File:Reports of explorations and surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean (1855) (14574275939).jpg

Identifier: reportsofexplora03unit_0 (find matches)
Title: Reports of explorations and surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean
Year: 1855 (1850s)
Authors: United States. War Dept Henry, Joseph, 1797-1878 Baird, Spencer Fullerton, 1823-1887 United States. Army. Corps of Engineers
Subjects: Pacific railroads Discoveries in geography Natural history Indians of North America
Publisher: Washington : A.O.P. Nicholson, printer (etc.)
Contributing Library: San Francisco Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: California State Library Califa/LSTA Grant

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ng the preceding tribes. Theirloose hair is uncropped. Feathers, tied to a lock at the crown of the bead, float with the breeze. 28 KICHAIS—COMANCHES.—KAIOWAS. They are armed with how and quiver of arrows ; wear blankets wrapped around their loins, andhuckskin sandals upon their feet. Kichai Indians afterward visited us, hut we saw ahout themno characteristics differing from Huecos. Plate 18 represents a couple of Comanches, wrapped in blankets, girdled with cords, and onhorseback. One is figured in the act of speaking by signs. They are armed with hows andarrows, and are without moccasins. They are expert horsemen, ride gracefully and rapidly,with no other equipments than the simple raw-hide noose represented. However, they are notaverse to using hoth saddle and bridle, whenever in their marauding expeditions they can ohtainpossession of them. Their features are sharp ; nose long ; eyes small, black, and sparkling.Their furtive glances express cunning, if not treachery. Plate 18.
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Comanches. Plate 19 is intended to represent Kaiowas upon a hunt. We gave them a cow, and they saidthey would show us how they killed buffalo. Therefore, mounting horses, they first goadedthe poor cow to madness, and then pursued her. The scene is sufficiently indicated, exceptthat the artist has transformed the game into that which we were desired to imagine.There appears to be no characteristic difference between the Kaiowas and Comanches. It is• prohable that they are hoth branches of the Snake tribe. Our vocabularies of their languages,which Professor Turner is examining, will determine the fact. The Kaiowas* wear blanketswrapped around their bodies, in the toga style. They are excessively fond of ornaments ofiridescent shells, of silver, and of hrass, such as are represented in the chapter upon Indianarts. They wear enormous head-dresses made of feathers, with long trails behind, ornamentedwith circular plates of silver. Yellow ochre is the favorite tint for hesmearing their fa

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