Letter V.
TO THE DIRECTORS OF THE ASSOCIATION.
St. Louis, June 5, 1849.
GENTLEMEN:
It is time to pass to the Sioux, whose territory I reached a few days after my visit to the Ponkahs. Mr. Campbell, one of the best interpreters in the country, generously offered to accompany me to the different tribes of this nation. His acquaintance with the country and the manners of the Indians, as well as the respect and friendship which the latter entertain for him, greatly facilitated my relations with them. I must also add, as a tribute of well-merited gratitude, that the officers of Fort Bonis and of Fort Pierre received me with the most delicate hospitality, and that the concurrence of their influence aided powerfully to render my intercourse with the savages easier and more profitable.
I have several times observed, in former letters, that the Indians inhabiting the valley of the Upper Missouri, are generally more cruel than those sojourning west of the Rocky Mountains. Probably this arises from their almost incessant wars, which inflame them with a love of plunder and a thirst for vengeance. At the epoch of my visit to the Sioux, a troop of these barbarians were returning from a war against the Mahas, with thirty-two human scalps torn from defenceless old men, and from women and children whose husbands and fathers were off bunting. When they re-enter their villages, after the combat, it is their custom to attach these horrible trophies of their shameful victory to the points of their lances or to the bits of their horses. At the sight of these spoils the whole tribe shouts with joy, and every one considers it the highest gratification to-assist at the Scalp Dance and Feast-which is celebrated amid the most discordant yells and fearful gestures. They plant a post daubed with vermillion in the midst of the camp; the warriors surround it, flourishing in their hands the bloody scalps which they have brought back from the field of battle ; each one howls his war-song to the lugubrious tone of a large drum; then giving in turn his stroke of the tomahawk on the post, he proclaims the victims that his hatchet has immolated, and exhibits ostentatiously the scars of the wounds which he has received.
Such is, even at the present day, the degraded condition of the unfortunate Indian. They never take the field without endeavoring to draw down the favor of the Great Spirit, either by diabolical rites or by rigorous fasts, macerations, and other corporeal austerities. They even go so far as to cut off joints of the fingers and toes. Add to the thick shade of heathen darkness a shocking depravation of manners, and you will have a faint idea of the lamentable position of these wretched tribes. Yet these same men welcomed me with open arms, as a messenger from the Great Spirit! - A vivid emotion, depicted in every countenance, accompanied their respectful attention to my discourse, while I instructed them in the great truths of religion.
An event which occurred two days after my arrival at Fort Pierre, contributed much to augment their confidence in me. I give it as it occurred. The tribe of the Ogallallahs had entered in a hostile manner on the lands of their neighbors, the Abharokes (or Crows), and had attacked them The latter defended themselves bravely, routed their aggressors, and killed ten or twelve warriors. They had even employed a mode of repulsion which covered the tribe that experienced its effects with immortal-disgrace : they pursued the Ogallallas with rods and clubs. This, according to them, signifies that their adversaries were worth neither the lead nor powder that would be expended in killing them. So shameful a defeat discourages the Indian, and he no longer dares appear before such an enemy.
In this affair, the chief of the vanquished nation, named the Red Fish, lost his daughter, who was carried off by the Crows into captivity. Melancholy and humbled, he deserted the wigwams of his tribe, which loss of honor and the death of so many of its warriors had overwhelmed with mourning and desolation. He presented himself at Fort Pierre on the morrow of my arrival. The object of his journey was to obtain the liberty of his daughter, through the mediation of the officers of the fort; he offered eighty fine buffalo-robes and his best horses for her ransom. In his visit to me; ' grasping my hand firmly in his, with tears coursing down his checks, and heart-broken with grief, be thus addressed me, while sobs often interrupted his utterance : "-Black gown, I am a most unhappy father! I have lost my beloved daughter. Pity vne, for I have learned that the medicine of the Black-gown (the prayer) is powerful before the Great Spirit. . Speak to the Master of Life in any favor, and I will still preserve hope of seeing any child."
