l^Gcky Mountains. 187" 



These nations have been for the three past years, wander- 

 ing on the head waters and tributaries of Red river, having 

 returned to the Arkansa, only the day which preceded our 

 first interview with them, on their way to the mountains, at 

 the sources of the Platte river. They have no permanent 

 town, but constantly rove, as necessity urges them, in pur- 

 suit of the herds of bisons, in the vicinity of the sources of 

 the Platte, Arkansa, and Red rivers. 



They are habitually at war with all the nations of the 

 Missouri; indeed martial occurrences in which they were in- 

 terested with those enemies, formed the chief topic of tbeir 

 conversation with our interpreters. They were desirous to 

 know of them the names of particular individuals whom 

 they had met in battle, and whom they described; how many 

 had been present at a particular engagement, and who were 

 killed or wounded. The late battle which we have before 

 spoken of, with the Loup Pawnees, also occupied their in- 

 quiries; they denied that they were on that occasion aided by 

 the Spaniards, as we understood they iiad been, but admit- 

 ted their great numerical superiority, and the loss ot many 

 in killed and wounded. Their martial weapons are bows and 

 arrows, lances, war clubs, tomahawks, scalping knives, and 

 shields.* 



* Chabonneau informs us, that ho observed the clitoris and labia of a 

 squaw of the Arrapaho nation, whom he had examined, to be very much 

 elongated and dilated, so as to resemble large valves; this effect he attri- 

 buted chiefly to the art of the mother, employed during tlie infancy and 

 youth of the daughter, and to her own subsequent manipulations, and those 

 of her husband. 



We do not know that any writer has visited these Indians, since the ex- 

 pedition of Mr. Bourgmont, commander of Fort Orleans of the Missouri, 

 which took place in the year 1724. They were then, and have since con- 

 tinued to be distinguished collectively by the name of Padoucas. Du 

 Pratz informs us, that they were then very numerous, " extending almost 

 two hundred leagues, and they have villages quite close to the Spaniards 

 of New Mexico." And that " from the Padoucas to the Canzes, proceed- 

 ing always east, we may now safely reckon sixty-five and a half leagues. 

 The river of the Canzes is parallel to this route." From this statement of 

 the course, aod estimate of the distance to the country of the Padoucas, it 

 is evident, that at this day the Indians do not habitually wander in that di- 

 rection, so near to the Missouri as they then did, owing probably to the 

 hostilities of the more martial nations residing on that river. 



