Page:A Topographical Description of the State of Ohio, Indiana Territory, and Louisiana.djvu/125

117 The complexion of the Osage nation is between an olive and copper colour; their eyes dark brown; their noses large and aquiline, and their hair black, straight, and course. The men pluck out, or shave off, all the hair upon their heads, except a lock upon the crown, which they permit to grow its full length. They sometimes perforate the cartilage of the nose, in which they hang a drop, similar to an ear drop, and bore their ears nearly round to the top, in which they place a large number of silver ear-rings. They wear a breech flap fastened around the waist with a belt; a pair of leggins, and shoes or moccasons. These are made of dressed buffaloe or deer skin, and fancifully worked and ornamented with lead and porcupine quills, stained with different colours. A buffaloe robe, which is the skin dressed with the hair on, is worn over the shoulders, and serves for a cloak by day, and for a bed and covering by night. In the summer this robe is laid by, and they go naked, except the breech flap and leggins.

The women are large and well proportioned, rather inclined to corpulency; their faces oval; cheek bones somewhat high; but the features are regular, and not destitute of beauty. Their under garment is dressed leather, silk, or calico, without sleeves, and coming down below the knees. About the neck it is decorated with a large number of silver brooches. Their leggins and moccasons are similar to those of the men. Their