owners of that country, and disregarded St. Louis and its supplies.  The party was occupied in hunting, in the course of which, they caught in the woods several very large rats.  We set sail early the next morning, June 1st, and at six miles distant passed Bear creek, a stream of about twenty-five yards width; but the wind being ahead and the current rapid, we were unable to make more than thirteen miles to the mouth of the Osage river; where we encamped and remained the following day, for the purpose of making celestial observations.  The Osage river empties itself into the Missouri, at one hundred and thirty-three miles distance from the mouth of the latter river.  Its general course is west and west southwest through a rich and level country.  At the junction the Missouri is about eight hundred and seventy-five yards wide, and the Osage three hundred and ninety-seven.  The low point of junction is in latitude 38 degrees 31’ 16”, and at a short distance from it is a high commanding position, whence we enjoyed a delightful prospect of the country.

The Osage river gives or owes its name to a nation inhabiting its banks at a considerable distance from this place.  Their present name however, seems to have originated from the French traders, for both among themselves and their neighbours they are called the Wasbashas.  They number between twelve and thirteen hundred warriors, and consist of three tribes:  the Great Osages of about five hundred warriors, living in a village on the south bank of the river—­the Little Osages, of nearly half that number, residing at the distance of six miles from them—­and the Arkansaw band, a colony of Osages, of six hundred warriors, who left them some years ago, under the command of a chief called the Bigfoot, and settled on the Vermillion river, a branch of the Arkansaw.  In person the Osages are among the largest and best formed Indians, and are said to possess fine military capacities; but residing as they do in villages, and having made considerable advance in agriculture, they seem less addicted to war, than their northern neighbours, to whom the use of rifles gives a great superiority.  Among the peculiarities of this people, there is nothing more remarkable than the tradition relative to their origin.  According to universal belief, the founder of the nation was a snail passing a quiet existence along the banks of the Osage, till a high flood swept him down to the Missouri, and left him exposed on the shore.  The heat of the sun at length ripened him into a man, but with the change of his nature, he had not forgotten his native seats on the Osage, towards which, he immediately bent his way.  He was however soon overtaken by hunger, and fatigue, when happily the Great Spirit appeared, and giving him a bow and arrow, showed him how to kill and cook deer, and cover himself with the skin.  He then proceeded to his original residence, but as he approached the river, he was met by a beaver, who inquired haughtily who