Semi-weekly Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1851-1852, 1851-06-20
BY AN OLD PIONEER.

In the year of our Lord ls-, missionary
from one of the Eastern States, who had just
completed his studies, and had received conf
mission from the - Missionary Society, was
passing in westerly direction over the prairles
of Illinois.
He had seen, occasionally, an article in some
of the three or four religious periodicals of that
period, about the Far West, and with the
benevolent desire of doing good to the destitute
and scattered pioneers of this remote, and then
scarcely known region, had travelled on horse.
back from his native village, preaching on
sabbaths, as occasions offered, during his long
tourney. Ohio was then "said to be- land Of
moral desoation ;--lndiana was "supposed' to
be many degrees lower in the scale OF civiliza-
tion,-and the new state of Illinois was Sim
agined" to be situated very near the dumping
off place." A vague and somewhat doubtful
impression existed as to the locality and char
acter of Missouri, and Kentucky was known
abroad by report for its fighting and gougng
propensities, while the population were charac-
terized, as "halfhorse, halt.aligator, and touch
Of the swapping turtle"
Amongst the vague and rather indstinct I'M
pressions of the characters and habits Of the
frontier adventures, that floated over the mind
of the Young missionary, were those of robbery
and murdercrs.
During the period of inquiry and anxious
meditation about devoting his life as mission.
arv of the cross in the wilds of the west, the
idea of robbery and murder occupied no minor
place in his imagination. Still, with conlmen.
dabIe resolution and Il martyr spirit, he resolved
to hazard even life, with the sacrifice OF every
earthly comfort, to preach the gospel and intro.
duce the mcliorating influence of civilization
amongst people who belonged to the same
nation with himself, and who might eventually
exert controlling influence over the destinles
of the republic.
1t was on cloudy and cold day in the month
of December that our missionary friend was
seen crossing an arm of the Grand Prairie,
east of the Okau, as the kaskaskia river, by
abreviaton (au.kau) and French accent had
been called. He had travelled long distance
that day, by following devious and obscure
trail, or "bridle path" now through skirt OF
timber-thcna cross the point Of prairie, with
out seeing Il log cabin, or any other sign OF d
human residence. Night was fast approaching
The landlord, where he had been accommoda-
ted with "private entertainment" the proceed
ing night, had directed him on blind trail to
a fording place across the Okau, beyond wnlch
and in the Same direction was the town OF Ii
to which he was journeying. Both horse and
rider were fatigued with long fasting and a
hard ride, and the missionary could form no
conjecture how far it might be from settle
ment which he had hoped to reach before night
fall.
Anxious and somewhat bcwildered, he look.
ed in each direction for signs Of human hablta.
ton, when an uucouh specimen ofhumanlty
appeared on horseback, and coming in rapid
movement, and in diagonal direction, across
the prairie toward the path OF the missionary.
As the man approached, his personal appear
ance, dress and equipage manifested no friendly
design. His head was covered with the skin
of prairie wolf, with the tail hanging behind.
His outer garment was neither coat, frock or
dome. I'm western parlance it was a hunting
shirt, made of dressed deer skin. with the
cape and sidc stripes curiously notched and
fringed, but to the missionary it had an alarming
aspect
Over it hung a.powder horn and bullet
pouch, and around his body was a leatherr gir.
die, in which was thrust formidable knife....
A loaded rifle carelessly lay across the riders's
shoulder.
Nor was his personal appcaraucein the least
degree prepossessing. lie sported black
heard of three weeks growth; and dark, cltish