Chapter I (8)

In the evening, accompanied by several gentlemen of the party, we visited the camp of the Pawnees, whom we found sitting round their fires, smoking their pipes in silence. Some were employed in making bows, having found plenty of hickory, and hop horn beam wood here, which are not to be procured in the vicinity of their villages. Their mules were tied to trees, feeding on the bark of the cotton wood. The three tribes were seated around different fires. We sat down in the group of Grand Pawnees, and smoked with their chief Tar-ra-re-ca-wa-o, or Long Hair. This [is] an hereditary chief, of a lofty and rather haughty mien; his mouth is, perhaps through habit, drawn down a little at the corners. He has the appearance and character of an intrepid man, although not distinguished as a warrior, having, during his life, killed but a single man, who was a Spaniard. He is, however, artful and politic, and has performed some laudable actions. The following anecdote may serve in part to illustrate the more amiable traits of his character. Dorion, a Mestizo,[183] on a trading expedition, had accumulated a considerable quantity of peltry, at the Pawnee republican village, when it was situated on the Republican fork of the Konza river. As he had no horses to transport his merchandize, he requested the chief of that village to assist him in conveying it to the Grand Pawnees on the Platte, as he intended to descend that river to trade with the Otoes, on his way to St. Louis; the chief directly ordered horses to be brought, the furs were packed upon them, and they departed on the journey; but owing to some alleged misconduct on the part of Dorion, the chief, when half way, ordered the goods to be taken from the horses, and to be left on the plain. {148} He then, with his followers, returned to his village. The trader, after bewailing his unfortunate condition, at length resolved to go to the Grand Pawnee village and solicit the aid of Long Hair. Having arrived at the residence of the chief, he related to him in what manner he had been used by the Republican chief, and concluded by requesting assistance to bring in his goods. Long Hair, without reply, ascended to the top of his lodge and called out to his people to bring him one hundred horses. Taking the best of these, and a sufficient number of attendants, he accompanied Dorion, and assisted him to transport all his peltries, and did not cease with his good offices, until he had aided him in building a skin canoe, and had packed all the merchandize aboard, although previously told by Dorion that he had nothing to reward him with, having, as he said, traded every thing away, though at the same moment he had a number of Indian goods concealed in his packs of buffalo robes. After all was completed, "Now," said the chief, "Dorion, I know that you are a bad man; I have no doubt but you have a quantity of such goods as we want, concealed in those packs, and could reward me if you were liberal enough; but I ask nothing: you have a forked tongue. You have abused me to the whites, by calling me a rascal, saying I robbed the traders, &c.; but go, I will not harm you; tell the red head (Governor Clarke) that I am a rascal, robber, &c., I am content."[184]

At another fire, surrounded by his particular band, sat the Knife Chief, La-che-le-cha-ru, principal chief of the Pawneemahas. He is a large portly man, with a very prepossessing countenance; the hair on the sides of his head is gray; he has a deep scar on the right side, from a wound which was inflicted by a female prisoner, of the Padouca nation, whom he had adopted and taken into his family. This squaw, becoming infuriated at the prospect of the state of slavery to which she supposed herself now reduced, {149} stabbed her child to the heart, mortally wounded the brother of this chief, and, before she could be despatched, had inflicted this wound, through which the bowels protruded. The individuals of this band live in great harmony amongst themselves, owing probably to their having but two chiefs, who are unrivalled. The second chief is a Mestizo. Against this band we have no accusation; they have always demeaned themselves well towards the American whites.

In a third group were collected the representatives of the Pawnee Republicans; this nation or clan stands accused of whipping, robbing, and otherwise abusing a white American and his son, whom they found trapping beaver on the Arkansa river, this season; of killing two American citizens, two years since, who were also trapping beaver on the same river; and of robbing our party of sundry articles and horses, near the Konza village, whilst under the protection of the flag of our country, of the nature of which they had been instructed, and perfectly well understood. These outrages, and many others, they had committed on lands, to which they do not pretend to have any claim, situated far from their own territories, and in the immediate vicinity of nations with whom they then were, and still are, at war.[185]

On the following day the Pawnees were summoned to council, and in a short time they appeared marching leisurely in a narrow pathway, in _Indian file_, led by the grand chief; near this pathway the musical band was stationed, and when Long Hair arrived opposite, they struck up, suddenly and loudly, a martial air. We wished to observe the effect which instruments, that he had never seen or heard before, would produce on this distinguished man, and therefore {150} eyed him closely, and were not disappointed to observe that he did not deign to look upon them, or to manifest, by any motion whatever, that he was sensible of their presence. The Indians arranged themselves on the benches prepared for them, and the cessation of the music was succeeded by stillness, which was suddenly interrupted by loud explosions from our howitzers, that startled many of us, but did not appear to attract the notice of the Pawnees.

Major O'Fallon rose and addressed them in a very austere tone and manner; stating the offences they had committed against the white people, and admonishing them to a reformation in their conduct, and to restore the articles they had stolen from us; this was chiefly directed against the Pawnee Republicans; the Loups were applauded for their uniformly good deportment.

The council terminated after much of the property taken from us near the Konza village was restored, and a promise given that the offenders should be punished by whipping.[186]

The leisure we enjoyed after our arrival at Engineer Cantonment, afforded the opportunity of making numerous excursions to collect animals, and to explore the neighbouring country. We give here some account of two species of sorex, taken near our cabins.[187]

Early in October the cabins for winter-quarters were completed. Having made arrangements for the subsistence of the party, and being about to return to Washington, Major Long issued orders to the officers and gentlemen of the expedition, for their government during his absence. The following extract will show to what objects they were instructed to direct their attention.