At these few words, which the emotion of the aged man rendered singularly eloquent, I replied, that I sympathized with his sorrow, but that he must himself prepare the way for the blessing of Heaven-and that by virtuous deeds he might obtain from the Great Spirit the accomplishment of his desires. I added, that without doubt the Master of Life had been offended by this unjust attack upon the Crows, of which he himself had been the chief Instigator, in his position as Great Chief, and that to himself solely he must attribute-the misfortune of his child, and all the other miseries which had resulted from that expedition. I exhorted him to abandon in future all unprovoked attacks upon his neighbors; and to persuade his tribe to hearken to the orders of the Great Spirit, which I had come to announce to them. I concluded by speaking to Lira of the mercy of God, who always hears the voice of the afflicted when they love and serve him. I also promised him the assistance of my prayers, and he on his part agreed to follow my counsels.
Red Fish returned soon after to his nation, and collected all the principal chiefs, in order to communicate to them what had passed at the fort, and in particular his conversation with- me, the Black-gown,-concerning his daughter. At that very moment a cry of joy was heard in the extremity of the camp. They ran up from all sides to ask the cause; - at length the good tidings are announced, that the captive daughter has escaped safe and sound from her enemies. The old chieftain scarcely dares to believe what lie bears. He rises, and on leaving his cabin he has the unspeakable consolation of beholding once more his beloved child, whom Providence had restored. Imagine, if possible, his astonishment and delight, shared with trim by his tribe. Every hand was lifted to heaven to thank the Great Spirit for the
deliverance of the prisoner. The report flew quickly from '- village to village, and this coincidence, that Divine Providence permitted for the good of the Ogallallahs, was to them a certain proof of the great power of Christian prayer, and will, I hope, contribute to confirm these poor Indians in their good dispositions.
The number of half-breeds and Indians baptized among the Sioux amounts to several hundred. I conferred the same sacrament upon six adults far advanced in years, two of
whom were over ninety, and dwelt in a little but of buffalo-skins, in which a poor fire with difficulty imparted a little warmth to their members, chilled and stiffened with age. They received me with great joy. I spoke to them of the Great Spirit, of the necessity of baptism, of the future life, of the blessed or miserable eternity which must follow this state of being. They listened with avidity to the instructions which I repeated during several days, and, in fine, received the sacrament of regeneration. They were never weary of telling me again and again that they bad never ceased to love the Great' Spirit, and that, being ignorant of more suitable prayers, they had daily offered him the first fruits of tile calumet !
This recalls to my mind a fact, insignificant in itself, which nevertheless proved a source of genuine consolation to me. On my arrival in the nation of the Brules, I was singularly surprised to find myself followed by a youth about fifteen years of age, whom my presence seemed to afford a degree of pleasure which it would be difficult for me to describe. The little kind encouragement, by which I corresponded to his manifestation of contentment, so effectually conciliated his affection for me, that the efforts and threats even of the savages who surrounded me, could not remove him any length of time from my person. Scarcely had they taken him from my side by violence, than another path brought him back; be even penetrated into the grand council of the chiefs, in which the expeditious diplomacy of the Brules agitated the questions of which my arrival among them required a solution. Night came on, and terminating the deliberations of the assembly, obliged me to withdraw from my new friend. His narrow and fattened brow, his silly stare and extraordinary gestures, gave me to understand that he was of the number of those beings whose want of reason is a safeguard against the loss of innocence, and I resolved to regenerate him on the morrow in the salutary waters of baptism. I therefore caused the whole tribe to be collected, and after giving them a clear explanation of the blessings of the sacrament that I was going to confer, I caused them to understand the happiness that was in reserve for all eternity to a being apparently so vile, and who bad hitherto been only an object of their contempt, or at least of their compassion. These few words produced a profound impression upon my new auditory, and were followed by numerous petitions for the grace belonging to the Great Spirit, like my poor friend Paschal (this was the name of the little idiot), who is now treated with respect almost amounting to veneration throughout his whole tribe. But not being able to remain with them longer than a few days, I contented myself with baptizing a great number of their children; and giving the others a hope, that later we would return and visit them, and that we could then instruct them, and grant, in a more useful manner, the favor which they solicited.
