SNAKE INDIANS; Shoshones, in the Rocky Mountains[267]
Arrow, tóhietsitta (iet together; sitta distinctly pronounced).
Bow, náhmeack.
Earth, a̍hsche (ah long; e ½).
Far (distant), máhnarko.
Fire, kohn-ne (e ½).
God, tiwitsim-pohhacante (e distinctly pronounced); i.e., the lord of life.
Hair (hair of head), uchkannea (second a barely audible).
Head, ochkanneh (ch guttural).
Horse, punko.
Horse (race horse), punko-emáhhi-mia (mi separated from a; a distinctly pronounced).
Love (I love), tiwitsin-kamahk.
Love (I love all white men), oyette-tabebo-kamangkä.[268]
Man, han-aht-se (an French; e ½ and short).
Meal (or to eat?), máhrichkia (ich with the point of the tongue).
Moon, ohtse-táhbe (e ½); i.e., the night sun.
Pity (have pity, ayez pitié), tiwitsch-naschuntita.
Sun, táhbe (e distinctly pronounced).
Water, ohksche (e ½).
Woman (wife), uáh-ai-pe (ai together; e ½).
FOOTNOTES:
[267] Written from the pronunciation of the Spanish interpreter, Isidor Sandoval. On the Snake Indians, or Shoshonés, see the reports of the missionary Parker (ibid., p. 300), Astoria, p. 163, and Captain Bonneville, p. 159, etc.—Maximilian.
Comment by Ed. For Sandoval, see our volume xxiii, p. 132, note 109.
[268] The Snake Indians (les Serpens) call themselves Shoshonés. They are allies of the Flatheads, and enemies of the Blackfeet and Crows. They dwell in the Rocky mountains and beyond, on the Columbia; they fall into two divisions—the true Shoshonés, and the so-called Gens de Pitié, or Radiqeurs (Root-diggers)—the Maradiços of the Spaniards. The former keep a great number of dogs, which they do not use as pack animals, but for food. They do not have as many horses as the Blackfeet; but employ them for carrying burdens. They live in leather tents. They are generally not so well formed as the Blackfeet; still there are many tall, well developed men among them. Their tribe is said to be very numerous, more so than the Dacotas. They carry on trade with the Spaniards, who exchange beaver and other furs for leather shirts and similar articles. They are not hostile to the whites. The Root-diggers, on the other hand, are a wretched people. They do not have leather tents; but merely set poles together which they cover with boughs, hay, and grass. Their physiognomy is said to be distinguished by rather flat noses. They are very poor and barbarous, go nearly naked, live chiefly on roots, and possess no weapons. They eat ants in quantities; scooping up a whole hill of these, they wash them, knead them into balls, bake these between coals, pulverize them, and then make a soup. Mr. Campbell of Fort William, who has often visited them, gave me the following account of them. They were so barbarous and so indifferent to their environment, that everything about him seemed new and ridiculous to them. At that time they did not know the value of the beaver skins, which they singed. Some of their huts, which he visited, had remained for a long time in the same place without their ever having looked about for a better region. He found a large number of mountain goat skins among them; and, as they were so little acquainted with the whites, it was possible to carry on a very profitable trade with them. The Comanches, who call themselves Jamparicka, are said to speak practically the same language as the Snake Indians. They live at the sources of the Rio Colorado (Rivière rouge). They decorate one arm of their shirts with tufts of hair, the other with feathers.—Maximilian.
Comment by Ed. For Robert Campbell and Fort William, see our volume xxiii, p. 198, notes 154, 155, respectively.