230 NOTES TAKEN. : 
The Kechies numbered about one hundred warriors, and 
the Quapaws only thirty-five. 
All these tribes use the horse in war and in the chase, 
supply themselves with both horses and mules by stealing, 
aint always have a good supply. 
The Quapaws, a small remnant of the once powerful Arkan- 
sas, are an illustration of the rapid degeneracy and neces- 
sarily final disappearance of the Indian. Once called by 
way of distinction “the fine men,” and complimented as 
the most distinguished warriors, for having conquered the 
powerful Chickasaws, at the time the most numerous and 
warlike among the tribes, they are now reduced to a hand- 
ful of squalid half starved beggars, soon to be lost en- 
tirely or merged in some other tribe, 
An incident is related of one of their encounters with the 
Chickasaws, which shows the once great pet oa of 
uation now so near annihilation, 
The Chickasaw chief thought most prudent to make a pre- 
cipitate retreat in consequence of having no powder, which 
when told to the Quapaw chief, he determined that they 
should be put upon an equality with his band, and ordering 
all his warriors to empty their powder horns into a blanket, 
made an equal division and sent one-half to his enemies; the 
fight began, and ended in a signal defeat of the Chickasaws. 
The Camanches and Kioways are the most numerous 
tribes in the South West, have similar habits, but do not 
