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Show l :J JO\Jl{~AL OF A VOYAGL in great rc"pcct, conceiving us very quarrel on1e, and much for war, and also very brave. This information 1 us2d a:) prudence suggested. \V c stopt at an encampment, about thrc\.. mil2s bdow th ton:n, \\'here they gave us snmc excellent plu ns. They d spatched a pcroque to th'2 village, to giv-? notice, as I supposed, of our arrival. ll conlm ..?nc~d raining about dusk, and rained all night. l)istanc:: 40 miles. Sd Sept. 'Iue.rday- En1barked at a pretty early hour. Cloudy. Met two pcroques of family Indians; they at first asked Mr. Blondeau, " if we wore for war, or if going to war ?" I now experienced the good effect, of having some person on boC:Jrd, who could speak their language ; for they presented 1nc with three pair of ducks, and a quantity of venison, sufficient for all our crew, one day; in r eturn, l m~u.l,, them some trilling presents. Afterwards nwt two p.::-roqucs, carrying som2 of the warriors spoken of on th ' ~ J inst. They kept at a gre~lt distanc , until spoken to by i\Ir. B. wlLn th---y informed him that their party hJd procc .... dc:d up a:5 high as Lake Pepin, without cfE.~cting any thing. It is surprizing what a dread the In" dians, in this quartc2r, have of the Americans : I have often seen them go round islands, to avoid meeting tny boJt. It ;}ppears to Inc.: evident, that the traders have tak en great pains, to impress upon th · minds of th, avages, the idea of our being a very vindictive, ferocious, and warlikP people. This impression was perhaps 1nade with no good intel!tion; but ''hen they find that our conduct towards them, is guidc~d by magnanimity and justice; ins tcac.l of ope1 atin? in an i·ljurious nunner, it will have the eficct to n1akc th~In rever ·nc2 at the san1e timL: they fear us. Distance 25 miles. 4.·tb Sept. rrednesday-Breakfasted just bC'low the Ouiscousing. Arrived at the Prairie Des Cheins about 11 TO 'THE SOURCES OF TilE MISSISt;TPPT. 1 ,, ,j o'clock; took quartC'rs at capt. Fishers, and were politely r eceived by him and Mr. Frazer. 5tb Sept. '[bur.rday- Embarkecl about half pa~ t 10 o'clock in a Schenectady boat, to go to th mouth of the Ouiscousing, in order to take the latitude, and look at the situation of the adjacent hills for a post. Was <'CCOl •• panicd by judge }'is her, Mr. I•'razc r, and Mr. \V nods. We ascended the hill on th west side· oF the Mi~sis~; !ppi; and made choice of a spot which l thougLt mo~t <.lis1bi-.·, being level on the top, having a .. pring in the rc:ar, ctnd commanding a view oi the country around. A ~howL r of rain came on which completely wet u~ ; anJ we returned to the village without having a~Ct'lld('d the Ouiscousing as we intended. Marked four trees \\lith A. B. C. D. and squared the sides of one in th · centre. vV rote to the gen"ral. • 6tb Sept. Friday- 1Iad a small council \'vith the Puants, and a chief of the low r band of the iou ~ . VI,.ited and laid out a position for a post, on a hill called the Petit Gris, on the Ouiscousing, three n11lcs above its mouth. Mr. Fish r who accompat.~.ied me, was taken very sick, in consequence of dnukmg some water out of the Ouiscousing. The Puants never hav any white interpreters, nor have the l~ols Avoin nation. In my council, I spoke to a Frenchman, he to a Sioux, who interpreted to some of the Puants. 7tb Sept. Saturday-My men beat all the villager ... jumping and hopping. Began to load my new boats. 8tb Sept. Sunday-l'..mbarked at half past 11 o'clock in two battcaux. 'The wind fair and fresh. I found myself very rnuch embarrassed and crampt, in my new boats, with provision and baggage. I embarked two interpreters, one to perforn1 the whole voyage, whose name was * See appendix to part I. lNo. '·] plge z, |
