The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1924-05-30


probably the Highwoods, and h,
accompanied the artist Bodmer
when he sketched the Bearpaw
mountains.
| The prince saw the Indians al
peace, and at war; as while he was
at Fort Mckenzie, the Assiniboines
and Crees attacked the Blackfeet
who had come to the fort to trade,
and the fort employees took the part
of the Blackfeet, finally putting the
enemy to flight, but not before sew
eral of the Blackfeet were killed.
One custom of the Blackfeet.
mentioned by Macmillan, was that
of making a present of the corpse
of relative or friend, to some one
they wished to favor. Such gift
could not be refused, and it be-
came the duty of the recipient to
undertake its burial, which cere-
monial entailed no little trouble and
expense. as the donor watched the
proceeding with a jealous eye to
make sure that nothing was lack
ing. Such a burial Macmillan
witnessed at Fort Mckenzie.
OF the fort itself, Maximilian
writes "The present fort is 120.
PAGES from the north bank of the
Missouri, which little below
makes a large bend. + i 1t Isl
much smaller than Fort Union,
and worse, and more slightly built.
= = A level prairie surrounds the
fort; and about 800 PAGES beyond
it, the chain of hills, about 80 to
100 feet high, runs in the direction
from south to north, and about |
1000 PAGES above the fort reaches
the Missouri, and then runs along
its bank. = On ascending to the
top of the chain of hills, you look
over a level dry prairie, in which,
at small distance, are the pretty
deep beds of two rivers, Maria
river, and Teton river, called by
Lewis and Clark, Tansy river. The
after, which is small river, flows
through a beautifully verdant val
ey, the bottom of which is covered
With tall, shady poplars; there is
good pasture of high grasses and
other plants. 1t flows into the
Maria not far above its mouth. =
Below the fort, in the first bend
If the river, is an island called
Horse Island, where the horses be-
onging to the fort are sent to J
,raze in the winter. They never
lave any other food but grass in
he summer; and in the winter the {
ark of poplar trees, which they Z
nav off. They never enter a
table. The south bank of the Mis- :
ouri consists of high clay walls, 4 i
4 which there are doubtless strata b
f sandstone because numbers of
eautiful impressions of shells are =
ound Immediately at the edge of
ne bank. These high walls must n
e very dangerous to the fort, in !.
ase of an attack by the Indians, i
ecause an effective fire may be il
lade from them into the quad t,
angle of the fort. This dangerous p
osition was one of the causes +
hich led to the resolution of a
new settlement further if
D the river" n
At the end of his two months v,
sit. Macmillan returned to Fort 81
Mon, and from there he went to re
ort Clark, where he spent the 81 >.
inter studying the Mandans and "a
e Minitarees, and the following
ar, 1884, he returned to Neuwied. H
ere, a few years later, he enter 81 81
ined Kenneth Mckenzie. in
Alexander Cu1bertson, who was ra
it'll Prince Maxinilian at Fort y
Mon, and who accompanied him Sc
Fort Mckenzie, gives the fol- va
wing graphic description of the Bi
stinguished scientist: 90
"TIe was a man of medium SO
light, rather slender. sans teeth, en-
ssionately fond of his pipe, I'M Isl isl
tentatious, and speaking very Of Of
oxen English. His favorite dress Sc
IS white SLOUGH hat, a black of
Ivet coat, rather rusty from long IL
vice, and probably the greasiest boo
if of trousers that ever encased
nicely legs. The prince was a :.
chelor and man of science, and
was in this latter capacity that