JOURNAL. 
£50 
highest knobs. We saw a great variety of plants, and some 
new ones—T)ne or two of.the Tallies are beautiful, and a few 
dwarf plum trees-scattered along a rivulet. 
-On- our-return in the evening, an alarm prevailed in-the-vil¬ 
lage,-’which appeared to be ail in commotion. We Were inform¬ 
ed that the Sioux, their enemies, were near. This was proba¬ 
bly all preconcerted. I was-shewn, at the distance of about two 
miles, four horsemen on the top of a hill, at full gallop, passing 
and re-passing each other ; this I understand is the signal given 
by the scouts, some of whom are constantly on the alert, of the 
approach of an enemy. To give intelligence of the appearance 
of a herd of buff aloe, instead of crossing each other, they gallop 
backward and forward abreast. Presently the warriors issued 
from the village with great noise and tumult, some on foot, 
ethers on horse back, and pursued the direction in which the 
signals were made, down the river, and past an encampment. 
They observed no regular march, but ran helter skelter, like per¬ 
sons in one of our towns to extinguish a fire*—and keeping up*a 
continued hallooing to encourage each other. Some of them 
were dressed in their most splendid manner. The tops of the 
lodges were crowded with women and children, and with the 
old men who could give no assistance, but by their lungs, which 
-were kept busily employed: yet there were several who sullied 
forth, almost half Tent with the weight of years. I counted up¬ 
wards of five hundred in all. They soon after returned ; whether 
they had chased away the enemy, or the alarm had turned out 
false, I never learned. 
Sunday 1 6 th. In the course of the day several parties ar¬ 
rived from different directions. According to custom they were 
met by warriors and conducted to the council lodge, where they 
gave an account of what had occurred, which was afterwards an¬ 
nounced to the village by heralds. These contribute to enli¬ 
ven the village’; 'though independent, they continually present 
a busy and animated scene. Great numbers of men are engag¬ 
ed in the different games of address and agility, others judg¬ 
ing, or looking on, and many employed in a variety of other 
ways. There are a greaKnurnber of women constantly at work 
$n dressing buffaloe robes, which are placed on frames before 
