Rocky Mountains. 181 



usually invested by gaiters and mocRasins; a kind of sleeve- 

 less short gown, composed of a single piece of the same 

 material, loosely clothes the body, hanging upon che shoul- 

 ders, readily thrown off, without any sense of indelicacy, 

 when suckling their children, or under the influence of a 

 heated atmosphere, displaying loose and pendent mammae. A 

 few are covered by the more costly attire of coarse red or 

 bkie cloth, ornamented with a profusion of blue and white 

 beadsj the shortgown of this dress has the addition of wide 

 sleeves descending below the elbow; its body is of a square 

 form with a transverse slit in the upper edge for the head 

 to pass through; around this aperture, and on the upper side 

 of the sleeves, is a continuous stripe, the breadth of the hand, 

 of blue and white beads, tastefully arranged in contact with 

 each other, and adding considerable weight, as well as orna- 

 ment, to this part of the dress; around the petticoat, and in 

 a line with the knees, is an even row of oblong conic bells, 

 made of sheet copper, each about an inch and a half in 

 length, suspended vertically by short leathern thongs as near 

 to each other as possible, so that when the person is in mo- 

 tion they strike upon each other and produce a tinkling sound. 

 The young unmarried females are more neatly dressed, and 

 seem to participate but little in the laborious occupations, 

 which fall chiefly to the lot of their wedded companions. 



The dress of the men is compose^ of a breech-cloth, skin 

 leggings, mockasins, and a bison robe. In warm weather, the 

 three latter articles of dress "are sometimes thrown aside as 

 superfluous, exposing the limbs and body to view and to 

 the direct influence of the most ardent rays of the sun. 

 Such are the habiliments that necessity compels the multi- 

 tude to adopt; but the opulence of a few has gained for them- 

 selves the comfortable, as well as ornamental, and highly 

 esteemed Spanish blanket, from the Mexican traders, and of 

 which we had previously seen two or three in the posses- 

 sion of Pawnee warriors, worn as trophies. Another spe- 



