Page:A Topographical Description of the State of Ohio, Indiana Territory, and Louisiana.djvu/177

167 and crossed it near the mouth of the Little Pioux. We continued our course on the north side of the Missouri, often near it, until we arrived at the lodges, on the Sioux river, which was on the 8th, where we prepared to spend the remainder of the winter. It was found that several of the Indians had got frozen. They were very slightly clothed, having nothing more than a buffaloe robe, or a deer, or cabree skin, thrown over their shoulders, with only leggins, their moccasons being worn out. The weather was now very severe, and the lodges illy calculated to shelter us from it. We covered and patched them up, as well as we could, with dry grass and willow branches. In the centre an opening was made, ten feet in length, and eighteen inches in width, for the purposes of letting out the smoke, and letingletting [sic] in the light. The doors were made close with buffaloe skins. During the night, the horses are sheltered under the same cover with the people, being only separated by a pole. They are fed in the night on willow and button wood branches, and in the day time are turned out to graze on whatever they can find to eat.

These Indians are the dirtiest creatures on earth. They bring their water for themselves and their horses, in the paunches of the deer and cabree, which are never cleansed more than what is done by constant use. Their meat is cooked in the most filthy manner. When they boil it, they continue the boiling until it can be eaten