never yield in battle; they never spare their enemies; and the retaliation of this barbarity has almost extinguished the nation.  Then come the Wetapahato, and Kiawa tribes, associated together, and amounting to two hundred men; the Castahana, of three hundred men, to which are to be added the Cataka of seventy-five men, and the Dotami.  These wandering tribes, are conjectured to be the remnants of the Great Padouca nation, who occupied the country between the upper parts of the river Platte, and the river Kanzas.  They were visited by Bourgemont, in 1724, and then lived on the Kanzas river.  The seats, which he describes as their residence, are now occupied by the Kanzas nation; and of the Padoucas, there does not now exist even the name.

July 27.  Having completed the object of our stay, we set sail, with a pleasant breeze from the N.W.  The two horses swam over to the southern shore, along which we went, passing by an island, at three and a half miles, formed by a pond, fed by springs:  three miles further is a large sand island, in the middle of the river; the land on the south being high, and covered with timber; that on the north, a high prairie.  At ten and a half miles from our encampment, we saw and examined a curious collection of graves or mounds, on the south side of the river.  Not far from a low piece of land and a pond, is a tract of about two hundred acres in circumference, which is covered with mounds of different heights, shapes, and sizes:  some of sand, and some of both earth and sand; the largest being nearest the river.  These mounds indicate the position of the ancient village of the Ottoes, before they retired to the protection of the Pawnees.  After making fifteen miles, we encamped on the south, on the bank of a high handsome prairie, with lofty cottonwood in groves, near the river.

July 28.  At one mile, this morning we reached a bluff, on the north, being the first highlands, which approach the river on that side, since we left the Nadawa.  Above this, is an island and a creek, about fifteen yards wide, which, as it has no name, we called Indian Knob creek, from a number of round knobs bare of timber, on the highlands, to the north.  A little below the bluff, on the north, is the spot where the Ayauway Indians formerly lived.  They were a branch of the Ottoes, and emigrated from this place to the river Desmoines.  At ten and three quarter miles, we encamped on the north, opposite an island, in the middle of the river.  The land, generally, on the north, consists of high prairie and hills, with timber:  on the south, low and covered with cottonwood.  Our hunter brought to us in the evening, a Missouri Indian, whom he had found, with two others, dressing an elk; they were perfectly friendly, gave him some of the meat, and one of them agreed to accompany him to the boat.  He is one of the few remaining Missouris, who live with the Ottoes:  he belongs to a small party, whose camp is four miles from the river; and he says, that the body of the nation is now hunting buffaloe in the plains:  he appeared quite sprightly, and his language resembled that of the Osage, particularly in his calling a chief, inca.  We sent him back with one of our party next morning,