File:Commerce of the Prairies; or, The journal of a Santa Fe trader, during eight expeditions across the great western prairies, and a residence of nearly nine years in northern Mexico (1850) (14764066725).jpg

Identifier: commerceofpra02greg (find matches)
Title: Commerce of the Prairies; or, The journal of a Santa Fe trader, during eight expeditions across the great western prairies, and a residence of nearly nine years in northern Mexico
Year: 1850 (1850s)
Authors: Gregg, Josiah, 1806-1850
Subjects: Indians of North America -- West (U.S.) Southwest, New New Mexico Mexico -- Description and travel Santa Fe National Historic Trail
Publisher: Philadelphia, J.W, Moore
Contributing Library: New York Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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ch among all the prairie tribes. The party consisted of about sixty warriors,at the head of whom rode an Indian of smallstature and agreeable countenance, vergingon the age of fifty. He wore the usual Co-manche dress, but instead of moccasins, hehad on a pair of long white cotton hose,while upon his bare head waved a tall redplume,—a mark of distinction which pro-claimed him at once the capitan mmjor^ orprincipal chief AVe addressed them in Span-ish, inquiring if they had brought an inter-preter, when a lank-jawed, grum-looking sav-age announced his readiness to officiate inthat capacity. Sahes hahlar en UsjyaTiol,amigoT^ (can you talk Spanish, friend?) Iinquired. ■ Sr (yes), he gruffly rephed.* Where are your people ? Encamped justabove on yonder creek. How many of youare there ? Oh, a great many—nearly allthe Comanche nation ; for we are en junta togo and fight the Pawnees. Well, can youtell us how far it is to Santa Fe ?—But thesurly savage cut short my inquiries by observ-
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THE BIG TALK. 39 ing— Ahi jylaticarhnos despues^— We willtalk about that hereafter. We then showed them a spot a few rodsfrom us, where they might encamp so as notto intermix their animals with ours; afterwhich all the capitanes were invited to ourcamp to hold a big talk. In a very shorttime we had ten chiefs seated in a circle with-in our tent, when the pipe, the Indian tokenof peace, Avas produced: but, doubting per-haps the sincerity of our professions, they atfirst refused to smoke. The interpreter, how-ever, remarked as an excuse for their conduct,that it was not their custom to smoke untilthey had received some presents: but a fewMexican cigarritos being produced, most ofthem took a whiff, as if under the impressionthat to smoke cigars was no pledge of friend-ship. Lieut. Bowman now desired us to broachthe subject of peace and amity betwixt theComanches and our people, and to invitethem to visit the Capitan Grande at Wash-ington, and enter into a perpetual treaty tothat effe

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