The proprietor assured us that his slaves produced him no more than the bare interest of the money invested in their purchase, and that he was a slave-holder not from choice, but because it was the prevailing practice of the country.  He said he had two handsome Mulatto girls hired out at the barracks for six dollars per month each.

In St. Louis there were seven Indian chiefs, hostages from the Ioway nation.  Their features were handsome—­with one exception, they had all aquiline noses—­they were tall and finely proportioned, and altogether as fine-looking fellows as I ever saw.  The colour of these Indians was much redder than that of any others I had seen; their heads were shaven, with the exception of a small stripe, extending from the centre of the crown back to the organ of philoprogenitiveness—­the gallant scalping-lock—­which was decorated with feathers so as somewhat to resemble the crest of a Greek or Roman helmet.  Their bodies were uncovered from the waist upwards, except when they wore blankets, a modern substitute for the buffalo-robe, which they commonly wore over the left shoulder, leaving the right arm and breast bare.  The Ioways are a nation dwelling in the Missouri territory, and these hostages delivered themselves up pending the investigation of an affray that had taken place between their people and the backwoodsmen.

The day previous to our departure from St. Louis, the investigation took place in the Museum, which is also the office of Indian affairs.  There were upwards of twenty Indians present, including the hostages.  The charge made against these unfortunate people and on which they had been obliged to come six or seven hundred miles, to stand their trial before white judges, was, “that the Ioways had come down on the white territory—­killed the cattle, and attacked the settlers, by which attack four citizens lost their lives.”  The principal chief implicated in the affair, named “Big-neck,” was called upon for his defence.  In the person of this man there was nothing remarkable.  He advanced into the centre of the room, and disengaging his right arm from the blanket, shook hands with the judges, and then, in succession, with all the officers of the court.  This ceremony being ended, he paused, and drawing himself up to his full height, extended his arm forward towards the judge, and inclining his head a little in the same direction, said, “If I had done that of which my white brother accuses me, I would not stand here now.  The words of my red-headed father (General Clarke) have passed through both my ears, and I have remembered them.  I am accused, and I am not guilty.” (The interpreter translated each sentence as it was delivered, and gave it as nearly verbatim as possible—­observe, the pronoun I is here used figuratively, for his party, and for the tribe).  “I thought I would come down to see my red-headed father, to hold a talk with him.—­I come across the line (boundary)—­I see the cattle of my white