BUSHNELL] VILLAGES WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI 101 
days all would have begun their homeward journey. But the struc- 
tures as described would have resembled the dwellings in their 
permanent villages, differing from the more temporary lodges dis- 
covered by Schoolcraft a few years later. 
When Schoolcraft traversed the southern part of the State of Mis- 
sourl a century ago, crossing the Ozarks and following the deep 
valleys which separated the ridges, he encountered many deserted 
* camps of the Osages and frames of one or more habitations, the mat 
or bark covers often having been removed, thus allowing the bare 
frames to remain. These had been the temporary shelters occupied 
by small parties hunting away from their home villages. On No- 
vember 27, 1818, so he wrote, “night overtook us, and we encamped 
in an Indian bark tent on the bank of the river, which had not been 
occupied for one or two years.” (Schoolcraft, (1), p. 28.) The 
river mentioned was the Great North Fork of White River, and the 
latter was soon reached. Continuing their journey over the rough 
and rugged hills, through tangled masses of vegetation, often. ad- 
vancing only a few miles each day, and that with the greatest exertion, 
they arrived December 30, 1818, in the region a short distance east of 
James River, possibly in the present Christian County, Missouri. 
Here they encountered several deserted camps, of which, fortunately, 
interesting accounts are preserved in the narrative: “In pursuing 
up the valley of Swan Creek, about nine miles, we fell into the Osage 
trace, a horse-path beaten by the Osages in their hunting excursions 
along this river, and passing successively three of their camps, now 
deserted, all very large, arranged with much order and neatness, and 
capable of quartering probably 100 men each. Both the method of 
building camps, and the order of encampment observed by this singu- 
lar nation of savages, are different from any thing of the kind I 
have noticed among the various tribes of aboriginal Americans, 
through whose territories I have had occasion to travel. The form of 
the tent or camp may be compared to an inverted bird’s nest, or 
hemisphere, with a small aperture left in the top, for the escape of 
smoke; and a similar, but larger one, at one side, for passing in and 
out. It is formed by cutting a number of slender flexible green- 
poles of equal length, sharpened at each end, stuck in the ground like 
a bow, and, crossing at right angles at the top, the points of entrance 
into the ground forming a circle. Small twigs are then wove in, 
mixed with the leaves of cane, moss, and grass, until it is perfectly 
tight and warm. These tents are arranged in large circles, one 
within another, according to the number of men intended to be 
accommodated. In the centre is a scaffolding for meat, from which 
all are supplied every morning, under the inspection of a chief, whose 
tent is conspicuously situated at the head of the encampment, and 
