Osage Indians. 41 



" There was not a white man's cabin within twent) 

 miles, and that over a river we could not cross. We cui 

 down trees and made a winter camp. But a new field 

 was opened to me, and I rambled through the deep for- 

 ests, and soon became acquainted with the Indian trails 

 and the lakes in the neighborhood. 



" The Indians have the instinct or sagacity to discover 

 an encampment of white men almost as quickly as vul- 

 tures sight the carcass of a dead animal ; and I was not 

 long in meeting strolling natives in the woods. They 

 gradually accumulated, and before a week had passed 

 great numbers of these unfortunate beings were around 

 us, chiefly Osages and Shawnees. The former were well- 

 formed, athletic, and robust men, of a noble aspect, and 

 kept aloof from the others. They hunted nothing but 

 large game, and the few elks and buffaloes that remained 

 in the country. The latter had been more in contact with 

 the whites, were much inferior, and killed opossum and 

 wild turkeys for a subsistence. The Osages being a new 

 race to me, I went often to their camp, to study their 

 character and habits ; but found much difficulty in be- 

 coming acquainted with them. They spoke no French, 

 and only a few words of English, and their general de- 

 meanor proved them to be a nobler race. They were 

 delighted to see me draw, and when I made a tolerable 

 likeness of one of them with red chalk, they cried out 

 with astonishment, and laughed excessively. They stood 

 the cold much better than the Shawnees, and were much 

 more expert with bows and arrows. 



" The bones we threw around our camp attracted ma- 

 ny wolves, and afforded us much sport in hunting them. 

 Here I passed six weeks pleasantly, investigating the 

 habits of wild deer, bears, cougars, racoons, and turkeys, 

 and many other animals, and I drew more or less by the 

 side of our great camp-fire every day ; and no one can 



