Rocky Mountains. 447 



ceous loam, and still deeper, with a fine sileceous sand. The 

 agriculture of the Pawnees is extremely rude. They are sup- 

 plied with a few hoes by the traders, but many of their la- 

 bors are accomplished with the rude instruments of wood 

 and bone which their own ingenuity supplies. They plant 

 corn and pumpkins in little patches along the sides of deep 

 ravines, and wherever by any accident the grassy turf has 

 been eradicated. Sometimes these little plantations are en- 

 closed with a sort of wicker fence and in other instances are 

 left entirely open. These last are probably watched by the 

 squaws during the day time, when the horses run at large. 



We slept on the night of the 12th at our encampment in front 

 of the Pawnee Loup village. During the night all remained 

 at rest except the dogs, who howled in concert, in the same 

 voice, and nearly to the same tune, as the wolves, to whose 

 nightly serenade we were now accustomed. 



As soon as the day dawned we observed the surrounding 

 plain filled with groups of squaws, with their small children, 

 trooping to their cornfields in every direction. Some, who pass- 

 ed our encampment, lingereda momentto admire our novel ap- 

 pearance; but the air of serious business was manifest in their 

 countenances, and they soon hurried away to their daily 

 labors. Some of the groups of young females were accom- 

 panied by a jolly looking young man as a protector. Their 

 corn is usually gathered before it is entirely ripe, it is then 

 boiled, cut from the cob, and dried. Their cookery consists 

 in boiling it, either w T ith or without the tallow of the bison, 

 according to the state of their supplies. The pumpkins are 

 cut in slips, which are dried in the sun, and afterwards 

 woven into mats for the convenience of carrying. They of- 

 fered us these articles in exchange for tobacco, vermillion, 

 beads, looking glasses, and various other trinkets. Also jerk- 

 ed bison beef, and the tallow of that animal, of which we 

 purchased a small quantity. We saw among them the 



