In 1803 Captain Lewis and Lieutenant Clarke, of the First United States Infantry, were commissioned by Congress to explore the river Missouri fromn its mouth to its source, to " seek the best water coumunication from thencc to the Pacific Ocean," and to enter into conference with all the Indian tribes on their routo, with a view to the establishment of commcrce with them. They report the "Poncars as"the remnant of a uation once respcetable in point of numbers; they formerly sided on a branch of the Red River of Lake Winnipeg; being oppressed by Sioux, they removed to the west side of the Mis souri, ot Ponear River, where they built and fortified a village, and remained some years; but, being pursued by their ancient enemies, the Sioux, and reduced by continual wars, they have joined and now live with the Mahas (Omahas), whose language they spcak." Their numbers are cstimated by Lewis and Clarko being only about two hundred, all told; but this small esti- mate is probably to be explained by the fact that at this time the tribe was away on its annual buffalo-hunt, and their village had been so long empty and quiet that a buffalo was found grazing there. A few years later the tribe is reckoned at four hundred: in a census of the Indian tribes, taken by Gencral Porter in 1829, they are set down at six hundred. The artist Catlin, who visited them a fow years later, rated ihem a little less re- as He gives an interesting account of the ehief of the tribe, named Shoo-de-ga-cha (Smoke), and his young and pretty wife, Hee-la'h-dec (the Pure Fountain), whose portraits he painted.