Vernon County, Wisconsin - Chapter with an unread heading (no. 30 of those read), 1884 (part 2 of 3)

The river Seignelay on which we were sailing, is as deep and broad as the Seine at Paris, and in two or three places widens out to a quarter of a league. It is skirted by hills, whose sides are covered with tine, large trees. Some of these hills are half a league apart, leaving between them a marshy strip, often inundated, especially in the autumn and spring, but producing, nevertheless, very large trees. On ascending these hills you discover prairies further than the eye can reach, studded, at intervals, with groves of tall trees, apparently planted there intentionally. The current of the river is not perceptible, except in time of great rains; it is at all times navigable for large barks about a hundred leagues, from its mouth to the Illinois village, whence its course almost always runs south by west.

On the 7th of March we found, about two leagues from its mouth, a Nation called Tamaroa, or Maroa, composed of 200 families. They would have taken us to their village lying west of the river Colbert, six or seven leagues

* The leadei of this party, it will be remembered, waB Acau; with him went Father Louis Hennepin, who wrote the account here given. It was first published in 1683.

below the mouth of the river Seignelay ; but our two canoemen, iu hopes of still greater gain, preferred to pass on, according to the advice I then gave them. These last Indians seeing that we carried iron and arms to their enemies, and unable to overtake us in their periaguas, which are wooden canoes, much heavier than our bark one, which went much faster than their boats, despatched some of their young men after us by land, to pierce us with their arrows at some narrow part of the river, but in vain ; for soon discovering the fire made by these warriors at their ambuscade, we promptly crossed the river, gained the other side, and encamped on an island, leaving our canoe loaded and our little dog to wake us, so as to embark more expeditiously, should the Indians attempt to surprise us by swimming across.

SooH after leaving these Indians, we came to the mouth of the river Seignelay, fifty leagues distant from Fort Creve Coeur, and about 100 leagues from the great Illinois village. It lies between 36 deg. and 37 deg. north latitude, and consequently 120 or thirty leagues from the Gulf of Mexico.

In the angle formed on the south by this river, at its mouth, is a flat precipitous rock, about forty feet high, very well suited for building a fort. On the northern side, opposite the rock, and on the west side beyond the river, are fields of black earth, the end of which you can not see, all ready for cultivation, which would be very advantagious for the existence of a colony. The ice which floated down from the north kept us in this place till the 12th of March, whence we continued our route, traversing the river and sounding on all sides to see whether it was navigable. There are, indeed, three islets in the middle, near the mouth of the river Seignelay, which stop the floating wood and trees from the north, and form several large sand-bars, yet the channels are deep enough, and there is suflicient water for

The river Colbert (Mississippi) runs southsouthwest, and comes from the north and northwest ; it runs between two chains of mountains, very small here, which wind with the river, and in some places are pretty far from the banks, so that between the mountains and the river, there are large prairies, where you often see herds of wild cattle browsing. In other places these eminences leave semi-circular spots covered with grass or wood. Beyond these mountains you discover vast plains, but the more we approach the northern side ascending, the earth did not appear to us so fertile, nor the woods so beautiful as in the Illinois country.

This great river is almost everywhere a short league in width, and in some places, two leagues ; it is divided by a number of islands covered with trees, interlaced with so many yines as to be almost impassable. It receives no considerable river on the western side except that of the Olontenta and another, which comes from the west-northwest, seven or eight leagues from the Falls of St. Anthony, of Padua. On the eastern side you meet first an inconsiderable river, and then further on another, called by the Indians Ouisconsin, or Wisconsin, which comes from the east and east-northeast. Sixty leagues up you leave it, and make a portage of half a league to reach the bay of the Puans ( Green bay ) by another river which, near its source, meanders most curiously. It is almost as broad as the river Seignelay, or Illinois, and empties into the river Colbert, 100 leagues above the river Seignelay.

Twenty-four leagues above, you come to the Black river, called by the Nadouessious (Sioux), or Islati, Chabadeba, or Chabaoudeba, it seems inconsiderable. Thirty leagues higher up, you find the Lake of Tears ( Pepin ), which we so named because the Indians who had taken us, wishing to kill us, some of them wept the whole night, to induce the others to consent to our death. This lake which is formed by the river Colbert, is seven leagues long, and about four wide ; there is no considerable current in the middle that we could perceive, but only at its entrance and exit. Half a league below the Lake of Tears, on the south side, is Buffalo river, full of turtles. It is so called by the Indians on account of the numbers of buffalo found there. We followed it for ten or twelve leagues ; it empties with rapidity into the river Colbert, but as you ascend it, it is always gentle and free from rapids. It is skirted by mountains, far enough off in some places to form prairies. The mouth is wooded on both sides, and is full as wide as that of the Seignelay-

Eably Experience In The Noethwest

About the beginning of March, 1800, I left Cornwall for Montreal, to join my bourgeois, Robert McKinzie, who, by the by, was bred a tailor, but had made a pile of money by the Indian trade, which as a matter of course enabled him to take rank among the "big wigs" of society. I was nearly a month too early for the canoe start to commence. I had, therefore, in the meantime, to live an idle, lonely life at a boarding house. My boss was, however, fully employed laying in his goods and engaging his men and canoes.

My personal outfit consisted of a corduroy roundabout, pants and vest, four striped cotton shirts, four pair socks, and four "two and a half point blankets" sewed up in canvass, with two pair of blankets to cover me, forming my bed and bedding. A gun, powder-horn and shotbao- filled, fitted me for the hunt; and a traveling basket, containing a boiled ham, some sea biscuit, salt, tea, sugar and pepper, with a teapot, a small tin kettle in which to boil tea water, a tin cup for tea drinking, two tin plates, two knives and forks, two iron spoons, and a small canvas tent for fair weather. These articles, with $200 salary, formed the usual outfit and wages for a clerk in the Mississippi Indian trade for the first year. During the long evenings of that youthful period, lots of youngsters sought my acquaintance, but a kind providence kept me from their evil ways.

The 3d of April being now arrived, I was conveyed to Lachine, our starting point from civilization. I took a look at the bark canoe which was to transport me to savage wilds. These canoes are about forty feet long, over five feet wide and three feet deep, and made of the bark taken from the white birch tree, and sewed together with the small roots of the hemlock tree. The strips of bark were cut into the proper shape and stretched upon a strong frame, composed of split cedar, and firmly sewed to it with the hemlock fibres. It is now ready for pitching, or rather, "gumming," which is performed by spreading on the seams a kind of resin prepared from the sap extracted from the pine tree, carefully laid on, and pressed firmly with the thumb. It hardens, and stops every leak.

Next morning at daylight we were prepared to load. The canoe was placed in the water, when four nicely smoothed cedar poles, the length of the canoe, were laid in the bottom, in order that the cargo may bear equal pressure on the frail vessel throughout; and the most weighty packages laid on them to bind and confine them to the shape of the canoe. On these the heavier articles were placed, such as shot, axes, powder; then the dry goods to the brim. Over all was piled a month's provisions for all hands, consisting of pork, peas and sea biscuit, the latter contained in canvas sacks, which, when filled, were five feet long and two feet in diameter.

About 10 o'clock all was ready, and we erabarked. On leaving the wharf I was near causing the canoe, now top heavy, to turn over and send all down the Lachine rapids. Wishing to give all the eclat ou my departure, I fired off my gun, which so surprised and startled all hands, that the canoe was nearly going over, which taught me to confine my rejoicings on future occasions to terra finnu.

After proceeding a few miles the guide, who is commodore, and is responsible for all during the journey, ordered a halt and all hands to debark. A lieavy rapid was before us, which must be surmounted. Among other necessary articles of the outfit was a rope about twenty yards long, one end of which was securely fastened to tlie prow of the canoe. Two of the men were ordered to strip to their shirts, whose duty it would be to wade to their middles up the rapids, one at the prow, the other at the stern of the canoe, to keep it clear of the rocks. Theprowman or guide and steersman, each with a long pole to ward off, while the remaining five men, sometimes in the water, and sometimes on shore, to pull at the rope.

When all was ready the guide directed me to a very narrow path, which led me by the verge of a precipice, from which I had a view of the poor men below struggling against the cold rapids, which for two miles ran at the rate of fifteen or twenty miles an hour. At the end no fire was made to dry the men's clothes and warm their feet; but all was hurry and away to the camping ground, about three miles. 'J he paddling was brisk, the song loud and lively, the water smooth, and the hungry mouths soon reached the end of their first day's journey.

