Rocky Mounta'nis. Ill 



Like all savages, they suffer themselves to be covered with 

 filth and vermin, and as among many northern tribes,* lice are 

 sought for and eaten with avidity, at least by the women; not- 

 withstanding which, some of the young females are far from 

 disgusting in their appearance. They have well turned fea- 

 tures, aquiline noses, large and regular teeth, and eyes which, 

 though usually rather small, are clear and brilliant. In the 

 general structure of their features, and in the complexion of 

 their skins, they resemble the Missouri tribes, being of a 

 clearer and brighter red, than many of the eastern Indians. 

 In stature and in symmetry of body they are inferior to the 

 Otoes, Pawnees, and most of the Missouri Indians who 

 reside in permanent villages. 



They seemed to have had little intercouse with the whites, 

 as some among them appeared to take great pleasure in ex- 

 hibiting to their friends the skin of our arms, which they 

 requested us to show them for that purpose. It was proba- 

 bly by means of a mistake, on the part of one of the inter- 

 preters, that we received the intimation that they had never 

 before heard of such a people as that to which we belonged. 

 We saw among them few articles of foreign production; 

 these they had, probably, received from Spanish traders. In 

 the whole encampment we saw but one kettle, which belong- 

 ed to the chief, and their great eagerness to steal our tin cups 

 and other similar articles, sufficiently evinced that such 

 things are scarce, and of great value among them. They 

 have some beads, most of which are bestowed in ornament- 

 ing the dress of the children; also some pewter and brass 

 rings, worn principally by the women. They are acquaint- 

 ed with the use of tobacco, and smoked with us according 

 to the universal custom of the Indians, but expressed, by 

 signs, that they found the smoke of unmixed tobacco too 

 strong for them. One of their young men, who was in his 

 ordinary dress when we met the party, visited us soon after 



* Des. of Kamschatka. p. 507. ^ Pennant's Arct. Zool. vol. i. p. 204. 



