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Show .J t H.J H. N. \ L 0 F A V 0 Y A G I·. march ; by which I had some flanke1 s on both side!:i of the river, vvho were excellent guanls against surprize, they also sen'ed as hunters. \V c hau but one racoon kilku by all. Distance 20 mil s. CJtb Oct. H'~.·d?Jcsclay-Embarked early; wind ahead ; barrens and prairie. Killed one deer and four pheasants. Distance 3 milt•s. 1 Ot/; Ort. Tbursdtly-Camc to large islands and strong we1tcr early in the nH;rning. Passed the place at which 1\Ir. Rcinville aud lVIon::;. Perlier, wiutcred in 17CJ7; passed a cluster of islanJs, more than ~0 in the et ur~e of four mil es ; the~<' I call~d Beaver is land ~ , frmn the imm~ ·llsc sign of thmw animals, for they have dams on every i~land ~111<.l ro~tds from them cvc:ry t \\'0 or t ltrc ' rod. 1 w·ndd bt rc att \'lllpt ~ des ·riJ tion of this wonderful aJJim; d, and ih adJI)irable syste1n of architecture, was not the subject already exhausted, by the numerous travellers \\ ho haY ' writ ten on this subject. Encamped at the foot of the Grand Rapids. Killed two geese, five ducks, and four phea~ant.,, Distance 1 G 1-2 miles. 11th Oct. Friday-Both boats passed the worst of the rapids, by 11 o'clocl , but we wer obliged to w1uc and ]ift thc1n over rocks, where there was not a foot of water, when at times the nc.rt step would be in water over our head . In consequence of this, our boats were frequently in imminent danger of being bilged on the rocks. About :-; tnilcs above the rapids, our large boat was discovered to k<1 k ~o hst, as to render it necessary to unload her, \\ hich we did. topp ·d the leak and rdoaded. Ncar a \\ ~r encamp111cnt, 1 found a painted buckskin and a piece of scarlet clC'th, suspended by the limb of a tree ; this l ~uppo1-.icd to be a ~acrifice to Matcho Maniton, to render tlwi r entl'rprize s uccC'ssCul ; but I took the liberty of invading the rights of his diabolical majesty, by treatillg them, as the pric!:lts of old have often done, that is, con· TO TilE SOVHCES OP THE MISSISSIPPI. crting the sacrifice to my own usc. Kil1ecl only two ducks. Distance eight 1nilcs. 12th October, Saturday.-I-Iard ripples in the morning. Passed a narrow rocky place, after which we had good water. Our large boat ~gain sprung a h.·ak, and we were obliged again to encamp early and unload. KiH1 d one deer, one wolf, two geese and two ducks. Di tanc 12 J -2 miles. 13th Octobtr, Sanday.-Embarked early and came on well. Passed a handsome littl river on the cast, which we named Clear river; water good. Killed one deer, one bt'~tv er, two minks, two ge sc, and one duck. Fair" ind. Discovered the first buffalo ~ign. Distance ~~) miles~ ltJ..tb Ortobcr, M onday.-Ripples a ccn si dcr~1 bl c: \\ ay. My hunters killed three deer, four gee, c, and two porcupines. \Vhen hunting, discoven 'd a trail, whjch l supposed to have been 1nadc by the savage's. I followed it with tnuch precaution, and at length started a larg bcar feeding on the carcase of a deer : be ~oon made his escape. Y estcrday we came to the first timbered land above the falls. Made the fir~t Jiscovery of bear since we left St. Louis, excepting what we saw three miles b low St. 1\:ter . J)istance 1 7 miles. 15tb Ortobcr, Tucsday.-Ripples alJ day. In the morning th large boat came UJ , and I once more got my _party together; .fh y had been detained by taking in the game. Y cstcrday and this day passed son1e skirts of good land, well timbered, swamps of hctnlock <uul white pine. Water very hard. The river became shallow and full of islands. V.l e encamped on a bt'autiful point, on the west, below a fall of the river over a bed of rocks, through which we had two narrow shoots to make our way the next day. Killed two deer, five ducks, and two gc 'Sr. Thi~ day's znarch made n1c think seriously of our wintcr-r: |