The guide and all hands were very attentive to me, in carrying me in and out of tlie canoe, setting my tent in order, boiling my kettle, etc. I had nothing to do with the drudgery of cooking. The men's practice in the culinary art was very simple, but good. '1 he tin kettle in which they cooked their food would hold eight or ten gallons. It was hung over the fire nearly full of water, then nine quarts of peas, one quart per man, the daily allowance, were put in; and when they were well bursted, two or three pounds of pork, cut into strips, for seasoning, were added, and all allowed to boil or simmer till daylight, when the cook added four biscuits, broken up, to the mess, and invited all hands to breakfast. The swelling of the peas and biscuit had now filled the kettle to the brim, so thick that a stick would stand upright in it. It looked inviting, and I begged for a plate full of it, and ate little else during the journey. The men now squatted in a circle, the kettle in their midst, and each one plying his wooden spoon or ladle from kettle to mouth, with almost electric speed, soon filled every cavity. Then the pipes were soon brought into full smoke.

Our encampment being at the foot of a small fall or cascade, over which canoes and all had to be transported, the guide would not allow talking; so all was bustle, each man's duty being at every trip to carry two packages of eighty-four pounds each over the portages; and six men to carry the canoe, which counted for one trip for each of them, it remaining for them to carry a package afterwards. All was soon over, the boats re-loaded, when the paddle would again resume its strokes with the merriest songs accompanying its play. I conclude that the breakfast on pea soup, with the condition of the atmosphere, so affected the nasal organs that the men suffered intensely the first few days.

With respect to camping, cooking and scenery, there was little variation during the journey. I may, however, mention the beautiful sheet of water falling about forty or fifty feet into the Ottawa near the present city of that name, where at the time of which I write, seventy years ago, there was not even a shadow of a mansion. This fall was very properly called Le Ridean, for it has the appearance of a beautiful curtain.

At length we reached the Portage de Vause, three miles from Lake Nipissing. At the end of the portage was a log hut, with three or four Canadians; a northwest trading post; the only house or human beings we had seen since leaving Lachine. The people were very kind, giv- ing me some fish and offering me lodgings for the night; the former I thankfully received, but preferred my tent to the latter. Parts of two days were spent in getting all things over this long portage, while the peas, pork and cakes had been considerablv lessened. The second day, however, we crossed the lake and pitched our tents on the French River.

We had mounted seventeen portages, and we had to descend seventeen more to Lake Huron. Tlie poor men were sadly worn out with the roughness of the last carrying place, and the guide considerately brought to an hour earlier than usual to give them a good rest and an opportunity to wash, a business in which they had thus far spent little time and lesser soap. The only time I tried the experiment of carrying packages was at the last long portage, whei-e I got the guide to tie a pair of strings to a bag of biscuits and load me with it; but it swayed about, and being top heavy, I could not walk steady. Before proceeding twenty yards down I came with the bag in the mud. The men ran to unharness me, and laughed to see me enjoy the fun.

The next morning the sun stepped forth, and with our paddles and songs we merrily left the lake behind us. How many days it took to reach Lake Nipissing from Lachine, or from Nipissing to Lake Huron, I know not, neither is it of any importance to past generations; but of this I am sure, that in due time we reached Lake Huron, and the keenness of the air of that broad sheet of pure water was felt night and day; and even at this distant period of seventy years, my probocis takesoffenae at its sufferings at that time.

After getting over those seventeen portages, and running sundry rapids, at times going at the rate of ten knots an hour, we at length reached the big lake; and again, after paddling and working many days, we landed on Grosse island, within nine miles of Mes-she-mic-kanock, the Big Turtle; corrupted into Michilimackiuac, and finally into Mackinaw.

The traverse being long and dangerous, it was deemed imprudent to undertake it with our full load; and it being late in the day, the guide concluded to encamp, and have everything ready for an early start in the morning. When the morning came I volunteered to guard the baggage at one end of the portage, enabling all hands to engage in the transportation of the goods and canoes; but here I was too desirous of reaching the end of this long journey, and would not stay. In this I was wrong, for one of the men had to remain in charge of the half loads necessarily left, thereby weakening the carrying force, which might have proved serious had a high wind occurred. However, all was safe over and in store by sunset.

Here, then, I was in Mackinaw, truly a stranger in a strange land. I knew no one, and my only care was to perform such duties as might be allotted to me without a murmur. Mr. McKinzie's two outfits or equipments had arrived from their trading posts. They called to see me, and I was informed by them that the furs they had brought on here were to be packed in a certain way for transportation by canoe to Montreal. At it I went, and before Mr. Mc- Kinzie arrived in a light canoe, the forty or fifty packs were pressed, marked and the bills of the contents of each pack all ready. The men complained of being given little time, hut Mr. McKinzie was surprised and pleased to find all in readiness for those who wanted to return without delay to Montreal, yet would stay to distribute the goods, which were brought under my supervision, into the three outfits he intended to send to trade with the Mississippi Indians the ensuing winter.

Two of the outfits were assigned to two brothers named Lagortroin, and the third to myself. There was also a lot of old remainders of goods from a retail shop Mr. McKinzie had for long years before kept; these, not suitable for the Indian trade, I was directed to pack up and take to St. Louis and make the most of them. My orders were all verbal. My hour- geois, laboring men, were gone; my work was (light); but it being too early in the season for me to start, I amused myself profitably in going out daily shooting pigeons for my pot. As my larder had nothing but hulled corn, tallow, and a small quantity of salt pork; this latter was kept as a luxury for rainy days, when the feathered tribe were permitted to rest.

As I had seen my dear mother make croxenyoles or curly cakes, of which I was very fond, so I thought I would try my hand at it. I accordingly procured two pounds of flour, put it into a wooden bowl, not over scoured, after fish, poured in cold water, not too much, lest I should drown and lose my flour, adding a little salt, and handled it until to fancy it appeared to be first rate dough. My next care was to clean the pot of cobwebs, and put it over the tire with a good lot of tallow, wiiich, by the way, had no small share oi musty smell about it; but this, I thought would evaporate by the heat. While this heating process was going on, I busied myself in cutting up my beautiful dough into all kinds of fancy shapes, cats, dogs, snakes, mice, etc. These eftigies I now committed to their hot bath; and in a few seconds they were so nicely browned that my mouth fairly watered to overflowing, and I could wait no longer for a taste. I found the fork rather dull, so scooped them, out with a wooden ladle. On their touching the cold plates, to my horror, though refined by the action of the fire, the tallow became as hard as a candle. To eat my tine looking cakes was impossible, as they had become hard and tough as sole leather. However, I gave them to the men, who dissolved them in their next choice corn cooking; and thus ended my cake frying for all time to come.

My path to the pigeon ground lay immediately past a notary public's door, and I had noticed sweet faces peering at the nice, handsome young sportsman as he passed daily with his gun. At length I was watched on my return; a young widow lady, standing in the door, as I touched my hat, said: "You appear to be a stranger?" I replied: "Yes; just from Montreal." "Will you walk in and rest yourself?" "No, I thank you, I must give the men their corn." "Wlienever," said she, "you feel lonely we shall be glad to see you." I thanked her for her kindness. The notary's hopeful son called upon me and confirmed the invitation.

The next day my best Montrealers saw the light and got an airing, fitted for an afternoon's call. No pains were spared to prove that I was recently from civilized society. At 4 o'clock I was formally introduced by the notary's son to his aged father, ditto mother, his widowed sister, Mrs. La Frambois, his other sisters and Miss Cowan. The engage of the latter's father was killed by an Indian, who was taken for his trial to Kingston, on board the scliooner Speedy, Capt. Paxton, when she foundered, and all on board were lost, judges, lawyers and all. I, of course, remained to tea, and in the evening a "hop" was gotten up. This kind of fun was kept up almost daily during the remaining ten days of my stay. My canoe was at length ready, and I took a run up for good bye. I did not join in the general boo-hoos, but I felt pretty badly.

I have, perhaps, got ahead of my story, as I ought to have said that, having departed from Mackinaw, I was now on a coasting journey on Lake Michigan, exposed to storms, or calms, or burning suns, and eighty leagues of uninhabited wilderness to travel before I could reach Green Bay, or see any but savage faces. Tenting, sleeping, etc., were the same as on Grand river ; certainly the air had improved - whether caused by the wide expanse of water, I cannot positively affirm ; but I am of the opinion that the influence of the hulled corn on the human system produced a less repugnant feeling to the nasal organs.

After many days rowing, sailing and stormbound, I landed at Green Bay, where were about a dozen settlers, scattered within the limits of, perhaps, four miles - little farmers, none cultivating more than five acres, their crops consisting of corn and potatoes. An old man lived here named Langlade, who bad, until ,the Americans got possession of the country, been in the employment of the British government, whose daughter bad married a trader named Grignon, from whom had sprung very many branches.

