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Show ~0 JOURNAL OF A \or ACJ'·: Mr. Dickson, Mr. Paulier and myself, sat up until four o'clock in the m.orning. Stb April, Tucsday.-vVere obligl.cl to remain this day on account of some information to be obtained h rr. I sp( nt the day in making a rough .chart of _S,t. l)cter~, making notes on the Sioux, &~. scttlm~ the aflatrs of the Indian department with Mr. Dickson, for whose communications, and those of Mr. Paulier, I an1 infinitely indebted. Made every necessary preparation for an early embarkation. 9th April, Wednesday.-Rose early in the mornmg and commenced n1y arrangements. Having observed two Indians drunk, during the night, and finding upon enqui .. ry, that the liquor had been furnished them by a Mr. Greig· nor or Jennesse, I sent my interpreter to them to rc· quest they would not sell any strong liquor to the Indians, upon which Mr. Jcnnesse demanded the restrictions in writing, which were given to him.* On demanding his licence it amounted to no more, than n1ercly a certificate that he had paid the tax required by a law of the Indiana territory, on all retailers of merchandize ; but it was by no means an Indian licence ; however, I did not think proper to go into a more close investigation. Last night was so cold that the water was covered with floating cakes of icc, of a strong consi~tencc. After receiving every 1nark of attention from Messrs. Dickson and Paulier, I took my departure at 8 o'clock. At 4 P. M. arrived at the house of Mr. Paulier, 25 leagues, to whose brother I had a letter. Was received with politeness by him and a 1\l[r. Veau, who win· tered along siJe of him, on the very islaud, at which we had encamped on the night of the of Oct. in ascending. After having left this place some tirnc, we discover· cd a bark canoe a-h ad, \h~ e-aincJ on it for ::,ome time, u TO THE SOUHCES OF THE 1\IISSIS~IPPI. ~ 1 when it turned a point about 300 yards before ; and on our turning it also, it had entirely disappeared. 'T'his excited my curiosity, I stood up in the barge, and at last discovered it turned up in the grass of the prairie, but af. ter we had passed a good gun shot, three savages made their appearance from under it, launched her in the river, and followed, not knowing of my other boats which had just turned the point immediately upon them. They then came on; and, on n1y stopping for the night at a vacant trading house also stopped, and addressed me " Soggo commandant, or" your servant raptain." I directed my interpreter to enquire their motives for concealing them~ cl vc '- They replied, that their canoe leaked, and that they had turned her up to discharge the water. This I Jid not believe, as their conduct was cgmvocal, I received them rather sternly ; I gave then1 however a small drant and piece of bread. '1 hey then re-embarked, and continued down the river. Their conduct brought to mind the vi~it of the 14 ils de Pinchow to Mr. Dickson, during the wmtcr ; one principal cause of which was, that he wished to in~ rm n1e that the seven men, whom I mentioned to have met when crossing the portage of St. Anthony, had since declared that they would kill him for agreeing to the peace betwcGn the Sioux and Sautcurs : me .for being instrumental in preventing them from taking the1r revenge for relations killed by the Sauteurs in August 1805; and T!Jomas, the Fols Avoin cLief for the support he scen1ed disposed to give me. This inf' ormation ~lad not made the impression it ought to have made, comm. g from so respectable a source' as the first chief of the vllla~e; but the conduct of thooe f-ellows put me to the con.stderation of it. And I appeal to God and my country, if self preservation would not have justified Inc, in cutting those scoundrels to pieces wherever I found then1 ? This my men would have done, if ordered, amidst a thousand |