BUSHNELL] VILLAGES WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI iteal 
During the summer of 1805 Francois Antoine Larocque, a clerk at- 
tached to the Upper Red River Department of the Compagnie du 
Nord-Ouest, visited the Crows and in his journal recorded much of 
interest respecting the manners of the people. Larocque had, during 
the winter of 1804-05, remained near the Mandan and Hidatsa vil- 
lages, and thus met Captains Lewisand Clark in their winter encamp- 
ment. A large party of the Crows, the Rocky Mountain Indians of 
the journal, came to the Hidatsa villages on Knife River. There they 
were met by Larocque, with whom they departed for their distant 
country on Saturday, June 29, 1805. His narrative contains a brief 
reference to the people. He wrote: “This nation known among the 
Sioux by the name of Crow Indians inhabit the eastern part of the 
Rocky Mountains at the head of the River aux Roches Jaunes (which 
is Known by the Kinistinaux and Assiniboines by the name of River 
ala Biche, from the great number of elks with which all the Country 
along it abounds) and its Branches and Close to the head of the 
Missouri. ; 
“There are three principal tribes of them whose names in their 
own language are Apsarechas, Keetheresas and Ashcabcaber, and 
these tribes are again divided into many other small ones which at 
present consist but of a few people each, as they are the remainder 
of a numerous people who were reduced to their present number by 
the ravage of the Small Pox, which raged among them for many 
years successively and as late as three years ago. They told me 
they counted 2000 Lodges or tents in their Camp when alltogether 
before the Small Pox had infected them. At present their whole 
number consist of about 2400 persons dwelling in 300 tents and are 
able to raise 600 Wariors like the Sioux and Assiniboines. They 
wander about in Leather tents and remain where there are Buffaloes 
and Elks. After having remained a few days in one place so that 
game is not more so plentiful as it was they flit to another place where 
there are Buffaloes or deers and so on all the year around. Since the 
great decrease of their numbers they generally dwell all together 
and flit at the same time and as long as it is possible for them to live 
when together they seldom part.” (Larocque, (1), pp. 55-56.) The 
narrative continues: “They live upon Buffaloes & Deer, a very few 
of them eat Bears or Beaver flesh, but when compelled by hunger; 
they eat no fish.” The Crows were at that time in their primitive 
condition, “ They have never had any traders with them, they get their 
battle Guns, ammunitions etc. from the Mandans & Big Bellys in 
exchange for horses, Robes, Leggings & shirts, they likewise pur- 
chase corn, Pumpkins & tobacco from the Big Bellys as they do not 
cultivate the ground.” 
71934 °—22——_11 