An English gentleman, Jacob Frank, and his nephew, John Lawe, Jews, were extensively embarked in the fur trade here. At this time, and for years after, I became very familiar with them ; for, on this occasion, they tendered me much friendly advice how to conduct myself with the Indians, to beware of the cunning deceit, treachery, etc., of the traders, with whom I was about to mix up. This was the first good counsel I had heard on commercial business ; and, to this day, it has been of service to me.

Here it became nesessary to engage an interpreter, to perform also the duties of steersman. Only one suitable person could be found, and he must feed with the bourgeois. That was well enough, but he had an overgrown squaw wife, with too papooses not long hatched, and they must join the same mess. In stating to Mr. Frank my awful predicament, he laughed at me and said : "You san't better yourself ; besides you will find that, in many cases, two or three incumbrances, or even half a dozen, such as your delicate ideas abhor, luxuriate in the same canoe." I could not help myself, so the next day was fixed for a start.

To-morrow came. I took my breakfast with my friends. I found a nicely fitted place for me, immediately over six kegs of powder, of 300 pounds weight - plenty to end our terrestrial journey by adding a spark. Contrary to a very old custom, and much to the annoyance of the smokers, I absolutely prohibited lighted pipes on the canoe. A nice location was fixed for Mrs. Bartrara near her husband, Mons. Bartram, the interpreter. All this added no little incumbrance to the canoe.

We embarked, and away we started for the Portage du Ouisconsin, sixty leagues distant. Proceeding three miles, we came to the beginning of a six mile rapid, the greater part of which Lady Bartram and I had to take dry land to overcome, in order to relieve the canoe of surplus weight, as the men had to wade and carefully avoid the rocks, in dragging the canoe up this toilsome obstruction. The slow process of working up the rapids gave time for splendid fishing sport. Black bass were very abundant, and I caught enough for supper and breakfast for all on board.

Having at length overcome all the rapids, the water being low, the men were well tired, and I said "camp." The tents were soon up, the interpreter having one for himself and family; and the loading of the canoe being refixed, ready for the morning's start. Meanwhile Lady Bartram busied herself in cleaning the fish, at which she appeared perfect - indeed, she might have secured a professorship anywhere for superiority in this line. Well, the fish are at length in the kettle, Lady Bartram fixing all the dishes, plates, etc., I had. on the mats in my tent. The fish were presented in a big tin dish, boiling hot - all Lady Bartram's volunteer work, having assumed entire control over the kitchen department.

Now, reader, you may wish for, but you won't get a taste. You may, however, take a peep at our tea party, all squatting flat on the mats; Mr. Anderson, the writer, presiding, with Lady Bartram on the right, Sir Bartram on his left, ready to bring the tea kettle and then Master and Miss Bartram in front, scrambling for the fish eyes in the dish, at which their progenitors exult to witness their activity Mr. Frank had said, "You'll get used to it." But I never will.

Crossing Winnebago lake with difliculty, we pushed on through the Rice lakes. Now we are fairly on Fox river, passing Butte des Morts. Here, many years since, a French Jesuit and his men had been murdered by the Winneba-

Ill due time we reached Portage, Ouisconsin, (Wisconsin) a carrying place of three miles across the Ouisconsin river. All over in two days. This river has a smooth, strong current with many shifting sand banks. On this Portage I first became acquainted with rattle-snakes, and from all I had heard, I was not desirous of getting used to them.

Eigliteen hours' travel, sixty leagues, brought us to Prairie du Chien, on the Mississippi. Here was a little village of perhaps ten or fifteen houses; and at the distance of three miles were three farmers. Except one framed one the houses were all built of logs, plastered with mud, and covered either with cedar, elm or black ash bark. The people were nearly all lower Canadians, carrying on, with small or large stocks, the Indian trade. Without exception, they were kind and hospitable, and prided themselves on their honesty and punctuality in paying their debts, and keeping their engagements. Very little money was iti circulation. There were no lawyers to excite strife. Notwithstanding all this fair appearance, there were those among them, regarded as otherwise honorable, fair and clever, who would defraud and over-reach I'is neighbor, even to despoiling him of his last copper.

After making the necessary arrangements, I started down the Mississippi for my wintering ground with the 8auk Indians. On arriving at the place I found a house empty, in which some trader had wintered the year before. Possession, I thought, being nine points in law, I set all hands to making repairs, and stowed my goods into it. The next business was to give a portion of my goods on credit to a pe02:)le I never before had seen. However, it was the mode of carrying on trade, and I must "get used to it." My house, which was now all right, had four good rooms and two fire-places - one in my room, and one in the rear or kitchen which also warmed Lady Bartram on her east wing, and the shop or store in the west wing. Although neither papered nor carpeted, it was compact, warm and comfortable, in this unchristian country, and uninhabited except by savages.

All being thus fixed I embarked my retail shop goods, under the impression of making a haul, with my laces, muslins, satin slippers, etc. One day and a half (probably from about the locality of Quincy) on the swift current of the Mississippi, brought me to the Spanish town of St. Louis. I cal'ed on, and obtained leave from the Spanish regal authority, to open shop, hired a bouse and exposed my precious finery in the dress line. Many called, admired, and would call again; some would go in for fifty or one hundred francs, if I would take dairy in pay - which was there understood to include cabbage, turnips and other vegetables, but no silver. We could not dicker, so after many days rent at one shilling and eight cents per day, to pay which made a hole in my stock of muslin, therefore, I must pack up and go. The only money I got or saw was one York shilling, and this from Mrs. Myers, a Jewess, from Montreal, for a ball of cotton wickiug.

When I got back to my trading post I found four opposition traders - Monsieurs St. John, Blondeau, Berthelot and Carron. They were all old hands, and viewed me as an intruder, and would spare no pains to ruin the mangeur de lard, or pork eater, as those in infancy in the trade were roughly called. But a blessed guardian, who, with shame I say it, I knew not, and he it was who told me that swilling hot stufl: and gambling night and day with cards, was not right. I had not seen a book of any kind since I left my dear Cornwall in March.

Lady Bartram had kindly taken control of the cuisine department, and separated me from her own family, for which I rejoiced. I could not, however, get used to the marks left on my floor by the papooses. The long winter, from Novemljer until spring, had to be worn out; and I did my share of rambling with my gun, shooting

My interpreter being an old hand at intrigue and trickery, and naturally suspicious, became aware, by frequently visiting my neighbors, of their vile plots against me, and enabled me to thwart their designs. The Indians returned from their hunt, paid about twenty-five per cent, on their debts, and commenced trade. When this was over, my friends (the traders) sent thirty or forty Indians, half drunk, with a worthless bear skin, and demanded from me a keg of rum - a gallon - therefor; and, on my refusal, they threatened to break the shop door and take it. I stepped into my room, took from under my pillow a brace of brass pistols, and came back to the kitchen, only a minute's walk. I desired the interpreter to say, that the first man who strikes the door will be shot. In the bustle to clear out, the fellows took a loaf from the bake-kettle, and another took a brand from the fire, and stuck it into the straw, with which the building was covered. On hearing of it, I rushed out and fired after them; but they fortunately had made good time, and were out of reach.

The trade being over, I quietly packed my furs, baled my goods, and got ready, without my neighbors knowing my object. By daylight canoes and cargo were at the landing place. While the boats were being loaded Mrs. Bartram prepared breakfast, and I had made up my mind never again to winter near to people worse than savages. I set fire to my house, and embarked, having ordered an extra rowing place, where, if necessary, I could pull an oar, and keep ahead of my friends.

In order to reap the trade from such Indians as usually came from their hunts, and encamped along the river where no trader wintered - with these, the first who came were first served. I had cause to rejoice that my cunning friends did not leave for two days after me; consequently the extra oar was not needed, and my trading

A few days rest for all hands, and following the fashion I one day got senselessly drunk, which was the first and last time during ray Indian trade tours. While at Prairie du Chien I punctually attended all the best nightly balls. We sometimes kept'Sunday; but whether on the right day was doubtful. My friends (the traders) at length arrived, who represented me as a fearless and dangerous person to be let loose amongst the Indians - always carrying gun and pistols, and would shoot any one who quarreled with me. This reputation was soon made known far and near - no' a very favorable one under most circumstances. But it had a good effect with that class of traders who would get beastly drunk and fight like dogs at night, and be good friends and love each other in the morning. Though I was far from deserving such a cliaracter as they gave me, it preserved me from the gross insults to which the meek and retiring were subject.

