BUSHNELL] VILLAGES WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI 115 
Council Bluffs, Iowa, held a council with representatives of the two 
tribes, Oto and Missouri, an event which has been perpetuated in the 
name of the city. A majority of the two tribes were then absent from 
their village on their summer buffalo hunt, consequently few were 
present at the council. 
On May 38, 1811, Bradbury arrived at the Oto village, but it was 
deserted. All were probably some miles away hunting the buffalo. 
However, a very interesting description of the habitations in the de- 
serted village is preserved. First referring to the Platte: “The south- 
ern bank is wholly divested of timber, and as the village is situated on 
a declivity near the river, we could see the lodges very distinctly, but 
there was no appearance of Indians.” (p. 54.) On the following day, 
May 4, 1811, he visited the village and found it “to consist of about 
fifty-four lodges, of a circular form, and about forty feet in diameter, 
with a projecting part at the entrance, of ten or twelve feet in length, 
in the form of a porch. At almost every lodge, the door or entrance 
was closed after the manner which is customary with Indians when 
they go on hunting parties and take their squaws and children with 
them. It consists in putting a few sticks across, in a particular man- 
ner, which they so exactly note and remember, as to be able to dis- 
cover the least change in their position. Although anxious to examine 
the internal structure of the lodges, I did not violate the injunction 
conveyed by this shght obstruction, and after searching some time 
found a few that were left entirely open. On entering one, I found 
the length of the porch to be an inclined plane to the level of the floor, 
about two and a half or three feet below the surface of the ground; 
round the area of the lodge are placed from fifteen to eighteen posts, 
forked at the top, and about seven feet high from the floor. In the 
centre, a circular space of about eight feet in diameter is dug, to the 
depth of two feet; four strong posts are placed in the form of a 
square, about twelve feet asunder, and at equal distances from this 
space ; these posts are about twenty feet high, and cross pieces are laid 
on the tops. The rafters are laid from the forked tops of the outside 
posts over these cross pieces, and reach nearly to the centre, where a 
small hole is left for the smoke to escape; across the rafters small 
pieces of timber are laid; over these, sticks and a covering of sods, and 
lastly earth. The fire is made in the middle of the central space, 
round the edges of which they sit, and the beds are fixed between the 
outer posts. The door is placed at the immediate entrance into the 
lodge; it is made of a buffalo skin, stretched in a frame of wood, and 
is suspended from the top. On entering, it swings forward, and when 
let go, it falls to its former position.” (Bradbury, (1), pp. 56-57.) 
It is to be regretted that Bradbury did not give a more detailed 
account of the general appearance of the village; that he did not tell 
of the placing of the lodges, and of the other structures, if any stood 
