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Show 34 AllPENDIX TO PART It. age ; the greatest cmharras~ment they have yet occasionc<l me, has been by til detention or tlae Pani!l's hag·g-ugc, WIIO hm·c hccn mllch ntortilicd on the occasion. Hut l CJIH!~tion much if under !:lintilnr impressions and circumst<.ntc ·s, m.my "hite men would have bom · their Joss with more philosophy, than t>ur young savages. 1 concei'e that I cannot di:;po~c of one of my g uns heller, than to gi' cit to Frank, whose }ito·tc w:ts lcl't at Clwutc.:au's; ~d so, each of them a solcli r's coat; this is all the tTlliUile t·ation I will pretend to make th m, and J hope may bring tlielll to a good h1~mor. You will prohahly be surpri::,cd at the slow prog ress we ha\'C m aclc, but, are already i1dormecl of the cause of our detcution at St. C harlcs ; and since have ~cen detained two days, on account of the rain; and altl1ough '"e were able to prevent the water from cutcrin g· imrnediately on the top of the boat where covered, yet the quantity which she made at both ends, occasioned so much dampllcss under tile loading, as to injure both my own corn, anti that of tht: lndian~, with other small atticlcs, which they had at various times takt'n from under the: loading·, ancl not r eturned to thcit· proper places ; but th ·y appear satisfied, that we ha\'e paid all possible attention to prcvelll injury, as much, and indeed more, to their baggage than our own. In consequence of the above, (and with a design to write you) I h<1ltcd here to clay, \\ hich I l1opc we s11all usefully employ in drying our baggage, cleaning out· at·m-;, and [Hitting- ourselves in a posture of defence. Lieut. \Vilkimon has experienced no inconvenience from his rnarch by land with the lntliuns; and the event bas proved the tll'Cessity of some oflicct· accolllp<UI) in~; them, as he i11forms me, he fou11d it necl' s::,ary to purchase ::,omc b<.:evcs for their C()llsumption on the ront e, for which he clt·ew on the ~uperintendant of Indian aff,lirs, and will write to you more p.u ticularly on the subject. They were absent from the bout lour days, and had he not been with them, thL·y would have supplied themselves by maraud· ing-, to the great ofTener of OUr good citizens. I am inform d, that a pat·ty of -1-0 Sacs were at Boon's Lick, above the Osage river, a few clays sincl' ; but, J by no mrans conceive on the route to intercept us, as the pt:ople prete11d at this place. Three <1.1ys since, one of my men complained of indi sposition, and went on shore to tllUI'Ch ; he has never joined the lhlrty, and from various t'("a•wns, I conceive has deserted. I have therefore enclosed :\n advertisement, which if the general will please to caH5C to be posted at St. Louis, Kaskaskias, and Lusk's Ferry on the Ohio, I conceive he will ue caught. APPENDIX TO PART II. 35 I have written to capt. Danl. Bissell on the occasion ; but hope the general will enforce my request to that gentl ·man, as to his being · brought to trial. I was much mortified at the event, not only on account of the loss of the man, but that my p eculiar situation prevented me from pursuing him, and making him an example. With respect to the Tctaus, the general may rest assured, I shall usc every precaution previous to trustin g- them; but as to the mode of conduct to be plll'sucd towards the Spaniards, I feel more at a loss, as my instructions lead me into the country of the Tctaus, pan of which is no doubt claimed by Spain, although the boundaries between Louisiana and New Mexico, have never yet been defined, in con~equence of which, should 1 encounter a party from the villages ncar S.mta Fe, I have thou g ht it would be good policy to give them to understand, that we were about to j oin out· troops ncar Natchitoches, but had been unce rtain about the head waters of the rivers over which we passed; but, that llO'lu, if the commantbnt approved of it, we would pay him a visit of politeness, either by ckputalion, or the whole party, but if he refused, siv;nify our in ten tion of pur~uing our direct route to the post below ; hut if not I flatter myself secure us an unmolested retreat to Natchitoches. Hut if the Spanish j ealousy, and the instigation of domestic traitot·s !>hould induce them to make us prisoners of war, ( in time of peace) I trust to the magnanimity o f out· country fot· our libct·ation, and a due reward to their opposers, lor· the insult and indi gn ity offered their· national honor. However, unless they give us aruple assurances of just and honorable treatment, acco rding- to the custom of nations in like cases, 1 would r s ist, C'Vnt if the inequality was as great as at 1he afl'ait· of Bender, or the streig-hts of Thcrmopylx. \Vill you pardon the foregoing as the enthu::,iasm of a youthful mind, yet, nut altog-ether unimpr·csscd by the dictates of prudence. I hope the g-eneral will be pet'suaded, that with hi~ son, I shall 'let as 1 would to a brother, endeavoring in all cases to pron10te his ltonot· ~IJHl prosp~rity. 1 .un, dear gcnct·al, Your sincere fri end, And OIDcdiertt humble servant, (Signed) Z. M. P1 10. ! ~~ nc:ral J. tt71kiwwu. N. B. In consequence of indisposition, &c. Iieut. \\'ill· in..,or . will <>tear one boat and I the othet·. |