34 Bringier on the Region of the Mississippi, &. 
lation of two thousand souls, including: two small new 
vl ages on the head of the Verdegris. The ey 6 ae 
i fenced in; none but the women work in these fields, 
which are about half an acre for each woman. All mest 
tools consist in one hoe, and a large tomahawk. 
age women are generally very homely, which 
must be attributed to their hard labour. 
A man may have as many wives as he can obinia? ‘tide 
mayleave their husband when they please, and the man, on 
his part, can repudiate his wife, but if she belongs to a fatitt: 
y of consideration, he is liable to have an explanation with 
the men belonging to it. The Osages have no other law 
but the law of nature; the law of the strongest. If the 
commit a murder, they must submit to the law of retaliation, 
or redeem themselves with one hundred fathoms of wain- 
pum beads,* a Soon to the nearest friends: of the mur- 
ges are ve ‘s 
ry 7 ‘here is no instance of any’ trade 
rg lost, barca of the credit given to them. 
When "necessity or bad fortune obliges them to’ postpone 
payment to another succeeding hunt, they are always 
found to be punctual. They are sober, and never take 
. Spirituous liquors. Their wealth consists in horses which 
they possess in great numbers. 
Et 
Cher . es. My Pea ae - ; eg oat $43 
Be tee ee 
ee 
toa i 
t, about | the : same Hine i in faerenk instances, 5 ronedex 
with them, and yen show- 
* Beads meics in Canada of ten shells. 
