On Canada's Frontier: Sketches of History, Sport, and Adventure and of the Indians, Missionaries, Fur-traders, and Newer Settlers of Western CanadaRalph, Julian
History
On Canada's Frontier: Sketches of History, Sport, and Adventure and of the Indians, Missionaries, Fur-traders, and Newer Settlers of Western Canada
Ralph, Julian
Hudson's Bay Company -- History; Indians of North America -- Canada; Northwest, Canadian -- Description and travel
We were ushered into the presence of Three Bulls, in the biggest of all
the tents. By common consent he was presiding as chief and successor to
Crowfoot, pending the formal election, which was to take place at the
feast of the sun-dance. European royalty could scarcely have managed to
invest itself with more dignity or access to its presence with more
formality than hedged about this blanketed king. He had assembled his
chiefs and headmen to greet us, for we possessed the eminence of persons
bearing gifts. He was in mourning for Crowfoot, who was his brother, and
for a daughter besides, and the form of expression he gave to his grief
caused him to wear nothing but a flannel shirt and a breech-cloth, in
which he sat with his big brown legs bare and crossed beneath him. He is
a powerful man, with an uncommonly large head, and his facial features,
all generously moulded, indicate amiability, liberality, and
considerable intelligence. Of middle age, smooth-skinned, and plump,
there was little of the savage in his looks beyond what came of his long
black hair. It was purposely wore unkempt and hanging in his eyes, and
two locks of it were bound with many brass rings. When we came upon him
our gifts had already been received and distributed, mainly to three or
four relatives. But though the others sat about portionless, all were
alike stolid and statuesque, and whatever feelings agitated their
breasts, whether of satisfaction or disappointment, were equally hidden
by all.
When we entered the big tepee we saw twenty-one men seated in a circle
against the wall and facing the open centre, where the ground was
blackened by the ashes of former fires. Three Bulls sat exactly opposite
the queer door, a horseshoe-shaped hole reaching two feet above the
ground, and extended by the partly loosened lacing that held the edges
of the tent-covering together. Mr. L'Hereux, the interpreter, made a
long speech in introducing each of us. We stood in the middle of the
ring, and the chief punctuated the interpreter's remarks with that queer
Indian grunt which it has ever been the custom to spell "ugh," but which
you may imitate exactly if you will try to say "Ha" through your nose
while your mouth is closed. As Mr. L'Hereux is a great talker, and is of
a poetic nature, there is no telling what wild fancy of his active brain
he invented concerning us, but he made a friendly talk, and that was
what we wanted. As each speech closed, Three Bulls lurched forward just
enough to make the putting out of his hand a gracious act, yet not
enough to disturb his dignity. After each salutation he pointed out a
seat for the one with whom he had shaken hands. He announced to the
council in their language that we were good men, whereat the council
uttered a single "Ha" through its twenty-one noses. If you had seen the
rigid stateliness of Three Bulls, and had felt the frigid
self-possession of the twenty-one ramrod-mannered under-chiefs, as well
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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