( 28© ) 



even this trade has not been very regularly car r 

 ried on, 



Our miftionaries have endeavoured to make a fet- 

 tlement amongft the firft, and I knew one who re- 

 gretted very much his n<k being able to fucceed, or 

 rather his not (laying longer amongft them, as they 

 feemed to be extremely docile. There is, perhaps, 

 no peope to the north weft of the Miffiffippi, of 

 of whom we can receive better and more authentic 

 information than this, by reafon that they can carry 

 on a trade with a] I the other nations on this immenle 

 continent They dwell commonly in meadows un- 

 der large tents made of fkins, which are very well 

 wrought, and live on wild oats, which grow in great 

 plenty in their meadows and riven, and by hunt- 

 ing, especially the buffalo, which are covered with 

 wool, and are found by thoufands in their meadows. 

 They have no fixed abode, but travel in great com- 

 panies like the Tartars, never flopping in any place 

 lppger than they are detained by the chace. 



Our geographers divide this people into the wan- 

 dering Sioux* and the Sioux of the Meadows^ into 

 the Sioux of the Eaft* and the Sioux of ]he Wefi. 

 This divifion e^oes not feem to me to be well found- 

 ed. All the Sioux live in the fame manner, whence 

 it happens, that a village which the year before was 

 An the eaftern bank of the MifTifTippi, {hall be this 

 year on the weftern bank, and that thofe who have 

 lived for fome time on the banks of the river St. 

 Peter, uhall, perhaps, be at prefent in fome meadow 

 a great diftance from if. The name Sioux, which 

 we have given tp thefe Indians, is entirely of our 

 own invention, or rather the two lafl fyilables of 

 of the word Nad.ueff oux, a name by which feveral 

 paeons diftinguiih the a). Others call them Na- 



