We had not proceeded far on our way when we discovered on the opposite side of the river a large party of Indians, approaching in an irregular and interrupted line which extended more than a mile from {290} the opposite bank. They had, as was evident, already discovered us, and their outriders were seen plunging into the river at various points, and several soon came up to shake hands with us. The foremost scarcely allowed themselves time to finish this hasty ceremony of salutation, when they rode to reconnoitre some points of bushes and patches of low grape vines on our left, manifestly to ascertain if the whole strength of our party was collected. The main body of the Indians crossed the river more slowly, and as we halted on an elevation near the point where they ascended the bank, the whole passed in review before us. They were all on horseback, and the squaws and children, composing by far the greatest part of the cavalcade, passed us without halting. Every squaw appeared to have under her care a greater or less number of horses, which were driven before her, some dragging lodge-poles, some loaded with packs of meat, and some carrying children. We were surprised to observe many small children too young to be able by their own strength to sit upon a horse, lashed by their legs to the saddle, and riding on in entire unconcern. As they passed the deepest part of the river, many of the squaws stooped to fill their vessels with water. These were of the most primitive kind, being formed, almost without exception, of the stomach or bladder of a bison or other animal. At length the chief, who was one of the last to cross the river, came up, and shaking each of us by the hand, with some appearance of cordiality, invited us to accompany him a short distance on his route, to a place where his party would encamp for the remainder of the day and the ensuing night. The chief was accompanied by an old man who could speak a little Spanish, by which language we communicated with him. He informed us his band were a part of the tribe of Kaskaias, or Bad-hearts, as they are called by the French; that they had been on a {291} hunting excursion to the sources of the Rio Brases and the Rio Colorado of Texas,[57] and were now on their way to meet the Spanish traders at a point near the sources of the river we were descending. They in their turn demanded who we were, whence and whither we were travelling, and were apparently satisfied with our answers, though, as afterwards appeared, they did not entirely credit what we had told them of the purposes of our journey.