excite a degree of enthusiasm in the youthful warrior, the following anecdote may be narrated.

The Osage nation a few years since marched to attack the Konza village. They encamped unobserved at a moderate distance from the village, and despatched two of their warriors with pipes to the Konzas to invite all their chiefs to a pretended peace conference, and to inform them that presents of horses and merchandize would be made to them, to compensate for two individuals of their nation whom the Osages had killed.

The Konzas, suspecting the treachery intended, {221} at first proposed to put the messengers to death, but on further consideration, supposing them sincere, the chiefs determined to accompany them. On the following morning, however, when they were about to set out for the Osage camp, a chief arose and harangued them, stating that he had had a dream in the night, from the interpretation of which, he was confident that the Wahconda was averse to their proposed visit.

This information deterred all from going, with the exception of two, who mounted their horses and followed the messenger, saying, that whatever might be the event, the Osages should not be led to believe that every individual of the nation was afraid to rely upon their faith.

They were, however, soon undeceived. The enemy, who had placed themselves in ambuscade on each side of the path at a suitable position, fired on the Konzas, one of whom was killed, and the other escaped to his people.

The Osages, who had hoped by this ruse de guerre to slaughter all the chiefs without any loss to themselves, finding their scheme abortive, rushed on to attack the village.

They were met by about one half their number of Konzas, who, after an obstinate encounter, repulsed them with considerable loss.

After the action, some one informed Son-ja-nin-ga that his son was among the slain. "Did he die with his face to the enemy?" said the father. "He did so," replied the other. "Then he perished nobly," rejoined Son-ja-nin-ga, exultingly, and "I will not lament his fall." This resolution, however, was so much at variance with his sensibility, that it could not long be maintained. He mounted on the top of his lodge, and harangued his people on the subject of the martial deeds of his son, who had already become a distinguished warrior; but when he spoke of his {222} final scene, he was so absolutely overpowered by grief, that he precipitated himself from his elevated situation to the earth; receiving, however, but little injury, he immediately assumed the state of mourning with its utmost rigours.

At the age of fourteen or fifteen, it is not uncommon for the young Omawhaw to elope with a married woman, and fly for protection to the Puncaws.

The home of the young man, until he marries, is his father's house; but after he thus changes his condition, he repairs to the house of his father-in-law, until the birth of the first child, when he returns with his little family to his father's dwelling, where he continues to reside. On national hunts he provides a separate skin lodge for his family.

When more advanced in age, and of some little consequence or influence amongst the people, he unites with two or three families in the building of a permanent dirt lodge in the village, similar to those already described of the Konzas.

The labour of erecting this edifice devolves almost exclusively upon the squaws. The interior is readily furnished; the indispensable requisites being only a kettle, a wooden bowl, and a couple of horn spoons, a few skins for a bed and covering, a pillow made of leather stuffed with hair, and a bison's stomach, instead of a bucket, for carrying water.

On the death of the husband, the squaws exhibit the sincerity of their grief by giving away to their neighbours every thing they possess, excepting only a bare sufficiency of clothing to cover their persons with decency. They go out from the village, and build for themselves a small shelter of grass or bark; they mortify themselves by cutting off their hair, scarifying their skin, and, in their insulated hut, they lament incessantly. If the deceased has left a brother, he takes the widow to his lodge after a proper interval, and considers her as his wife, without any {223} preparatory formality.6 If the deceased has not left a brother, the relations of his squaw take her to their lodges. This lamentation and mortification, which the squaws impose upon themselves, continue for a period of six or eight months, or even a year.

Many circumstances tend to show that the squaw is susceptible of the most tender and permanent attachment to an individual of the opposite sex, and that on the cessation of all hope of a union with the beloved object, the consequences have sometimes been fatal. Several instances came to our knowledge, of a young female committing the act of suicide after marriage with a person, in obedience to the will of her parents, whilst her affections were devoted to another.

The maternal fondness appears also to be not less exquisite than we perceive it to be with civilized mothers. The following anecdote may be cited in support of this observation.

In the year 1814, a trader married a beautiful squaw of one of the most distinguished families in the Omawhaw nation. This match, on the part of the husband, was induced by the following circumstances. Being an active, intelligent, and enterprising man, he had introduced the American trade to the Missouri Indians, and had gained great influence amongst them by his bravery and ingenuous deportment. But he at length perceived that his influence was gradually declining in consequence of the presence and wiles of many rival traders, to whom his enterprise had opened the way, and that his customers were gradually forsaking him.

{224} Thus circumstanced, in order to regain the ground he had lost, he determined to seek a matrimonial alliance with one of the most powerful families of the Omawhaws. In pursuance of this resolution, he selected a squaw whose family and friends were such as he desired. He addressed himself to her parents agreeably to the Indian custom, and informed them that he loved their daughter, that he was sorry to see her in the state of poverty common to her nation, and although he possessed a wife among the white people, yet he wished to have one also of the Omawhaw nation. If they would transfer their daughter to him in marriage, he would obligate himself to treat her kindly; and as he had commenced a permanent trading establishment in their country, he would dwell during a portion of the year with her, and the remainder with the white people, as the nature of his occupation required. His establishment should be her home, and that of her people during his life, as he never intended to abandon the trade. In return, he expressed his expectation, that, for this act, the nation would give him the refusal of their peltries, in order that he might be enabled to comply with his engagement to them. He further promised, that if the match proved fruitful, the children should be made known to the white people, and would probably be qualified to continue the trade after his death.

The parents replied with thanks for his liberal offers, and for his disposition to have pity on them; they would not object to the connection, and hoped that their daughter would accept of him as her husband.

The parents then retired, and opened the subject to the daughter. They assured her that her proposed husband was a great man, greater than any of the Omawhaws; that he would do much for her and for them, and concluded