JRocky Mountains. 437 



In this lodge we saw a number of squaws of different ages, 

 but all as we supposed the wives of Long-hair. This chief, 

 who is somewhat of a Turk in his domestic establishment, has 

 eleven wives, nine of whom are quiet occupants of the same 

 lodge. He has but ten children. 



Our visit to this village seemed to excite no great degree 

 of attention. Among the crowd, who surrounded us before 

 we entered the village, we observed several young squaws 

 rather gaily dressed, being wrapped in clean and new blan- 

 kets, and having their heads ornamented with wreaths of 

 gnaphalium and the silvery leaves of the prosalea canescens. 

 On the tops of the lodges we also saw some display of fine- 

 ry, which we supposed to have been made on account of our 

 visit. Flags were hoisted, shields, and bows, and quivers, 

 were suspended in conspicuous places, scalps were hung outj 

 in short, the people appeared to have exposed whatever they 

 possessed, in the exhibition of which, they could find any 

 gratification of their vanity. Aside from these, we received 

 no distinguished marks of attention from the Grand Pawnees. 



After spending an hour or two at their village, we retired 

 to our camp about a mile distant. Here we were shortly af- 

 terwards visited by Long-hair, the Malicious chief, and se- 

 veral others. They had with them a young Spaniard, who 

 interpreted Pawnee and French, by whose means we were 

 able to communicate freely with them. They offered some 

 apology, for not receiving us at their village, saying, they 

 could not have left their medicine feast, if the village had 

 been on fire. We caused our intended route to be explained 

 to them, with the objects we had in view, in undertaking so 

 long a journey. To this they answered, that our undertaking 

 was attended with great difficulty and danger, that the coun- 

 try about the head of the Platte, was filled with bands of 

 powerful and ferocious Indians, who would lose no opportu- 

 nity to attack and injure us, that in some parts of our route, 

 we must suffer from want of water, in others there was no 



