BOURGEOIS - Toronto Public Library

THE MISSOURI JOURNAL 305
&c.,-which has been the continual subject of their harangues
to the Indians throughout the winter.
They showed me their passports and letters of recommendation
from the French, Spanish and British Ministers at the city of
Washington, which say that the object of their voyage is purely
scientific and literary, and ill no way concel'lling trade; desiring
all persons under their respective Governments to aid and assist
that party as much as in their power lies, in case they should
be in want of anything in the course of their voyage. They
have, likewise, letters of credit from tl:;e American Government
for the payment of any drafts they should draw upon it.
They left Philadelphia in the Spring of 1803, came down the
Ohio, passed the winter at the mouth of the Missouri, at st.
Lewis, in the Illinois country. 1t took them the whole summer
to come to the Man dans, at which place they arrived in October
last. They made treaties of peace with all t.he Indian nations
they saw on their road, excepting the Sioux, with whom they
were very near coming to an engagement. They made presents
of a flag, medal, chiefs clothing, tobacco, knives, beads and
other trinkets to every chief of the Indian nation which they
saw, but have not given a single shot of ammunition.
They told me it was not tr,e policy of the United States to Free trade
. . I h L . with the
restrall1 commerce, and fetter It as was I. 1e case w en OUSIana Indians.
belonged to the Spanish; that we and all persons who should
come in their territories for trade or for any other purpose, will
never be molested by an American officer or commandant,
unless his behaviour is such as would subject an American
citizen himself to punishment. Nor will any trader be obliged
to pay for permission to trade, as was formerly the case under
the Spanish, as no exclusive priviledge will be granted. Every
one will be free to trade after his own manner.
One thing that Government may do, as it has already done
.about Detroit and other places where opposition in trade ran
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