342 Expedition to the 



wound him, another Indian, at a short distance further, fired 

 at the same deer, and brought him down, both, of course, 

 with single ball. 



The extreme heat of the day was 95 degrees. 



3rd. Our chief, who, upon the invitation of Clermont vi- 

 sited the Indian camp, accompanied by Julien and Cler- 

 niont^s son, returned this morning with two other sons of that 

 chief, and a handsome young squaw, wife of one of them. His 

 reception was not equal to his anticipations; Clermont, how- 

 ever, and one of his sons each presented a skin of maize, but 

 that chief could not realize the almost splendid offers he had 

 made us of guides and horses. 



Word was brought to Clermont, that the information re- 

 ceived yesterday of our deserters having departed from the 

 village was incorrect, and that they still remained there. This 

 induced at once, the offer of every thing they were in posses- 

 sion of, with the exception of the manuscripts alone, to any 

 persons who should bring them to our camp. With this libe- 

 ral offer, Clermont himself, accompanied by Julien, set out 

 for the village to arrest them, but on their way, a messenger 

 whom they met, assured them, that they had actually and fi- 

 nally departed this morning. Thus all our hopes of recover- 

 ing our lost property vanished. 



The stature of the Osages that fell under our observation 

 was by no means superior to that of the Missouri Indians, 

 and in very many instances, their form exhibited a beautiful 

 symmetry. They do not seem to differ in point of features or 

 colour from the Indians just mentioned. But the custom 

 seems to be the more general in this nation of shaving the 

 head, so as to leave only a scalp on the back part and above, 

 which is, as usual, ornamented with silver plates, broaches, 

 and feathers. 



Their dresses and decorations are very similar to those of 

 the Omawhaws, Oioes, and Konzas, but from their proximity 



