CHAPTER VII. 



Further account of the Konza nation — Robbery of Mr. Say's 

 detachment by a war party of Paxunees — Arrival at the 

 Platte. 



The Konza warriors, like those of some others of the 

 Missouri tribes, on their departure on a war excursion, some- 

 times make vows, binding themselves never to return until 

 they have performed some feat which they mention, such as 

 killing an enemy, striking an enemy's dead body, or stealing 

 a horse. An instance lately occurred, of a warrior who had 

 been long absent under a vow of this sort, and finding it im- 

 possible to meet an enemy, and being in a starving condition, 

 he returned to his own village by night, with the determina- 

 tion of accomplishing his vow, by killing and scalping the 

 first person he should meet. This person happened to be the 

 warrior's own mother, but the darkness of the night prevent- 

 ed the discovery until he had accomplished his bloody pur- 

 pose. 



On the 23d of August, Mr. Say's party began to prepare 

 for leaving the Konza village, where they had been treated 

 with much hospitality. They purchased a number of articles 

 for their use on the journey they proposed to take, such as 

 jerked bison meat, pounded maize, bison fat put up like 

 sausages, mockasins, leggings, spoons made of the horn of 

 the bison, two large wooden dishes, &c. They received also 

 an addition to their cavalcade of two horses, one belonging 

 to Maj. O Fallon, and another which they procured from a 

 Frenchman residing in the village. 



