BOURGEOIS - Toronto Public Library

THE MISSISSOURI INDIANS 351
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About the beginning of August, the free· men whom we had
despatched on our arrival to our eSlablishment on the Red
River returned, and informed me that Mr. Alexander Henry had
irrived from Fort William. Concluding that a change had taken
place in our department, I became anxious for my departure.
After the Rocky Mountain Indians were gone, I had scarcely
any occupation and saw little or nothing worthy of notice.
Several bands of Assiniboines, Crees and Sauteux visited the
villages, bu t nothing strange occured.
I mnst not forget to mention that there was a fine harvest at
the Missurie this season. I never witnessed anything equal in
richness to the appearance of the fields. The stalks of the Indian
corn were generally eight feet high, the leaves of the kidney
beans were entirely covered with blossoms, promissing abundance;
the pumpkins were already gathered, cut into slices and
dried in the sun ready for use.
On the 15th of August, I crossed the Missurie with seven
horses; here I lost half a day waiting for my fellow traveller,
Mr. Lafrance; he had three horses, but he gave me a very poor
account of the property entrusted to his care, which did not
realise half the value.
In the evening we, left the banks of the Missurie ; eight horses
carried our returns; Lafrance led the van, I, in the rear, drove
the horses after him. In Ulis manner we jogged OIl, and no
one can judge of the difficulties which we had to encounter but
such as have travelled in the same route and with a like encumbrance,
travelling from the break of day to dusk. Still our daily
progress was small.
Our route was throngh plains or meadows so thickly covered
with buffaloes that we were often under the necessity of
frightening them out our way with gun powder, and we were