BUSHNELL] VILLAGES WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI 43 
of the lofty and surrounding forest of aged oaks... The huts 
were small, containing but one apartment, built of logs, many of 
Which had become so decayed as to have fallen to the ground, and the 
whole was covered with a rich coat of moss.” (Hildreth, (1), pp. 
70-71.) Scattered throughout the settlement, near and between the 
ruined houses, stood many large oaks. On the trunks of some of 
these had been cut various figures and symbols by the Indians. 
This Delaware village evidently stood not far from the present 
town of Springfield, Green County, Missouri. Just beyond it began 
the “ Kickapoo prairie, which is the commencement of that immense 
chain of prairie land that extends in broken patches to the Rocky 
Mountains.” (Op. cit., p. 70.) 
The preceding reference to various figures cut on the trees near 
the deserted village tends to recall a somewhat similar allusion by 
Irving. On November 2, 1832, during his “ Tour on the Prairies,” 
so he wrote: “ We came out upon an extensive prairie, and about six 
miles to our left beheld a long line of green forest, marking the course 
of the north fork of the Arkansas. On the edge of the prairie, and 
iN a spacious grove of noble trees which overshadowed a small brook, 
were traces of an old Creek hunting camp. On the bark of the trees 
were rude delineations of hunters and squaws, scrawled with char- 
coal; together with various signs and hieroglyphics, which our half- 
breeds interpreted as indicating that from this encampment the 
hunters had returned home.” (Irving, Washington, (1), p. 187.) 
It is to be regretted that all such figures should so soon have disap- 
peared, as did the frail structures of tlie native villages, leaving only 
fragments of pottery and bits of stone, ashes, and occasional animal 
bones to indicate where they had once stood. 
Srouan TrIpgs. 
The numerous and widely scattered tribes belonging to the Siouan 
linguistic family formerly had a combined population which caused 
this to rank as the second largest stock north of Mexico, being ex- 
ceeded only by the Algonquian. 
All evidence tends to prove that during past centuries the many 
tribes who were found living west of the Mississippi when the great 
central valley of the continent first became known to Europeans had, 
within a few generations, migrated from the eastward. This is like- 
wise indicated by certain tribal traditions. Many had undoubtedly 
occupied the upper parts of the Ohio Valley, and were probably the 
builders of the great earthworks discovered in that region. What 
impelled the westward movement of the tribes may never be deter- 
mined. Whether they were forced to abandon their early habitat 
by stronger forces, by the lack of food which made it necessary for 
