Codex Battleford
Transcription: 5
Transcription:
{4 [written in the top right corner]
residence in Battleford, perceived through the window a long file of horsemen and carts decorated [crossed out] decked [added] with open umbrellas. They were Big-Bear’s Indians, who in the hope of obtaining some food, executed infront of each house and store the “Beggar’s Dance.”
These outlandish [crossed out] These quaint [added] dances had the knack of interesting the white [added] population by their novel aspect. Everyone was at the doors. Poundmaker wore a simple xxx [crossed out] breech [added] -cloth and a short leather coat ornamented with gilt studs; his long legs were streaked with white. For cap [crossed out] headdress [added] he had a beaver’s head, decorated with pendant eagle feathers. Big-Bear was xx [crossed wearing [written over top] a faded black suit, and wearing [crossed out] an old hat [crossed out], unshapen and very dirty hat [added]. The old chief galloped from house to house, showing his satisfaction with the inhabitants of the little town. The merchents [crossed out] people who [written in its place] piled on the ground at the feet of the dancers [crossed out], sacks of flour, quarters of bacon, packages of tea and sugar, and plugs of tobacco.
In the meantime, Captain Antrobus dressed in a brilliant attire [added] uniform [crossed out] and mounted on a magnificent white horse, appeared on the only street in the town. Perceiving him, [crossed out] Awkward and Chief-Bird, sons of Big-Bear, disengaged themselves from the group, came circling around the officer. When they came near enough to him they abruptly opened the parasol which they had at hand. The Captain’s steed [added] horse [crossed out], startled, reared, faced about and took at a threefold gallop, the road towards the barracks. The Captain held fast to his horse, but his military cap went rolling in the dust to the great amusement of the Indians. The officer boiled with anger under the humiliation.
About an hour later, the dance ended. The Indians, satisfied [crossed out] retired to their camp on the south side of the Battle River. They had not been long there when the Captain arrived in company of the Indian agent and William Mc Kay of the Hudson’s Bay Co. as interpreter. He asked to speak to their chief. Poundmaker pointed to Big-Bear. “I will be brief,” said he. “My message [corrected in pen] is for the Head [corrected in pen] Chief alone. Let no other answer me. What are you doing here? If in half-an-hour you have not taken the road to your reserves, I will arrest and imprison all the chiefs. You have no right to stay in town.” [end quotation mark added in pen] At these words, Poundmaker bounded up. “There will be a ball here,” [quotation mark added in pen] said he, showing his throat, “before the first among us shall be arrested. We will go when we are ready. Not before.” [quotation mark added in pen] An old man arose: “He says that no one may speak but Big-Bear. Let him try to binder me. Look,” said he, pointing to the officer’s legs shaking with agitation. “He dishonours his grand uniform; he trembles through fear, and in spite of all this, he dares to speak thus. Begone!” The captain, baffled hastened to embark in his wagon [crossed out] carriage [added in its place] and return to his quarters in the midst of the laughing and jesting of the crowd.
Two hours later, the Indians were still on the shore of the Battle River, but nobody troubled them. They departed only in the evening.
When Big-Bear had installed himself on Poundmaker’s reserve the agent came to notify him to return home, but Big-Bear, without losing his presence of mind, answered that he was there at the invitation of Poundmaker and the other chiefs, and that he would not leave before terminating [crossed out] concluding [written in its place] the affairs which required his presence.}
residence in Battleford, perceived through the window a long file of horsemen and carts decorated [crossed out] decked [added] with open umbrellas. They were Big-Bear’s Indians, who in the hope of obtaining some food, executed infront of each house and store the “Beggar’s Dance.”
These outlandish [crossed out] These quaint [added] dances had the knack of interesting the white [added] population by their novel aspect. Everyone was at the doors. Poundmaker wore a simple xxx [crossed out] breech [added] -cloth and a short leather coat ornamented with gilt studs; his long legs were streaked with white. For cap [crossed out] headdress [added] he had a beaver’s head, decorated with pendant eagle feathers. Big-Bear was xx [crossed wearing [written over top] a faded black suit, and wearing [crossed out] an old hat [crossed out], unshapen and very dirty hat [added]. The old chief galloped from house to house, showing his satisfaction with the inhabitants of the little town. The merchents [crossed out] people who [written in its place] piled on the ground at the feet of the dancers [crossed out], sacks of flour, quarters of bacon, packages of tea and sugar, and plugs of tobacco.
In the meantime, Captain Antrobus dressed in a brilliant attire [added] uniform [crossed out] and mounted on a magnificent white horse, appeared on the only street in the town. Perceiving him, [crossed out] Awkward and Chief-Bird, sons of Big-Bear, disengaged themselves from the group, came circling around the officer. When they came near enough to him they abruptly opened the parasol which they had at hand. The Captain’s steed [added] horse [crossed out], startled, reared, faced about and took at a threefold gallop, the road towards the barracks. The Captain held fast to his horse, but his military cap went rolling in the dust to the great amusement of the Indians. The officer boiled with anger under the humiliation.
About an hour later, the dance ended. The Indians, satisfied [crossed out] retired to their camp on the south side of the Battle River. They had not been long there when the Captain arrived in company of the Indian agent and William Mc Kay of the Hudson’s Bay Co. as interpreter. He asked to speak to their chief. Poundmaker pointed to Big-Bear. “I will be brief,” said he. “My message [corrected in pen] is for the Head [corrected in pen] Chief alone. Let no other answer me. What are you doing here? If in half-an-hour you have not taken the road to your reserves, I will arrest and imprison all the chiefs. You have no right to stay in town.” [end quotation mark added in pen] At these words, Poundmaker bounded up. “There will be a ball here,” [quotation mark added in pen] said he, showing his throat, “before the first among us shall be arrested. We will go when we are ready. Not before.” [quotation mark added in pen] An old man arose: “He says that no one may speak but Big-Bear. Let him try to binder me. Look,” said he, pointing to the officer’s legs shaking with agitation. “He dishonours his grand uniform; he trembles through fear, and in spite of all this, he dares to speak thus. Begone!” The captain, baffled hastened to embark in his wagon [crossed out] carriage [added in its place] and return to his quarters in the midst of the laughing and jesting of the crowd.
Two hours later, the Indians were still on the shore of the Battle River, but nobody troubled them. They departed only in the evening.
When Big-Bear had installed himself on Poundmaker’s reserve the agent came to notify him to return home, but Big-Bear, without losing his presence of mind, answered that he was there at the invitation of Poundmaker and the other chiefs, and that he would not leave before terminating [crossed out] concluding [written in its place] the affairs which required his presence.}
