Volume 1

328 CULINARY UTENSILS OF THE MANDANS.
and this is the first work performed by the women in the
morning after
washed themselves in the Missourie.
having paid their devoirs to their lovers and
Their sweet corn and
beans are boiled whole. They use large earthen pots of
their own manufacture of a black clay which is plentiful
near their villages. They make them of different sizes,
from five gallons to one quart.
In these vessels nothing of
a greasy nature is cooked, every family being provided with
a brass or copper kettle for the purpose of cooking flesh.
Whether this proceeds from superstition or not I cannot
pretend to say, but they assured us that any kind of flesh
cooked in those earthen pots would cause them to split.
One or more of the largest kind is constantly boiling prepared
corn and beans, and all who come in are welcome to
help themselves to as much as they can eat of the contents.
The bottoms of these pots are of a convex shape ; much
care is therefore required to keep them from upsetting.
For this purpose, when they are put to the fire a hole is
made in the ashes to keep them erect, and when taken away
they are placed upon a sort of coil made of bois blanc fibers.
These coils or rings are of different sizes, according to the
dimensions of the several pots. Some pots have two ears
or handles, and are more convenient than those with
none.
Early this morning our young hostler took our horses
to feed in the meadow, but never allowed them to be
for a moment out of his sight, lest the Assiniboines or
other enemies might steal them. We purchased sweet
corn, beans, meal, and various other trifles, for which
we paid in ammunition, beads, and tobacco. Having
bought all we required, which was three horse-loads,
we were plagued by the women and girls, who continued
to bring bags and dishes full of different kinds of produce,
and insisted upon trading. It was some time before
we could persuade them that we had already purchased
more than we had horses to carry, They then offered to
sell us some common pack-horses, and also buffalo robes in