You gave to Mr. Pike an intermediate-sized medal for one of the Pawnee chiefs; this he presented to Iskatappe, who, having remarked the medals pendent from the necks of the two Pawnee young men who had been to Washington, demanded of what utility it would be to him. The only Spanish medals in the Pawnee nation are those worn by Characterish, or White Wolf, and his son.
The following sarcastic remark was made by the son of Bel Oiseau, a chief of the first standing among the Grand Osages while living, who unfortunately was killed by the Sacs on his way to Washington with the first deputation. The son of White Hairs, with Shenga Wassa, or Beautiful Bird [Bel Oiseau], was to accompany us to the Pawnee village; but the former proved recreant, and at the crossing of Grand [Neosho] river said he would return home. "Shame on you!" said the latter; "what a pity it is so great and honorable a medal should be disgraced by so mean a heart!"
You will pardon this digression, but I would wish to convince you, from what I have seen of Indians, how very requisite it is to use the utmost caution in the distribution of our presents and marks of distinction.
Before I set out to visit Tuttasuggy, the ice had commenced drifting in large sheets, and on my return I found it running from shore to shore. However, I pushed off and drifted with it.
The night of the 2d of December was intensely cold, but hunger obliged me to proceed, and we fortunately reached the mouth of the Neskalonska [Salt fork of the Arkansaw[V-10]] river without accident or injury, excepting that one of my men got frosted. This day we passed two salines which enter on the southwestern side.
The severity of the weather increased, and the river froze over on the morning of the 3d. This circumstance placed me in a situation truly distressing, as my men were almost naked; the tatters which covered them were comfortless, and my ammunition was nearly exhausted. The men solicited me to hut, but I was resolved by perseverance and exertion to overcome, if in my power, the obstacles opposed to my progress.
The Neskalonska is about 120 yards wide, shoal and narrow at its mouth, but deepens and spreads after you turn the first point. On this stream the Grand and Little Osages form their temporary fall hunting-camps, and take their peltries. When the severity of winter sets in, the Grand Osages retire to Grosse Isle, on the Verdigrise or Wasetihoge;[V-11] and the Little Osages to one of its small branches called Possitonga, where they remain during the hard weather, and thence return to their towns on the Neska or [Little] Osage river.
On the 6th the ice began to drift, and I immediately pushed off with it; but as my evil stars would have it, my boats again grounded. Being in the middle of the river, my only alternative was to get out and drag them along for several miles, when we halted to warm our benumbed feet and hands. The next day several large cakes of ice had blocked up the river, and we had to cut our way through them with axes; the boats as usual grounded, and the men, bare-legged and bare-footed, were obliged to leap into the water. This happened so frequently that two more of them got badly frosted.
On the 8th one of my canoes was driven on a bank of ice during a snow-storm, and did not overtake me until the evening of the 9th, in so shattered a condition that she could hardly be kept above water, and the poor fellows who were in her were almost frozen.
On the 10th, about noon, I passed the Grand Saline or Newsewketonga [Cimarron river[V-12]], which is of a reddish color, though its water is very clear. About two days' march up this river, you find the prairie grass on the S. W. side incrusted with salt, and on the N. E. bank, fresh-water springs, and lakes abounding with fish. This salt the Arkansaw Osages obtain by scraping it off the prairie with a turkey's wing into a wooden trencher. The river does not derive its name from its saline properties, but from the quantities that may always be found on its banks, and is at all seasons of the year potable.