Rocky Mountains. 443 



The chief addressed us fur some time with great apparent 

 earnestness, but his discourse as it came to our comprehen- 

 sion, by the aid of an interpreter, whom we obtained at this 

 village, seemed directed solely to one object, the exciting 

 our compassion for his poverty. 



" Father — You see me here; I am very poor; my young 

 men are very poor; we hope our great Father, will not forget 

 the red-skins his children, they are poor," with a great deal 

 more in the same strain. He, however, returned frequently 

 to the subject of our journey to the west. " I will tell my 

 young men," said he, (meaning the war parties which should 

 be sent out in that direction,) " when they meet you, to take 

 you by the hand, and smoke the peace pipe with you," 



The Kuife-chief, with his son Petalesharoo, celebrated for 

 his filial affection, his valour and his humanity, visited us at 

 our camp in the afternoon, and we were proud to entertain 

 one whom we thought so worthy of our admiration. We 

 also received a visit from a Medicine-man, who, having heard 

 there were great medicine men belonging to our party, re- 

 quested to be shown some of the mysteries of their profes- 

 sion. We accordingly displayed before him a pair of bullet- 

 forceps, a small case of sugeons' instruments, and some simi- 

 lar articles, and began to explain to him the use of each. 

 He attended for some time to our discourse, but apparently 

 without comprehending any part of it, and at length turned 

 abruptly away, with an air of dissatisfaction and contempt. 



The Canadian, who had been engaged before we left the 

 Missouri as a guide, now gave us to understand, that it was 

 not his intention to accompany the expedition. Having been 

 informed of other persons in the village, who were qualified 

 for this undertaking, Major Long made application to several 

 of these, who at first expressed a willingness to accompany 

 him, but soon afterwards recalled their promises. Finding 

 them disposed to trifle, in this manner, he at length assured 

 them that unless some one was immediately procured to 



