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

1742.] THE BOW INDIANS. 27could ever have seen a white man, and we may imaginetheir amazement at the arrival of the strangers,who, followed by staring crowds, were conducted tothe lodge of the chief. " Thus far, " says La Verendrye,"we had been well received in all the villages wehad passed ; but this was nothing compared with thecourteous manners of the great chief of the BowIndians, who, unlike the others, was not selfinterestedinthe least, and who took excellent careof everything belonging to us."The first inquiry of the travellers was for thebut neither the chief nor his tribesmen knewPacific ;anything of it, except what they had heard fromSnake prisoners taken in war. The Frenchmen weresurprised at the extent ofthe camp, which consistedof many separate bands. The chief explained thatthey had been summoned from far and near for agrand war-party against that common foe of all, —the Snakes.^ In fact, the camp resounded with warsongsand war-dances. "Come with us," said theirhost; "we are going towards the mountains, whereyou can see the great water that you are lookingfor."At length the camp broke up. The squaws tookdown the lodges, and the march began over prairies^ The enmity between the Sioux and the Snakes lasted to ourown time. When the writer lived among the western Sioux, oneof their chiefs organized a war-party against the Snakes, and numerousbands came to join the expedition from a distance in somecases of three hundred miles. Quarrels broke out among them,and the scheme was ruined.