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Show APPENDIX TO PAHT I. and appeared rnuch disappointed when I .told hit~ l had no. insttllC.· t1· 0ns to tl1 a t erIrI'e ct ' l1c s:'- ~icl he had J>romtsC'Cl tn dJscovcr m111cs, &c. which 110 person knew but himself, but, as I cotlccivc him much of a 1lY j)OCi:ltC., c' l TI' d possessin :O-,' t~>> Teat Ir'')" as on i• sm, I am happy he was not chosen for my voy.tbc. They brought wtth them three pcro~ur~ of I ndians, who lig htened my barge and assisted me up th~ Rnp1ds. Thl y expressed ~ reat regret at the news of two ~en h av1n~ hcc.n l<.illed 011 the rivt:l' below ( 'v hich I believe to be a fact, as I hare tt from various channels), and w;ts very apprehensive they would be censured by our government as the author, which from cvCt')' enquiry, they conceive not to be the case, and seem to ascnbc the. murdcl' to the Kickapoos, and strongly requested I would h~at what they had to say on the subject : this, with an idea that th1s ~lace would be a central position for a tradin g· establishment, for the Sacos, H.eynarch, lowas or the de Moyen the Sioux fr~m the head of Si~lcl river and Paunte of the riviere de Hoelle, has mduccd me to h.tlt part of the day to-morrow. I should say m o r~ ~·~ l ati ve to ~ I cssrso EwinO's and Houire, only th at they propose visllmg you With the Jndi.m:-, s who descend 1_as I understand by your reque~t ) t· n ·">I Oll t J"o0 da}'S when you1· penet1·ation will give you le tout NJ scmblt• of thCll' char.'1 cters. I have taken the liberty of inclos·m g a 1e tter t o ~Irs · Pike to your care. 1 r My compliments to lieutenant \\i· J·! km' son, an u tl l e tenco r o my highest respects fol' yout· lady, with the best wishes for your l1ealth and prosperity, I am, general, 0 Your obedient servant, (Signed) .z.. M. PI l{Jo;. Gmcral fVilkinson. --t L ..,., ~ I) J.'jo, ""· I • • , o Prmnc de (/ucn, uvri . t. .·.~ , 1S Qj, Dr:AR GF. ·c.R AL, . intc"· I arrived here the day before yesterday, and found !ll} d t · I 1 ndca\'orc 0 nreter gone in the employ of Mr. D1ckson. t 1en c . ro· "g' ain informntion reli.!t. lre to cros~. mg the falls; amI amH· 1~ t the Jg1 APPENDIX TO PART I. 3 ranee of the Canadians, and all the contradict ion in the wol'lcl, I have learned it is in1possible to catTy my large barge round the shoot, I lun·e thcrefo1'e hired two Schenectady barg s, in which I shall embark the clay aftct' to-morrow, with some e:xpcctat.icm and hope of seeingthe head of the Mississippi and tl1c town of S~1int Louis yet this winter. I have chosen three places for military establishments; the fil'st on a hill about 10 miles abo\C the river de Moyen rapids, on the \V. side of the river, in L1bout 41° 2 1 N. latitude. 1'hc channel of the river runs on that sh01·e; the hi ll in front is abom 60 feet pcrpendicnlar, nearly level on the top. 400 yards in the rear is a Snli.lll prai1 ie fit for gardening, and over on the E. side of the rivet· you have an elegant view on an immense prairie, as far as the eye can extend, now aud then interrupted by clumps of trees, and to ct·own all, immediatdy ullder the hill is a limestone spring, sufficient for the consum ption of a regiment. The landing is good and hold, and at the point of the hill a road could be made fot· a waggon in half a day. This place I conceive to be the b st to answer the ncnet·al's instructions relntivc to the i nterm edi~tc post bctwceu Prail'ic de Chien and St. Louis ; but if its being on the \V. bank is a matt t·ial objection, about 30 miles above the second Sac village al the third yellow bank on the E . side, is a commanding place, on a J>l'uiric, and tuost elcg·antly situated, but is scarce of timber, and no watcl' but tlwt of the 1\lississip pi. When thinking- on the post to be established at the Ouiscousing, I did not look at the general's in~ tructions. I therefore piched on a spot 011 the top of the hill on lhc vV. side of the l\Iis~issippi, which is feet hig·h, level on the top, and completely commands both t•ivers, the Mississippi being· ~nly one half' lllile wide and the Ouiscousing· about 900 yards when l~ll. 'J here is plenty of timber in the rem·, and a spt·ing at no gTcat dtstance on the hill. lf this position is to have in view the anuorancc of any Eumpean puwet· who mtght be induced to attack it with rannon, it has infinitely the preference to a position called the P C!it .~r~/J on the Ouiscousing·, which 1 visited and marked the next day. lohls lattcJ' position is th1·cc miles up the Ouiscousing· on u prairi1.: htll, on the \V. side, where we should he oblio·ed to p·ct our timbct· f b D :om the othct· side of the river, and OHr water out of it; there i'> ~Ikc~\ise a small channel which runs on the opposite side, mwig-ablu 1 .n lngh water, which could not be com mandecl by the g·uns of the lrJI·~, <Hid a hill about three q uancrs of a mile, in the rear !'rom winch ~t could be cannonaded. These l\~O positions I have marked hybl:·z1ng tr'c'5, &r. ·\ l\lr. 1 i"hcr of thi-; plac~:, will direct un, |
