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Show JUUHN .. \L OF A VO . .\(: L fore noted) of the Sac~ and Reynards, returning from th 'ir expedition ap;ainst the Sauteurs. I directed my in~ terprctcr to ask how Inany seal ps they had taken, they replied " none ; " he adlkd they were all squaws, for which I reprimanded him. PasscJ the mountain which stands in the river, or as the French term it, which uaks in the river. Came on to the Prairie Le Aisle, on the west. Mr. Frazer, Bradley, Sparks, and m~ self, w 'nt out to hunt ; we crossed f1rst a dry flat prairie ; when we arri ved at the hills, we ascended them, fi-om which we had a most sublime and beautiful pro~p cc t. On the right, Wl' saw the mountains, \\1 hich we pllsscd in the mon1ing, and the prairie in their rear · and like distant clouds the mountains at the Pr(liric Le Cross ; on our left and under our feet~ the valley betweL'n tlw two barren hills, through which the Missis~ippi \nmnd it ~elf by numerous channels, f<.)rming many beautiful isbnds, as f~lr as the eye could embrace the scene. Our four boats under full sail, their flags streaming before the wind, was altogether a prospect !)0 variegated and romantic, that a man may scarcely expect to enjoy such a one but twice or thrice in the course of his life. I proposed keeping the hills until they led to the river, encamping and waiting the ne, ·t (by for our boats; but Mr. Frazer's anxiety to get to the boat:;, in· due ·d me to yield ; and after crossing a very thick bottom, fording and swimming three branches of the ri vcr, and crossing several morass, s, we at 12 o'clock arrived, opposite our boats, which were encamped on the cast side. VJ e were brought over. Saw great sign of elk, but had not the good fortune to come across any of them. .lVI y men saw three on the shore. Distance 21 miles. 15tb Sept. Sunday-Embarked early; passed the ;·ivicrc .Ef'!~r.'rra.r.r, and Lean Clare, on the W. which is na- ., .V~~t~lc ~?"3~ .4~\I.t~~: . Encamped opposite to the river Lc .· · .. · ·: B~iif .. on the vV/~~.~r:: At the head of this river , tlJf' , . . . . . , ..· . .. . .. . . ..... . , .. · ' · ...· '",: ..; :.·. .... :.· .. .: : . .·· .· .".'~ · · .. : .. : .' . ·.. .' : : .: : ..: ·.. .. TO TllE SOURCES OF TilE l\liSSISS IPPI. ~h ipeways inhabit, and it is navigable for peroqucs 40 or 50 leagues. Rained in the afternoon. Mr. Frazer broke one of his canoes. Came on about :3 miles farther than him. l)istance 2/) miles. 1 6tb Sept. Monday-Embarked bte, as I wish cl1VJr. Frazer to overtake me, but came on very well. IIis canoes overtook us at dinner, at the grand encampment below Lake P epin. Vv e mad ' the sandy peninsula, on the cast at the entrance of Lake Pepin, by dusk; passed the Saureaux river on the e;lst, at the entrance of the lal·e. .i\ftl'r supper, the wind being f~lir, we put of1~ with the intention to sail acros, . My interpreter (Rosseau) t clling me, that he had pa~sed the lake twenty tim es, but never .once in the d.ty; giving as a reason, that the wind frc, qucntly rose aud detained then1 by day in the lake-But I hcli~·ve the traders true r eason, generally is, their fears of the Sauteurs, as they have 1nac.le several strokes of war, at the nwuth of this river, nev r distingui~hing bet ween the Sioux an l their trader s-Ilowever, the ·wind s -rving, I was induced to go on; and accordingly Wt' sailed. J\Ty boat bringing up the r ear, for I had put t lh' sail of my big boat on my batt l'aux, and a n1ast of~~ feet. J\lr. Yrazer embarked 011 my boat. At first the hrcl'zc \\as very gentle, and we sailed with our violins and other music playing ; but tl1e sky afterwards became cloudy an l quite a gale arose. My boat ploughed the swells, sometimes almost bow under. \ .Vhcn we came to the Traverse, which is oppo~ite to Point l)e Sabl~, we thou ~rht it most a< lvisahlc, tllc lal'"e being very much disturbed and the gale incrC'asi11g, to takL· harbor in a bay on the cast. Ont' of the canoes, and my boat, came in very \\ ell, anJ togeLh cr ; but having nude a fire on the point to give noLice tt ou·r boats in the rear, they both ran on thL' l...,ar hl'lorL they doubk d it, and were ncar foundering; l..>Ltl by |