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Show I •• v ~ JOURN .. \L OF .A VOYAUE 19tb Jvlard,, Trcdnc.rday.-This mornjng purchased t \\'O baskets of ~up;ar, for the amount of which l gave orders on Mr. Dickson. After feasting upon a swan, took our leave for camp; still snowing. l t'inding my two companions unable to keep up, l pushed on and arrived at the river. When 1 arrived at the place, L had hung up my first goosC', I t<.nmd that the ravens and eagle had not left a feather, and, feasting upon the deer, was a band sufl!cient to have carried it away, who had pickedits bone nearly clean ; what remained I gave my dogs. Stapp d at the place "here I expected to find the !ast. goose; but could sec nothing of it ; at length I found It hu.l under the grass and snow, where some animal had concealed it, after eating oil~ its head and neck. 1 carried it to the fort, where l arrived about an hour before sundown. Dispatched, immediately, two men with rackets, to n1eet the interpreter and Lc Roy. They arriv d about two hour~ after darl . Some men also arrived at the hunting camp with three deer. Th snow ceased falling about one hour after dark ; it was near I y two feet deep on a leYel, the deepest that had fallen so low down this winter. 20tb March, Tbursday.-Despatched nine n1en to my huntiug camp, fr01n whence received two deer. Cloudy almost all day ; but the water rose fast over the icc. 21st Marcb, Friday.-Reccived a visit fron1 the Fols Avoin chief, called the Shawonoe, and six young men. I informeu him without reserve, the news I heard of him at Red Cedar Lake, and the letter I wrote to Mr. Dick· son. l-Ie denied it in toto, and on the contrary said, that he presented his flag and two medals to the Chipeways, as an inducement for them to descend in the spring; and ga vc them all the encouragement in his power. His party was much astonished at the language I held with him. ~ut frmn his finn protestations, we finally parted friends. lie JU· formed n1c that a camp of Sauteurs were on the. river, waiting TO THE SOURCES OF THE 1\fiSSISSIPPI. 8..> tor the chiefs to come down; frorn which it appeared they were still expected. At night (after the others had gone) Thomas arrived and staid all night. We agree l upon a l1Unting party, also promised to pay the old Shawonoe a VISit. lie informed n1e, that he set out the other day to follow me, but finding the stonu so very bac.l, returned to his wigwam. The thennmneter lower than it has been at any time since I commenced my voyage. 22d March, Saturday.-Ten of Iny n1en arrived fr01n the hunting camp, with four deer and a half. Thomas departed, sent a man with him to his camps, from which he sent me two beavers. 2.'3d March, Sunclay.-Agreeably to promise, after bre~~fast I departed with Miller and my interpreter to pay a VISit to the old chief Shawonoe. We arrived at his camp in about two hours. On our way we met the Fols Avoin, called the Chein Blanche, who had visitcu rny post, previously to my starting up the river, at whose house we stopped when passing. We were recci ved by old Shawonoe at his lodge, with the usual Indian h?spitality, but very different from the polite r ception g1ven us by Thomas. Charlevoix and others have all borne testimony to the beauty of this nation. It rom 1ny own observation, I had sufficient reason to confi.nn their info.rmation as respected the n1alcs; for they were all stratght and well made, about the middle size; their com~ plexions generally fair for savages, their teeth gooc.l, their :yes large and rather languishing ; they have a tnild but mdependent expression of countenance, that charms at first s1· g h t; I· n s h ort, they would be considered any where·, as handsome men. But their account of the women l never before believed to be correct. In this lodge the' re Were five very handsome wmnen when we arrived · and about sun• d own , a n1arn.e cl pa.i r arn.v ed , w h mn my I. nte' rpre-ter observed, were the handsomest couple he knew; and |