There is a custom existing among the Indians, which is excessively fatiguing to the stranger or to the missionary who visits one of their villages. As soon as he arrives, a succession of grand banquets is given in his honor, and Indian politeness exacts that he accept all these invitations-and the savage prepares without delay the best and most delicate that he has. The fat dog, which with them replaces the fatted calf, is the most acceptable dish, and is reserved for great occasions. After this, succeed buffalo-tongues, ribs, etc., etc., and a great variety of fruits, grain, and roots.
In every camp which I visited, I was conducted ceremoniously from banquet to banquet, by the leading chiefs. Everywhere I was presented with a dish so filled with their delicacies that each portion would have sufficed me during several days. All must be consumed. This would be impossible were it not for the allowance of the blessed privilege of con ducting one or two eaters with us. In some of the Sioux camps, the guests are permitted just to touch the dish, and then take it home to their cabins.
In the various camps which I visited, I presented each one of the great chiefs with a medal of our Holy Father, Pope Pius IX. On this occasion I explained to them the high position of the Great Chief of all the Black-gowns-the respect, the veneration, and the love that all the nations faithful to the Great Spirit testify to his vicar on earth, etc., etc. They immediately brought the calumet, and after having offered it first to the Master of Life, imploring his blessing, the savages, in their engaging simplicity, presented it to his visible representative, entreating me to make known to him the esteem and love which they bear to him, and the ardent desire they entertain to listen to the Black-gowns sent in his name.
When distributing medals to the Indians, these explanations become necessary ; for, being naturally inclined to superstition, they often treat those objects with more than respect. A Sioux chief gave me a singular proof of this. While I was suspending the medal of Pius IX. to his neck, be testified an extraordinary joy and gratitude. "I will place it," said he, "with my War-Manitou; it will render me as prudent in councils during peace, as the other has rendered me strong in battle." I asked an explanation of these words. He at once opened a little box, and drew forth from it a package, carefully wrapped up in buckskin. He unrolled it, and, to my great surprise, I saw a colored picture of General Diebitsch, in full uniform, and mounted on a beautiful war horse. For years the Russian had been the Manitou of war to the Sioux chief; he invoked him, and offered him his calumet, before all his enterprises against his enemies, and attributed to him the success of the many victories he had gained. I endeavored to disabuse the poor Indian of his strange devotion, and have reason to hope that my efforts were not useless.
As stated already, I was sent to the Sioux tribes to sound their dispositions in a moral and religious point of view. The little account that I have the honor of presenting you discloses the result of my visit. What I have narrated touching these inhabitants of the desert, offers little encouragement to the missionary. There is an immense difference between them and the Plat-Heads, and numerous other nations that occupy the regions west of the Rocky Mountains. These first' children of my apostolate have given me consolations that I should vainly seek among the Sioux. Would, then, a mission with the latter prove destitute of success a The little experience that I have been able to acquire, and my residence among them, inspire me to trust more confidently in Him who holds in his hands the most obdurate hearts and the most refractory wills. I hope that in the course of this year something may be clone in favor of these degraded Indians, so long left without the aid of religion. The same happiness will be granted to the Black-Feet,, who already count eleven hundred neophytes. The pious Associates of the Propagation of the Faith may contribute greatly to the accomplishment of this holy work, by their fervent prayers.
I quitted the uplands of the Niobrarah and the Mankizita towards the end of October, 1848, before the season of rain and snow. These places are the temporary abodes to which the different tribes of Sioux repair in autumn, for the purpose of bunting the wild animals, which abound at that time, and thus provide themselves with hides and meat for the approaching winter. The consumption of skins in Missouri must be immense, for all Indians use them for constructing their huts, as well as for the harness of their horses and their own clothing. Last year, 110,000 buffalo-robes, with skins of elk, gazelle, deer, big-horn, otter, beaver, etc., and 25,000 salted tongues, were received in the ware houses of St. Louis. This may give you an idea of the extraordinary number of buffaloes killed, and of the extent of the vast wilderness which furnishes pasturage to these animals.
