men with whom they had hitherto
had any intercourse, would not supply them with fire-arms, alleging
that, if they were possessed of such weapons, they would only be the
more induced to kill one another. The Shoshonees, perhaps, do not
perceive that policy is the real motive of the Spaniards; but they
clearly see that the plea of humanity is fallacious, and they complain
that they are thus left to the mercy of their enemies the Minnetarees,
who, having fire-arms, plunder them of their horses, and slay them at
pleasure.

Though many of their stock had lately been stolen, the Shoshonees
possessed, at this time, not fewer than seven hundred horses, of good
size, vigorous, and patient of fatigue, as well as of hunger. They had
also a few mules, which had been purchased or stolen from the Spaniards,
by the frontier Indians. These were the finest animals of the kind, that
Captain Clarke had ever seen; even the worst of them was considered
worth the price of two horses.

The horse is a favourite animal with this people. His main and tail,
which are never mutilated, they decorate with feathers, and his ears
they cut into various patterns. A favourite horse, also, is sometimes
painted; and a warrior will suspend, at the breast of his horse, the
finest ornaments which he possesses.

The Shoshonees always fight on horseback. They have a few bad guns among
them, which are reserved, exclusively, for war; but their common weapons
are bows and arrows. The bows that are chiefly prized, are made of the
argali's horn, flat pieces of which are cemented together with glue.
They have also lances, and a formidable sort of club, consisting of a
round stone, about two pounds in weight, fastened, by a short thong, to
a wooden handle. Their defensive armour is a shield of buffalo's hide,
manufactured with equal ingenuity and superstition. The skin must be the
whole hide of a male buffalo, two years old, and never suffered to dry,
since it was flayed off. A feast is held, to which all the warriors, old
men, and jugglers, are invited. After the repast, a hole is dug in the
ground, about eighteen inches deep, and of the same diameter as the
intended shield. Red hot stones are thrown into this hole; and water is
poured upon them, to produce a strong steam. Over this, the skin is
laid, with the fleshy side to the ground; and stretched, in every
direction, by as many persons as can take hold of it. As it becomes
heated, the hair separates, and is t