New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-11-12
walled 10 on the outside with sels and clay. This

walled up on the outside with seds and clay. his
is the only instance OF permanent village thu,
bsve .een smOhg the Sioux. IL seems 70 be de-
cided Improvement that they are laying sside their
uomadic habits. In TACT the principal men OF the
band express 20 their agent strong desire IL have
schools or missionary establishments among them,
and mechanics and farmers to instruct their young
men IN the arts Of the whites In the rear Of the
village NAV be seen q series OF pyramidsl hills,
extending for many miles parallel Nth the river,
and nearly in straight line. On tn. submits OF
TIE highest o. these are numerous indian graves,
or rather scsfJlGs, on which the dead are sus-
pended. On the top Of the nrst NIL sa" small
grave in which child of Mr. Schlegel, trader,
was buried-scsttered around the grave were nu.
nerous little toys ahich bad belonged tn the child
while living AMI at its head Q tall slab with the
pane and cate of decesse. The indians never pass
these graves in their wanderlngs without stopping
10 mourn for time over their lost friends. The
custom OF suspendDg the dead on scafolds is pecu-
bar to most Of the prairie tribes of the Upper Ms
souri, They believe that the spirit loves 10 re-
turn to the body and hover over il, and that If IL
were buried in the ground the spirit could not
cain access 10 IT, They also choose the highest
hills and those commanding the finest yiew-ior
they say that as beautiful scenery was pleasing to
the dead v bile living il must be so 10 the spirits
also Scattered around the village were large
heaps Of the rinds of an esculent root, called BY
the Canadians pomme blanche, prairie turnip pro
rails esculents) This plant, which has root
about the size of a small turnip, is very abundant
on the praiIies, and At some seasons OF the year
affords the indians almost their only support
When dried and puserzed it resembles wheat
feur and makes very e1cell'nt puddlnss.
The grizzly bear is passionately fond VI this
root, and may be seen by dDbreak 6nslly
engaged in digging his morning meal. When
We left DurOn's bill the rain was falling In tor
rents and thus il continued most OF the day. At
this point We are fairly in the cretaceous formation,
the roll becomes more sterile, especially on the
upland prairie and the timber is far less abundant
aDc of q more dminutive growth. The Islands,
how ever which are numerous, still bear largo
growth of cottonwood. We stopped for the night
opposite the mouth If Running Water, where the
village of the Poncahs is located. THIS is small
remnant of a tribe which is annually tending TO-
ward extinction They are surrounded by enc
mics on every side ana numbers Of them are hlled
every year They are doubtless an otlshoot OF the
Omaha tribe, speaking q dialect OF that language,
though they seem 10 be hereditary enemies, killing
each other on all occasions. Four miles above the
mouth of Running Water is the entrance OF the
Popcah river. a fine stream, forming at the mouth
Of a beautiful lowland prairie, on which are the
Poncah graves They died here in immense mum
bers with smallpox, and are buried IN mounds OF
earth and sods, which now, covered with grass
sno flowers, present an interesting appearance.
OppOste the mouth of Running Water are a
series of chalk bluffs, higher aud more conspicuous
than any others have seen on the river. The up
per portion ia yellow and very soft, owing | think,
TO exposure to the atmosphere, and the greater
proportion of peroxyd of iron. 1t would seem TO
have been built up by the hands OF some gigantic
mason. Immense blocks OF the gray harder lime
stone are set or laid, it were, IN mortar com.
a.. Ill otu.p fha q
mason. work and in some instances quite regular
and beautiful. They are from one hundred and
fifty to two hundred feet high their upper over
hanging edges fringed with cedars and cut up into
numerous small rayines by the small streams that
flow from the hills in spring For many miles
these bluffs are divided into series of mes, split
from apex to base, by these little temporary
streams. Here we find species OF ancient oys-
ter which has been described by MIR. Conrad as
ostrea eOngesta Very fine specimens are found at
tached to these layers OF carbonate Of lime. They
must have once lived here in great profasion, for
myriads of them are found from Dixons bluff to
Great Bend of Missouri, distance OF three hun
dred miles Large numbers OF beautiful hsh scales
are found in the chalk rocss in fine state of pres
eryation Occasionally We fad the vertebr9 OF
some saurian animal. Everything indicates this
country to have been an ancient ocean bed all the
organic remains are OF marine origin.
On TIC IollO" ing ua!, apoub IL cioOh, "o eaho
in sight Of the Tower" celebrated landmark
for tie 70, ageur. 1t may be seen at great dis
lance, its naked summit capped with white terti-
airy clay, looking much like the dome of some
mosque painted on the sky. The beaver begins
now to be abundant we saw several during the
DAY, swim ming with all haste for the shore diving
under and swimming for dozen yards, then rising
10 the surface to breathe. They cannot remain
long under water. These animals are now multi
plying very rapidly, and on many Of the tributaries
of the Missouri, and more especially in the Yellow
Stone country, they are found in great numbers.