TEXAS INDIAN PAPERS, 1825-1843
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manche there, go to where they probably were on the Canadian river. Finding that he was as much at a loss as to their locality as myself I was reluctantly obliged to do as he proposed, we accordingly moved camp about six miles and sent off the run- ners. On the 25th they returned and reported having met a small war party of Keechi, whom they had invited to our camp and would probably soon be in. In a snort time the party appeared and were welcomed and recog- nized by A-cah-quash as members of his Nation. He immediate- ly sent for me and with all the grace and dignity of a courtier introduced myself and party to his friends-after this cere- money I invited them to be seated and after having smoked the Council pipe of peace, gave them all to eat smoking again ensued when the Captain of the party informed me through A-cah- quash that he was anxious to hear from me the words of peace. I accordingly addressed a few words to him mentioning that t was glad to meet him in peac.:? in the prairies, that we had eaten and smoked together and were now friends, that it was not only my wish but the wish of Chief Houston, that there should be no more war between the red and white man, but that the indian might hunt his Buffalo and the white man plant his corn in peace and security that after peace had been made with all the tribes trading houses would be established where they could dispose of their peltries and derive more profit from trading than stealing a few horses from our frontier and risking the lives of their Warriors in doing so. To this he replied that he had met me in the woods and been treated as a brother that he had heard my words and they were good that from this time forward he would be the friend of the white man that he and his young men would bury the tomahawk and that he called upon U,e great spirit to hearken to his words, that they were true and he spoke no lies. This ends the interview. I afterwards learned from A-cah-quqash that their party consisted of six Keechi and one Wichita and one Waco ancl had been on an expedition against the Tonkawa who had stolen their horses. The result was dis- astrous having had one warrier killed, a boy taken prisoner, and but two horses recovered. · from them we enabled to obtain all necessary information in regard to the locality of the dif- ferent tribes with the exception of the Comanche. The A-11a- darko and Waco villages being nearest and A-cab-quash ex- tremely desirous of visiting his chief and restoring the two
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