Page:A Topographical Description of the State of Ohio, Indiana Territory, and Louisiana.djvu/218

202 mouth of White river. On the 8th of August, we arrived at the Missouri, and a party of us went down to the Salt springs, and made a quantity of salt. The water in the River Sasqui and in the Three rivers is so brackish, as to be very disagreeable to drink; and many other streams on the Missouri have a similar taste. On the 20th, we returned to the encampment, and on the 28th, I went with a party up the Middle fork of the Three rivers, to hunt. The country is considerably broken, and destitute of timber; but numerous salt licks and a plenty of game. On the 16th of September, we returned, having loaded our horses.

We remained at this encampment until the 27th, when we moved up to Teton river. I obtained liberty, on the 3d of October, to go to the Rus village. Here I spent the winter with a number of traders belonging to Saint Louis. The Sioux are enemies to the traders, who follow this employment on the Missouri. They hold them in the greatest contempt, and always rob them whenever they can get a good opportunity.

On the 12th of April, 1804, the traders left the village, and went up the River Chein, or Dog river, to trade. The chief Man-da-tonque-qua came to the village, on the 18th, and took me with him on to the Sioux river, where we arrived on the 6th of May, and continued until the 12th of June, when we removed to the River Sasqui. On the 26th of August, a report was spread