76 CONCILIATORY SMOKE. 



w 



their impressions, one tiling is certain, — that 

 the principal chief (who was dressed in a long 

 red coat of sti'ouding, or coarse cloth) appear- 

 ed to have full confidence in the virtues of 

 liis calumet; which he hghted, and came 

 boldly forward to meet our warlike corps, 

 serenely smoking the ' pipe of peace.' Our 

 captain, now taking a whiff with the savage 

 chief; directed him by signs to cause liis 

 wan-iors to retire. This most of them did, to 

 rejoin the long train of squaws and papooses 

 ■with the baggage, who followed m the rear, 

 and were just then seen emerging from be- 

 yond the hills. Having slowly descended to 

 the banks of the stream, they pitched theb 

 vi^igwams or lodges ; over five hundred of 

 ■which soon bespeckled the ample valley be- 

 fore us, and at once gave to its recently 

 meagre surface the aspect of an immense 

 Indian \illage. The entire number of the 

 Indians, when collected together, conld not 

 have been less than from two to three thou- 

 sand — although some of our company insisted 

 that there were at least four thousand souls. 

 In such a case tliey must have mustered 

 nearly a thousand warriors, while we were 

 but nttle over two himdred strong. Still, our 

 superior arms and the protection^afforded by 

 the wagons, gave us considerably the advan- 

 tage, even supposing an equahty in point 

 of valor. However, the appearance of the 

 squaws and children soon convinced us, that, 

 for the present, at least, they had no hostile in- 

 tentions; so we also descended into the valley 