"Mr. Say will have every facility afforded him that circumstances
will admit to examine the country, {151} visit the neighbouring
Indians, procure animals, &c. for the attainment of which
he will call on Lt. Graham, who is authorized to make any
expenditures in behalf of the expedition that may be deemed
reasonable and necessary, and afford any aid in his power,
consistent with the performance of other duties. Mr. Seymour or
Mr. Peale will accompany him, whenever their services are deemed
requisite.

"Major O'Fallon has given permission to Mr. Dougherty to aid the
gentlemen of the party, in acquiring information concerning
the Indians, &c.; this gentleman will, therefore, be consulted
in relation to visits, and all kinds of intercourse with the
Indians, that may be necessary in the prosecution of the duties
of the expedition.

"In regard to these duties, the gentlemen of the expedition will
consult my orders of March last. The documents transmitted from
the Philosophical Society of Philadelphia, by the Secretary of
War; and the instructions of Mr. Jefferson to Capt. Lewis, to
be found in vol. 1st of Lewis and Clarke's expedition,[188] and
regulate their observations and inquiries accordingly.

"Lt. Graham will embrace every opportunity for celestial and
barometric observations, and calculate the latitude, longitude,
magnetic dip and variation, with the utmost attainable
precision; also the heights of the neighbouring hills, and
the adjacent high table lands. He will also continue the
meteorologic observations as usual, noticing the changes of
weather, and all celestial and atmospheric phenomena. To aid
him in these duties, he will call on Lieut. Swift, or any other
gentleman of the expedition, who may not be particularly engaged
at the time in other important duties.

"It is believed, that the field for observation and inquiry is
here so extensive, that all the gentlemen of the expedition
will find ample range for the exercise of their talents in
their respective pursuits; and it is {152} hoped, that through
their unremitted exertions and perseverance, a rich harvest of
useful intelligence will be acquired."

On the 11th of October, Major Long and Mr. Jessup took leave of their friends at Engineer Cantonment, and accompanied by several other persons, began to descend the Missouri in a canoe, on their way towards Washington and Philadelphia.

FOOTNOTES:

[174] The camp was in the southeast corner of Washington
County, Nebraska. Boyer River rises in Sac County, Iowa, flows
southwest through Crawford and Harrison counties, and debouches
in Pottawatomie County, nearly opposite the boundary between
Washington and Douglas counties, Nebraska.--ED.

[175] Height of the bluff, ascertained by Lieutenant Graham.

Trigonometrically, 271 feet.
Barometrically, 277 feet. --JAMES.

[176] We add some notices of a few of the most
important.

1. _Terebratula._--A specimen considerably resembling the T.
_subundata_ of Sowerby, in the undulated line of the edges of
the valves; but it is a much more depressed shell, and of a
much less rounded form.

In the young state, the undulation of the edge is not very
distinct; but this character increases with age, so that in
the young state, it appears like a totally different species
from the adult.

2. In the same rock are very numerous arquated spines, like
ribs of fish, some of them 1-1/2 inches long.

3. A fragment of a terebratula or productus, imbedded, with
very long spines, which may possibly be the same with the
above.

4. A specimen, being a mass of comminuted fragments of shells,
amongst which are only recognizable a few segments of the
column of the encrinus, and minute turretted univalves of five
whirls, which resemble turritella, and are about one-twentieth
of an inch long.

5. _Millepora cylindrica_, SAY.--Branched, cylindric; _pores_
very regular, alternate, oval, placed nearer to each other
than the length of their own transverse diameters, and
resembling those of an _alveolite_.

Diameter, about one-tenth of an inch.

6. Segments of the column of encrinus of authors, of a
pentangular form.

7. Ossiculæ of the body of a crinoid animal of the analogous
species to No. 21.

8. Fragment of Perna?

9. A mass of argillaceous sandstone, containing spines of a
Linnæan echinus, belonging probably to the genus cidarites
of Lamarck. Of these spines some are elongate-conic, others
slightly fusiform, obtuse and slightly dilated near the
tip, both are armed with short asperities throughout their
length. They resemble in some degree those of the _cidarites
pistillaris_ of Lamarck, but they are smaller, less fusiform,
and the asperities are not prominent.

In the same mass are segments of encrinus, and fragments of the
retepore.

10. Retepore, much resembling the _milleporites flustriformis_
of Martin, Petrif. Derbi. pl. 43. fig. 1 and 2., but the
alveoles in our specimens are rather smaller.

11. _Millepora cylindrica_, SAY.--Of the diameter of half an
inch.

12. _Productus subserratus_, SAY.--Shell transverse, convex
valve semicircular, destitute of asperities or striæ,
longitudinally indented in the middle; line of the hinge
rectilinear, half as long again as the length of the shell, with
three or four spines or serratures on each side towards the
angle; _umbo_ not prominent; the beak hardly prominent beyond
the line of the hinge. Length, more than three-tenths; breadth,
more than half an inch. A large specimen was four-fifths of an
inch wide.

If we except the beak, the outline of this shell, as respects
the hinge margin and the sides, considerably resembles that of
P. _spinulosus_ of Sowerby, but the base is far more obtusely
rounded, and it is a shorter shell comparatively with its
width. The serratures are very often broken off. The curvature
of the sides does not in the slightest degree project beyond
the angles of the hinge line.

