OCR Text |
Show 130 b l w and situated seven on tlw west and two on the e 0 cast 11~1 d e of tbe Missouri• The two finding . them11e. lns t. away before the small-pox and the Sioux, umted was mg . b R' into one village, ami moved up the river opposite to t e 1· caras. 'rhe same causes reduced the remaining seven to five villages, till at length they emigrated in a body to t~1e Ricara nation, where they formed themselves into two villages, and joined those of thch· countrymen wh.o ~ad gone before them. In their new residence they were stJII.msec~re, and at length the three villages ascended the Mtssouri to their present position. '"rhe two who had emigrate~ togetl1er t·n settled in the two villages on the northwest s1de of the S I • • • t} Missouri, while the single village took a pO!utwn on te southeast side. In tllis situation they were fou~d by those \Yho visited them in 1796; since which the two villages have united into one. They are now in two villages, on~ on .the southeast of the Missouri, tlw other on the opposite s1d~, and at the distance of three miles across. 'rhe flrs.t, ~n an open plain, contains about forty or fifty lodges, b111lt ID the same way as those of the Ricaras: the second, the same number, and both may raise about three hundred and fifty men. On the same side of the riYer, and at the distance of four miles from the lower 1\'landan village, is another called ~ababa. It is situated in a high plain at the mouth of ~o•fe river, and is the residence of the Ahnahaways. Th•s na· tion whoie name indicates that they wet•e " people \vhose vill;ge is on a bill," formel'1y resided on the Missou~i,.ab?ut thirty miles below where they now live. The Ass1mbom3 and Sioux forced them to a spot five miles highet·, where the greatest part of them were put to death, and th~ rest emigrated to their present situation, in order to obtam an. assylum near the 1\linnetarees. They are called by the French, Soulier N oir or Shoe Indians; by tbc Mandaos, Wattasoons, and their whole force is about fifty men. . UJJ the Jflissouri. 1St On the south side of the same Knife river, haJf a milo above the ~fahaha and in the same open plain with it, is a l'illage of l\Jinnctarees surnamed 1\Ictaharta, who arc about one hundred and fifty men iu nuu1bcr. On the opposite &ide of Knife rher·, and one and a half mile above this village is a second of 1\linnetarees, 'vho may be considered as the p•·opet· ~Iinnetarce nation. It is situated in a beautiful low plain, and contains four hundr·cd and fifty warriors. The accounts which we received of the Minnetarees were contradictory. 'rhe Mandans say that this people came out of the watcJ> to the east, and settled near them in theh· former establishment in nine villages; that they were ver·y numeh rous, and lixed themselves in one village on the southern side of the Missouri. A quarrel about a bulfaloe divided the nation, of which two bands went into the plains, and were known by the name of Crow and Paunch Indians, and the rest moved to their present establishment. 1'he Minnctarees prQl>cr asse1·t, on the conh·ary, that they grew where they now live, and will never emigrate from the s110t; the great spia·it having declared that if they moved they woultl all die. 'I'Jtey also say that the Minnetat·ees 1\letaharta, that is ~linnetarees of the 'Villows, whose language wit11 very little variation is their own, came many years ago from the plains and &ettled ncar them, and perhaps the two traditions may be reconciled by the natur·al pr•csumption that these Minnetarees were the t1·ibe known to the ~landaus below, and that they ascended the river foa· the l)Urpose of rejoining the Minnetat·ecs proper·. 'I'hese Minnetarees are part of the great nation called Fall Indians, who occupy the intermediate country between the Missouri and tLe Saskas){awan, ami who are known !Jy the name of Minnetal'ees of the Missouri, and Minnetarees of Fot·t tie Prail'ie; that is, residing near ox· rather .fr•cquenting the establishment in the prah·ie on the Saskaska.wan. 'rhescMinnetal'ees indeed, told us that they had relations on the Saskaskn.wan, whom they h.ad never kngwn till they met them in war, |