--Adventure of Mr. Bradbury with a Ponca Indian.--
Expedient of the Pocket Compass and Microscope.--A Messenger
From Lisa.--Motives for Pressing Forward.
WHILE Mr. Hunt and his party were sojourning at the village of the
Omahas, three Sioux Indians of the Yankton Alma tribe arrived, bringing
unpleasant intelligence. They reported that certain bands of the Sioux
Tetons, who inhabited a region many leagues further up the Missouri,
were near at hand, awaiting the approach of the party, with the avowed
intention of opposing their progress.
The Sioux Tetons were at that time a sort of pirates of the Missouri,
who considered the well freighted bark of the American trader fair game.
They had their own traffic with the British merchants of the Northwest,
who brought them regular supplies of merchandise by way of the river
St. Peter. Being thus independent of the Missouri traders for their
supplies, they kept no terms with them, but plundered them whenever they
had an opportunity. It has been insinuated that they were prompted to
these outrages by the British merchants, who wished to keep off all
rivals in the Indian trade; but others allege another motive, and one
savoring of a deeper policy. The Sioux, by their intercourse with the
British traders, had acquired the use of firearms, which had given them
vast superiority over other tribes higher up the Missouri.
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