After our few day's sojourn, I started for Mackinaw. The journeying seemed to agree with Lady Bartram and family, for they were in as good health on our return to Green Bay as M'hen we departed. Mr. McKinzie had arrived when I reached Mackinaw, and was quite pleased with ray returns and doings generally; but as he was about to be married, he gave up the trade, aud pressed me verv hard to go back with him, as they were wanting me to fill my old place at Kingston. But my destiny was not so ordered, and I would not be persuaded. The offer was good; but something, I could not tell what, held me back.

At my master's in Kingston I never saw a Bible, nor heard a word about religion, except in Church, and when good old Dr. John Stuart, the forraer Mohawk raissionary attended to prepare rae for confirmation - so, I now think, that my blessed guardian influenced ray decision. It is true it often occurred to my mind with what devotion ray ever dear father and mother read their Bibles on Sundays, and ab- stained from all week-day employments which were not absolutely necessary. They were now very old, and I would be delighted to see them; but my mind was fixed. There were no pleasures and enjoyments in the society and occupation which lay before me; I cared not for money, nor had I a desire to heap up riches. When my old master, Mr. Markland, wrote to me, while I was spending my last winter in Cornwall, requesting me to go back to him^ my reply was, "I am engaged to Mr. McKinzie, and I shall look in future to my gun, knife and tomahawk for a support." This decision influenced me to refuse Mr. McKinzie's offers at Mackinaw to return to Kingston; for, from my boyhood, I felt proud of keeping my word.

I therefore engaged with my friend Mr. Frank, of Green Bay, and went and wintered (1801-1802), on the Riviere des Moines. This river empties into the Mississippi from the west, about forty miles above where I wintered last year.* I ascended the Des Moines about fifty miles, to the loway tribe of Indians- a vile set. A Frenchman named Julien f was my only competitor this year for the Indian trade at this point. These Indians hunted near the Missouri, about ninety miles across the country from where we located.

It would have been an easy matter, though somewhat expensive, to have sent goods around by and up the Missouri to the vicinity of the hunting grounds of the loways; but to avoid this expense, for which there seemed no necessity, Julien and I agreed that neither would send outfits there, but trust to our own exertions in the spring, when the Indians, we concluded, would bring their furs to our shops. I considered myself quite away from trickery; but as time hung heavily upon me, I wore it away as well as I could by hunting, making oars, paddles and other whittlings, until about Christ- mas. Then Mons. Julien and his interpreter, had a quarrel; and following the vile conduct of his master in deceit, he told me that Julien had deceived me, having sent goods up the Missouri last fall.

This was a thunder-clap to me. An immediate explanation from Mr. Julien was demanded. I was furious, and showered all the abuse I could muster on his cringing head. My mind as to what was best to do under the circumstances was soon made up. I called my interpreter into council, and said, "Now, boy, you know how Mr. Julien has deceived me; are you willing and ready to carry a load on your back across to the house near the Missouri, which Mr. Julien has treacherously put there, with the intention of stealing all the credits I made to those Indians last fall." All were willing. "Tit for tat" said I; "he wanted to ruin me, I will only injure him. Some of you ask his interpreter to go with us and carry a load." He accepted the invitation. Then my party, including myself, became nine strong.

I left my own interpreter in charge of the Des Moines trading post, and started the next day with seven loaded men, taking provisions for one day only, depending on game for our supply. The little islands of wood scattered over the boundless plains were swarming with wild turkeys, so that we had plenty of poultry. At the end of six days we reached our destination safe and sound, taking Mr. Julien's two engages by surprise. My party soon fitted up a temporary shop. Not long after, the Indians came in, made a splendid season's trade, managed for the transportation of my packs of fur by leaving a man to help Mr. Julien's two engages down with their boat. Thus I completed my winter, and Mr. Julien found his trickery more costly than he anticipated.

My next winter (1802-1803) was spent with the Winnebagoes, on Rock river. They were the most filthy, most obstinate, and the bravest people of any Indian tribe I have met with.

Here I had a half-breed in opposition in the trade. Our houses were about half a mile apart, and between us was a very high liill, over which we had to pass by a little path through the bushes. On one occasion, returning from my neighbor's, on a very dark night, I lost the path. The hill, I was aware, terminated on my right in a precipice at least 300 feet from the river below, and that the path ran within fifty or sixty feet of the precipice. I was at a loss what to do. If I sat down to await the return of daylight I would surely go to sleep, and in a dream, perhaps, walk to my destruction. So I determined to walk about, feeling carefully with my feet for the path; but, as people generally do when they become confused, I went the wrong way, and soon found by my steps that I was going down hill. I, therefore, lay down on my stomach, to get at the level of the ground, placing my head up hill, intending to work myself along in that way until I could get into a thicket, and there remain until morning. I got on the path. However, before I found a thicket. My house was soon found; and this was my last visit after nightfall. On examining my trail the next morning, I found I had been within six feet of the precipice, which, had I reached it, must have proved fatal to me. I had a good season's trade during this winter of (1802-1S03), and had plenty of venison, wild fowls and wild or natives potatoes to eat, but awful human brutes to deal with.

My short sojourn at Prairie des Chiens, the rendezvous of the Mississippi traders, presented but little variation ; and our journeying from and to Mackinaw only differed in this respect, that in the summers the rivers were low and sluggish, and, in returning to Mackinaw, we could not make more than from three to ten miles a day in ascending the Ouisconsin.

Having had enough of the Lower Mississippi, I would not try it over again. Min-nawack ( or Mill-wack-ie ) was offered to me for a trading po.st, and I went among the Kickapoos. About a quarter of a mile from the entrance of the river I observed a nice green and level spot. There I landed, and pitched my tent, towards the close of 1803; and, in a short time, we had a three-room house over our heads, no up stairs ; but all the timbers above the floor exposed to view. The river here is, perhaps, sixty yards wide. On the opposite side were two traders, Le Claire and La Fromboise, who had been settled there several years, and each had two or three relatives, or other hangers on, which formed quite a society of its kind. I had bought a horse, and considered it my duty to ride over the plains and pick up skins from the scattered Indian camps.

My neighbors had been very kind, and I made up my mind to exercise my best endeavors in the cooking line, and tender them a rare feast on Christmas day, which was now near at hand. On Christmas eve my invitations were extended to my friends. I had secured the fattest raccoon the Indians could tree ; and defied any one to procure a fatter one, for there was no lean about it. Towards sunset, I set my cook to chop any quantity of venison for stuffing. My raccoon was unusually large, weighing about thirty-two pounds, requiring a large quantity of stuffing to fill it out plump. In the meantime, I had the pepper in a piece of deer skin, pounding it into pulverized form, cutting up onions, and a little cedar leaves, to give my viand a pleasant taste. No coonship's body, I am sure, was never so cramfull before. About 8 o'clock it was stitched up, and ready for placing on the spit early the next morning. Then where should it be placed for safety during the night to prevent it from freezing ? Of course by the fire. I went to bed, and my mind was on the raccoon subject all night. But what was my mortification when I got up at day light to hang my coon up to roast to find it putrid and stinking. Oh, misery ! sympathize with me for my lost labor, and with my friends for their lost dinner. I had no cook book. So ended my second attempt at cooking. Of course, I went without

The Indians, Pottawatamies, in this locality, were docile, and easily managed ; and doing a fair trade, I remained here three years, frequently going on horse-back to Chicago, a distance of sixty ( eighty-five ) miles ; but the route was a hard-sand beach ; and having a fleet pony, and a cool breeze from the lake, the distance was soon overcome without fatigue to my young bones.

During my second year at Min-na-wack, or Mill-wack-ie ( 1804-1805 ), Capt. Whistler with his company of American soldiers, came to take possession of Chicago. At this time there were no buildings there except a few dilapidated log huts, covered with bark. Capt. Whistler had selected one of these as temporary, though miserable residence for bis family, his officers and men being under canvas. On being informed of his arrival, 1 felt it my duty to pay my respects to the authority so much required in the country.

On the morrow I mounted Kee-gekah, or Swift-Goer, and the next day I was invited to dine with the captain. On going to the house, the outer door opening into the dining-room, I found the table spread, the family and guests seated, consisting of several ladies, as jolly as kittens. The gents had not yet arrived. I had not been seated ten minutes before the door opened, and in rushed a host of Indian warriors, hideously painted, scantily dressed, ornamented with feathers, bear's claws, deer's horns, snake's rattles, etc., etc. The ladies almost fainting, ran off, leaving the captain and myself to see the end.

The first act of the war chiefs was to walk around the table and pick up the pieces of bread which had been placed, after the old fashion, beside the plate of each guest, which he handed to his young men in attendance. Being acquainted with the chief, and knowing something of the language, I asked him : " What brings you here in this garb ? Your great Big Knife father has sent his soldiers here to protect you, and to encourage more traders to come among you ; and instead of being thankful, you come to insult them. You had better go to your camp and bring them some venison, and be kind to them." He shook hands with me, and went off with his followers. I have ever considered my having been present on that occasion to have been providential, in saving the lives of this detachment ; for, in all probability, had not some one been present acquainted with the Indian character, Capt. Whistler would have called in some of his men to expel the war party, in which case it is easy to imagine what the consequences might have been.

