OCR Text |
Show to the creek are different kinds of ducks and plover. 'l'he '~ind, which in 'the morning bad been from the northwest, slufted round in the evening to the southeast, and as ~sual we bad a breeze, which cooled the air and relieved us from the romsqui toes, wbo generally give us great trouble. Friday 17. The wind continued ft•om the southeast, and the mornina- was fair. We observe about us a grass rese~ .. bling whca~, except that the grain is like rye, ~lso some similar to both rye and barley, and a kind of bmot~ly, th.e seed or wltich branches from the main stock, and IS more like a ilaxsced than a timothy. In the evening, one of the pal'ty sent to the Ottocs, returned with the information that the rest wcL·e coming on with the descrtet·: they bad also caught I~ibcrtc, but, by a trick, be made his csca}te: they were bringing three of the chiefs in ordet· to engage our a.s· sistanee in makinoo peace with the Mahas. This nation hav-b r ing left their village, that desirable purpose cannot be e - fee ted; but in order to bring in any neighb8uring tribes, we set the surroumlingprairies on fire. This is the customary signal made by traders to apprize the Indians of their arrival: it is also used between different nations as an indication of any event lV hieh they l1ave previously agreed to announce in that way; and as soon as it is seen collects the neighbouring tribes, unless they apprehend that it is made by theh· enemies. August 18. In the al'ternoon the party arrived with the Indians, consisting of the Little 'rhief and the Big Horse, whom we had seen on the third, together with six other chiefs, and a French interpreter. 'Ve met them under a shade, and after they had finished a repast with which we SUilplied them, we inquirell into the origin of the war hetween them ami the l\'lahas, whic4 they related with great frankness. It seems that two of the Missouris went to the Mahas to steal l10rses, but were detected and killed; tlte Ottoc5 and Missouris thougl1t themselves bound to aveng~ thch· rompanions. and the whole nations were at last obli- Up the ~llissom·i. ged to share in the dispute; they arc also in fear of a war from the Pawnees, whose village they entered this summer, wbiJe the inhabitants were hunting, and stole their corn. 'fhis ingenuous confession did not make us the less desirous of negociatiog a peace for them; but no ln<lians have as yet been attracted by our fire. 'rhe evening was closed by a dance; and the next day, August 19, the chiefs and warriors being asssembled at ten o'clock, we explained the speech we had already sent from the Council-bluffs, and renewed our advice. They all replied in turn, and the pt·escnts were then distributed: we exchanged the small medal we had formerly given to the Big Horse for one of the same size with that of Little Thief': we also gave a small medal to a third chief, and a kind ot" certificate or letter of acknowledgment to five of the warriors expressive of eur favour and their good intentions: one of them dissatisfied, returned us the certificate; but the chief, fearful of our being offended, begged that it might be restored to him; this we declined, and rebuked them severely for having in view mere traffic instead of peace with their neighbours. This displeased them at first; but they at length all petitioned that it should be given to the warrior, "ho then came forward and made an apology to us; we then delivered it to the chief to be given to the most worthy, and he bestowed it on the same warrior, whose name was Great Blue Eyes. After a more substantial present of small articles and tobacco, the council was ended with a dram to the Indians. In the evening we exhibited different objects of curiosity, and particularly the airgun, which gave them great surprise. Those people are almost naked, having no CO'\'ering, except a sort of breechcloth round the middle, with a loose blanket or buffaloc robe painted, thrown over them. The names of these warriot·s, besides tbosc already mentioned were Karkapaha, (or Crow's head) and Nenasawa (or Black .C at) M1' .ssour1· s; and Sananona (or It·on Eyes) N eswaun- Ja (or B1g Ox) Stageaunja (ot· Bi.oo BJuc- F;yes) and 1Va |