13. An imperfect cast, very like the _terebratula subundata_
of Sowerby, and of equal magnitude.

14. Pentagonal ossiculæ of the trunk of encrinus of authors,
which in outline may be compared to figs. 61 and 62, of plate
13. vol. 2. of Parkinson's Organic Remains, but their surfaces
do not now exhibit any sculpture.

15. Many of these shells exhibit the most unequivocal
evidences of having been in a plastic state, at some period or
other, since their deposition in their present situations. The
fine striæ of a _productus lineolatus_, are so interlaced on
the middle of a valve of one of our specimens, as at once to
convince every observer of the shell having been thus
partially dissolved, and when in this state to have been
gently rubbed by some other body, in two directions proceeding
obliquely to the same point, so as to throw the striæ in that
part entirely out of their proper longitudinal direction. It
is very common to find shells unnaturally flattened, or
compressed in various ways and degrees, often without any
fracture in the shell or cast; a circumstance which certainly
could never happen to the shell, unless it was in a plastic
state, or in a state of partial solution.

16. A specimen of carbonate of lime, on its surface a mass of
sub-parallel tubes, connected by short lateral processes. The
whole much resembles, and is probably congeneric with the
erismatholithus tubiporites (_catenatus_) of Martin's Petrif.
Derbi. t. 42. fig. 2., but the connecting processes of the
tubes are much shorter than they are represented in that
figure; but it corresponds much more exactly with the
tubiporite, figured by Parkinson in his Organic Remains, vol.
2. pl. 1. f. 1., and may with great propriety form a new
genus, the type of which will be the tubipora strues of Lin.

The genus is probably allied to favosites and tubipora.

17. _Trilobus._--The abdomen of a species of this singular
genus frequently occurs in the sandstone of the Missouri; near
Engineer Cantonment they were very common. The largest was
rather more than one inch long, by about one and three-tenths
inches in breadth at base; but the more general length is
about three-fourths of an inch. The tergum or intermediate
lobe is narrow, being not more than two-thirds of the width of
the flanks, and much more convex than those parts.

But a single specimen occurred, which we can, without any
doubt, consider as the thorax of a trilobus; but whether or
not it appertains to the same species with the above, or to
some other of which we have no other fragment, we are at a
loss to determine. Like the above-mentioned abdomen, it is
distinct from any that we have seen figures of. It is of a
narrow lunate form, highly convex, the disk destitute of
sculpture, and the eyes prominent.

18. Many imperfect casts of two different kinds of bivalve
shells occur near Engineer Cantonment, of which one may
possibly have been a _cardita_.

19. Tooth of a squalus, which seems to approach nearest to
those of _Sq. maximus_, by its compressed conic form.

Greatest length 2-1/10 inches.

Thickness more than 2/5 of an inch.

The sides are rounded, without any appearance of serratures;
thickened near the tip, and more compressed near the base.

20. Tooth of a squalus, something like that of _S. galeus_,
but less of a triangular form, and the lateral processes are
more distinct, and also less triangular than in that species.

21. An imperfect body of a crinoid animal, _encrinite_ of
authors; the fragment is about one-half of the inferior
portion of the body, from which the following description is
made out, taking into view the whole circumference. The plates
composing the _first costal_ series (Miller), five in number,
are longitudinally pentangular, much curved inwards towards
the base, to join the _first columnar joint_, or perhaps the
_pelvis_; at which part the plate is narrow, being about
one-ninth of an inch, whilst the other sides are nearly
three-tenths of an inch each, the superior ones being somewhat
longer than the others; the _second costal plates_, (Miller,)
five in number, are transversely pentangular, the superior
joint being long, the lateral ones shortest, the former being
one-half an inch in length, the latter 3/20, and the inferior
sides which articulate to the segments of the pelvis, somewhat
less than 3/10 of an inch; the margins of the first costal
joints, as well as the superior margins of the segments of the
pelvis, are armed with a few tubercles, some of which seem to
have been perforated; all the superior pieces are wanting in
our specimen, but the truncated surface, on which the
_scapulars_ (Miller) rested, is of a pentagonal outline, and
composed of a series of horizontal equilateral triangles, two
to each side, which are separated on each side from the
adjacent pairs by a deep groove, which corresponds, and is
nearly at right angles with the exterior sutures, which join
the first costal joints to each other; these triangular
surfaces are also separated from the exterior edge by two
grooves, which are crenated, and enclose an oblong foramina
between them; a single _intercostal plate_ occurs, interposed
between two of the _second costals_; it is of an oblong
hexagonal form, its base resting upon the extremity of a
segment of the _first costals_, which is truncated to receive
it; the superior portion of this plate is much bent inward
towards the abdominal cavity; its tip is quadrate and concave.

The whole exterior surface of this reliquium, with the
exception of the tubercles, and sutural impressed lines, is
plain and equable.

If we have not mistaken the pieces of this imperfect specimen,
the pelvis is wanting, but the cavity in which it existed must
have been about 3/20 of an inch in diameter.

The plate-like form of the ossiculæ, and their mode of
articulation with each other, by an extension horizontally
inwards, as we have described above, in the case of those
plates which we have considered as the _second costals_, seem
to indicate, that this species ought to be referred to the
second division of the crinoidea, or _semiarticulata_ of
Miller. It certainly, however, cannot be at all referred to
poteriocrinites, the only genus which that author has framed
in this division of the family. We refrain from distinguishing
it by a name either generic or specific, until other specimens
can be obtained, in which the characters are less equivocal.

We have two _second costal plates_, which made part of
distinct individuals, larger than the above described one. Of
these the surface of one is perfectly glabrous, whilst that of
the other has light orbicular indentations instead of
tubercles; a third very small one is perfectly smooth like the
first, and doubtless formed part of the body of a young
individual.