In 1804, while trading with the Pottawatamie Indians at Min-na-wack, or Mill-wack-ie, having no society, and little to do, I was naturally enough very lonely. I, therefore, undertook a journey along the lake shore, to visit my friend, Jacob Frank, at Green Bay. The first day's journey brought me to an encampment of Pottawatamies, at Two Rivers, nearly seventy miles distant, reaching there before night. I put up at the lodge of an old Indian chief, named Na-na-bou-jou, who gave the following account of the origin of his tribe, in answer to my inquiry on the subject :

" I take my name," said he, " from my origi nal ancestors, who were the first living man and woman. They found themselves in a big canoe ; all the animals were also in the same canoe, floating on thick water. After a while the ancestors insisted that there must be something much more substantial beneath the water. To test it, they wanted the deer or some other animal, to dive down and ascertain. None would venture on so perilous and uncertain an undertaking. At length a beaver volunteered to make the effort, and jumped overboard, plunging beneath the waters. After a long time he rose to the surface, almost dead, without being able to relate anything satisfactory. But the ancestors still persisted that there must be a hard substance upon wliich the waters rested. Finally they persuaded the musk-rat to go on a trip of discovery. He, too, was gone a long time on his sub-watery exploration ; but at length he emerged from the flood of waters quite exhausted. The woman ancestor took him up in her arms, and on nursing and drying him to bring him to, found a little clay adhering to one of his fore-paws. This she carefully scraped off, worked it between her thumb and finger, and placed it on the water to see if it would float. It immediately began to increase in size, and in three days it was more than three fathoms broad.

"The wolf now began to grow very troublesome, snarling and growling at all the other animals, so that the woman ancestor scolded him sharply, but to no purpose. At length she got angry and threw him out upon the little island, which was yet too small to bear him up in one position. He, therefore, had to run round and round the edge of the little island, which is the cause of the shores of lakes and rivers being harder than the rest of the land. The island continued to grow, herbs sprang u]i on it, so that they could send other animals out of the canoe to find a lodgment there.

"The woman ancestor said to her husband : What a pity we have no trees growing on the island, and proposed to paddle around somewhere to find a tree. They soon found a nice little balsam flower, which they brought and planted in the center of the island. It grew in a very short time till it reached the sky. They then observed an object over their heads, moving east and west, day after day. The woman ancestor was quite captivated with it, and she sent her husband up the tree, to set a snare to catch this beautiful object. He went up and found it had the appearance of an old woman. However, he set a snare, and descended. The beautiful object was caught in the net, and there it stuck. The woman ancestor was perfectly outrageous because it was stopped in its course ; and scolded her husband for setting the trap. She then desired her husband to ascend the tree, and let the beautiful object go on its course again ; but he declined to do so. She then tried to get the deer and other animals to go up, but they could not climb. At last she induced a raccoon to make the effort. The heat was so great when he got near the object, that it scorched him, and he came tumbling down through the branches of the tree. The good woman was now in a^ greater rage than ever, when she found she could not have her curiosity gratified, and the object loosened from its captivity. After a long time a mole volunteered to go up. All the other animals began to laugh at him for his temerity ; but up he went, and when he got near the object, finding it very hot, he managed to burrow along till he reached the snare, and cut the object loose. But in doing so, he scorched his nose, and that is the reason why moles have brown noses and small eyes ; and the sun once loosened from its trap has been going ever since."

Such was Na-na-bou-jou's legend. The earlier portion of this Pottawatamie legend evidently refers to the general deluge. Other tribes have also had handed down to them, more or less vaguely, traditions of the deluge. Some of these traditions are related by Schoolcraft in his History of the Indian Tribes, Vol. I, p. 17; Vol. VI, pp. 571-72, as preserved variously by the Algonquins, Iroquois, Cherokees, Muscogees and Chickasaws, all agreeing that there was a general cataclism, and that but few persons were saved. The Algonquins, he says, relate, that when the deluge began to submerge the mountains, a benevolent God, called Manabo, ascended a high elevation, climbed a tree, and as the waters rose, he commanded the tree from time to time to grow taller, which obeyed the injunction ; when at length he directed successively the loon, the beaver, otter, and mink, to dive down and find bottom ; but none of them succeeded. At last he sent the musk-rat ; for, said he, your ancestors were always famous for grasping the muddy bottoms of pools with their claws. The animal succeeded in bringing up a morsel of earth in its claw ; and from this new chaotic mass, the Algic deity re-created the earth.

A recent Des Moines correspondent of the St. Paul Pioneer Press gave this statement, which embodies the same idea : " Several of the leading men of the Musquakie tribe of Indians, from their reservation in Tama county, were here recently. They were in charge of George Davenport, their agent, who was born among the Indians at Rock Island, and in whom they have great confidence. Mr. Davenport related many incidents in the history of the Sacs and Foxes, who formerly occupied this territory. The Musquakies are the remnants of these tribes. Mr. Davenport says they observe religious rites which closely resemble those of the ancient Hebrews. They have a Bible, of which there are several copies among the tribe, which are ancient, and preserved with great care. Each Bible consists of twenty-seven parts. It is written in characters and signs known only to them. They utter prayers to a Supreme Being in a language entirely different from that in which they converse usually. What it is, Mr. Davenport has never been able to learn, nor has he been able to get a copy of their Bible. They get from their Bible a tradition which corresponds to our accounts of the deluge ; for, one day, when Mr. Davenport was attempting to e.xplain to them the existence of a God, and his relation to man, and also of Niiah and the deluge, one of the chiefs replied: 'Ugh! We know that longtime. We was all in canoes tied together. On top heap water. We put do» n musk-rat, one, two, good many times. He come up. Last time he go down, he come up he bring mud. We know water go down.' Their religious rites are held in secret." After its relation, I closed my eyes in sleep. Next morning at day-break, I journeyed on my snow shoes, cutting across a point of land, and after a hard days tramp, I at length reached my destination.

After my third years' winter at Min-na-wack ( 180.5-1806 ) and return to Mackinaw, the foreign markets requiring a better quality of' peltry, I was solicited to go to the Upper Mississippi to the Sioux country. I wintered ( in 1^06-1807) on the St. Peter's river, about fifty miles above its mouth. I took up my station in a delightful part of the wood-fringe. Each bank of the river was enriched with a strip of timber, which in some places extended back a mile from the stream. Here the deer, wild fowl, and other game were in abundance ; and as I had dismissed the Indians to their hunting grounds before reaching this spot, I had all the hunting to myself, and had plenty of meat, roasted geese, ducks, prairie hens, etc., but no vegetables. My French Canadian cook would occasionally treat me with a cake, baked in the ashes, from my scanty allowance of flour. As a treat, I would sometimes have venison fried in deer's tallow in the kettle, or in the long frying pan. These steaks I could not eat hot enough to prevent their congealing in their progress to their throat; consequently the roof of my mouth would become so thickly cased over with tallow as to necessitate the use of my knife to remove it. About the beginning of March (1807), the Indians came in from their hunt, encamped around my trading-house and began to pay their debts and trade for the surplus. A crust had formed on the snow, and all the young Indians and boys went off, and, for amusement, wantonly tomahawked every deer they could find, as the poor creatures, breaking through the crust, could not get out of the way. Deprived of venison, the wild fowl came in abundance. I made up my packs, and got ready for a start, trading off the remnant of my goods with scattered bands on my way down to Prairie des Chien.

My returns for the season's trade were good; and I concluded to operate with the Sioux as long as I should remain in the business. The following winter, (1807-1808,) I re-occupied my last year's trading post on the St. Peter's, but under very different circumstances. The wantons recklessly killing off the deer last March, brought a judgment upon all. There was not a deer to be seen. The winter was a very mild one, and the buffalo did (not) travel so far south as we were - consequently all were without provisions. The nearest tribe of Indians to me were fifty or sixty miles away, on the trail the buffalo usually took in the winter season, and they were in a starving state.

I had consumed every article I had of the eatable kind, including several packs of deer skins. I and my men roamed about in quest of game without success. We set traps of all kinds, in which we occasionally caught wolves, fishers, martens, and. minks, all of which went to the pot, and I could take my share of all except of the wolf. My cook said he would dress a piece, and dish it up so I would like it; so he cut off a choice bit from one just brought in and put it into the bake-kettle, seasoning it with pepper, salt and mustard, adding some Stoughton bitters and a glass of high wines to give it the taste of chicken. But with all this knowledge of refined cookery, I could not stomach what tasted to me like a mouse-nest; for when better food cannot be had, the wolves live on mice. The men, however, devoured it as voraciously as cats would their victims.

