A-ha-ga-nash-he, whom we invited to take up his lodgings for the night in our room, became alarmed at my repute as a medicine man, fearing that I would cast some spell upon him, or otherwise injure him by the operation of some potent mystic medicine: he removed his quarters to the adjoining room, where he seemed to think he was safe from my incantations. Our hunter, whose name is No-zun-da-je; or, "He {165} that does not dodge," is esteemed a good hunter by his nation; but he is not a distinguished warrior, although he has been in numerous battles. He says he has killed several red skins in action, but never yet had the honour to _strike_ a body. He showed us the scars of many wounds, most of which he had inflicted on himself, when in mourning for the death of his relatives and friends, by thrusting arrows through the skin and a portion of the flesh of his arm. His brother, at the same time, showed many scars which he had caused by cutting out pieces from his body with a knife, on the same occasions. Several Omawhaws visited us on the 8th, and a party of three of them, who were in possession of a keg of whiskey, invited our hunter to accompany them, for the night, to "make his heart glad" with a portion of its contents. The Omawhaws, Otoes, Missouries, and Ioways are excessively attached to this destructive liquor. On the 9th December, Lieutenant Swift, in company with Mr. Pilcher[193] of the Missouri Fur Company, set out on a visit to the Omawhaws. His course was first directed towards the Elk Horn river, tributary to the Platte, and afterwards along the valley of the former, to the Omawhaw encampment, which he reached at the distance of about one hundred and twenty miles. The country over which he travelled was almost entirely destitute of woodland; the surface generally cut by numerous ravines; the soil for the most part sandy, but in some instances enriched by a black loam. He returned to camp on the 23d, his companion having purchased of the Indians one hundred and thirty beaver skins, besides raccoon and deer skins.