Rocky 3Iountains. 117 



spoken of these Indians, seem to have included several of the 

 erratic hordes already enumerated, under the name of Hie- 

 tans or Camancias. From their wandering mode of life, it 

 unavoidably happens, that the same band is met by hunters 

 and travellers, in different parts of the country, at different 

 times, consequently they receive different appellations, and the 

 estimate of their numbers becomes much exaggerated. Of 

 this band, we have no other information to communicate, than 

 that they appeared, from the tracks of their horses and lodge 

 poles, to have been rather more numerous than the party of 

 Bad-hearts we had lately met. A recent grave was discover- 

 ed by one of our hunters, at no great distance from the river, 

 in which it was supposed one of this band had been buried. 

 At one end of the grave was erected a pole about ten feet in 

 length, crossed near the top by another two feet long. To the 

 foot of this rude cross was tied a pair of mockasins, newly 

 scaled and carefully prepared for the use of the departed, in 

 that long journey, on the road of the dead^ to which the good 

 wishes of some friend had accompanied him. 



Where we halted at noon, were some trees, and several of 

 these were covered with grape vines, loaded with ripe and 

 delicious fruit. The Osage plum was also common, and now 

 beginning to ripen. The temperature of the air within our 

 tent, partially shaded by some small trees, was sufficiently 

 high to keep the mercury at 105** Fah. From twelve o'clock 

 to three P. M. a suffocating stillness prevailed in the air, and 

 we could find no relief from the painful glare of light, and 

 the intense heat, which seemed about to reduce the scanty 

 vegetation to ashes. 



In the afternoon, a thick grove of timber was descried at 

 a distance below, and on the opposite side of the river. 

 This cheering sight was like the discovery of land to the 

 mariner, reminding us of the comparative comfort and 

 plenty, which we had learned to consider inseparable from 

 a forest country, and exciting in us the hope that we should 



