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Show 68 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE his houses bad. I rode in a cariole, for one !?erson, constructed in the following manner: Boards platned. smooth, turned up in front about two feet, comi.ng t~ a pOint; and about 2 1-2 feet wide behind; on whlcl~ IS fix.ed a box covered with dressed skins painted; this box. IS open at the top, but covered in front about two thirds of ~he length. The horse is fasten ad between the .shafts. 1 he rider wraps himself up in a buffalo r~be, Sits ,flat down, having a cushion to lean his back agamst. 1 hus acc?utrcd with a fur cap, &c. he may bid defiance to the wmd and weather. Upon our return, we found that some of the Indians, had already returned from the hunting camps ; also Monsieur Roussand, the gentleman supposed to have been killed by the Indians. His arriva! with Mr. Grant, diffused a general satisfaction through the fort. 1 Otb February, Monday.-Hoisted the American flag in the fort. The .English yacht still flying at the top of the flag staff, I directed the Ind~ans m:d my ri_flei~en to shoot at it, who soon broke the Iron pm to which 1t was fastened, and brought it to the ground. Reading Shen· s.tone, &c. lJ tb February, Tucsday.-The Sweet, Buck, Bu:nt, &c. arrived, .all chiefs of note, but the former in parucu· lar a venerable old man. From him I learnt, that the ' Sioux occupied this ground when (to usc his own pharse) " He was a made 1nan, and began to hunt; that they o~· ·' cupied it the year that the French missionaries were ~II· " led at the river Pacagama.'' 'I'he Indians flocked ill· ~ 2tb February, Wednesday.-Bradlcy and myself with Mr. M'Gillis and two of his men, left Leech Lake at 10 o'clock, and arrived at the house at Red Cedar Lake, at sunset ; a distance of 30 miles. My andes were very much swelled, and I was very lame. From the entrance of the Mississippi to the streight is called six miles, a south west course. From thence to the south end, South go, ' TO THE SOURCES OF 'l'HE MTSSISSIPPJ. 69 cast 4 miles. The bay at the entrance, extends ncar! y E. and W. six miles. About two and a half from the north side to a large point. This may be called the upper source of the Mississippi, being 1 S miles above Little Lake W inipie; and the extent of ,canoe navigation only two leagues, to some of the Hudson's Bay waters. 13tb February, Tbursday.-W ere favored with a beautiful day. Took the latitude, and found it to be 47° 42' 40'1 N. At this place it was, Mr. Thompson made his observations in 1798, from which he determined that the source of the Mississippi was in 47° 38'. I walked about 3 miles back in the country, at two thirds water. One of our men marched to Lake Winepie and returned by one o'clock, for the stem of the Sweet's pipe, a matter of more consequence in his affairs, with the Sioux, than the diploma of n1any an ambassador. We feasted on w?ite fish, roasted on two iron grates fixed horizontally m the ba.ck of the chimney ; the entrails left in the fish. 1 14tb February, Friday.-Lcft the house at 9 o'clock. It becomes me here to do justice to the hospitality of our hosts·' one Roy , a c ana d1. an an d hI' S WI· t·e , a Chi·p eway squaw. They relinquished for our use, the only thing in the house, that could be called a bed ; attended us like servants, nor could either of thc1n be persuaded, to touch a mouthful, until we had finished our repasts. We made the garrison about sundown, having been drawn at least 10 miles in a sleigh, by two small dogs · who were l~aded with 200 pounds, and went so fast as' to r ender it 'hfficult, for the men with snow shoes, to keep up with them · The c ht' e f s asked 1ny perm.ission to dance the ca-lumet dance which I granted. 15th February, Saturday.-The Flat Mouth, chief of the Leech Lake V'l1 1 age, an d many other Indi·a ns arn.v ed. |