Another plate found near the same spot with the above, is of a
somewhat triangular form exteriorly, or rather like the face
of a truncated pyramid, of which the middle of the summit is a
little produced in the form of a right angle, thus offering a
scollop on each side of the apex for the adaptation of
superior ossiculæ. On divesting it carefully of its extraneous
matrix, we discovered that it was readily adjusted by its base
to the summit of those segments of the fragment above
described, which we have supposed to be _second costals_, a
prominent line on its base corresponding with the inner one of
those grooves which we have described, to characterize the
superior face of those plates. This plate, then, agreeably to
the relations in which we have viewed the preceding pieces,
must be a _scapula_; it is susceptible of considerable
hinge-like motion, and appears to have been much less firmly
attached to the costals than the latter are to each other.

A segment of a crinoid animal, which seemed to have been a
_first costal joint_ of a _pentacrinus_ of Parkinson, occurred
near the same place.

22. _Productus pectinoides_, SAY.--Convex valve, with a
central longitudinal indentation; the whole surface is
longitudinally ribbed, each rib being marked by two striæ, in
addition to the central carina.

The shell is not of frequent occurrence, and a perfect
specimen has not yet been obtained, but the portions we have
examined, are sufficient to show that it is perfectly distinct
from either of the species we have mentioned. We do not find
any species figured or described by authors like it.

23. _Productus compressus_, SAY.--Shell much compressed, with
numerous acute striæ, upwards of fifty in number on each
valve, the alternate ones rather smaller; a very slight
central longitudinal indentation on the convex valve; outline
suborbicular; hinge edge rectilinear, shorter than the
greatest breadth of the shell.

Greatest breadth from 3/5 to 1 inch. In its proportions it
resembles the truncated portion of the productus of Martin, as
represented on his plate 22. fig. 3. It is very common.

24. A shell of the length and breadth of three inches
sometimes occurs, the convex valve of which is transversely
undulated, its umbo prominent, and curved like that of a
gryphæa, its tip resting on the base of the opposite valve
which is concave, with a transverse linear base; its muscular
impressions seem to have been lateral.

25. A single specimen was found of a valve of a shell, in some
degree resembling a pecten, but without the auricles. Length
more than 2-3/10 inches.

26. _Productus lineolatus_, SAY.--Valves with numerous, fine,
equal, equidistant, longitudinal striæ, and a few small
tubercles; convex valve very much elongated, its basal portion
is curved downwards, almost perpendicularly with respect to
the disk near the umbones.

So singular is the structure of this shell, that the internal
cavity appears to have been perfectly transverse, with respect
to the general length of the shell, and small in comparison
with the length. It strongly resembles the anomites productus
of Martin, as represented on plate 22. fig. 102. of his
Petrif. Derbi., and like that shell it is armed with small
tubercles, though fewer in number, and the striæ are much more
numerous and smaller.

27. Cast of a turretted univalve, probably a cerithium, of the
length of 2-1/2 inches.

28. Cast of the anterior portion of a valve of a shell like an
ostrea, of the breadth of 2-1/2 inches.

29. On the Missouri near the Platte, occur masses of rock,
which seem to be almost exclusively composed of a remarkable
petrifaction, belonging to the family of concamerated shells.
This shell is elongated, fusiform, and when broken transversely,
it exhibits the appearance of numerous cells disposed spirally
as in the _nummulite_, but its longitudinal section displays
only deep grooves. The shell was therefore composed of tubes or
syphons, placed parallel to each other, and revolving laterally,
as in the genus _melonis_ of Lamarck, with which its characters
undoubtedly correspond. But as in the transverse fracture, its
spiral system of tubes cannot be traced to the centre in any
of the numerous specimens we have examined, it would seem to
have a solid axis, and consequently belongs to that division of
the genus that Montfort regards as distinct, under the name of
_miliolites_, which seems to be similar to the _fasciolites_
of Parkinson, and altogether different from the miliolites
of Lamarck. Our specimens are conspicuously striated on the
exterior, which distinction, together with their elongated
fusiform shape, sufficiently distinguish them as a species
from the _sabulosus_ which Montfort describes as the type of
his genus. No aperture is discoverable in this shell, but the
termination of the exterior volution very much resembles an
aperture as long as the shell.

The length is three-tenths of an inch; and its greatest breadth
one-twelfth.

We call it _miliolites secalicus_, SAY.--Mr. T. Nuttall
informs me, that he observed it in great quantities high up
the Missouri.

In the same mass were some segments of the encrinus, and a
terebratula with five or six obtuse longitudinal waves.

30. Another petrifaction, abundant in some fragments of compact
carbonate of lime, also found on the shores of the Missouri,
possesses all the generic characters which we have attributed
to the preceding species, excepting that in the transverse
fracture the cells distinctly revolve from the centre itself,
and of course the shell was destitute of the solid nucleus as in
melonis, _Lamarck_. It has about four volutions. We have named
this species, which is, notwithstanding the difference of the
central portion of the same genus with the preceding _miliolites
centralis, Say_. As in the preceding, it is entirely filled
solidly with carbonate of lime, and this substance being of a
greater purity in the filled-up cavities of the fossil than in
the mass, its interior divisions are very obvious.

The latter species we observed about one hundred miles up the
Konzas river, where it forms the chief body of the rocks in
extensive ranges. It seems to be a carbonate of lime containing
iron.--JAMES.