Foxes were in great abundance, but they were too cunning to be caught in the traps. They would take the bait, and spring and turn over the traps, but were careful to keep their toes out. So I thought I wou'd trick them and show them my cunning. I took six steel traps, and, with the aid of my tomahawk, set them in such a way that they would have to walk over them to get at the bait which I placed in the circle formed by the traps. On visiting my device the next morning, I found one fox had been out-witted. I discovered him, crouched behind a bunch of grass, as if ashamed of having been overreached.

On my way home I met a deer, walking leisurely toward me on the ice; on seeing me, he bolted up the bank, and after a few bounds in the deep snow he stuck fast, and, coming up to him, I soon relieved him from his dilemma by sticking my knife into his vitals.

I left him on the ice with my traps, and, returning to the station, sent a couple of men for them, and great was our rejoicing. But I was saving of the venison; all the inwards were cleaned, and served to give a relish to wolf, or such other meat of the kind as Providence was pleased to throw in our way. Time, under such circumstances, I scarcely need say, hung heavily upon me. March, however, at length came, and my hunting host brought in their rich returns, and the wild fowl were with us again in clouds, and in due time we recovered our lost flesh.

News reached me that the (Indians) who had gone in the fall to winter on the route usually taken by the buffalo, had been starving; many had died from want. In a small lake in their vicinity, it was said, that forty bodies of men, women and children had been found. It appeared that as soon as the ice was out of the lake they waded in, feeling with their feet for turtles and roots for food; but being too weak to return to land, they would fall down in the water, and there remain. Some were found dead on the plains.

My return to Mackinaw was as in former years. The next season [1S08-1809J, I wintered higher up the the river, at Lac qui Parle. All went well here. I arrived unusually early at my post, so that I went with a party of Indians on a buffalo hunt to the source of the St. Peter's, the Big Stone Lake, perhaps thirty miles in circumference. We went up in canoes; but long before a buffalo could be seen on the plains, my attention was directed to a rumbling noise, like rolling thunder at a distance, which seemingly caused the whole country to quiver and shake; and as we drew nearer, the awful bellowing of 10,000 enraged bulls was truly frightful.

We were now skulking noiselessly along, endeavoring to reach a few acres of wood-land before us. A short distance above this was a bay, which was crowded with buffalo swimming in all directions. As far as the eye could reach, the prairie was black with these animals.

On reaching the woods, I was permitted to raise up a little, and peep into the bush, which was also full of them, and some of them within ten yards of us. But I was forbidden to fire. My guides said, when I got on the hill some fifty yards off where there were no trees then I might go ashore, and kill all I could. How the guide got to his place without disturbing them, I know not, for the little bush was swarming with them; but when I made my appearance, they were so excited, running off towards the plains, and I so astonished, that I could not take aim at any one of them; but I fired into a batch, which were brought to bay for a second by my friend on the hill, who had shot three fat cows in as many minutes.

The squaws now went to their work of cutting up the meat. The hides were not cared for, so they only took the skin off of such parts as they wanted for immediate use, or to slice up and dry or smoke, the only means they had for preserving it even for a few days.

My friend, Wy-o-be-gah, the marksman, invited me to accompany him a couple of miles to a little lake, where he said we would find lots of buffaloes drinking and washing themselves. We did not want meat; but, savage-like, we wanted to kill game. On nearing the lake, we could, as he said, see large numbers of animals drinking and washing. A fringe of strong grass, four feet high, surrounded the water. We approached carefully on all fours; he leading the way in front, reached the grass-fringe, which he divided with his gun, and, at length, made sign for me to look through the opening. Within five yards of us stood a monster bull, which appeared to my astonished eyes twenty feet high. I wanted to shoot him; but Wy-o-be-gah shook his head, at the same time giving an un-buffalo grunt, when the monster animal reared on his hind legs, gave a whirl around, and away he went. Wy-o-be-gah's aim was to kill a cow, but he missed his object, and ran off leaving me to look out for myself, which I did by securing a position behind a large tree, where I intended to attack some lonely passer-by.

I had not remained there long before a big bellower came towards me; but I observed by his line of approach, that he would be too far from the reach of my gun, so I went nearer to where he would pass. Putting two balls in my gun, and hiding in the grass, I waited his coming, for he approached within twenty yards of me. I took deliberate aim at his heart. He stopped, and furtively cast about for his enemy. I wished my tree was nearer, for I was sure he would be after me, and my plan was to get the start of him. I was soon on my legs, and he after me; but I beat him, and got safe to the tree before him. But I was too shaky to load my gun, and he passed on not noticing my dodging behind the tree, and he was soon out of sight.

Returning to camp, a plentiful supply of marrow bones were ready for the hunters. The mode of cooking the marrow is to hold the bones over the fire until they are nicely browned; then break or split them in two with the tomahawk, and dig the marrow out. It is very nice, and does not clog the stomach like other fat, or congeal in the mouth like deer's. In fact, if we had salt, bread, or vegetables of any kind to eat with it, it would have been doubly delicious. All this time I had not killed a single buffalo of the thousands I had seen, and all because I did not know how; while Wy-o-be-gah had killed seven, and all we took away did not amount to the meat of one animal. We returned home the next day.

My principal occupation during the winter, was making oars, paddles, etc., ready for an early spring start. March at length came, and, to my grief, I got word from my hunters that they were not coming to the trading-house; but would pass about two days' journey to the south, on the route for Santa Fe, to get wild horses, etc. The next morning, my interpreter and four men were on their way to their camp, to collect all they could on account of goods advanced to the hunters on credit the preceding fall. They collected twenty-five per cent, less than was due; but I had a chance of making up the nominal loss by trade with those who did come to my post, and I sent word to the band who had cheated me, that I would not give them any credit next fall.

In the autumn (of 1809), I delayed reaching my wintering grounds, in the Big Stone Lake region, until the middle of November, and suffered much inconvenience in consequence, being obliged to assist the men in breaking the ice in many places, and sometimes to wade up to our middles in water to drag the boat through the ice. We at length, however, reached our old trading-post about 4 o'clock of an afternoon, found fifty or sixty lodges there; and we had just time to stow away my goods in the house, where the men slept. My interpreter, his wife, and I, preferred to spend our nights in my large leathern lodge, or markee, until the necessary repairs should be made in the house for our winter's comfort.

Some of the Indians inquired whether I intended to give them credit as formerly; and I, reminding them of their ill treatment of me in only partially paying their last year's debts, said I should not trust them again. We got our supper as usual; and as was the custom, my lodge was soon filled with Indian visitors, smoking and telling stories. The interpreter and his wife lay down, and I soon followed suit, and hardly closed my eyes when the interpreter spoke to me in a low voice, not calculated to awaken suspicion, saying his wife informed him, that the Indians were talking of killing us, and seizing the goods. I turned over quietly and took a smoke, and intimated to my interpreter to do the same, meanwhile joking with the Indians around us in the lodge about swan shooting, etc. We took down our guns on pretence of getting them ready for the morning's shooting; but, in truth, for our defense, if necessary. I had my tomahawk and knife all ready to kill before being killed.

While the Indians were still smoking their pipes, and I stretched in a sleeping position, a bustle was heard at the door, and in popped a tall, good-looking Indian, painted, feathered, and armed in full war costume. My time has come, I thought; but, being a law-abiding person, it would be wrong in me to break the peace, so I sat on the defensive. But I was soon all right, for my war friend was asked by one of my smoking visitors what was up, that he was thus attired at this late hour? "lam come," he replied, "to die with the white people; if they must be killed, I must first be put out of the way, for they shall not be hurt while I live. You had better go to your lodges, and let this man, who has brought us ammunition, etc., to save our lives, go to his rest. I am going to guard him." They all hurried off. He said to me, "go to sleep," and I did so without delay.

At daylight I was preparing a present for the band, as they could not hunt without ammunition, etc. I put up powder, ball and shot to match, tomahawks, knives, and other needful articles. When I had them all in readiness, I said to the principal men who were seated around : "You cheated me last year in not paying your debts as you promised; and for that reason I will not trust you again; but knowing that you cannot live without my help, take these articles, and divide them among your band. If you have the hearts of men, you will think of me next sj)ring." The whole camp was shortly moving, and I got my gun, and was just starting for shooting swan, which were flying over in large flocks; and while emerging from the door of my lodge, I met my guardian, who asked me where I wa's going. When I informed him, he bade me go back, and stay there until he should ascertain that it was safe forme to expose myself. Now, for the first time, I really felt that my life was in danger, and had only escaped the assassin by God's good providence in sending this man to save me. Not here and there individuals, but the entire band became my deadly foes because I would not give them my goods on credit, as all former traders had done.

