wo horses, he would ride the best of them, and
leave the other for his wives and children and their baggage; and if he
has too many wives or too much baggage for the horse, the wives have no
alternative but to follow him on foot; they are not however often
reduced to those extremities, for their stock of horses is very ample.
Notwithstanding their losses this spring they still have at least seven
hundred, among which are about forty colts, and half that number of
mules. There are no horses here which can be considered as wild; we have
seen two only on this side of the Muscleshell river which were without
owners, and even those although shy, showed every mark of having been
once in the possession of man. The original stock was procured from the
Spaniards, but they now raise their own. The horses are generally very
fine, of a good size, vigorous and patient of fatigue as well as hunger.
Each warrior has one or two tied to a stake near his hut both day and
night, so as to be always prepared for action. The mules are obtained in
the course of trade from the Spaniards, with whose brands several of
them are marked, or stolen from them by the frontier Indians. They are
the finest animals of that kind we have ever seen, and at this distance
from the Spanish colonies are very highly valued. The worst are
considered as worth the price of two horses, and a good mule cannot be
obtained for less than three and sometimes four horses.

We also saw a bridle bit, stirrups and several other articles which,
like the mules, came from the Spanish colonies. The Shoshonees say that
they can reach those settlements in ten days' march by the route of the
Yellowstone river; but we readily perceive that the Spaniards are by no
means favourites. They complain that the Spaniards refuse to let them
have fire arms under pretence that these dangerous weapons will only
induce them to kill each other. In the meantime, say the Shoshonees, we
are left to the mercy of the Minnetarees, who having arms, plunder them
of their horses, and put them to death without mercy. "But this should
not be," said Cameahwait fiercely, "if we had guns, instead of hiding
ourselves in the mountains and living like the bears on roots and
berries, we would then go down and live in the buffaloe country in spite
of our enemies, whom we never fear when we meet on equal terms."

As war is the chief occupation, bravery is the first virtue among the
Shoshonees. None can hope to be di