OCR Text |
Show 30 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE day; passed three rapids; killed one goose and two ducks. This day the sun shone after I had lef~ the falls; but whilst there, it was always cloudy. Distance 17 miles. 2d Oct. vVcdnesday-Embarked at our usual hour, and shortly after passed some large islands and re1narkably hard ripples. Indeed the navigation, to persons. not de~er- ~ mined to proceed, would have been deemed mlpracticable. We waded nearly all day, to force the boats off shoals, and draw them through rapids. Killed three geese and two swans. Much appearance of elk and deer. Distance 12 miles. Sd Oct. Tbursday-Cold in the morning. Mercury at 0°. Came on very well; some ripples. Killed three geese and one racoon, also a bre!aw, an animal I had never before seen. Water ripply, and shoals. Distance 15 1-2 miles. 4·th Oct. Friday- Rained in the morning, but the wind serving, we embarked, although extremely raw and cold. Opposite to the mouth of Crow river we found a bark canoe, cut to pieces with tomahawks and the paddles broken on shore; a short distance higher up, we saw five more ; and continued to sec the wrecks, until we found eight. From the form of the canoes, my interpreter pronounced them to be Sioux; and son1e broken arrows, to be the Sauteurs. The paddles wer also marked with the Indian sign of men and women killed. l•rom all these circumstances, we drew this inferen~e, that the canoes had been the vessels of a party of Sioux, who had been attacked and all killed or taken by the Sauteurs. Time may develope this ttansaction. My interpreter was much alarmed, assuring me that it was probable that at our first rencounter with the Chipeways, they would take us for Sioux traders, and fire on us before we could come to an rxp!anation ; that they had murdered three :Frenchmen, TO TilE: SOUilCES OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 3 whom they found on the shore about this time last spring; but not withstanding his information, I was on shore, all the aftErnoon in pursuit of elk. Caught a curious little animal on the prairie, which my French1nan termed a prairie mole, but it is very diflcrent hon1 the mole of the States. Killed two geese, one pheasant, and a wol[ Distance 16 n1iles. 5tb Oct. Saturday-liard water and ripples all Jay. Passed several olJ Sioux encampments, all fortified.: .. Found five litters, in which sick or wounded n1en had been carried. At this place a hard battle was fought between the Sioux and Sauteurs in the year 1800. Killed one goose. Distance 11 miles. Gtb Oct. Sundlly-Early in the Inonling discovered four elk, they swam the river, I pursued them, and wounded one, who 1nade his escape into a 1narsh ; saw two droves of elk. I killed some small game, and joined the boats near night. Found a small red capot hung upon a tree ; this my interpreter informed me wa~ a sacrifice by 'lome Indians to the bon Dicu. 1 deternlined to lay by ~Uld hunt the next Jay. Killed three prairie hens, and two pheasants. This day saw the first elk. Distance 12 miles. ~th Oct. Monday- Lay by in order to dry my corn, cloathmg, &c. and to have an investigation into the condue~ ~f my sergeant, against whon1 some charges w 're exhibited. Sent several of my men out hunting. 1 "cnt towards evening and killed some prairie hen ; the hunters were unsuccessful. Killed three prairie hens and six pheasants. Btb Oct. T uesday-Embarked early and made a very good day's march ; had but three rapids to pass all Jar. Some woodland on the W. side, oak ; but the whole bottom cover ed with the prickly ash. I made a practice to oblige every man who c01nplained of indi">position: to |