JOURNAL. 
261 
whole tree ; the stump was more than three feet high, and at 
lea-'.t four in diameter. This is a very extraordinary fact, in a 
country where the trees are every where small. 
On the fourth of July, we had something like a celebration 
of the day ; the two principal chiefs happened to be with us —- 
The borgne is one of the most extraordinary men I ever knew. 
The description of Abelino might give some idea of this man. 
He sways with unlimited control, all these villages, and is some¬ 
times a cruel and abominable tyrant In stature he is a giant, 
and his one eye seems to flash with fire. I saw him on one or 
two occasions, treat She-he-ke with great contempt—Mr. Lisa 
citing something which She-he-ke expressed, “ what” says the 
other,does that bag of lies pretend to have any authority here.” 
She-he-ke is a fat man, not much distinguished as a warrior, and 
.extremely talkative, a fault much despised amongst the Indians. 
On a visit to the village , I saw a great number of small scaf¬ 
folds scattered over the prairie, on which human bodies were 
exposed. The scaffolds are supported with four forks, and suf¬ 
ficiently large to receive one or two bodies. They are covered 
with blankets, cloth of different colors, and a variety of offerings. 
In this they are different from the Arikaras, who bury their dead 
as we do. 
On the sixth of July, we set off from the fort, to return to 
the Ankara village, where we arrived two days after, without 
any remarkable occurrence. On our arrival, we found Mr. Hunt 
waiting the arrival of the Chiennes, to complete his supply of 
horses. We continued here about ten days, Mr. Manuel Lisa 
having concluded to send two of his boats, with peltries, Mr. 
Bradbury who was desirous of returning, gladly embraced the 
opportunity. The boats were accordingly put under my com¬ 
mand, with six men in each. 
Two mornings before our departure, a great commotion was 
heard in the village, before daylight. We rose to discover the 
cause, and found that the war party, of about three hundred 
men. were within a short distance of the village, on their return, 
after a battle with the Sioux the evening before, in which two or 
-three were killed, and as many wounded. All the relations of 
