NARRATIVE OF 1853. 75 
should relieve your poverty. He will, I know, give you protection; he is warmly interested 
in you and, I am confident, will soon send you proofs of his kind consideration.” | 
I explained that the road to be made from the Mississippi to the Pacific would not injure the 
Indians nor deprive them of comforts; that whites would settle along the line, and though they 
would drive off the buffalo, they would also supply other articles in place of them. They 
would receive from the President implements of agriculture and learn to till the soil, so as to 
obtain food with less labor than now. 
I told them that I would go through the lands of the Blackfeet and other Indians beyond the 
Yellowstone, carrying the friendly messages of the Great Father, and insisting on peace 
among all, to secure the safety of the whites. I promised to write to their good friend Gover- 
nor Gorman, the Indian superintendent; told them that I knew him well, that he was a good 
and just man, and certainly their friend. 
My remarks seemed to make a very favorable impression, and were received with every mark - 
of respect. Their approbation was shown as each paragraph was interpreted by the ejaculation 
“How ! a common word, answering every purpose of salutation, approval, or concurrence. 
After a short conversation among themselves, the Old Brave came forward, and shaking 
hands all round, addressed me as follows: 
“Му father, I have heard of our Good Father to-day with much joy. I trust this will be 
the day of hope for the Indians, for my children, and for my grandchildren. The Father of 
Life made us all wish to live. I wish to live yet a good while. I wish to live for my children. 
You see around you our young men, our children, and our families. They are almost naked 
and destitute; you see them clad from the animals of these plains. 
“Му father, we have always been friendly to the whites since they first came into our 
country; we have observed our obligations with them; we have always treated them with 
kindness and hospitality, and we will continue to do so. 
“Му father, not long ago the Indians of the Missouri were called to a council at Fort 
was there made, fixing the hunting grounds of each tribe. We have 
sacredly kept this treaty, and have never gone out of our allotedlands. But the Sioux, on one 
side, have come into our hunting grounds. The half-breeds, on the other side, have hunted on 
our plains; we have submitted patiently, knowing, my father, that the Great Father, when he 
heard of these things, would do us justice. We ask you to relieve us from these troubles. 
‘t Our good father has told us about this road. I do not see how it will benefit us, and I fear 
my people will be driven from these plains before the white юш My father, our hearts are 
good; we are poor and have not much, but as a token of our kind feelings, accept those skins 
: 7? 
and robes on which you are seated. 
I made no formal reply to this, but in a conversa 
. remarks. I added my warmest thanks for their present, and told them that we had some 
presents for them, excusing the small amount we could give them by the plea of the great 
distance we had brought them. I promised them more in future through the Indian agents, 
and inviting them to come to our camp and receive the gifts, I concluded the conference 
Laramie; a treaty 
tional way reiterated some of my former 
about Т a. m. 
The present they gave қ 
We spent about half an hour in going around among the various lodg 
me consisted of thirty-two dressed skins and two robes. 
es, and then returned 
