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Show • p;ra 'S, and want of ·water ; but thinking they would cmn~ on we continued our march. W c heard the report of a gu'n , and supposing it to be from our boa:, ans\:ercd .it; shortly after, however, we passed an Ind1a.~ tra~l, '' hiCh appeared as if the persons had been hurried, I presmnc at the report of our guns ; for with this people, all strangers are en mics. Shortly after we struck the river, and the boat appeared in view; stayed some time for my dogs; two of my men volunteered to go in search of thcnl. Encamped on the west shore, nearly opposite to a chalk bank. l\1y two men had not yet returned, and it wa cxlraordinary, as they knew my boat never waited for any person on shore : they endeavored to strike the l\1ississip .. pi ahead of us. W c fired a blunderbuss at three different times, to let the1n know where we lay. Distance 23 1-2 miles. 25tb August ; Sunday-Stopt on the sand bank prairie, on the E. side, from which you have a beautiful prospect of at least 40 miles down the river, bearingS. 38Q E. Discovered that our boat leaked very fast; but we secured her inside so completely with oakum and tallow, as nearly to prevent the leak. Fired a blunderbuss every hour, all day, as signals for our men. P.tssed the river [owa. Encamped at night on the prairie, 1narked Grant's prairie. The 1nen had not yet arrived. Distance 28 miles. 26th August; Monday-Rain, with a very hard head wind. Towed our boat about nine miles, to where the river I-Iills joins the Mississ1ppi. Here I expected to find the two men I had lost, but was disappointed, The mercury in . Reamur at 13°; wher as yesterday, it was 2G0 • Met two peroques full of Indians, who comtnenced hollowing, '' 1:-Iow do you do," &c. they then put to shore and beckoned us to do so likewise, but we continued our course. This day very severe on the men, Distance 28 1-2 1niles. TO THt·: SOUltCES OF THE 1\IISSISSIPPI. iJ?tb Augtut; T~tcsdtTy-Embark.ed early; cokl N. wind ; mercury 10° ; the wind so hard ahead, th.u we.:. were obliged to tow tl1e boat all day. Passed unc p2roque of Indians, also the Riviere De Poche, bte in the day. Some Indians who wer~ enc:uuped there, embarkc lin their canoes and ascended the river bef(we us. The \\'ind "O very strong, that, although down the stream, they W''re near sinking. Encamped about 4 miles above the Riviere De Roche, on the \V. shore. This day passed a pole on a prairie, on which five Jog were hanging. Distance 22 miles. 28th August; Tlf1cdncsday-About an hour aft12r we had embark ... d, we arrived at the camp of Mr. lnncs Aird, a Scotch gentleman of Michilimackinac. I-I~, had encamped, with some goods, on the beach ; and wa"' repairing his boat, which had been inj url'd in crossing 1he rapids of the Riviere De Roche (at th~ foot of whicl1 w~ now we~·e.) lie had sent thr~.:.. boats back for th goous left behmd. Breakfasted with him anti obtained considerable information. Com1nenccd ascenuing the rapids .... Carried away our rudder in the fi rst ; but after gct6nrr it r .._paired, th~ wind raised, and w~ hoist-~d sail; and, 0 although entire strangers, we sailed through thcn1 " ·ith a perfect g:1le blowing all the time; when, hacl we struck a rock, in all probability we would have bilbcd and sunk. But we were so fortunate as to pass without touchincr. Met with Mr. Aird's boats (which had pilots) fast on th~ rocks. Those shoals ar ~ a continued chain of rocks, extcndin')" in some places from shore to shore, about l8 miles i~; length. They afford more water than those of De Mo~ yen, but are much n1ore rapid. . 29th August; Tbursday-Breakfasted at the R eynard VIllage, above the rapids ; this is the first village of the Reynards. I expected to have found my two men here, "but was disappointed. Finding they had not passed, I ~ |