he could collect, down to the seat of government.  We also gave his son a flag, some clothes, and provisions, with directions to bring about a peace between the surrounding tribe, and to convey some of their chiefs to see the president.  In the evening they left us, and encamped on the opposite bank, accompanied by the two Durions.  During the evening and night we had much rain, and observed that the river rises a little.  The Indians, who have just left us, are the Yanktons, a tribe of the great nation of Sioux.  These Yanktons are about two hundred men in number; and inhabit the Jacques, Desmoines, and Sioux rivers.  In person they are stout, well proportioned, and have a certain air of dignity and boldness.  In their dress they differ nothing from the other bands of the nation whom we saw, and will describe afterwards:  they are fond of decorations, and use paint, and porcupine quills, and feathers.  Some of them wore a kind of necklace of white bear’s claws, three inches long, and closely strung together round their necks.  They have only a few fowling pieces, being generally armed with bows and arrows, in which, however, they do not appear as expert as the more northern Indians.  What struck us most was an institution, peculiar to them, and to the Kite Indians, further to the westward, from whom it is said to have been copied.  It is an association of the most active and brave young men, who are bound to each other by attachment, secured by a vow, never to retreat before any danger, or give way to their enemies.  In war they go forward without sheltering themselves behind trees, or aiding their natural valour by any artifice.  This punctilious determination, not to be turned from their course, became heroic, or ridiculous, a short time since, when the Yanktons were crossing the Missouri on the ice.  A hole lay immediately in their course, which might easily have been avoided, by going round.  This the foremost of the band disdained to do; but went straight forward, and was lost.  The others would have followed his example, but were forcibly prevented by the rest of the tribe.  These young men sit, and encamp, and dance together, distinct from the rest of the nation:  they are generally about thirty or thirty-five years old; and such is the deference paid to courage, that their seats in council are superior to those of the chiefs, and their persons more respected.  But, as may be supposed, such indiscreet bravery will soon diminish the numbers of those who practise it; so that the band is now reduced to four warriors, who were among our visitors.  These were the remains of twenty-two, who composed the society not long ago; but, in a battle with the Kite Indians, of the Black Mountains, eighteen of them were killed, and these four were dragged from the field by their companions.

Whilst these Indians remained with us we made very minute inquiries relative to their situation and numbers, and trade, and manners.  This we did very satisfactorily, by means of two different interpreters; and from their accounts, joined to our interviews with other bands of the same nation, and much intelligence acquired since, we were enabled to understand, with some accuracy, the condition of the Sioux hitherto so little known.