This man, who had so opportunely come to my relief, was of course my guest for the time being. The next morning, about 10 o'clock, he had walked quite a circuit around my house, examining for tracks, in case there should be any one of the band lurking about for mischief ; but finding all safe, he told me I could go and shoot swan. I had never seen this man before; and, on inquiry, my interpreter informed me that he was a half breed, the son of a gentleman from Montreal, who had been in the trade many years before, named Ance, and had retired. I went to my shop, opened some packages and gave him a present, of which he was proud, and was as heavy as he could conveniently carry. I never saw him again. This proved to be the hardest winter I ever met with in my iourney through life.

Old Wack-haw-en-du-tah, or Red Thunder, was one of the bravest and most universally respected chiefs among all the numerous Sioux bands. What brought him into such high esteem may be worth noting. An Ottawa Indian, from Lake Michigan, had by some means wandered away from his own country and joined Red Thunder's band, where he received the kindest hospitality; but his tribe, in Michigan, were at war witli the 0-ma-haw Indians, on the Missouri. In their rambling or pleasure seeking during the summer season, though their homes might be widely separated, strange tribes would often come in contact, and have great fun, horse-racing, ball-playing and very many other means of amusement, with wliich the whites are not familiar.

other. This happened many years before I saw Red Thunder. It soon became known in the 0-ma-haw camp that Red Thunder was harboring one of their enemies, and a party was immediately sent to bring the Ottawa, dead or alive. Red Thunder used every argument in his power to save his protege, but to no purpose. Then taking his gun he said : "Since you will not permit me to keep the Ottawa, you shall not kill him, but I will," and shot him, the same ball accidentally killing a young O-mahaw who was behind the Ottawa. The O-mahaws took the two bodies away with them! War was now imminent in consequence of this mishap of Red Thunder's ; and, in order to avert the impending outbreak, early the next morning the Sioux chief mounted his horse, and rode alone to the 0-ma-haw camp, singing his death song, and with his knife, as he rode among their lodges, cut pieces of flesh from his thighs, and throwing them to the dogs, said : "My friends, I fed my dogs with your flesh yesterday, and am now come to feast your dogs on my poor flesh, in hopes that we may continue brethren." Red Thunder was carefully taken from his horse, his wounds dressed, and, in time, he was loaded with presents and sent home, thus preserving the harmony of the two war-like tribes.

In 1813 old Red Thunder and part of his band volunteered to go with Col. Dickson against the Americans, and were present at the battle of Fort Meigs, on the Maumee. On his return home he had many marvelous stories to relate, such as the folly of the English soldiers running up to cut down the pickets, and being themselves shot down in the attempt. Another great piece of folly was, in his estimation, "that the English had placed their great big guns - cannons - a long way from the pickets ; and they took little tin kettles, filled them with rifle balls, and put these kettles, one at a time, into the big gun, and fired it off at the clouds, as if they were ducks. I told them" said Red Thunder, "to shoot at the fort ; but they

Having mentioned and described this old chief, who shared with" me the hard winter (of 1809-10) before us, I will proceed in my narrative. Old Red Thunder, with two other lodges of his band, after Ance had been gone a few days, arrived and encamped quite close to my house. A few Indians, in this way, generally wintered about the traders' houses. They had no store of provisions, but hoped, as I did, that buffalo meat would abound. Warned by a former year's sufferings, I kept in store five or six bushels of corn. I and the Red Thunder's boys killed more of the wild fowl than fed us all for awhile. But the marshes were soon frozen over, and that supply was cutoff. There were no wolves or small game of any kind in this part of the country ; so Red Thunder's people were soon reduced to subsist on the old buffalo hides they had used to sleep upon, perhaps for years.

Under these circumstances, common humanity induced me to share my corn with them, which was becoming daily reduced. In the meantime I, with my men and the Indian boys were constantly roaming about, in hopes of finding something we could convert into meat. One day one of the men found the head of an old buffalo, which some of his race had lost last summer, and with difficulty brought it home. We all rejoiced, in our straitened circumstances, at this piece of good luck. The big tin kettle was soon filled and boiling, with a view of softening it and scraping off the hair ; but boiling water and ashes would not stir a hair. We then dried it, in hopes we might burn the hair off; but in vain. We felt sadly disappointed, as we were on short rations, our corn supply drawing near an end.

In this dilemma, Mrs. Red Thunder, almost in despair, took her ax, and started in quest of bitter sweet, or wild ivy ; and succeeded in bringing home all she could carry, and reported that there was plenty more. This vine is readily prepared for food. It is cut into chunks from one to three inches long, and boiled until the coarse, thin bark easily separates itself from the stem. The bark then makes at least three fourths of the original quantity ; it is spongy, and of a bitter sweet taste. It is quite nutrious; and though one might not fatten on it, still it would preserve life for a long time.

I now took three of the men, and started in the direction the buffaloes usually, in mild winters, travel. We followed the river, and witliin four or five miles, we discovered a buffalo. Two of the men, being old hunters, said at once, "That's a scabby old fellow, not worth shooting." However, as he was not far off, I said I would try my hand at him. So, taking advantage of the wind, and skulking through the tall grass, his time was come. Crack ! went my rifle, and he was down and well out of misery. On examination, it was found that his back and the upper part of his sides were a mass of scabs and blood, where the magpies and other carniverous birds had pecked and fed, as they do when these animals become too old and feeble to defend themselves.

Proceeding on our journey, we came to a hole in the ground made by an otter, around which he had deposited ever so many poly-wogs, of which it would have been unkind to liave deprived him of his food supply. We soon after came upon the tracks of a ground-hog, and soon found his cave. We then went to work to exhume the body, for purposes well known to hungry people in these parts.

As we neared the end of our day's journey - a dreadfully cold day it was - one of the hunters called my attention to a black spot on the hillside, fully a mile beyond our intended camping place. He thought it was a buffalo, and said, "Let's go and see." So I sent the other two men to prepare our night's lodging, while St. Maurice, the best hunter, and I started off with the murderous intent of bagging a big game. We availed ourselves of every means of avoid- ing observation by our intended victim, so we might get within a safe shot of the apparently sleeping buffalo. At length we reached a little hillock,within twenty yards of what we regarded as more meat than we could carry home. Putting in fresh priming, St. Maurice whispered, "I'll Kre as he rises, and vou reserve 3'our charge for use in case he runs at us." "All right," said I; and St. Maurice, not to cause too much excitement in the poor buffalo, whom he regarded as about drawing his last breath, gave a gentle whistle, but no movement ; he whistled louder and louder, then gave a yell, but still he stirred not. We then went up to him ; he was dead, but not quite stiff.

We managed to take his tongue and heart to our camp, which was in some old trader's wintering house. The ground-hog was ready for supper and before bed-time, was nearly all gone. The tongue and heart were nicely cut up, and washed, ready for early cooking in the morning. Whether ground-hog meat acted as an opiate or not, I cannot say ; but this I know, we all slept later than we intended, and the wonder was, that some of us were not frozen, for it was bitter cold, and our bedding consisted only of each man's blanket, which it was his privilege to carry, with e.xtra moccasins, etc., on his back, when not otherwise in use

When I turned out in the morning, the cook had got up a rousing fire, and the tongue - the most dainty part of the buffalo - and a part of the heart, were in the kettle, ready to hang on the fire.

Of course I had no washing tools at hand; pants and socks were found where I left them when I retired to rest - that is, on my legs and feet. A very slight rub of snow on the hands and eyes finished my toilet for the expected delicious repast. "Which will you have, sir, tongue or heart?" This directed my eyes to the kettle, boiling over with a black bloody froth, with a sickening, putrid smell. I bolted out of the house, leaving the men to smack

Breakfast over, it was concluded that the non-hunter and St. Maurice should strike out on the plains, while Beaubien, an old hunter, and I should go up the river, all parties to meet at a certain point. When I had reached the place indicated, I cast my eyes around to see if the others were coming, and I noted instead a pair of frightful, infuriated monster eyes - a buffalo of the scabby kind, lying half way up the bank of the stream; his breath had turned to white frost, enveloping his body, so that not a particle of him was visible save his eyes, which were greatly dilated, and apparently bent on mischief. I jumped up on the opposite bank and took vay stand behind a tree. In those days I was a good shot. I took deliberate aim and hit him in the temple. He did not appear to feel it. I fired four shots, which brought St. Maurice, and to my delight, a strange Indian with him. I now advanced to old scabby, and hit him to no purpose; one more shot, placing the muzzle of my gun to his ear, gave him motion, for he shook his head, and rolled down the bank dead.

