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Show 166 JOURNAL Oil' A VOYAGE tween the two partizans ; our colors were placed opposite each other, the utensils for smoaking &c. were paraded on a small seat before us ; thus far all was well. I then ordered half a carrot of tobacco, one dozen knives, 60 fire steels and 60 flints to be presented them. They demanded am1nunition, corn, b!ankets, kettles &c. all df which they wer: refused, notwithstanding the pressing i:1stances of 1ny Interpreter, to ~ccord to some points. The pipes yet lay unmoved, as If they were undetermined whether to treat us as friends or enemies ; but after some time we were presented with a kettle of water, drank, smoked, and cat together. I)uring this time doctor Robinson was sta. nding up, to observe their actions ' in order that we rrught be ready to comtnence hostilities as soon as them· They now took their presents and comtnenced distributing them, but smne malcontents, threw then1 away, by way of c?ntempt. We began to load our horses, when they enc~: cl:d ~s and c~mmenced stealing every thing they could. I•mdmg It was difficult to preserve my pistols ; I mounted n1y. horse. when I founu myself frequently surrounded d~rmg wh1ch son1e wenl- endeavoring to steal the pistols. 1 he doc.tor :vas equally engaged in another quarter, and all the sold~ers xn their positions ; in taking things from them one h~v1ng stolen my tomahawk, I infonned the chief, but he ~aid n~ respect, except to r eply that " they were pitiful;" ~ndmg tlus I determined to protect ourselves, as far as was m my ~ower, and the affair began to take a serious aspect. I ordermg my tnen to take their arms, and separate themselves fron1 the savages; at the same time declaring to them, I ~vould kill the first man who touched our baggage. On which they con1menced filing ofF immediately; we tnarched about the same titne and found, they had made out to steal one sword, tomahawk, broad axe, five canteens, and sundry other small articles. After 011r leaving TO THE SOURCES Of THE .r..RKANS.A \V, &c. tG7 them; when I reflected on the subject, I felt myself sincer ly mortified, that the smallness of my number obliged me thus to submit to the insults of a lawless banditti it ' being the first titne ever a savage took any thing from n1e, with the least appear<ulce of force. After encamping at night the doctor and myself went about one mile back, and way laid the road, determined in case we discovered any of the rascals pursuing us to steal our horses, to kill two at least ; but after waiting behind some logs until sonw time in the night, and discovering no per son, we returned to camp. Distance 17 nules, killed two buifalo and one deer. 23d November, Sunday.-Marchcd at ten o'clock; at one o'clock carne to the third fork on the south side and encamped at night in the point of the grand forks. As the river appeared to be dividing itself into 1nany sn~all branches and of course must be ncar its extreme source I ' concluded to put the party in a defensible situation; and ascend the north fork, to the high point of the blue mountain, which we conceived would be one days march, in order to be enabled from its pinical, to lay down the various branches and positions of the country. Distance 1 D miles. Killed five buffalo. 24th November, M on lay.-Early in the morning cut down 14logs, and put up a breast work, five feet high on three sides and the other was thrown on the river. 1\.fter giving the ncccss~ry orders for their go vernmcnt, c.l uring my absence, in case of our not r eturning. \Ve marched at one o'clock with an idea of arrivin cr at the foot of the ~., mountain; but found onrscl vcs oblige l to take up our nights lodging under a single cedar, which we found in the prairie, without water and extremely cold. Our party besides my ·elf consi~ted of doctor R obinson, p rivate~ Millet · and BroU"n. T~i .. tanc' 1 ~ mil "c.;. |