Volume 1

SITE OF PARK RIVER POST SELECTED. 9!
a serious alarm, and had I not told them this morning that
I should stop here, I beUeve they would have returned.
They had met with some shallow places, and had trouble
to find their passage amongst the lumps of clay. They
had seen a great number of sturgeon at those shallow
places, and had killed one with my ax, which made us a
good supper.
Sept. gth. Early this morning I sent four men for the
meat, who soon returned with it on their backs. I went in
search of a proper place to build. I found none so well
situated for defense, with timber at hand, as a point of
wood on the W. side, about a quarter of a mile from
the entrance of Park river, with a beautiful level plain
intervening. I should have preferred to build at the
entrance, but
there was no wood on the one side, and the
land was too low on the other. We also examined the
E. side of Red river, but there the land was low, subject to
overflow in the spring, with no wood but very large elms
and oaks, too heavy for the men to stir.
This being settled, the canoes drifted down to the place
I had chosen. Our first work was to unload and carry our
baggages and canoes up the hill, which is about 30 feet
high. We then arranged camp in the best order possible
for defense, and made a suitable stage near by, to hold fresh
meat, etc. I opened a case of ironworks [hardware] ;
gave
each man a large ax to put in order, and then a dram of
high wine. I then trenched out the spot for our fort, which
I
wished to make as compact as possible.
At four o'clock a herd of buffalo came down to drink,
very near camp. I sent Desmarais to fire at them ;
he
did so, but only wounded one cow ; he came for his horse
to chase her, as she had left the herd and was running
alone ; I saddled mine also, and went with him ; we soon
overtook and killed her. While he was cutting her up,
I went after a wounded bull which I saw not far off.
Having shot him, I found his wound was not more than a
few days old. His leg had been badly broken, which con-