[177] John Gale, of New Hampshire, was surgeon in the rifles.
He entered the army in 1812, as surgeon's mate in the 23d
Infantry. After an honorable discharge in 1815, he was the same
year reinstated as surgeon's mate in the 3d Infantry, and in
1818 made surgeon in the rifles. Three years later he became
major-surgeon. He died in 1830.

Matthew J. Magee was captain of a Pennsylvania company of
volunteers during the first two years of the War of 1812-15.
In 1814 he was made captain in the 4th Rifles. After being
discharged at the close of the war, he was reinstated (1816)
as first lieutenant of ordnance with brevet rank as captain. A
little later he was made captain, and in 1818 was transferred
to the rifles. In 1821 he was transferred to the infantry. His
death occurred in 1824.--ED.

[178] Ietan, as he was called by the whites, is said to have
been the son of Big Horse (Shonga-tonga). The name may have been
given him for some exploit against the Ietan (Comanche) tribe.
His Indian name (Shamonekusse, Shongmunecuthe) means Prairie
Wolf. In 1821-22 Ietan accompanied a deputation of chiefs to the
East; the Indians made careful observations of what they saw,
after their own fashion, and, it is said, attempted to count the
people of New York by means of notched sticks. Among his fellows
Ietan was noted for his wit and sagacity, as well as for warlike
prowess. His death resulted (April, 1837) from a wound received
while pursuing some young braves who had seduced two of his
wives.--ED.

[179] The Ietan Indians, more commonly known as Comanche, were
a branch of the Shoshoni family. Their range was the upper
Arkansas, Canadian, and Red rivers.

On the Pawnee and Pawnee Loups, see respectively Brackenridge's
_Journal_, in our volume vi, note 17, and Bradbury's _Travels_,
in our volume v, note 44. The Pawnee nation consisted of four
principal tribes: 1. Pawnee proper (Grand Pawnee); 2. Pawnee
Republican, who dwelt on the Republican fork of Kansas River; 3.
Tapage, on the Platte; 4. Pawnee Loups (Skidi; Pani-mahas).

The Omaha and Ponca were closely related tribes of Siouan stock.
For their early history and present condition, see our volume v,
notes 49, 63.

The Sioux (Dakota) were the chief branch of the great family
to which they have given their name. The branch was divided
into a number of tribes, including the Yankton and Teton,
mentioned below in the text.

Sketches of the Osage, Sauk and Foxes, and Iowa will be found
in our volume v, notes 21, 22.

The Padouca were a powerful tribe when visited by Bourgmont in
1724 (see succeeding volume, note 29), but the nation
disintegrated and lost its identity before the close of the
eighteenth century, if, indeed, the name was not from the
beginning applied collectively to several kindred tribes of
the plains. Their habitat was the banks of the upper Kansas
River; later they removed to the Platte, the North Fork of
which is sometimes designated by their name.

The Indians here called La Plais (La Playes) were reported by
Lewis and Clark (_Statistical View_) to be a numerous tribe of
Shoshoni stock, inhabiting the plains at the heads of the
Arkansas and Red rivers. Later authorities seem not to have
distinguished them from the kindred Comanche.--ED.

[180] The Indian name for Americans. On the origin of
the term, see Thwaites, _Daniel Boone_ (New York, 1902), p.
111, note.--ED.

[181] This quarrel, and the resulting loss of part of
the nose of one of the contestants, has given rise to a number
of fables. In one of them Ietan and his brother are the
combatants, and it is Ietan who loses the tip of his nose. In
his thirst for revenge he pursues his brother across the
plains and through the forest, both in friendly and hostile
villages, only to fall a prey to bitter remorse when, after
many months, he overtakes the fugitive and slays him.--ED.

[182] Elkhorn River (Corne de Cerf, of the French explorers) is
a considerable northern tributary of the Platte, into which it
falls on the western line of Sarpy County. The head waters are
only a few miles from the Niobrara River, in Rock County.--ED.

[183] One of the half-breed sons of Pierre Dorion (Durion),
who accompanied Lewis and Clark as interpreter. See Bradbury's
_Travels_, in our volume v, note 7.--ED.

[184] Red-head was the customary Indian name for Governor
William Clark, and St. Louis was "Red-head's Town." For sketch
of Clark, see Nuttall's _Journal_, in our volume xiii, note
105.--ED.

[185] It was a party of the Grand Pawnees that robbed and
ill-treated Lieutenant Pike and his party, when traversing the
country within their range.--JAMES.

[186] See Appendix C at the end of volume xvii.--ED.

[187] 1. _Sorex parvus_, SAY.--Brownish cinereous above; beneath
cinereous; teeth blackish; tail short, of moderate thickness.

_Body_ above brownish cinereous, beneath cinereous; _head_
elongated; _eyes_ and _ears_ concealed; _whiskers_ long, the
longest nearly attaining the back of the head; _nose_ naked
emarginate; _front teeth_ black, lateral ones piceous; _feet_
whitish, five-toed; _nails_ prominent, acute, white; _tail_
short, subcylindric, of moderate thickness, slightly thicker in
the middle, whitish beneath.

Length from tip of nose to root of tail, 2 3/8 inches.
Length of tail, 0 3/4 inches.
Length from the upper teeth to tip of nose, 0 3/20 inches.

Mr. Peale caught this animal in a pitfall, which he had dug
for the purpose of catching a wolf. It is a female.

Barton, in his Medical and Physical Journal for 1806, p. 67,
says, that, "Sorex minutissimus of Zimmerman, has been
discovered in the trans-Mississippi part of the United States,
in the country that is watered by the Missouri;"--had he
reference to this species?

