Account of expeditions to the sources of the Mississippi, : and through the western parts of Louisiana, to the sources of the Arkansaw, Kans, La Platte, and Pierre Jaun Rivers; Volume 2

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DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA, to 'lt!it: BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the seventh day of June, in the thirty-second year of the independence of the United tales of America, A. D. 1808, z. M. Pike of the said di~trict, hath deposited in this office, the title of a book, the right whereof he claitns as au­thor, in the words following, to wit : " .An account of exjteditions to the sources of the Mi.vsi.ssijijli, and through tile western jtm·ts if Loui.yiana, to the som·ces of the .1/rkan­~ a'lu, J(ans, La Platte, and Pierre Jazm, riuers. Pc1:formed by onler of the government of the Uuited States, du1·ing the yf'ars 1805, 1806, and 1807. .llnd a tour through the intl:1·ior j1arts Q[ .Ncrzu Sj~ain, 'luhen conducted through these j11'01Jincrs, by order of the cajttain-genrral iu the year 18o·r. By majo1· Z. M. Pike. Illustrated by majLs and clwrts." In conformity to the Act of Congress of the United States, in­titnlcd," An Act for the Encouragement of Learning, by securing the Copies of Maps, Charls, and Books, to the Autho1·s and Pro­prietors of such Copies during the times therein mentioned." And also to the Act, entitled " An Act supplementary ~to an Act, en­titled, " An Act for the Encow·agcment of Learning, by securing the Copies of Maps, Charts, and Bonks, to the Authors and Proprie­tors of such Copies dminP, thl. time therein mentioned," and ex­tending the Benefits thereof to the Arts of designing, engravin~ , and etchin~: historical and other Prints." D. CALDWELL, Clt'7'k oftllc District of Pcmu;ylvaui~. / TO THE PUBLIC. BOOKS of travels, journals and voyages, have become sg numerous, and arc so frequently impositions on the public, that the writ(tr of the foJlowing sheets feels unde1· an obligation to explain, in some measm·c, the originnl circumstances that led to the produc­tion of this volume. Soon after the purchase of Loui~ian~, by an enlightened administ!-ation, measures were taken to cxplor·e the then unknown wilds of our westcm country, measures founded on priuciples of scientific pUl'suits, combined with a view of entering into a chain of philantrophic al'l'angements for meliorating the con­dition of the Indians who inhabit those vast plains and deserts. llis excellency, Ml.'rri'luetlzer Lt•'luiH, then a captain of the first regiment of infantry, was selected by the President of the United States, in con­junction with capt. C. Clarke, to explore the then unknown .sources of the Missouri, aml I was chosen to trace the Mississippi to its source, with the objects in view contemplated ey my instt·uctiona ; to wltich I conceived my duty, as a soldier should induce me, to add an investigation into the views of the British traders in that qu;uter, as to trade, and an enquiry into the limits of the tenitorics of the United States and Great Britain. As a man of humanity and feel­ing, I made usc of the name of my government to stop the savage warfare which had for ages been carried on by two of the most pow­erful nations of Aborigines in North America. \Vhy I did not exe­cute the power vested in me by the laws of the country, to ruin the llritish traders and enrich myself, by seizing on the imwensc pro­J1erty of the North West company, which I found in the acknow­ledged boundary of the United States, will be explained by my let­ter to Hugh M'Gillis, Esq. to whom I owe eternal gratitude for his polite and hospitable treatment of myself and party.