The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1923-08-01
SERVICE WITH COURTESY

sisting of thirty skin lodges, which
they visited. 1t was a temporary
camp, their permanent residence be-
ing on an island directly opposite and
quarter of mile distant. Here at
the Indian camp they were Hospitality
entertained; they partook of some
fresh buffalo meat, which they relish
ed much more than they had the
dried meat of a few days before.
Their enjoyment of it was doubtless
increased by the fact that it was the
first flesh meal they had had since
they left Fort Smelling
At Lake Traverse
In the afternoon of the 22nd they
arrived at the American Fur Com
pany's establishment on the western
side of the lake, about half way up
the shore. Here they found HaZen
Mooers, one of the most romantic
figures in the history of the fur
trade, who was in charge. Mooers
later had charge of the American
Fur Company's post at Lake Traverse,
and while there he married Grey
! Cloud, the Indian half-breed, for
whom Grey Cloud Island in the Mis-
sissippi above the city Of Hastings
was named.
/ A messenger was sent from the
post at Big Stone to that of Columbia
Fur Company further up on Lake
Traverse to announce the approach
of the party. This company had
been organized only year before by
Joseph Renvile and others interest
ed in exploiting the trade of this
region, from which the English had
been ousted by Federal law seven
years before. The map accompany
ing Keating's narrative locates this
! post on the east side Of the lake.
According to later writer's, it was
probably on or near the site of an
earlier post of Robert Dickson's, in
what is now the northern part of
Folsom township, just opposite Snake
Island. 1t is interesting to note Bel
trami's prophecy regarding the Col
umbia Fur Company: 81 think they
will be obliged in the end to capitu-
late with the South West american
Fur) Company and put themselves
under it's protection" Within four
years his prophecy was fulfilled; in
1927 the two companies merged.
The party had now fulfilled that
part of its instructions which order
ed it to ascend the Minnesota to it's
head. 1t had yet to proceed "to the
intersection between Red River and
the 49th degree of north latitude"
The party was fortunate in having
as guide to Pembina one of the Co.
lumbia Fur Company's traders at
Lake Traverse and fur Frenchmen
who were on their return to the set
Element at Pembina. Four Red Ri
yer carts which had previously been
used to transport some of the Swiss
emigrants from Pembina to Mendoza,
were chartered to convey their bag
gage and provisions.
Camped on Lake Traverse
On the night of July 26 encamp-
ment was made on the north ex-
tension of Lake Traverse, then
known as Buffalo Lake. The next
morning as they proceeded down the
Red River valley they came upon
herds of thousands of buffalo, the
first large aggregations of them they
had discovered. They stopped at
an Indian lodge where they had
feast of fresh buffalo meat. Here
they also had an opportunity to OBJ
serve how the meat was "jerked' or
sun-dried. It was cut up into thin
broad slices and exposed, on poles. all
around the lodge. Two days of hot
sunlight did the work.
The expedition descended the val
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