Volume 1

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I02
THE SITUATION NOW COMFORTABLE.
to get the acorns. The havoc they commit is astonishmg
their dung lies about in the woods as plentiful as that of
the buffalo in the meadow.
Last night great numbers of swans and geese
Sept. 2jd.
passed, flying S., and this morning they continued. The
A woman with
weather was cold, with a strong N. wind.
two children from the Indian camp said they saw two Sioux
not far from us, but we supposed it to have been two red
deer. At ten o'clock I went out on a discovery with Desmarais
on horseback, he having found Crow's mare.
We
cautiously approached the spot where we had been told the
two men had been seen, but could perceive nothing. We
then directed our course to the salt lake near Park river,
where we found bulls in abundance licking up the salt on
the beach and drinking the water. We shot three, and only
took their tongues ; I also killed a raccoon and two geese.
It was dark before we got back; my people had been
uneasy about us, and were overjoyed when they heard us
hallo.
Sept. 24.th.
The stench about camp being so great from
the quantities of flesh and fat thrown away since our arrival,
and the bastions of my tent being complete, with a flooring
about nine feet from the ground, I caused it to be pitched
up in the S. W. bastion, on this flooring. Here, from
the door of my tent, I could see everything that went on,
both within and without the stockade, and also had a fine
view of the country around us. I cut down a number of
small oaks, which intercepted the full view of the plains.
My men also pitched their tents inside the stockade, and we
determined to be regular in shutting the gates at night.
Our situation appeared very comfortable and my people began
to enjoy their kettle more than heretofore. Crooked
My people
Legs and my hunter returned with three bears.
went out to seine, and soon came back with a sturgeon,
three catfish, eight brim, four achegan, five dore, three
pike, and a few lacaishe.
Sept. 25th. I sent my hunter out with his wife in a small