific coast. the
willow frames of the Indian sweat lodge"
and had often determined i'll IA listless way to
enter one and undergo the ceremony by which
Indian dirt or disease. or both, are supposed to
be washed away. There are the remains of
several of these lodges on the very creek in
front of my tent and here was my opportu-
nifty. In a few minutes. armed with an extra
towel to serve as breech clout, was on my way
to the lodge OF Cheyenne whom knew and
to whom | made known my wishes without
betraylng any surprise at my remarkable re-
quest. he, III few minutes, called up couple
OF squaws and preparations for my sacrifice be-
gan. Ii early in the afternoon, but a
medicine man" had to be sent for to properly
conduct the ceremony, and this, with the
other proceedings, consumed nearly three
hours.
A SWEAT LODGE.
First, my Indian friend led me to the banks
Of the creek and offered me a choice of the
three lodges standing. in skeleton at different
points along it. l selected the largest and the
women Immediately began TO put it in order.
These sweat lodges are built of young willows.
Straight stems are cut to length of often ten
feet. The butt ends are sharpened and then
stuck into the ground i'll the form of a circle or
more often of an el!ipse. The number of trees
inser ted in the GROUND depends upon the elab-