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Show "' jOURNAL OF A VOYAGt: ty hard head winds part of the day. Caught six fish.-... Distance 23 miles. 19tb August; Monday-Embarked early and made fine way ; but at 9 o clock in turning the point of a sand bar~ our boat struck a sawyer; at the mmnent we did not know it had injured her; but in a short time after, disco- • vered her to be sinking, however, by thrusting oakurn into the leak and bailing, we got her to shore on a bar, where, after entirely unloading, we with great difficulty keeled her sufficiently to cut out the plank and put in a new one. This at the time I conceived to be a great misfortune ; but upon examination we discovered that the injury resulting from it was greater than we were at first induced to be· lieve ; for upon inspection, we found our provisions and cloathing considerably damaged. The day was usefully and ncces~arily employed in assorting, suning, and airing those articles. One of my hunters (Sparks) having gone on shore to hunt, swam the river about 7 miles above and killed a deer ; but finding we did not come on, he returned down the river, and joined us by swimming. Whilst we were at work at our boat on the sand beach, three canoes with Indians, pas~ed on the opposite .shore. They cried, " I-low do) ou do,'' wishing us to give them an invitation to come over; but receiving no answer they passed on. We then put our baggage on board and put off, designing to go where the young man had killed the deer; but after dark we becatne entangled among the sand bars, and were )bliged to ~top~nd encamp on the point of a beach. Caught t\vo fish. Distance 14 miles. '20tb August ; Tuesday-Arrived at the foot of the ~·a pius De Moyen at 7 o'clock; and, although no soul on board had passed them, we commencetl ascending them~ )minediately. Our boat, being large and Inodcrately loaded, we found great difficulty. The river all the way ·,ll ·ough is from 3·4· to a mile wide. The rapidR arc 11 TO THE ~OURCES OF TilE MISSISSIPPf. tniles long, with successive ridges and shoals extending from shore to bore. The first has the greatest f~1ll and is th most diOicult to a cend. The channel (a bad one) is on the cast side in pas ing the two first bars, then passes un. der the edge of the third; crosses to the west, and ascends on that side, all the way to the Sac Village. The shoals continue the whole di tance. We had passed the first and n1o t difficult shoal, when we were met by Mr. Wm. Ewing, (who I understand is an agent, appointed to reside with the Sacs, to teach the1n the science of agricul. ture) with a French interpreter, 4 chiefs and 15 men of the Sac nation, in their canoes ; bearing a flag of the United States. They came down to assist me up the ra. pids ; and took out 13 of my heaviest barrels, and put two of their 1nen in the barge to pilot us up. Arrived at the house of Mr. Ewing, opposite the village, at dusk. The land on both sides of the rapids is hilly, but a rich soil. Distance 16 miles. 21st Aagust; vVcdnesdoy-All the chief n1en of the village came over to 1ny encatnpment; where I spoke to them to the following purport: " That their great father, the president of the United Slates, wishing to be more intimately acquainted with the situation, wants, &c. of the diflcr 'nt nations of the red people, in our newly acquired territory of Louisian~, had ordered the general to send a 11umber of his young warriors, in different directions, to take them by the hand, and make such enquiries as might alford the satisE1ction required. Also, that I was authorised to choose !:>itua. tions for their trading establishments; and wi!)hed them to inform 1ne if that place would be considered by them as tentra1. " Thut I was sorry to hear of the munler, which had been committed on the river below ; but, in consideration of their assuranc-es, that it ':vas none of th eir nation, |