We set off in a skiff from Fort Bonis, which is near the mouth of the Little Medicine River. Our trip was delightful. The weather proved magnificent, and the two shores of the Missouri, teeming at this season with an extraordinary quantity of every species of game, offered the most graceful and varying spectacle, while it opened a vast field to the greediness and skill of our hunters.
At Council Bluffs, the sky, which had been hitherto clear and serene, suddenly changed, to give place to wind and tempest, and thick clouds of snow, which accompanied us during two days. We took refuge in a dense forest, in order to defend ourselves from the inclemency of the storm. The wild honey which we found there was our principal resource, one poplar alone, which we felled, furnishing us with more than we needed.
We made but little progress during ten days, on account of head winds, rain, and snow. Before arriving at the mouth. of the Grand Tarkio, the Missouri was so covered with floating ice that, in our frail bark, we were exposed to the greatest danger, especially from the many sawyers with which the bed of the river is thickly set, and which discover or conceal their menacing beads on every side. These are trees, or trunks of trees, which the river uproots and washes from its banks, and whose roots get firmly fastened in the muddy bed of the river. As there are no dikes or embankments which can hinder the river from overflowing, it often happens that whole forests are uprooted and swallowed in its waves. These create great embarrassment and obstacles to its navigation.
Prudence forced us to abandon our boat. I therefore' hired a farmer's wagon, which brought us safe and sound to St. Joseph, after a drive, of two days through a 'great forest which skirts the Missouri. The steamer which I hoped to meet there had departed on the eve of my arrival, and thus the opportunity of a prompt return to St. Louis appeared lost to me. I resolved, however, to exert myself to the utmost to overtake the boat : this to many would appear folly; the idea of running after a high-pressure steamboat certainly does appear quite ridiculous. But I relied upon the numerous delays of the boat at the different sand-banks, which were more likely to take place, also, as the season was advancing. I calculated well; in twenty-four hours I was on board.
For four months I had been night and day exposed to the open air, and, as in all my other excursions, with no bed but a buffalo-robe. Yet my health had been uninterruptedly good, not even suffering from the slightest attack of cold; ,- but scarcely was I subjected, during one day, to the heat of the stove in the cabin of the steamboat, than I was seized with a violent sore throat-it being my first indisposition through the whole of my long journey.
At length, after four months' absence, I arrived without other accident at the University of St. Louis, where, enjoying with my brethren the charms of the community life, I soon forgot the little fatigues of my expedition.
P. S.-I subjoin a list of the principal forest trees found along the banks of the Missouri, hoping it may prove agreeable to the amateurs of botany :
Populus angulata. Cornus sericea
Platanus occidentalis. Prunus
Celtis crassifolia.. Pyrus coronarea
Gleditsschia triacanthus. Castanea Americana et pumila
Robinia pseudacacia. Quercus palustris, maerocarpa et pumila
Juglans olivae formis.
Cornus Florida. Betula nigra, papyracea et lenta.
Azalia spinosa. Sambucus.
Gymnocladus Canadensis. Juglans squamosa et nigra.
Morus, rubra et alba. Corylus.
Laurus sassafras. Fraxinus.
Ulmus Americana and aspera. Pinus.
Acer rubrum et saccharinum Juniperus Virginiana
Diospyros Virginiana. Vaccinium resinosum.
Salix. Magnolia.
Shrubs
Berberis vulgaris.. Laurus benzoin. (Spice-bush.)
Viburnum. (Arrow-wood.) Barnet saxifrage.
Hawthorn. Vines of different species.
Vaccinium; Oxycoccus. Elkwood.
I am, with the most profound respect; and esteem the most sincere,
Gentlemen,
Your most humble and most obed't serv't,
P J. DE SMET, S. J.