Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 26.djvu/124

 was very skilfiul; the women were never seen in the fields; their forts and houses were stone. I asked if there were fine woods, and if the prairie continued in heights and hollows. He answered that the wood was along the river in places and also on the prairies in islands; that the further down the more the hills increased; that many of them were only rocks of fine stone, especially along the river. I asked if it took long to go where the whites, the horsemen, were. I was answered that the Pananas and Pananis had horses like the whites; it would take a whole summer to make the journey, and that since they were at war with the Pananas the men would not undertake to go far, the roads being closed to them. That cattle were abundant on the prairies, far larger and fatter than those we had seen on their prairies; their coat white and of several colours. He showed us horns split in half, of a greenish colour which hold nearly three pints. In all the huts they have them in use as ladles, proving that they have killed many when the road was open. That was all I could learn even by chance, as I had relied on my interpreter, that I would have time to be thoroughly informed at leisure.

Six days after the Assiniboines left I sent my son, the Chevalier, with Sieur Nolant, six Frenchmen and several Mandans to the nearest fort, which is on the bank of the river. If well received they were to sleep there, to get the best information of the course of the river; who dwell there; if they are acquainted with the lower part, in accordance with what was told us; to learn all that could be ascertained by signs and demonstrations. After their departure, Mr. de la Marque and I walked about to observe the size of their fort and their fortifications. I decided to have the huts counted. It was found that there were a hundred and thirty of them. Several of our