336 



ACCOUNT OF THE INDIANS. 



and they appear to lament their deaths, by crying 

 and howling, fully as much as if they were their 

 kindred. Nothwithstanding this affection, how- 

 ever, when they have nothing else with which to 

 purchase articles which they want, they will sell 

 their dogs. 



Those Indians, who live in a woody country, 

 make no use of horses, but employ their large dogs, 

 to assist in carrying their baggage from place to 

 place. The load is placed near their shoulders, 

 and some of these dogs, which are accustomed 

 to it, will carry sixty or seventy pounds weight, 

 the distance of twenty five or thirty miles in a 

 day. 



The Assiniboins, Rapid Indians, Black feet 

 and Mandans, together with all the other Indians 

 who inhabit a plain country, always perform 

 their journies on horse back. Indeed they seldom 

 go even a short distance from their tents, in any 

 other manner. They have some excellent horses, 

 which will carry them a great distance in a day. 

 They sometimes go seventy miles, in twelve 

 hours ; but forty or forty five miles is a common 

 day's ride. They do not often use bridles, but 

 guide their horses with halters, made of ropes, 

 which are manufactured from the hair of the buf- 

 faloe, t which are very strong and durable. On 

 the back of the horse, they put a dressed buffaloe 



