Rocky Mountains. 307 



sents of horses and merchandize. They then removed from 

 the vicinity of the Otoes, and erected their present village 

 on the Loup fork of the Platte. 



The Otoes, as well as the Konza warriors, will not, on 

 any consideration, sit down whilst on a war excursion, until 

 evening ; they will lie down, and stoop down, but they must 

 not rest upon the ground in a sitting posture. 



An Upsaroka or Crow war party, who were hovering 

 about the Rickaree village, waiting an opportunity to strike 

 a blow, observed a boy entirely alone, and at a distance from 

 any succour ; having a boy belonging to the party much of 

 the same size, they permitted him to attack the Rickaree 

 boy singly ; the assailant was successful, and brought off the 

 scalp of the enemy. 



One of the warriors then took the scalp, and rode with it 

 near to the village in defiance. . 



During the last seven or eight years, since they have 

 become influenced by the agents of the United States, the 

 Omawhaws have entirely abstained from carrying the war 

 into the country of their enemies ; no unprovoked parties 

 have been sent out, and the nation, agreeably to the injunc- 

 tions of the agents, restricts its military operations solely to 

 defensive warfare. Partial attacks have been made upon 

 them during this time, which have always been promptly 

 repelled, sometimes with considerable slaughter. 



That implicit confidence may be justly reposed upon, at 

 least, some of this people, the following anecdote will testify. 



In the year 1815 the Ioways came to the mouth of the 

 Platte river, and found there a trader engaged in trafficking 

 with the Otoes. They attempted to take possession of his 

 merchandize by force, but were opposed and repelled by the 

 Otoes, who determined to protect their trader. The Ioways, 

 however, threatened the trader to plunder him, as soon as 

 the Otoes should depart, whose provisions being now nearly 

 exhausted, the fears of the trader for his safety became more 



