oxen going ahead, decided to water horses & go on. Travelled 22 m. & then reached Galways camp near two moderately large lakes, around which slendid feed & the first really good hay grass seen. The camp on the Southern lake. Found Ashe over on a visit, his camp being about a mile distant on the Northern lake. Arranged to meet him in the morning when he starts W. for Milk R. Camped.

The "Big Camp" of half-breeds about a half a mile from our camp & on the same lake. Visited it in the evening. Must have been at least 200 tepés [sic] most of skin but some of canvas. A great many carts. The carts arranged in a great circle enclosing a place for the secure keeping of the horses & into which they are all driven at night. The camps arranged around the outer edge of the circle. Each family with its own tent or group of tents. & camp fire. Being Sunday all in best clothes & no work of any sort going on. They have a priest in the party who holds service on Sunday & no doubt conducts all marriage ceremonies &c. He also teaches the children to read & write &c. & helps to settle any points in dispute. Told that part of the camp now seperate & hunting on other grounds so that not so many as usual. The half-breeds say that they have about 2000 horses & ponies & it certainly appears not improbable.

They speak french [sic] & some of them indian. Most understand a little English & all were anxious to know about Red R. troubles &c.

They spend the summers hunting on the plains. Making pemmican durin the summer & collecting robes when they are prime in the Autumn. They are mostly well armed with repeating & breach loading rifles. In the winter they resort to Woody Mt & such places where there is timber & they have shanties built. Most of them winter on the White Mud R. S. of Fort N.J.Turney & consequently well into U.S. territory, & take goods out via the Missouri. They guard their camp with great care having two or three lines of scouts out. The Indians naturally do not like the half-breeds to come out hunting like a seperate tribe, though they do not object to trading. They have just held a council & decided to go N. to the Cypress Hills, scouts having reported plenty buffalo in that direction. They have not come from the hills more than a week or two & were then engaged in an indian fight. They took sides with the Sioux against the Blackfeet & drove the latter of killing 8 or 9 of them.