This _sorex minutissimus_, is probably synonymous with S.
_exilis_, to which our specimens cannot be referred, whilst
the character attributed to that species, of "tail very thick
in the middle," is considered essential.

2. _Sorex brevicaudus_, SAY.--Blackish-plumbeous above,
beneath rather lighter; teeth, blackish; tail, short, robust.

Total length from nose to tip of tail, 4-5/8 inch.
Total length of the tail, 1 inch.
Total length from the upper teeth to the tip of nose, 0-1/8 inch.

_Above_ blackish plumbeous, when viewed from before; silvery
plumbeous when viewed from behind; _fur_ dense, rather long;
_beneath_ rather paler; _head_ large; _eyes_ very minute;
_ears_ white, entirely concealed beneath the fur, aperture very
large, with two distinct semisepta, (tragus and antitragus?)
which are sparsely hairy at tip; _rostrum_ short, with a
slightly impressed, abbreviated line above; _nose_ livid brown,
emarginate; _mouth_ margined with whitish and with sparse short
hairs; _teeth_ piceous-black at tip; _feet_, white, the second,
third, and fourth toes subequal, the first and fifth shorter,
the former rather shortest, anterior with but very few hairs,
nearly naked; _nails_ nearly as long as the toes; _tail_ with
rather sparse hairs, nearly of equal diameter, but slightly
thickest in the middle, depressed, and nearly as long as the
posterior feet.

This specimen, which is a male, closely resembles _S.
parvus_, but it is much larger; the head is proportionably
much larger and more elongated; the tail more robust, and the
inferior anterior pair of incisores are similar to those of
S. _constrictus_, fig. 7. pl. 15. of the Mem. du Mus. by Mr.
Geoffroy St. Hilaire. The incisors of the superior jaw are
twelve in number, in a cranium belonging to this species, five
on each side in addition the two larger anterior ones; the
posterior tooth of the lateral ones is smallest.

May not this be the animal mentioned by the late professor
Barton in his Medical and Physical Journal, for March, 1816,
which, he says, "may be called the black shrew?" I do not know
that the black shrew has ever received any further notice,
unless it is the same species to which Mr. Ord has applied the
name of _Sorex niger_.--JAMES.

[188] See Thwaites, _Original Journals of the Lewis and Clark
Expedition_, Appendix, vol. vii, doc. xviii.--ED.

{153} CHAPTER IX

Animals--Sioux and Omawhaw Indians--Winter Residence at
Engineer Cantonment

The subsequent account of the transactions at and near Council Bluff, and of the observations made there, we copy from the journal of Mr. Say.

Descriptions of some of the animals which occurred, are given in the notes below.[189]

The prairie wolves[190] roam over the plains in considerable numbers, and during the night, the principal season of their hunts, they venture very near to the encampment of the traveller. They are by far the most numerous of our wolves, and often unite in packs for the purpose of chasing deer, which they very frequently succeed in running down, and killing. This, however, is an achievement attended with much difficulty to them, and in which the exertion of their utmost swiftness and cunning are so often unavailing, that they are sometimes reduced to the necessity of eating wild plums, and other fruits, to them almost indigestible, in order to distend the stomach, and appease, in a degree, the cravings of hunger.

Their bark is much more distinctly like that of the domestic dog, than of any other animal; in fact the first two or three notes could not be distinguished from the bark of a small terrier, but these notes are succeeded by a lengthened scream.

The wonderful intelligence of this animal is well worthy of note, and a few anecdotes respecting it may not be amiss. Mr. Peale constructed and tried various kinds of traps to take them, one of which was of the description called "a live trap," a shallow box reversed, and supported at one end, by the {154} well known kind of trap sticks, usually called the "figure four," which elevated the front of the trap upwards of three feet above its slab flooring; the trap was about six feet long, and nearly the same in breadth, and was plentifully baited with offal. Notwithstanding this arrangement, a wolf actually burrowed under the flooring, and pulled down the bait through the crevices of the floor; tracks of different sizes were observed about the trap. This procedure would seem to be the result of a faculty beyond mere instinct.

This trap proving useless, another was constructed in a different part of the country, formed like a large cage, but with a small entrance on the top, through which the animals might enter, but not return; this was equally unsuccessful; the wolves attempted in vain to get at the bait, as they would not enter by the route prepared for them.

A large double "steel trap" was next tried; this was profusely baited, and the whole, with the exception of the bait, was carefully concealed beneath the fallen leaves. This was also unsuccessful. Tracks of the anticipated victims were next day observed to be impressed in numbers on the earth near the spot, but still the trap, with its seductive charge, remained untouched. The bait was then removed from the trap, and suspended over it from the branch of a tree; several pieces of meat were also suspended in a similar manner, from trees in the vicinity; the following morning the bait over the trap alone remained. Supposing that their exquisite sense of smell warned them of the position of the trap, it was removed, and again covered with leaves, and the baits being disposed as before, the leaves to a considerable distance around were burned, and the trap remained perfectly concealed by ashes; still the bait over the trap was avoided. Once only this trap was sprung, and had fastened for a short time upon the foot of a species, which was shot the following day at no great distance; it proved to be a species distinct from the {155} prairie wolf, and we have described it under the name of C. nubilus.

In no respect disheartened by these futile attempts, many times repeated, and varied in every obvious manner, another scheme was executed, which eventuated in complete success. This was the log trap, in which one log is elevated above another at one end, by means of an upright stick, which rests upon a rounded horizontal trigger stick, on the inferior log.

