THE COMANCHES. 307 
present any distinguishing features of inter- 
est—any prominent points of national char- 
acter—the remarks that follow will be devoted 
almost exclusively to them. 
.* The relationship of the Comanches to the 
- Snakes or Shoshonies, shows them to have de- 
scended from the north: in fact, it is but half 
a century since their range was from the Ar- 
kansas river northward; but at present this 
stream is their ultima Thule. Yet they even 
now acknowledge no boundaries, but c 
themselves the lords of the entire Prairies— 
all others are but ‘tenants at will.’ They lead 
a wandering sort of life, betaking themselves 
whithersoever the seasons or the habits of 
the buffalo, their chief object of pursuit, may 
lead them. Although during summer they 
are not unfrequently found as far north as 
the Arkansas river, their winters they usually 
pass about the head branches of the Brazos 
and Colorado rivers of Texas. 
In their domestic habits, these Indians, for 
the most part, resemble the other wild tribes; 
yet in some respects they differ materially. 
One of the most interesting traits of differ- 
ence is to be found in their distaste for ardent 
spirits: but few of them can be induced to 
taste a drop of intoxicating liquors; thus form- 
ing an exception, I believe, to the entire race 
of the ‘red man,’ who appears to have a con- 
stitutional appetite for strong drinks. The 
frontier as well as the prairie tribes—the Mexi- 
can as well as the Mountain India e 
equally slaves to their use. 
