in war parties. The Crows he says are connected with the lower Gros Ventres & speak a similar language. The latter are connected in the same way with the Mandans. The Crows are not a large tribe. The Peagins get the credit of having perpetrated the massacre. They speak Blackfoot & are a tribe of that nation.

The Peagins, Gros Ventres (proper) & Crows are said to be the richest tribes on the Missouri.

The indians he says now complain that they are the most helpless of people, much more so than they were a few years ago. Now that they have kept pace with the times by getting breechloaders & repeaters the Government can stop their supplies of ammunition the moment any trouble arises. They have lost to a great extent the aptitude of using the bow & when deprived of ammunition have no substitute.

Camp W. Butte Astron. Station
8 A.M. B. 25.71
T. 54" E. cloudy
Noon B. 25.66
T. 65" wind light N. clear

July 31. Galway broke camp & moved west. Moved my camp at same time down to the DepÙt. Started at 8.30 with Boswell & the photographers for scene of massacre situated about ten m. East on the line.