| OCR Text |
Show JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE 24tb November, Sunday.-Took Miller and Boley and went I. n pursm. t o f b u ffalo • Came up with some aboult JO ' 1 k In the afternoon wounded one. Pursued t lem 0 c oc . . f unt1' l n1. g ht, and encamped on the side o a swamp. Thawing. · h 25tiJ' .1L\'r I OVelllb e r, Monday ' -Commenced a gam t c pursuit of the bufFalo, and continued till 11 o'clock, when I gave up th e cha' se· Arrived at the cat. np a.b out sun 1d of wn· , hungry and weary' having eat nothmg Sl~ce we c t It. My rifle was too small a ball to kill buffalo : the balls -hould not be m.orc than thirty to the pound :-an ounce ball would be still preferable, and the animal sh~~ld be. hunted on horse-back. I think that, in the pratncs of this country, the bow and arrow co~ld b~ us_ed to ~no:c advantage than the gun; for you nught nde mlnle<hat.cly along side, and s~rike them w~ere !ou pleased, leavmg them to proceed after others. 1 hawmg. . 26tb November, Tuesday.-Proccedcd up the nvcr. fhe icc getting very rotten, the men fell through several times. Thawing. Distance 5 miles. '27tb November, Wednesday.-Took one man and marched to the post. Found all well. My hunter, Brad~ ley, had killed eleven deer since n1y departure. Sent all the men down to help the party up. They returned ac· companied by two Indians, who informed me they were two men of a band, who resided on Lake Superior, called the Fols Avoins, but spoke the language of the Chipeways. They informed me that Mr. Dickson's, and the other trading houses, were established about 60 miles below.; that there were 70 lodges of Sioux on the Mississippi. All my men arrived at the post. We brought from our camp below the balance of 1 7 deer and two elks. 2 th November, 'fbursday.-The Indians departed much pleased with their reception. I dispatched corporal TO TilE SOUHCES OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 4 / Meek and one private down to Dickson with a letter, which would at least have the effect of attaching the most powerful tribes in this quarter to my inter est. 29th November, Friday.-A Sioux ( the son of a warrior called the Killeur Rouge, of the Gens des Fcuilles) and a Fols Avoin came to the post. lie said that, having struck our trail below, and finding s01ne to be shoe-tracks, he conceived it to be the establishment of smne traders, took it, and came to the post. l-Ie informed me that Mr. Dickson had told the Sioux " that they n1ight uow hunt where they pleased, as I had gone a head and would cause the Chipeways, wherever I n1et them, to treat thetn with friendship; that I had barred up the tnouth of the St. Peters, so that no liquor could ascend that river ; but that, if they came on the Mississippi, they should hav~ what liquor they wanted :-also, that I was on the riv ·r and had a great deal of merchandize to give them in presents." This information of Mr. Dickson to the Indians seemed to have self-interest and envy for its motives · for b, Y t1 1 e I•d ea of having prevented liquor from going u'p the' St. Peters, he gave the Indians to understand that it was a regulation of n1y own, and not a law of the United States; and by assuring them he would sell to then1 on the Mississippi, he drew all the Indians from the traders on the St. Peters, who had adhered to the r estriction of not selling liquor, and should any of then1 be killed, the .b~~me would all lie ~n me, as he had (without authority) cl~~mred the1n they m1ght hunt in security. I took care to give the young chief a full explanation of my ideas on theabove. l-Ie remained all night. Killed two deer. 'JOth November, Saturdoy.-I made the two Indians some small presents. 'fhey crossed the river and departed. l)etachcd Kcnnennan with elevc:>fl tncn, to bringup two canoes. |
