A half-century of conflict. France and England in North America. Part ...

1742.] THE BEAUX HOMMES. 25Frenchmen, went towards the smoke, and found acamp of Indians, whom the journal calls Les BeauxHommes, and who were probably Crows, or Apsaroka,a tribe remarkable for stature and symmetry, wholong claimed that region as their own. They treatedthe visitors well, and sent for the other Frenchmento come to their lodges, where they were receivedwith great rejoicing. The remaining Mandan, however,became frightened, — for the Beaux Hommeswere enemies of his tribe, — and he soon followed hiscompanion on his solitary march homeward.The brothers remained twenty-one days in thecamp of the Beaux Hommes, much perplexed forwant of an interpreter. The tribes of the plainshave in common a system of signs by which theycommunicate with each other, and it is likely thatthe brothers had learned it from the Sioux orAssiniboins, with whom they had been in familiarintercourse.By this or some other means they madetheir hosts understand that they wished to find theHorse Indians ; and the Beaux Hommes, being soothedby presents, offered some of their young men asguides. They set out on the ninth of October,following a south-southwest course.^In two days they met a band ofIndians, called by1 Journal du Voyage fait par le Chevalier de la V€rendrye en 1742.The copy before me is from the original in the Depot des Cartesde la Marine. A duplicate, in the Archives des Affaires ifctrang^res,is printed by Margry. It gives the above date as November9 instead of October 9. The context shows the latter to becorrect.