INCIDENTS OF EARLY TRAVELS IN MISSOURI. 2 1 



change his plan in his first trip to the Missouris, because they were not wiUing to 

 permit him to go to the Paniouasas. He had observed that from the Kaskaskias to 

 the Missouri it was thirty-two leagues; that the waters of that river were very 

 muddy and that it was full of obstructions of wood and rapids with strong currents ; 

 that it runs to the village of the Missouris to the north northwest, after several 

 bends; that it is wooded by various species of trees; that one may see from it 

 beautiful fields, vales and bluffs, at intervals; that on the west side of the Missouri, 

 there are two rivers, the Blue — quite large, and that of the Osages, whose villages 

 are eighty leagues above its mouth on the southwest side and which is navigable 

 twenty leagues above this nation; that the beginning of the river is ten leagues 

 from the Blue and forty from the mouth of the Missouri; that in the neighbor- 

 hood of the Osages are very abundant mines of lead and other metallic ores, which 

 have not yet been examined; that it is eighty leagues to the village of the Missou. 

 ris by the river of that name. One league from this village, in the southwest, is 

 a village of the Osages,* separated from the other large village of this nation, by 

 thirty leagues. In the narration of his voyage by land to the Osages and Pani- 

 ouasas, it said he had explored the Mississippi to the Saline, about two leagues 

 from the Kaskaskias and thirty from the Missouri. According to his reckoning, 

 it was more than an hundred and twenty leagues from the Salines to the Osages, 

 whose village is situated on an elevation a league and a half from the river which 

 bears their names, on the northwest side, and is composed of one hundred wig- 

 wams and two hundred warriors. This nation does not remain in its village, but 

 like the Missouris, pass the winter in hunting the buffalo, which is common 

 there; and there are seen the horses which they steal from the Panis. These 

 savages are well formed, cunning and treacherous and great runners. They have 

 several chiefs in their band who are almost absolute. There is an abundant mine 

 of lead twelve leagues from their habitation, but they are ignorant of its use. 

 From the Osages to the Paniouasas, forty leagues to the northwest, it is all prairie 

 and hills covered with wild buffaloes. There are four rivers between the Osages 

 and the Paniovasas one must cross ; the largest, which is a branch of the Arkansas, 

 is filled with rapids. This branch of the Arkansas is twelve leagues to the east of 

 the village of the Paniouasas, which is situated by the banks of a stream, upon a 

 hill shut in by prairie, to the southwest of which is a forest of great use to them. 

 "The village has one hundred and thirty cabins, of two hundred and fifty 

 warriois. One league to the northwest on the bank of the same stream, is an- 

 other of the same nation equally strong. They have together 300 horses, which 

 they value highly and with which they will not part. This nation is not civilized, 

 but it is easy to make them friendly by gifts. M. Dutisne adds that there were sev- 

 eral other Panis villages to the west northwest, but they are little known. From 

 the account of the Indians, it is fifteen days travel to the great village of the Pa- 

 doucas,f; they fight each other to the death. Two days travel from the Pani- 



*This village was located near the present town of Miami, Saline county. Mo. A description of an ancient 

 earth-work near the site of this village appeared in the Review for April, 1878. 



fNow called Comanches. They were known among the valley tribes as Padoucahs. Their present nsnie 

 came from the Spanish. 