The strange Indian was one of a band, about four days' journey distant, in the buffalo range. The chief's name was Whoo-way-hur, or Broken Leg. I had never before seen him. He was chief of Les Gens des Perches band; and his fame for bravery and love for the whites was known far and near. He had come all that distance with peltry to buy a few trifling articles, worth, in fact, a dollar, perhaps; but to him of more value than the most costly dinner set.

I with my party went home, and my customer, of course, with us. Less than half a peck measure would now hold all the corn I had to depend on; and it was worth more to me than the same measure of golden eagles. I knew the perils of long journeys through the prairies in the winter season, I, therefore, asked all my men if any of them would go with our visitor to get some meat. They would all volunteer; but I said two must remain with me, and four go - to settle among themselves who should go and who should remain. They carried some goods to pay for the meat, and two quarts of corn were roasted and pounded for their journey.

Before daylight the next morning tliey were on their way, and were to be back in nine long, anxious days. The Yankton band, to which Ance belonged, had left in Red Thunder's charge a horse with a dislocated shoulder, and could not recover. The corn was all now but gone; the bitter sweet within a reasonable distance had been devoured, and I brought to poverty and to my wit's end; and yet four days before the men could return.

I sent for Red Thunder to consult about our future. His only hope, however, lay in the chanceof the coming of the buffalo; but I was not of his way of thinking, and suggested the killing of the horse. But he said no - he dared not, for the Yankton would be very angry. Before I was up the next morning, however, Red Thunder came thumping at my door and calling at the top of his voice, my Sioux name - "Weeyo-te-huh! (The Meridian Sun) the horse is dead." The old chap had stuck the horse, and when I got to the spot, he had skinned the animal's head and part of the neck; and parts of it were soon stuck on sticks roasting, and parts being made into broth in the Indian lodges. I got for my part a piece of the upper portion of the neck; it was eatable, but, in truth, I would have preferred roast lamb. My Indian fiiends kept cooking and eating without relaxation, night or day, until the old horse, save hoofs and bones, had been consumed.

The nine days for the men's return had passed, and they came not. On the eleventh day I went six or eight miles, in hopes to meet them, but returned disappointed and grieved. When within a mile of the house, about dusk, I met with one of those scabby buffaloes and managed to end his misery; and reporting my success to Red Thunder, his Indian friends, with knives, tomahawks and torches, were soon on their way to this lucky God-send, in their estimation. To partake of such meat, I knew I could not. My last pint of corn was being roasted. I had some apprehensions that my absent men had been killed, which was the least of my fears; but there was greater danger that they had been lost or buried in the snow - particularly the latter; thoughts of such accidents had often occurred to my mind. In any case, if they failed to return with supplies, my only alternative was to write an account of matters and things, and make up my last bed.

On the twelfth day of their abscence, I had been straining my eyes with melancholy reflections till about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, when I retired to the house to smother care and anxiety in smoke. I had not long been at the pipe when a general shout of joy was raised at the Indian camps - "The white men are coming!" I was not slow to see for myself; and here they came, loaded with dried bufl'alo meat, and the welcome news that Broken Leg with a lot of his young men would bring ample supplies in a few days. This was good news. When, with marks of reproach, I asked them why they had not returned sooner, they told me they had been two and a half days buried in the snow. I could not doubt them, for I was aware that such things happened every winter on these jjlains.

Not many winters before this, an Indian, with eight white men, saw astorm a])proaching, and with all haste made for a little clump of trees for shelter. But when within half a mile of the goal, they were compelled by the severity of the storm, to lie down and be covered with the avalanche of snow falling. The wind and drift are so powerful that people cannot face them and breathe. These nine persons remained under snow for three days; and but for the Indian, the whites would all have perished. He had been caught before; he kept himself raised to near the surface by packing the snow under him, which also kept liim in a cooler atmosphere, so the place where he was, continued dry, though warm. He could, moreover, being near the surface, with only a thin layer of snow, over liim discern when the storm had abated.

At the end of the third day, he went to the little bush or wood, made on a rousing fire, and cutting a ten foot pole, returned to hunt up and liberate his imprisoned companions. This he accomplished by thrusting the pole at random, until one would seize it, when the Indian would dig him out. He found them all dripping wet; and the wind having rendered the snow firm, he packed each one, as he brought him from his cave, to the fire, otherwise they would have soon frozen, coming out of their warm bath into so chilly an atmosphere. For unless a person thus buried scrapes the snow from above, and packs it below or under him, the heat of his body melts the snow, and he finds himself in a pool of water.

As promised, at the end of four days Broken Leg arrived, with ten of his young men, loaded witli dried meat, pelican, buffalo's bladders filled with marrow, and a few furs. I paid them well, and all were pleased, except one young fellow, who had a wolf .skin to trade; but he wanted four times its value, which I would not give. He then drew his robe about him. and leaning on the counter, as is the Indian habit, with intention of tiring me out. I, however, wrapped myself also in a rol)e, and laughingly lay down on another robe, when my lad finding he was beaten at his own game, went ofl:' in a rage, and I went to trading with the others. Broken Leg :was soon informed that Master Wolf was preparing his bow and arrows to shoot me on emerging from the shop. The chief was up instantly, and going from my apartment to the men's room, found Master Wolf ready to bleed me, and took his bow and arrow from him. He then gave him a few thiimiis over the head, threw his weapons into the fire, and turned him out of the room. On their going away the next morning, I gave the chief a keg of rum ; and not expecting it, they were all the more delighted. This was the last I saw of this tribe of Les Gens des Perches.

Now we all - Red Thunder *and his people included - lived luxuriously on roast and boiled meat - rather tough and smoky, to be sure, but the best that the country afforded, or money could buy. March was now close at hand ; the wild fowl would then afford me amusement, hut first of all I must look after the fur hunters. At length they came, well loaded too, only to stay one night, consequently all of Red Thunder's, as well as my own, spare rooms and beds were occupied. They paid me amjjly. I made a splendid trade, gave them two kegs, each containing three gallons of high wines and six of water. True, they might have gotten the water at their camp ; but carrying it on their backs twenty-five miles would mix it better. They made a little speech, hoping I would come again ; but my heart might have said : "My face you shall see no more." Pack-making, boat-fixing, bird-shooting, and patiently waiting for the ice to melt out of the streams, were now the objects that occupied my attention.

The Sioux, from about forty miles above the mouth of the river St. Peter's to its sources, and away over the plains, are, or were then, known as the Upper Sioux, and those below that to Prairie du Chien, the Lower Sioux, and were widely different in their character. The latter were more reasonable, and more easily managed, being less savage. This may, perhaps, be attributed to their chiefs having repeatedly, in the early days of Canada, visited Quebec, and got large presents, parchment

* Lieut. Pike, when on liis public mission up the Mississippi, in 1S05 - 1806, did what he could to repress the sale of liquor to the Indians. When at Prairie du Chien, in April, 180!), he thus spoke of Red Thunder : ' '1 was sent for by Red Thunder, chief of the Yanktons, the most savage baud of the Sioux. He was prepared with the most elegant pipes and robes I ever saw. Shortly after, he declared, -that white blood had never been shed in the village of the YanKtons, even when rum was permitted; that Mr Murdoch Cameron arrived in his village last Autumn ; that he invited him (Cameron) to eat, and gave him corn as a bird ; and that he, Cameron, informed him of the prohibition of rum, and was the only person who afterwards sold it in the village."" commissions, and silver medals - one side of which was the king's head, and the British coat of arms on the other, presented to them, through the Indian department, from Gen. Haldimand and Lord Dorchester, and other early Canada governors. In those days the Indians were strong, hut yet treated the English with kindness, and placed full confidence in them. Do we reciprocate their friendship and liberality now that we are strong and they weak ?

Ice gone and boat loaded, good-bye forever to the Yankton band of Sioux Indians, now destined to the Mississippi, Prairie du Chien and Mackinaw. While at Mackinaw this year (18] 0) in passing through Robert Dicksons room one day, I saw several books on his table, among which were two copies of the Bible. Recollecting the interest my parents appeared to take in this book, I at once concluded I must have one of them. To ask Mr. Dickson for one would be useless; and my good friend Parson Stuart, the old Mohawk missionary, had so impressed upon my mind that stealing would be a breach of one of the commandments - therefore I dared not take it. My conscience was quieted with the suggestion that I could borrow it, which I did, faithfully returning it the next year; but like many other things I have left undone, I did not read it with the attention I should have done.