ca, resemble each other very much in stature and complexion, in
manners and customs; a general description of these will therefor be
sufficient.

The stature of an Indian, is generally that of the medial stature of
the Anglo Americans; the Osages are said to form an exception to this
rule, being somewhat taller. They are almost universally straight and
well proportioned; their limbs are clean, but less muscular than those
of the whites, and their whole appearance strongly indicative of
effeminacy. In walking, they invariable place one foot directly before
the other--the toes never verging from a right line with the heel.
When traveling in companies, their manner of marching is so peculiar
as to have given rise to the expression, "_Indian file_;" and while
proceeding in this way, each carefully places his foot in the vestige
of the foremost of the party, so as to leave the impression of the
footsteps of but one. They have likewise in their gait and carriage
something so entirely different from the gait and carriage of the
whites, as to enable a person to pronounce on one at a considerable
distance. The hair of an Indian is also strikingly different from that
of the whites. It is always black and straight, hangs loose and looks
as if it were [27] oiled. There is a considerable resemblance in
appearance, between it and the glossy black mane of a thoroughbred
horse; though its texture is finer.

In the squaws there exist, the same delicacy of proportion, the same
effeminacy of person, the same slenderness of hand and foot, which
characterise the female of refined society; in despite too of the
fact, that every laborious duty and every species of drudgery, are
imposed on them from childhood. Their faces are broad, and between the
eyes they are exceedingly wide; their cheek bones are high and the
eyes black in both sexes--the noses of the women inclining generally
to the flat nose of the African; while those of the men are more
frequently aquiline than otherwise.

Instances of decrepitude and deformity, are rarely known to exist
among them: this is probably owing to the manner in which they are
tended and nursed in infancy. It is not necessary that the mother
should, as has been supposed, be guilty of the unnatural crime of
murdering her decrepid or deformed offspring--the hardships they
encounter are too great to be endured by infants not possessed of
natural vigor, and they sink beneath them.

Their countenances are fo