families, have united with the Grosventres, who themselves had joined the Aricaras; altogether there are about 3,000 of them. Some of the young men having Percéived us afar off, gave notice to the chiefs of the approach of strangers. At once they rushed out by hundreds to meet us; but the three men from Fort Union made themselves known, and presented me to their chiefs as a Black-robe of the Frenchmen. They received us with the greatest signs of friendliness and forced us to pass the afternoon and night in their camp. The kettles were soon filled in all the lodges, and the roasting pieces were set to the fire to celebrate our arrival. Here again, as among the Crows, it was a succession of invitations to feasts that we had to undergo until midnight. To refuse would have been the height of rudeness, and besides they believe us as capable as themselves of eating hugely and at any hour of the day or night. An Indian is a singular being in this respect; he is insatiable and indefatigable; he is always ready when eating is in question; but I must say also that he is of an admirable patience in time of dearth, and keeps the most rigorous fast for whole weeks.
These savages helped us next day to cross the Missouri in their bull-boats. These are shaped like a round basket, made of willows as thick as one's thumb interwoven and covered with a buffalo skin. The women manage these boats of their own manufacture with much skill. The weight and number of persons that they will carry is truly astonishing. Our horses, that had followed us swimming, became mired to the neck on the opposite bank; it took a half day's work to get them out of the mud.
The same evening we came to the first permanent village of the Aricaras. Their houses are very commodious and roomy; they are made with four great crotched treetrunks set on end, supporting the beams and a roof of stout poles interwoven with osiers; the whole structure is covered with earth. A hole dug in the ground in the middle of the lodge serves for a fireplace, and an opening