126 Expedition to the 



the Master of life, and therefore cannot pretend to personify 

 him ; but they have often heard him speak in the thnnder ; 

 they wear often a shell which is in honour, or in representa- 

 tion of him, but they do not pretend that it resembles him, 

 or has any thing in common with his form, organization, or 

 dimensions. 



" This nation having been at profound peace with the Osa- 

 ges since the year 1806, (see Pike, p. 144.J have intermar- 

 ried freely with them, so that in stature, features and customs 

 they are more and more closely approaching that people. 

 They are large and symmetrically well formed, with the usual 

 high cheek bones, the nose more or less aquiline, colour 

 reddish coppery, the hair black and straight. Their wo- 

 men are small and homely, with broad faces. We saw but 

 a single squaw in the village who had any pretensions to 

 beauty ; she was recently married to an enterprizing warrior, 

 who invited us to a feast, apparently in order to exhibit his 

 prize to us. The ordinary dress of the men is a breech 

 cloth of blue or red cloth, secured in its place by a girdle; 

 a pair of leggins, made of dressed deer skin, concealing the 

 leg, excepting a small portion of the upper part of the thigh ; 

 a pair of mockasins made of dressed deer, elk, or bison skin, 

 not ornamented ; and a blanket to cover the upper part of 

 the body, often thrown over one arm in hot weather, leaving 

 that part naked ; or it is even entirely thrown aside. The 

 outer cartilage of the ear is cut through in three places, and 

 upon the rims, thus separated, various ornaments are sus- 

 pended, such as wampum, string beads, silver or tin trinkets, 

 &c. The hair of most of their chiefs and warriors is scru- 

 pulously removed from the head, being careful however to 

 leave enough, as in honour they are bound to do, to supply 

 their enemy with a scalp, in case they should be vanquished. 

 This residuum consists of a portion on the back of the head 

 of about the breadth of the hand, rounded at its upper ter- 

 mination near the top of the head, the sides rectilinear, and 



