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Show Lcwi~ and Clarke's EajJCdition from the right, whiclt dh·ected its course more to the west. ward. We descende~ the steep sides of the hills along its border, and at the distance of three miles found a small branch coming in f1·om the eastward. \Ve saw seYcral of the argalia, but tbey were too shy to he killed, and we therefore made a dinner fJ•oJ.u. a dec•· shot by one of the hunte~ s. '"Then we pursued tbe course of the stream fo1• three mlles, till it emptied itself into a river fi·om the cast 1 h 'd • n t e WI e vaJJey at theit· junction, we discovered a large en-campment of Indians: when we bad reached them and alight,. ed from om· hoa·scs, we were received with great cordiaJi. ty. A council was immediately assembled, white robes were thrown over our soldiers, and the pipe of peace introduced. After this ceremony, as it was too late to go any fu.rtber, we ~ncamped, and continued smoking and conversing \nth the chiefs till a Jate hour. rrhe next morning, . Thursday 5, we assembled the chiefs and warriors, and I~f?rmed t~em who we were, and the pm·pose for which we VISited their country. All this was however conveyed to them through so many difft'l'ent languages, that it was not oomprehendcd witlwut difficuhy. \Ve therefore proceeded to _the mor~ i.ntelligible language of presents, and made four chiefs uy givmg a medaJ and a small quantity of tobacco to each. ~ e .received in turn from the pl'incipal chief, a present consistmg of the skins or a braro, an otter, and two a'l~ tel opes, and wer·e treated by the women to some dried roots and berries. \Vc then be g.a n t o t r·a ffi c f'O l' horses, and suc-ceeded in exchang.i ng seven, pureh asm. g eleven, for wh1. ch we ga~e a few aJ•ticles of merchandise. This encampment consists of thirty-three tents in which were about four hund red sou1 s , among whom C.J g' bty were men. They are called Ootlasboots, and represent them-selves as one hand f . . o a natwn called 'l'ushepaws, a nu-merous people of fo ur 11 un d red and fif.t y tents, residinoo on the heads of th ... M' . . .. . . b .., 1ssour1 and Columhta riVers, and so .me of them lower down the lattet• river. In person these Up the JJ1issotu·i. Indians are stout, and their complexion Jigltter tban that common among Indians. The hait· of the men is worn in queues of otter skin, falling in front ov<'r the shoulders. A shirt of dressed skin covers the bo(ly to the knee~ ami on this is worn occasionally a roue. To these wrre added leggings and moccasins. 'rhe women suflcr their hair to fall in disorder over the face and shoulders, and theii· chief article of covering is a long shirt of skin, reaching down to the anclcs, and tied round the waist. In other l'C· spects, as also in the few ornaments which they possess, theil' appearance is sirnilal' to that of the Shoshonces; there is however a diftcJ•encc IJetween the language of these llCOple which is still fal'l her inc1·eased by the vc..wy cxtt·am·dinary pronunciation ol' the Ootla.shoots. 'J'hcit· wot·ds have all a remarkably guttut·al sound, and thcl'e is nothing which seems to rcpt·esent the tone of their· S)>eaking moPe exactly than the clucking of a fowl, OL' the noi!lc of a pa•·•·ot. 'l'his peculiarity t•eudcJ·s theil' voices searceJy audible, cxcq>t at a shOl't distance, and when many 01' them at·e talking. i'ot·ms a strange confusion of sounds. The common convcrsat!on we overheard, consisted of low guttural :;ounds occaswnally broken by a loud wot·d or twu, after which it would rclailse and scarcely be distinguished. They seem kind and fricmlly and willingly sh~u·ed with us beJ'l'ies and roots, which formed their only stock of provisions. 'l'hcit· only wealth is their horses, which are very fine, and so numerous that this }lal'ty had with them at least five hundl'cd. • }?riday 6. 'Ve continued this morning with the OotJashoots, f 1·om wbom we pm·chased two mot·c hot·ses, and procured a vocabulary of their language. rrhc Ootlashoots set off auout two o'clock to join the diJfel'ent bands who were collecting at the three forks of the ~iissouri. W c ourselves proceeded at the same time, and taking a direction N. 30 )\r. crossed within the distance of one mile and a half~ a small river fr·om the right, and a creek coming in from the north • 1.'his river is the main stream, and when it reaches the end 3 L |
