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Show l:J JOUHNAL OF A V()YAGE " must come free, as h did not ask for th~m." I replied, " that, to those who did not ask for any thmg, I gave f~·ee~ '' ly . but to those who asked for much, I gave only a httle "or ~1one." We embarked about half past 3 o'clock; came three miles, and encamped on theW. side. Mr. Frazer we left behind, but he came up with his two peroques about dusk. It commenced raining very hard. In the night a peroque arrived from the lodges at h~s camp .. During our stay at their camp, there were solchers app~mted to keep the croud from my boats; who executed their duty with vigilance and rigor; driving men, women, and children back, whenever they came ncar my boats. At my departure, their soldiers said, " As I had s~aken hands " with their chief, th y must shake hands with n1y sol" diers." Iu which request I willingly indulged thun. 11 tb Sept. J;Vednesday-Embarkcd at 7 o'clock, although raining. Mr. Frazer's cano s also ca1nc on until nine o' clock. Stopt for breakfast, and made a fire. Mr. Frazer staid with me, and finding his peroques not quite abk to keep up, he dispatched them. vV e embarked; came on until ncar 6 o'clock, and encamped on the W. side. Saw nothing of his peroqucs, after they left us. Supposed to have come l 6 miles this day. Rain and cold wind , all day ahead. The river has never been clear of islands since I left Prairie Des Chcin. I absolutely believe it, h--re, to be t \oVO miles wide. Hills, or rather prairie knob. on both sides. l2tb Sept. Tbursday-It raining very hard in the morning, we did not embark until l 0 o'clock. Mr. Frazer's pcroques then corning up. It was still r~ining, and was very cold. Passed the Racine river, also a prairie called Lc Cross, from a game of ball played frcqn cntly on it by the Sioux Indians. This prairie is very handsome, it has a small square hill, similar to some mentioned by Carver. It is bounded in the rear, by hills similaJ TO T ilE SOUHC ES OF TilE MISSISSIPPI. ,o the Prairie D~..s Chein. On this prairie Mr. Frazer shew .. cd me some holes, dug by the Sioux, when in expectation of an attack into which tl_1cy first put th eir women, and childr~n and then cra\\ l themselves. They were generally round, and about I 0 feet in diameter ; but son1e were half moons and quite a breastwork. This I understood was the chief work, whi h was the principal r edoubt. Their modes of constructing thctn ar c, the n1omcnt they ~ pprchend, or discover, an enemy on a prairie, they commence digging with their knives, tmnahawks, and a wooden ladl ; and in an incredibly short space of tin1c, they have a hole sufFiciently d<.'cp to cover them!>dvcs and their family, from the balls or arrows of the enemy. They have no idea of laking those subterrancous r edoubts by storm, as they woulJ probably loose a great number of men in the attack ; and although they might be successful in the event, it would be considered as a very imprudent action. Mr. Frazer finding his canoes not able to keep up, staid at this prairie to organize one of them, intending then, to overtake us. Came on 3 mil~.'s fu r ther. 1 ~~//; Sept. Friday-Embarked at 6 o'clock. Came on to a sand bar, and &topt to dry my things. A t this place Mr. Frazer overtook 1ne. Vve r emained here three hours; can1e on to the foot of the hills, at lc M ontaignc qui Trompe a I' Ea11, which is a hill situated on the river. Rain all day, c ·cept about two hours at noon. P assed Black river. Distance 21 miles. 14tb Sept. Saturday-Embarked early; th fog ~o thick, we could not distinguish objects twenty yards. When we breakfasted, we saw nothing of Mr. Fraz er's canOL'S. After breakfast, at the head of an island, m!?t F raz er 's boats. Wind coming on bir, we hoisted sail, and found that we were more on an equality with our sails than our oars. The birch canoes sailed very well, but we were able to out row them. l\1et the r emainder of the war party (be. |
