The Sun.
London, England, 1814-09-01 00:00:00

THE 'S UN REVIEW.
• (No. XXXI.)

-Tr ituq.c to the Souree of Mr 31 issvmri River, anti across the
ilmer;eitit Conti/le:0 Padfic Ocean; performed by
'order Of the Governint :it of the United States, iu the years
1804, 5, and f:, by Captain I_l:uns and (21-mm. Published
from 'the Official Report, and illustrated by a Mop of the-
Route and otherflaps.--.I4OSWIAN, nuitsT, REEs, Own.,
and linowN. :1314. /Ito. pp. G 6,3.

tContiamcd.A•onz TUE SUN of !mem/a y
The Osage Itiver is one of the largest streams
which punts Its tributary waters jilt() the Mis-
s,murt, a few days-journey above the junction of
the ;iiitter with the. Nissis.sipi. The following is
account of the'lndians settled near it, who
were so little inclined to credit the news or, the,
cegsiow of' Lousiana, that they burnt the letter
announcing that fact, and declared their independ-
ence of 'St. Louis and its styptics (p. 6.)
" The Osage River gives or.oives.its name-to
'a nation inhabiting its banks 'at:4l Considerable
distance from this place (its confluence with the
Missouri). Their present name, however, 'seems
to have originated from the French traders ; fur
both among 'themselves and their neighbours
they are called the ifirsinuhas. Their number. f;
between twelve and thirteen: hundred warriors, •
and (t hey). consist of three tribes : the great
Osages, of about 500 warriors, living in a village otr
the south bank of the river;--the little Osages,
of nearly half that number, residing at the distance
of six miles from thetniind the Arkansan band,
a colony of Osages-, of.
.600 warriors, who left
them some years ago under the command of a
Chief called the Bigfoot, and .settled on the Vet--
Viltion River, a branch of the Arkansan. In
person the Osages arc among the largest and. best
formed Indians, and are said to possess fine mili-
tary capacities ; but 'residing as they do .in vii-.
lageS, and having.thadeh-eonsiderable advance in
agricultuire, they seem 'less addicted to war than
their northern neighliouri, to whom the use of
titles gives a great 'superiority. Among the pe-
culiarities of this people, there is nothing more
_ remarkable than time tradition relative to their
origin. 'According to universal belief,'the founder
of the nation was a Snail, passing a quiet existence
along the' banks•of the Osage, till a high flood
swept him down to the, Missouri, and left Itim.ex-
posed on the shore. The heat of the sun at length
ripened hint into a man, but, with 'the change
of his •nature,./he had not forgotten his. native
seats on the Osage,'towards which he immediately
bent his way. He was, however, soon overtaken
by hunger and fatigue, When happily the Great
Spirit appeared, and giving hint a bow and arrow,
showed him how to kill and cook deer, and cover
'himself with the skin. He then proceeded to his
original residence ; hut as he approached the river
he was met by a beaver, 'who inquired haughtily
who 'he was, and by what authority he came to
disturb his possession. ,The Osage answered, that
the river was his own, for he had once lived-on
its.borders. As they stood disputing, the (laugh-
ter of the beaver came; and having by her en-
treaties reconciled her father' to this -young
stranger, it was proposed that the Osage should
marry the young heaver, and share with her 1-a=
luny the enjoyment of the river. The Osage readily
consented, and from this happy union there soon
came the village and the nation of time Wasbasha,
or ()sages, who have ever since preserved a pious
reverence for their ancestorabstaining from the
chase of the beaver, because in 'killing that ani-
mal they killed a brothe.e of the Osage. Of" late
years, however, since the.trade with the Whiths
has rendered beaver skins more valuable, the
sanctity of these maternal relatives has visibly di-
minised, and the pair 'annuals have nearly.lost all
the privileges of kits t zm •
What a tine satire. is this story upon national
antiquities and learned inquiries into the fabulous
origins of peoples. The descendants of a snail
ancl,4l. beaver are not more absurd than many very
learned' European hypotheses; and the. ultimate
disregard of the Osage, to the consanguinity of
their well-furred relatives (the beavers), is only
one ,melancholy proof added to many nearer
home, of the sacrifice of the 'great duties and
dearest affection of life upon the shrine of sordid .

interest.

The Americans built a factory and fort in 1808,
about a fortnight's march higher up the Missouri,
convenient for trading with and overawing the
Osages, Ayauways, and Kanzas.

It is not our intention to follow the Travellers
minutely up their course.
,' We lave noticed that
they set out .on the 14th of May, and they prd-
reeded In four or five boats by daily navigation,
from 10 to 20 miles a-day up the river. The
party consisting of Captains LEWIS (JEFFERSON'S
Private Secretary) and-CLARKE, tJ Kentucky Ameri7
cans, 14 soldiers of the United States, two French
waterinen, wit interpreter and hunter, and a bhick
.servant belonging to Captain LEWIS.' here
were also, at first, another party of a corporal
end six soldiers, and 9 waterme►►, to accompany the
expedition, as far as the Mandan Nation, in order
to assist in carrying the stores, and repel an at-
tack which was apprehended from the tribes be-
tween the• Wood rive:. and the Mandans. The
Jargest boat was 55 feet long, drew three feet of
lvater, with a large square sail, and 22 oars. The
others were canoes and penoques.

continued.]

• •
In a pamphlet, lately published in, Paris, it is
stated that the French ArmV, after the battle Of
Leipzig, ,marched ZOO' miles without having their
wounds dressed, or receiving any tuedical assis-
tauee.