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lives of some of the traders in the winter sersan. Therefore a feast of 

 coffee and biscuits was given to all who came on board, and sugar, coffee, 

 flour, biscuit, tobacco and ammunition w^ere distributed amongst them, with 

 all of which they appeared to be well satisfied. We were invited into the 

 village, and Mr. Picotte and Alexander determined to go ; although last year 

 they had served the latter in a very treacherous manner. 



One of their chiefs had gone down to Council Bluffs on the company's 

 boat a year before, although much against the will of Mr. Picotte, who had 

 paid him not to do so for two years before. But on this occasion he would 

 go in spite of all opposition, and was killed by the Pawnees. The Rees blamed 

 the company for his death, and determined to make them pay for it. On 

 the arrival of the boat last year, Alexander was invited to a feast in the 

 village, and went, accompanied only by the young man in charge of the 

 fort. He found them all in a large hut armed to the teeth, and then first 

 learned that dissatisfaction existed among them. They charged him with 

 the murder of their chief, and in the most threatening manner, demanded 

 pay for his blood. My brother was unarmed, and the people in the boat 

 knew nothing of what was doing in the village. They had a stormy ses- 

 sion at the feast, but at length all was settled by his promising to pay 

 them two good horses ; they then allowed him to depart in safety, and 

 at the proper time he sent the horses. Amongst all the Indians blood may 

 be paid for, which is a fact, I believe, common to all heathen nations. 



To-day four of us went to the village and made a " complimentary call," 

 as wo had not time for a feast. We w^ere received in a large mud lodge or 

 hut, built in a circular form, having a diameter of about thirty feet. The 

 entrance is through a small projection, corresponding in design, and some- 

 what in shape to our small covered porches. The lodge was airy, clean and 

 had no unpleasant smell in the inside. The gentleman of the house received 

 us politely, placed a mat on the ground, then four or five robes, and taking 

 us each by the hand seated us on them. Then he ran out, and standing on 

 the top of his house invited the people to call and see us. While they w^ere 

 assembling I made observations. 



The Rees do not use the skin lodge. The one we had entered was of 

 their usual fashion, and was built somewhat in this way ; a circular foun- 

 dation often thirty feet in diameter, is dug about twelve inches deep ; in 

 the middle of this a platform about ten feet square and twenty feet high, is 

 made by erecting four upright posts, and on these are placed four others 

 horizontally ; then around the circular foundation are placed a proper 

 number of upright posts, on which are again laid horizontal timbers, and 

 against these rest small poles set very close together and one end stuck 

 in the ground. These are probably five feet in length; then from the 

 horizontal poles to those of the square platform in the middle, and beyond 

 them, extend other poles laid as close together as possible, and of such a 

 length as to form an entire roof, except a hole in the centre for the passage 

 of smoke. On the sides and top dirt is thrown, and the house is finished. 

 At the entrance a small projection is built of poles, extending probably six 

 feet beyond tha main wall, and covered ; this protects them the better 

 from the snow and rain. The external appearance is that of a rude cone, 

 set on a base about five feet high, and thirty i'eet in diameter. On enter- 

 ing, you must stoop, but as soon as you pass the skin door, your head 

 may again become erect. 



We were conducted to the place of honor, opposite to and facing the 