The latrans does not diffuse the offensive odour, so remarkable in the two species of jackalls, (C. aureus and C. anthus) though in many respects it resembles those animals. Like the Mexicanus, the hair on the vertebral line is elongated; and we should be disposed to regard it as the same animal, but it differs from the description of that species, both in colour and physiognomy. The ears are proportionally longer than those of C. cancrivorus, and, as well as the tail, shorter than the corresponding parts of C. mesomelas.

This animal, which does not seem to be known to naturalists, unless it should prove to be the Mexicanus, is most probably the original of the domestic dog, so common in the villages of the Indians of this region, some of the varieties of which still retain much of the habit and manners of this species.

On the 14th of October, four hundred Omawhaw Indians assembled at Camp Missouri. Major O'Fallon addressed them in an appropriate speech, stating the reasons for their being called to council; upon which Ong-pa-ton-ga, the Big Elk,[191] arose, and after shaking by the hand each of the whites present, placed his robe of otter skins, and his mockasins under the feet of the agent, whom he addressed to the following effect, as his language was interpreted by Mr. Dougherty.

"He had heard that his father wished to see him, and he had
wished to see and to hear the words of his father, ever since he
learned that he was ascending {156} the river. He was informed
last fall of his being at the river Platte, and as he could not
then go to see him, he had now come to visit him; and here I
am, my father. All these young people you see around here are
yours; although they are poor and trifling, yet they are your
children. I have always loved the whites since I first remember
to have seen them, and this affection increases with my age. All
my nation loves the whites, and always have loved them. Amongst
all the good things of this world I place the whites first. But
it appears that there are many nations that live nearer to you
than I, that do not love you, though you have done more for
them, than you have done for me. When they meet with you, they
flatter you, in order to get presents from you, notwithstanding
which, they would not hesitate to kill some of your people on
their way home. Some of them shake hands with you in a friendly
manner, whilst their hands are yet stained with your blood;
and if you examine your own hands, my father, I think you would
find some of it adhering to them yet. For my part, my father,
I am proud to boast, that my hands are clean. Never has one of
my nation stained his hands with the blood of a white man. I
do not understand, my father, your mode of treating those well
who treat you ill. It is true, I know, that you have more sense
than I have, but I cannot understand it. I have heard that the
Pawnees have been to see you; a nation that has killed, robbed,
and insulted your people. I was also informed that you feasted
them, and at their departure you put weapons in their hands. I
should not be surprised to hear, that those very weapons were
stained with white man's blood before they reached the Pawnee
village. This is what I cannot understand. This circumstance
led me to believe, that if you treated those that have injured
you so well, you surely would treat your poor children the
Omawhaws, who have never done harm to your people, with much
kindness {157} also. But I am afraid the transaction will have a
bad effect on my young men. When they heard of American troops
ascending this river, they feared and respected them. But I am
fearful that this transaction will throw them off their guard,
make them lose their respect for you, and cause them to do
something that they would not otherwise have done, and thus
create trouble and difference between us. You said, my father,
that those troops do not come to harm us. I believe it is
true. I consider them all my brothers and friends. So far from
thinking they come to injure me, I regard them as my shield, to
guard me against bad nations around me. You say, that if ever
there is a difference between us, that it will be our fault; but
I hope not, my father, I cannot think that the Omawhaws will
offer any indignity to your people, now that they have seen all
those troops, when they have not harmed individuals who have
resided years in their village unprotected, although we were
then less enlightened than we now are. Some think, my father,
that you have brought all these warriors here to take our land
from us, but I do not believe it. For although I am but a poor,
simple Indian, yet I know that this land will not suit your
farmers; if I even thought your hearts bad enough to take the
land, I would not fear it, as I know there is not wood enough
on it for the use of whites. You might settle along this river,
where timber is to be found; but we can always get wood enough
in our country to make our little fires. There is one thing I
fear, my father; my nation is coming down here to hunt this
winter, and if you send out your soldiers to hunt also, they
will drive off all the game, and our women and children will
starve. We have heard of the ascent of the troops up this river
ever since last fall, and we have been told by other nations,
that if they chance to meet with any squaws unprotected, they
ravish them. But, my father, we shall soon know if this be true
or not; because, having {158} but little to eat, our squaws
will be obliged to go out into the prairies to dig roots; I
shall trust to you, and not hesitate to let them go." He also
observed, that he could not see the necessity of stationing so
many troops here, as there was no one to oppose; he thought it
desirable that they should go higher up the river, to chastise
those refractory Indians who will not listen to our words.
"There is one thing, my father," he observed, "which I wish you
to inform me of. We have heard of your tying up and whipping
individuals of several nations, as you ascended this river.
What is the offence which will subject us to this punishment?
I wish to know, that I may inform my people, that they may be
on their guard." He then observed that all his children were
poor, and that they had come with the expectation of receiving
something from their father.

This speech, contrary to the usual mode of Indian orators, was commenced in a low tone, the voice gradually rising as the speaker proceeded, until it attained its full intonation.

Several speakers subsequently went forward and delivered their sentiments, generally alluding to the circumstance of our treating those who injure us kindly, and neglecting our friends.

Ta-sone, the White Cow,[192] spoke with that allusion, and added, "Look at me, my father, look at my hands; examine me well, I am a wild man, born in the prairie;" and subsequently, "I told you, my father, to look at me, that you might see if there is any of the blood of your people upon me. Some, whose hands have been stained with blood, endeavour to wash it off, but some of it will still remain."

