Year: 1878

March IL, 1873.


When date myself from the "Land
Of the Dakotas," you may expect a
very poetical epistle, full of the sound
OF the "north wind" and the thunder,
and frightened by glimpses of the
moonlight and the starlight, "dusky
maidens," &c. Mayhap it were better
TO leave you in this blissful ignorance,
for though heavens kind luminaries
still shine over this prosaic country,
and the "north wind doth blow" occa-
sionally, and the squaws still carry
their pappooses on their backs, neither
''in the birds-nest Of the forest, in the
lodges Of the beaver, " nor "in the hoof-
prints OF the bison" have found ba-
sis for Longfellow's pleasing poetry
This is why ask moment from your
Eastern war, theorizing of your 4l2;
grained dollar, TO show you the Mime
haha OF to-day, hard-featured, black
eyed woman with little claim to either
beauty or cleanliness, who "wears but
one gown and expires with the gowns
irresistible filth" and 10 whom you
would apply the name Of Laughing
Water" as soon as TO some stagnant
pool OF your city. To be sure she can
do very fine bead and porcupine quill
work, but she much prefers wandering
aimlessly about seeing what she can
lay hands on, and her "layIng on Of
| hands" / assure you does not resem-
BILE the traditional ideas on that sub
ject Her lord and master leaves the
little necessary labor Of their house.
keeping TO madam, for oply in hunting
time does he exert himself, except per-
haps in their monotonous aud oft-re-
peated dance, where the movement is
is simply an up and down one,
TO the accompaniment OF dismal
banging drum, and the constantly in
creasing in sound hi-yah, hi-yah, to
which he gives utterance as he jumps.
/ The ladies are only lookers-on at this
/ funereal amusement till refreshments,
usually soup a la chien, is served from
large black kettle with small tin
cup. passed around.


1t may be among the wilder tribes
more poetic fire may still be seen, but
/ these Yankton Sioux are being grad
ually tanned and civilized, and through
out their reservation may be seen the
steeples OF the pretty church erected
! by the different missions. These good
people are trying TO teach them some
thing Of agriculture and useful knowl-
edge; have built for them many a neat
/ little log house, OF which the Indian
soon tires, however, and returns TO his
/ tepee. near which is often seen q mys-
terious pole bound with bright calicoes,
which represents some OF their super
stitions. Near the mission stations
the old habit Of burying the dead,
! either in trees or on scaffolds made OF
poles, has been superseded by our
mode OF burial. No instance OF cre-
nation has yet been heard, though his
indifference at even such q spectacle
would have delighted an ancient stole
doubt not The idea OF learning his
bread by the sweat OF his brow" is the
only one think which could disturb
his lordship; and do you wonder when
his fortnishtly rations are doled out
regularly that he literally need take
no thought for the morrow"


The climate here is delightful; the
scarcity OF rain keeps the air so dry
that the sky is always beautiful, while
II prevents the growth Of trees, except
by the streams. But the effect one
might expect from this fact, of causing
all TO look UP rather than earthvard,
is not PARTICULARLY noticeable. We
have two grand sights in the spring;
when the ice in the Big Muddy breaks
up and comes laundering down for
days from the upper country, and
when the short prairie grass is on fire
IL looks on dark nights like long torch
light professions, winding down the
ravines and over the bluffs. In fact it
is very comfortable country to stay
in for while, aud if you doubt my
word you had better come and see us.


DAKOTA