228 Expedition to the 



deaf to all their remonstrances, and the opinion prevailed 

 that he intended to die through starvation. A little child 

 was at length brought in by its parent, who gently raised the 

 leg of the chief, and placed the neck of the child beneath his 

 foot. The murderer then arose, harangued his people, and 

 betook himself to his ordinary occupations. 



Towards the latter part of his life, he became very corpu- 

 lent, the consequence of indolence and repletion. He was 

 transported by carriers, on a bison robe, to the various feasts 

 to which he was daily invited, and should the messenger 

 find him asleep, they dared not to awaken him by a noise or 

 by shaking, but by respectfully tickling his nose with a 

 straw. 



The successor of Black Bird was the Big Rabbit, Mush- 

 shinga- He possessed considerable authority, but he lived 

 only a few years to enjoy it. 



Ta sone or the White Cow, the hereditary successor of 

 Mush-shinga, being governed by an unambitious wife, re- 

 mained inactive, whilst the next important man Ong-pa-ton- 

 ga or the Big Elk, more distinguished for his vigorous in- 

 tellect, than for any martial qualities, attained to the supreme 

 dignity, which he still retains. 



The power of this amiable and intelligent chief, was very 

 considerable during the early part of his administration, and 

 although not so absolute as his predecessors, yet it is believ- 

 ed, that he could then inflict the punishment of death upon 

 an individual, with his own hands, with impunity. Five 

 years ago he informed a stranger in the presence of his peo- 

 ple, that he could compel any one of them to lie down be- 

 fore him, that he might place his foot upon his neck; this 

 assertion was assented to by his hearers. 



But the influence of the grand chief of the Omawhaws 

 has very much diminished, in consequence of the improper 

 distribution of medals by the whites; so that, although 

 one of the most intelligent leaders, that the nation has probably 



