Volume 1

370 CHIEF OF THE WOLVES—RUGGED HILLS.
remarkably stout, well-proportioned fellow, upward of six
feet tall, and not more than 30 years of age ;
his arms and
breasts are much disfigured by the custom of raising stripes
of skin and flesh ; his countenance is mild, for a Big Belly's,
and his behavior toward us was always more affable, generous,
and kind than that of any other of his tribe.
Soon after we were settled for the night, with upward of
300 buffalo-dung fires smoking in every direction around
us. Chief of the Wolves mounted a famous horse of his
own, and at full speed passed through the camp, leaping
over fires and baggage, and making a long harangue, the
substance of which was to order the young men to be upon
the watch during the night to prevent a surprise by the
enemy. Accordingly, several parties of young men on foot
left camp in different directions, to take their stations at certain
distances, and keep strict watch until daybreak. Our
conductor informed us that this was the point where Andr6
Gouzzeon, who had deserted the service of the N. W. Co.
the year before, was murdered by the Sioux, in company
with five Mandanes, in
1801, while hunting buffalo.
This evening the weather was sultry and cloudy, with the
appearance of rain ;
but, to our great comfort and surprise,
not one mosquito was to be seen. It is extraordinary that
on the N. side of the Missourie those troublesome insects
should be so very numerous, while here, only a few leagues
to the S., not one is to be found. I cannot account for
this, as the soil appears to be nearly the same. The country,
however, is more uneven and rugged, with very few
spots of level plain ;
the hills, some of which are of amazing
height, are in general covered with large stones of
different kinds, including granite ;
some are of an enormous
size, and at a distance may be mistaken for pitched tents.
Another kind is a flat, soft, reddish stone, which lies in
piles on the summits of some of the hills. I measured
some of these great slabs, which I found to be 20 paces in
circumference. Upon these barren hills even grass is
scarce. Some of the lesser hills are also covered with this