The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-01-09
1Doal1e9tlt.
JOURNAL

OF a roynge from ST Louis. Louisiana, 10 the
A7andan ViIage, undertaken BY the ST Louis
Missouri Fur Company, TOR the purpose nj CON
ducfing .Shebekeb, the Mandan Chief to his ma
ZION, and % establish trading houses on the head
4aaters Of thr Missori-6y Doctor THOMAS,
Surgeon to the party.
On the 18th Of May last, we set out from ST.
Louis with ten harges and one hundred and sixty
men, we'll equipped, among whom were few
Delawares and Shawones employed for hunting
On the next day we passed the beautiful village OF
St, Charles, being rs miles by land, and about 36
by water, from St Louis ascending to the river
Gasconadc, the country is very thickiy settled,
particularly in those spots called Boon's settle
Incnt, and near the little village called Charlotte
] am informed that the territory OF Louisiana is
Portioned out in six districts st Charles is the
uppermost, comprehendng that immense tract
OF country west of the Mississippi, and north OF
the Missouri the tide of emigration appears to
direct itself to this highly favored spot, and in
deed we not surprised that the farmers of the
United States bend their attention this way, as
every advantage both of soil and climate, render
Al far preferable to Kentucky or OHIO.
From the Charrette village to the Usage river
we experienced nothing very extraordinary, hav-
ing agreed to wait here for the party, we took adj
vantage of the delay, to sa'nter the country
this place is said to be about 40 miles from the
frontiers, although there is small village oppo.
site its mouth, on the north side of the Missouri
IN beautiful rich prairie the inhabitants con.
sist of emigrants from below, principally French
these people raise sutiicency OF grain for the
consumption of the settlement, and employ the
Balance of their time in hunting and trading will,
the surrounding Indians The Usage river, stu.
ate on the south side, from its magnitude ut the
mouth forms an important appendage to this
country; was informed that boats assembled 10
the OLD Indian villages about 100 miles up, its
waters are pare, gentle and well tasted its banks
discover to the naked eye the riches it possess
e.; Iron Ore of the best kind covers great por.
tion of its surface Here the botanst> &C uld en-.
joy a feast the Savannas filled with innumera
ole plants pregnant with all the sweets the florist
could desire the lovers of hunting could moi
fail Of finding or this river plenty Of amusement
for ara sire no place have yet seen can equal
1t ,or fish and wild fowl
Mine river empiies itself into the Missouri q
fsw leaC"s above, is navigable for small craft ur
10 the SAT- Works there are two establishment.
here aud am inf5rned that 300 kettles are con
stantiy employed IN making salt, gentleman who
rode over The country where these salt ticks a.
hounG, says, that, l0,OOOkettles might be employ.
cd as strong water springs are numerous in every
direction. On the sd o.. June we were visited by
q hail storm, and to render the scene more dis
agreeable, one of the hunters, John Stout, l.ad
Iis thumb blown off aud his hand much aceral
ed by the bursting of my gun
On the 2Sh, all tie boats having arrived, we
sc out, and or the 6th of j.y, arrived at Fort
Usage, which we saiutcd by discharge OF sevc
raj guns from Cur ordinance barges, and was pc
'iitel, answered by an equal number from the
fort here we experienced many ciyiEties from
the gentlemen of the garrison This place ap
pears 10 he the general rendezvous of all the Mis-
scuri Indians, their continual jars keep the com
Jnandant OH the alert. Osagcs, 0ttas, Maias
Fannie, CGRsas, Missouri, Sonex, Sac, Fox, 10
way, ail mingle together here, and serve to rem.
der this quarter, most dscordant portion of the
continent.
July 18th, we all got ready for embarka,ion,
having laid in vegetables, &c anil bid adieu to
ahe lace Of cis,i,Ied lite, pushed on our way
Tue face OF the country on each side of the river,
is so monotonous TIP TO the river Plat that one
day journey would nearly give the history of e.
very thing worthy of notice. The banks in gen
erai are low and an extreme rich dark loan cOYer
The surface OF ali its borders, except where the
cliffs approach the water; in several places they
pui IN on both sides, so as 10 compress the river
10 tue breadth OF 25 or so yards TO these bluffs,
veg tation is denied having assembled many
without being grstijed with the SIGHT of plant /;
however our tolls have been often repaid by the
discovery OF various petrifactiOn5 the bones of
the Bufisloe, Elk, Goat, with the various kinds
ot wood which grow in the ncighburhOod, are
found on the tops ofthese cliffs, completely pc
trliicd, yet few are To- be found in the low land
The Cansas river on the south side, so called
from nation OF that name, who reside about $50
miles up this river, is about 40 miles from the
garrison this river is considerable, aliordng
navigation for trading boats, Wp to the village.
The Cansss have been long the terror Of the
neiEhboring Indians, their temerity is hardly ere.
dlbIe ; few weeks since band of10U warriors
entered the Psnnie village, or what is more gen
orally called, tie Pannc Republic, and killed the
principal chief and his family consisting Of Is
souls they were immediately pursued and up
wards Of 40 OF them cut TO pieces these people
cannot he at peace with the white or red people {;
they rob, murder and destroy when opportunity
offers, fortunately for their neighbors they are
few in Hmber, and their daily outrages serve to
lessen their numbers STILL more. their country n
bounds with game. diicularly Beaver, Deer,
Bufialoe, Elk, Black Bear, sc. &c. aud sRord
Ale csnsss (hsrdly Ieas sayage) an abundance Of
+, cd aud raitnent.
On the 29to July, we arrived at Messrs Crooks
SnG NJ CiSii2nus old hunting camp, we lod sed ~
Sea house, these gentlemen had constructed