nate, in a
bloody conflict, and the death of most of the party.

We returned to the Forks, after having seen a party of half-breeds set
off with their horses and carts for buffaloe meat, in the same
direction the Sioux Indians were gone. They were advised not to follow
their track so immediately; but the want of provisions led them to
neglect this advice; and in about a fortnight afterwards we were
informed, that they had been fired upon in their encampment in the dawn
of the morning (the time when Indians generally make their attack) that
two of them were killed, a third mortally wounded, and that all their
horses were stolen. It was strongly suspected though never ascertained
as a fact, that this savage deed was committed by the Indians who had
so recently left Pembina; as well as the scalping of one of the
Company's servants who was killed a short time afterwards within a mile
of the Fort.

The Sioux are a great nation, spread over a vast tract of country,
between the Missisippi and Pembina; along the banks of the Missouri,
and towards the Saskashawan. They are divided into numerous tribes,
called Sisatoones, Yanktoons, Wapatoones, and others, with the
Assiniboines or Stone Indians, who are recognized as descendents or
seceders, by a similarity of language and customs. On the banks of the
Mississippi and Missouri rivers they have small villages, where they
grow Indian corn, pumpkins, and water melons; but they live principally
on the plains in the chase of the buffaloe. Their language is very
guttural and difficult, and superstitious ceremonies and customs
prevail amongst them which are similar to those observed by the
Tartars. The Sioux, like the Tartars, sometimes offer water as a symbol
of peace and safety to a stranger, or of pardon to an offender, which
strongly corroborates the idea that they were originally from Asia.
Some time ago I was informed by an officer, who had numbers of them
under his influence in the American war, that a Sioux Indian was doomed
to die for an offence which he had committed, and taking his station
before the tribe, and drawing his blanket over his face, in expectation
of the fatal shot, the Chief stepped forward and presented some water
to him, as a token of pardon, when he was permitted again to join the
party. They consider it also as a very bad omen in common with the
Tartars, to cut a stick that has been burnt by fire, and with them they
consign every thing to destruction, thoug