But let us give the account of the country as rendered by Arapooish, a
Crow chief, to Mr. Robert Campbell, of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company.
"The Crow country," said he, "is a good country. The Great Spirit has
put it exactly in the right place; while you-are in it you fare well;
whenever you go out of it, whichever way you travel, you fare worse.
"If you go to the south, you have to wander over great barren plains;
the water is warm and bad, and you meet the fever and ague.
"To the north it is cold; the winters are long and bitter, with no
grass; you cannot keep horses there, but must travel with dogs. What is
a country without horses?
"On the Columbia they are poor and dirty, paddle about in canoes, and
eat fish. Their teeth are worn out; they are always taking fish-bones
out of their mouths. Fish is poor food.
"To the east, they dwell in villages; they live well; but they drink the
muddy water of the Missouri--that is bad. A Crow's dog would not drink
such water.
"About the forks of the Missouri is a fine country; good water; good
grass; plenty of buffalo. In summer, it is almost as good as the Crow
country; but in winter it is cold; the grass is gone; and there is no
salt weed for the horses.
"The Crow country is exactly in the right place. It has snowy mountains
and sunny plains; all kinds of climates and good things for every
season. When the summer heats scorch the prairies, you can draw up under
the mountains, where the air is sweet and cool, the grass fresh, and the
bright streams come tumbling out of the snow-banks.
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