By the official returns made to the Indian Bureau, in 1848, they are stated at “a fraction under seven hundred and fifty souls,” but in Sub-Agent Vaughan’s report in the fall of the same year, 669 is the enumeration.[89] In the report of 1844 their census is stated at 470. In 1701,[90] D’Iberville’s memorial[91] to France says:
the Ayooues and the Octootatas, their neighbors, are about 300 families. [In M. Chauvignerie’s Report[92] of the Census of tribes, made to the French government in 1736, the “Ayouas” are put down at 80 warriors].
In the report of the Indian Bureau for 1874, the Ioway and Otoe together, including some Sauk and some Missourie, numbered 864 persons.
It is recorded, that there were ten Ioway “Ayeouais”) with Montcalm and the French Army at the seige of Ticonderoga in July, 1757, and also 48 Winnebago (“Puants”)—De Tailly being their joint Interpreter.
According to Lieutenant Zebulon M. Pike’s report of 1806,[93] the “Aiowais” were called by the French, colloquially, “Ne Perce”; which was probably “Nez Perce,” Pierced or Perforated Noses:[94] the first syllable of Pähutchæ, their own tribal name, being translated nose, which in some word-relations would be correct; while probably the last two syllables—ru’tchæ—were deemed to be in the sense of Kēru’tchæ, a word signifying to divide or part. This was a near enough translation for the early French traders, who were not particular.
MA-HAS-KAH, THE YOUNGER