WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 1831-1832
268
Traders tho' justified themselves on the ground, that the Indians after selling them property, wou'd some times steal it from them, or attempt to do so! Hostilities having once commenced, have never ceased, from any other cause, than the absence of opportunity to shed blood. Those wild Indians never turn their face to the East on account of the Buffalow, but, what, they ex- pect to loose lives, and of course, their object is to take them first! Nor does it matter whether the life of a white man oi· an Indian, is taken to appease, the Manes of a departed friend, or relative,-either is agreeable! You can now see the causes which do exist, (and probably will, for a time,) too well calculated, to embarrass, and disturb, the frontier of the Indians to be located West of Mississippi by the Government of the U States. Those wild Tribes will make occasional incursions upon the frontier of the friendly Tribes, sometimes wanton, and at other times pro- voked, by the conduct of the friendly Tribes, unless, peace can be established among them. Speculations have been various as to the number of warriors belonging to the Nations of the Pawnee, and Kimanchie. It is impossible from the opportunities which have been afforded by the relations with those Tribes to arrive at any satisfactory esti- mate of their numbers, or indeed any other point connected with them, without a visit for that purpose. From conversing with persons here whose opportunities of information are certainly the best, which have been of late, I have b~come satisfied of the following facts - That the Pawnee Nation is composed of differ- ent Bands, who all speak the same language, tho' dialects may be somewhat different, and peculiar to each band! The Pawnees being first, in order, the Wacoes, Keechi, T'owahconnee, and Bird eye, embrace all the Bands belonging to the Pawnee Tribe or Nation. _The number of warriors of this Tribe are computed at from 3 to 4000, while the women and children, are supposed to be about six times as numerous, say about 24000. The Kiman- chies are more numerous, and their warriors are estimated, at, or near 8.000, and bearing the same proportion of women and children, to those of the Pawnees. The Nation consists, of four bands,-the Kimanchies, Sotoes, Amparacs, and J atans. There appears to be so far as I am informed a similarity in the Gov- ernment, and regulations of the two Nations. Each Band is governed by, a Chief, of corresponding distinction, to each other, and then a National Chief, who is superior, to the Chiefs of the
Powered by FlippingBook