430 Life of Auduhon. 



gings : these were the braves of the tribe^ and they did 

 not grunt or shake hands with any of us. 



" As soon as the tobacco was distributed, the whole 

 company rose simultaneously, and we shook hands with 

 each one, and gladly bid them good riddance. The two 

 braves waited until all the others were on shore, and then 

 retired majestically as they had entered, not shaking 

 hands even with the captain, who had entertained them 

 and made the speech. This is a ceremony which takes 

 place yearly as the Company's boat goes up. Each In- 

 dian carried away about two pounds of tobacco. Two 

 of the Indians who distributed the tobacco, and were of 

 the highest rank, were nearly naked, and one by my side 

 had only a clout and one legging on. They are now all 

 goi^ebut one, who goes with us to the Yellow- stone River. 



"This morning the thermometer stood at 37°. We 

 have passed the village of the poor Mandans, and' of the 

 Grosventres, to-day: the latter is cut off from the river 

 by an enormous sand-bar, now covered with willows. We 

 saw a few Indian corn-fields ; the plants were sickly-look- 

 ing, and about two inches high. The prairies are very 

 extensive, stretching away to the hills, and there are deep 

 ravines in them filled with water sufficiently saline to be 

 used by the Indians for seasoning their food. 



'■'■June 13. Fort Union. Thermometer 53°, 72°, 68°. 

 We arrived here to-day, and have made the shortest trip 

 from St. Louis on record, just forty-eight days. We have 

 landed our effects, and established ourselves in a log- 

 house, with one room and one window, intending to spend 

 three weeks here before launching into the wilderness. 



" There has been no ardent spirits sold here for two 

 years, and the result is, the Indians are more peaceable 

 than formerly. On the plains we saw the mounds where 

 many Indians had been buried who died here of the 

 small-pox. There were apparently several bodies in each 



