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Show sd January, Friday.-My party marched early, but · I returned with Mr. Grant to his establishment on the Red Cedar Lake, having one corporal vvith n1e. When we c;unc in sight of his house, I observed the flag of Great Britain flying. I felt indignant, and cannot say _what my feelings would have excited me to, had he not Informed n1e, that it belonged to the Indians. This was not much n1orr agreeable to me. After explaining to a Chipeway warrior (called Curly Head) the object of tny voyage, and r eceiving his answer, that he would retnain tranquil, until my return. vV e eat a good breakfast for the country, departed and overtook my sleds, just at dusk. Killed one porcupine. Distance 16 miles. . 4tb January, Saturday.-We made twenty eight points in the river; broad, good bottom, and of the usual timber. In the night I was awakened by th~ cry {)f the sentinel, calling repeatedly to the men ; at length he vociferateu, " G-d d-n your souls, will you let the lieutenant be burned to death ?1 ' This imnlCdiately aroused Inc, at first I seized my arms, but look ing rounu, I saw tny tents in flames. The men flew to my as istancc, and we tore them down, but not until they were entirely ruined. 'fhis, with the loss of my leggins, mockinsons, socks, &c. which I had hung up to dry, was no trivial misfortune, in such a country, and on such a voyage. But I had reason to thank God that the powder, three small ca~ks of which I had in my tent did not take fire, if it had, I must certainly have lost all my baggage, if not my life. Stb January, Sunday.-Mr. Grant pr 01n ised to over t~kc tnc yesterday, but has not yet arrived. I conceived it would be necessary to attend his motions, with careful observation. Distance 27 n1iles. 6th January, Nlonday.-Bradley and myself walked up ~3 1 points, in hopes to discover Lake D e Sable ; but TO THE SOURCES OF TIIE MISSISSIJ,PI. 59 finding a near cut of 20 yards for ten n1iles, and being fearful the sleds would n1iss it, we r eturned 23 points bcfo: e we found our camp. Th y had made only eight pomts. Met two Frenchmen of the N. W. company with about 180. pounds on each of their backs, with rackets on; they mformed n1c that Mr. Grant had gone on with the Frenchman. Snow fell al1 day, and was three feet dcrp. Spent a miserable night. 7tb January, T uesday.-Made but 11 miles and ~he~ were obli.gec.l to _send a-head and make fires 'every :3 miles; notwithstandmg which, the cold was so intense, ~hat some of t_he mrn had their noses, others their fingers, .t~d others thCir toe~ frozen, b efore they felt the cold ~ensibly. V cry severe days march. 8t!: Janumy, VVednesday.-Conceiving I was at no g~eat distance from Sandy Lake, I left n1y sleds, and :With c?rporal Bradley' took n1y depar ture for that place mtendmg to s: nu him back the same evening. We walk~ cd ~n very bn~kly until ncar night, when we met a young lndian, one or those who had visited Iny camp n ear R ed Cedar. Lake. I cnd.i".C.> .avm. eu. J to exp 1< u. n to hm. 1 that it was my h ' , turn WIS ~0 go to L~ke D e Sable that ev ning. I-le re-ed With me, until we cmne to a trail that led acro<'s the w d, h · h · · "' h . oo s, t Is e sig mfied was a ncar course. I went t 1s c.o urs e Wi· th ht ·m , and 5hortly after found myself at a Chipeway encampment, to which I believe the fricndi savage had enticed me with an expectation that I w Idy tarr II · h ou y a _nig t, knowing that it was too late for us to make the lake m goo l B . t season. ut upon our refusing to stay, he put us 111 the rig·ht road W .. · , .1 I · e at11veu at the place where tble track left the" M' -. · . · · . 1 1 ISSISSlppi, at uus <:., when we traver 'Cd da 'ffoi ut two leagues of a 'ld . h WI erness, wit out any very great S I lculty, and at length struck the shore of I ak De able ~' c e h . ' over a branch of which our course lay. T he ~now avmg covered the trail made by the } rcnchmeo who had |