It is proper to mention, as explanatory of some of the allusions in the above speeches, that the Pawnees, at the conclusion of their council, had been invited to dine at Camp Missouri, and that many of their chiefs were there presented with sabres, as I before stated. It was to this circumstance that the above-mentioned {159} speakers had reference, as being inexplicable to them; as it seemed as if we wished to conciliate the good will of those evil-doers through fear, and yet they could hardly accuse us of fear, surrounded as we were by so formidable an array of troops.

It was evident, however, that the speakers had mentally no reference to Major O'Fallon, as they knew he had not committed or sanctioned the acts of which they complained in their truly delicate and peculiar manner. But they looked upon him as responsible for the actions of his people, knowing him to be the representative of the government, and that in case of wrong, they could not obtain redress from any other person. How much soever Major O'Fallon may have disapproved of the treatment which the Pawnees had received from the military, he was perfectly conscious of having conducted himself towards them according to their deserts, so far as power had been placed in his hands. But being thus verbally accused, pointedly and repeatedly of injustice, for acts not his own, he arose and said, "Omawhaws, you say I called the Pawnees here to feast them and make them presents, after they had killed and insulted us, but it is not true. I did not smoke the pipe of peace with them, neither will I, until our differences are settled. I told the Pawnees that, even if I stood unsupported before them, I would, nevertheless, either compel them to make reparation for their offences, or leave my bones amongst them for my nation to come and bury."

The Big Elk, and Big Eyes, were the only chiefs acknowledged by Major O'Fallon, who then made liberal presents to them for their people.

Some of these presents were distributed by the Indians after a peculiar manner, but which I learn is very common amongst the Indians of this country. A certain portion of them is placed upon the ground, and whoever can _strike the post_ the most frequently, {160} gains them. Another portion is then staked for any other competitors who may choose to advance. A valuable stake was then offered, and an aged veteran stepped forth, and looking round upon his nation with a majestic mien, in which there was not a little expression of triumph, he seemed to challenge the bravest of the brave to come forward and compete with him for the possession of it; but agreeably to his expectations no one advanced, and he bore off the prize by common consent, without going through the ceremony of _striking_.

From the 24th of October to the 10th of November, the atmosphere was generally filled with a dense smoke, like a fog or stratus, which proceeded from the conflagrated prairies. It sometimes affected our vision painfully, sometimes it so far intercepted the rays of the sun that the disk of that luminary appeared of a blood-red, and the eye could repose upon it uninjured. On the morning of the 8th instant, it occurred in greater quantity than at any other time, when it was so extremely dense as to intercept a view of the opposite shore of the Missouri from Engineer Cantonment.

On the 9th of November some rain fell, attended with thunder and lightning. The rain continued on the day following, with the wind from the south-east; at evening the smoke was almost entirely dissipated, and the clouds, which were cirro-cumuli passing to the north-north-west, became visible.

A party of Sioux visited us on the 15th of November, to view the steam-boat. As Major Long had left orders to put the steam machinery in action occasionally, in order to preserve it from rust, Lieutenant Graham concluded to exhibit the boat with the engine in action. The Indians hesitated to enter the boat, fearing, as they said, that it was, or that it contained some _great medicine_ of the Big-knives that might injure them. But when on board and at their ease, one of them observed doubtingly, {161} "he hardly thought the Big-knives had any medicine to hurt them." They appeared much delighted with the boat; its size seemed to surprise them, several measured the width of the deck by straddling, instead of pacing as we do. We exhibited to them the air-gun, magnet, &c. which considerably excited their attention. Two of the howitzers were discharged, loaded with case-shot; the effect produced, of the shot falling into the water, at unequal distances and times, was new and unexpected, and they covered their mouths with the hand, to express their astonishment. Of these warriors, three are Tetons, one a Yancton, and a Sa-ho-ne; three different tribes of the great Dacota or Sioux nation. They are fine looking men, with very prominent cheekbones. They are more attentive to their dress, and are much neater than the other Indians we have seen; though it is proper to observe that, as visitors, they are clothed in their best attire. They decorate their hair with a profusion of feathers of the war eagle, and of a species of owl which we have not seen. They also suspend in the headdress an entire skin of the paroquet. The hair is in great profusion, and is thrown upon the back in very long rolls; but upon close inspection, the greater portion of it is perceived to be false hair artificially attached to their own, the points of junction being indicated by small masses of clay, with which the attachment is effected. Two of these Tetons are inseparable friends, were raised together from their infancy, and although not allied by blood, there is a strong personal resemblance between them, which is not a little enhanced by a studied similarity in dress and ornaments. These two individuals are firm friends to the whites. One of them was a few years since at the Sa-ho-ne village in company with a trader, and being invited to a feast, they had proceeded but a short distance, when a Sa-ho-ne rushed from his concealment and knocked the trader down with his war-club. The Teton immediately {162} attacked the assailant, felled him in his turn to the earth, gashed his body with the spear of his war-club and left him for dead. This is a strong evidence of the determination of the savages, as they are called, to protect those whom they consider under their guardianship. The Teton retaliated the blow given to the trader, not only at the immediate risk of his life in the combat, but of having to expiate the deed to many a kindred exasperated warrior, and also at the hazard of originating a war between the two bands.

In the course of the winter we received frequent supplies of provisions from Camp Missouri; and by means of some exertion and diligence in hunting, we were able to procure plenty of fresh venison and other game. For coffee we substituted the fruit of the gymnocladus canadensis, which afforded a palatable and wholesome beverage. The flesh of the _skunk_ we had sometimes dressed for dinner, and found it a remarkably rich and delicate food.

On the 5th of December, the gentlemen of the party dined by invitation with Mr. M. Lisa.