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ble furred animals. They are rovers, and have no 

 idea of exclusive right to the soil. 



The ? Assinniboin nation consists of three bands, 

 who, like the bands of the Sioux, are entirely in- 

 dependent, one of the other ; they claim a national 

 affinity, and never go to war with each other. 

 They are the descendants of the Sioux, and par- 

 take of their turbulent and faithless disposition ; 

 frequently plundering, and sometimes murdering 

 their own traders. The name by which this na- 

 tion is generally known, was borrowed from the 

 Chippeways, who call them Assinniboin, which 

 signifies Stone Sioux, and are sometimes called 

 Stone Indians. 



Manetopa band, or Gens des Canoe, live on 

 Mouse river, between the Assinniboin and the 

 Missouri. They have two hundred warriors, and 

 seven hundred and fifty souls. They do not cul- 

 tivate ; but dispose of buffaloe robes, tallow, 

 dried and pounded mint, and grease, skins of the 

 large and small fox, small and large wolves, ante- 

 lopes, or cabree, and elk in great abundance'; some 

 brown, white, and grizzly bear, deer and. lynx. 



Oseegah band, or Gens des Tee, consist of two. 

 hundred and fifty warriors, and eight hundred 

 and fifty people reside about the mouth of the 

 Little Missouri, and on the Assinniboin, at the 

 mouth of Lapelle river. These people do noth- 

 ing at cultivation, although the country in which 

 they rove is tolerably fertile, open, and free of 

 stone. . They traffic in buffaloe meat, dried and 



