Sir,
I have purchased from Mr Louiselle's Pattroon three hundred pounds of voyager's grease for which I am to pay by my A [account?]
12th of June, Tuesday We Set out early, passed thro: a verry bad bend N. 25° W. 3½ to a pt. L. S. N. 70° W. 2½ ms to a pt. on S. S. passed a Sand bar—N 60° W 3 1/ ms. to a pt. on S. S. passed Plumb. C [2] at ½ a me. on L. S. and halted to Dine, and 2 Caussease [cajeux] Came Down from the Soux nation, we found in the party an old man who had been with the Soux 20 years & had great influence [hole] with them, we provld. [prevailed] on this old man Mr. [hole] Duriaur [3] to return with us, with a view to get Some of the Soux Chiefs to go to the U. S. purchased 300 lb of Voyagers Grece @ 5$ [pr?] Hd. [4] made Some exchanges & purchuses of Mockersons & found it Late & concluded to incamp. [5]
Those people inform that no Indians are on the river, The Countrey on each Side of the river is good
Set out early passed Some bad Placies, and a Small Creek on the L. S. Called plumb Creek at abt. 1 me. at 1 oClock we brought too two Chaussies one Loaded with furs & Pelteries, the other with Greece buffalow grease & tallow We purchased 300 lb. of Greese, and finding that old Mr. Durioun was of the party we questioned him untill it was too late to Go further and Concluded to Camp for the night, those people inform nothing of much information
Colcluded to take old Durion [X: (who went accg)] back as fur as the Soux nation with a view to get some of their Chiefs to Visit the Presdt. of the United S. (This man being a verry Confidential friend of those people, he having resided with the nation 20 odd years) and to accompany them on [6]
N. 25° W. | 3 ½ | ms. to L. S. passed Plumb C |
N 70 W. | 2 ½ | ms. to pt. on S. S. |
N. 60° W. | 3 | ms. to pt. on S. S. |
9 |
Tuesday June 12th 1804. we Set out eairley this morning. a fair 〈day〉 morning. we passed plumb Creek on South Side of the River. the plumbs [7] are plenty up sd. Creek. near below Sd. Creek the land is high well Timbered & well Situated for a plantation. The Timber Soil &C. is verry excelent, we Camped on N. Side of the River. Several Frenchmen Stayed with us all night comming down the River in Several pearogues Loaded with peltry Bound to St. Louis. came from the Shew nation. [8] they passed the last winter their & had an amence Side of Bufloe Green Skins &C we Got an old Frenchman [9] to go with us which could Speak Sevral languages, among the indians for a long distance.—
Tuesday June 12 1804 we Set out at the Usial ouer the day Clear wind from the west Came 4 miles past a Creek on the S. Side Called Plumb Creek about 20 yads wide the timber in this Bottoms is Cotten wood 2 miles when we met 〈two〉 5 Cannoes from the 〈Shoue Sue〉 Soux nations Loaded with peltry and Greece thay have been 13 mounthes up the missorea River Delayed ½ day with the French, Bought Some tallow of them ouer hunters Did not Rettern Last night one French man hiard to go with us up the missorea who can Speak the Difernt [languages?] encamped on the N. Side the Land Good Bottom
Tuesday 12th. [10] We set out early, and proceeded until five o'clock in the afternoon, when we met five periogues loaded with fur and peltry from the Sioux nation of Indians. We remained with the people to whom these periogues belonged all night [11] and got from them an old Frenchman, [12] who could speak the language of the different nations of Indians up the Missouri, and who agreed to go with us as an interpreter.
Tusday 12 Left the Charrottoe Perarie and Saild. for the Grand River. Met with 7 peirogues. Loaded with peltry for Captn Chatto [13] in St Louis Our men of Each Craft Exchangd. Blankets for Buffalow Robes & Mockisons Sent One of Our Men Belonging to the white pierouge back that Belongd. to Captn Stodders Company of Artilery [14] Incampd within 〈thr〉 two miles of the three point Island [15] Roed 7 Miles that day—
Tuesday June 12th This Morning early we set off from the Charotto Priari, with a fair wind and fine weather, all hands being well and in high spirits; we found the current of the River still running strong, but are in hopes of soon getting to the Grand River. At 10 oClock A. M. met 7 Pettiaugers, loaded with Peltry, belonging to Captain Choteau of Saint Louis. our Men exchanged with those belonging to the Pettiaugers, some blankets for Buffalo Robes, & Mockasins; we put on board the Pettiaugers, one Man that we had with us, belonging to Captain Stoddards company of Artillery, who is going to Saint Louis, in the Evening we encamped two Miles from an Island called the three point Island; the distance we came this day, being 7 Miles