The Hair Of The Men Is Worn
In Queues Of Otter Skin, Falling In Front Over The Shoulders.
A Shirt Of Dressed Skin Covers The Body To The Knee, And Over This Is
Worn Occasionally A Robe.
To these are added leggings and moccasins.
The women suffer their hair to fall in disorder over the face
And shoulders, and their chief article of covering is a long shirt
of skin, reaching down to the ankles, and tied round the waist.
In other respects, as also in the few ornaments which they possess,
their appearance is similar to that of the Shoshonees:
there is, however, a difference between the languages of these
two people, which is still farther increased by the very extraordinary
pronunciation of the Ootlashoots. Their words have all a remarkably
guttural sound, and there is nothing which seems to represent
the tone of their speaking more exactly than the clucking of a fowl
or the noise of a parrot. This peculiarity renders their voices
scarcely audible, except at a short distance; and, when many
of them are talking, forms a strange confusion of sounds.
The common conversation that we overheard consisted of low,
guttural sounds, occasionally broken by a low word or two,
after which it would relapse, and could scarcely be distinguished.
They seemed kind and friendly, and willingly shared with us
berries and roots, which formed their sole stock of provisions.
Their only wealth is their horses, which are very fine, and so
numerous that this party had with them at least five hundred."
These Indians were on their way to join the other bands who were hunting
buffalo on the Jefferson River, across the Great Divide.
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