Page:A Topographical Description of the State of Ohio, Indiana Territory, and Louisiana.djvu/217

201 the 5th of June, I parted with Mr. Pardo and my former companions, and went with a party of Sioux, of the Tilon Okandanas band, for the heads of Saint Peter's river. The chief, Man-da-ton-que-qua, was gone with part of the Bois-bruil band. On the 15th, we came to a band of the Bois-bruil, on Saint Peter's river, but the chief was not with them. He had gone with a small party to meet a band of Yanton-ansah Sioux, who were proceeding from the falls of Saint Anthony, on the Mississippi, where they had been to procure merchandize, to trade with the other bands. The country we had lately passed through, was mostly level, swampy, and full of small lakes, covered very thick with timber, chiefly pine and spruce. On the 17th, we proceeded down the Saint Peter's, and on the 20th, came to the encampment. This body of Indians consisted of five bands; the Yanton-ansah, Wah-pa-coo-ta, Titon-bois-bruil, Titon-okan-danas, and Titon-sa-oo-nu, about four hundred warriors, and about one thousand four hundred people. On the 27th, the bands mostly separated, and the greater part returned to the Missouri, among whom was the Bois-bruil band, who took the war path. The greatest part of these Indians were well armed, and mounted on good horses, On the 12th of July, encamped at the forks of the River Sasqui, a branch of the Missouri, On the 18th, these bands separated, and we proceeded to the crossing of the three rivers, on the Missouri, above the