Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/159

 HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 99 dian traders. My uncle also had an Indian trading establishment at New Madrid, Mo., under the management and control of a Frenchman by the name of Gabriel Hunot, who had numerous connections of that name in that place (New Madrid) and Fort Viu- cennes, Ind. From some cause my uncle was obliged to take charge of the trading estab- lishment, and sent me out with an outfit of goods imported from London, expressly for the Indian trade, to take charge at New Ma- drid of the establishment. We left Detroit, 1 think, in July, 1805, with two pirogues loaded with Indian goods, myself, and four French Canadians for New Madrid. We found the river Maumee very low, making a long trip to Fort Wayne. No white inhabi- tants were on the banks from the time we left the foot of the rapids, with the exception of one Frenchman — a baker — at the mouth of the river Glase, called Fort Defiance, who furnished the Indians and traders who trav- eled up and down the river with liread. The length of time out in getting to Fort Wayne, I do not recollect. We found some Indian traders and a company of U. S. troops sta- tioned there. We were then obliged to liavil our goods and pirogues a distance of ten miles to the head waters of Little river, which empties into the Waba.sh. Those In- dian traders at Fort Wayne were prepared with oxen and wagons to haul our goods and boats across, for which we had to pay them considerable and sometimes when the waters of Little river were very low, we had to haul our goods and boats a distance of forty miles, to where Little river empties into the Wabash. On one occasion I had to haul my goods and boats a distance of sixty miles to near the Missionary town, an Indian village on the Wabash where a Frenchman by the name of Godfrey from Detroit had located as a trader. The chief of this village was The- eomery, brother to the Prophet who held a power and sway over the different tribes, un- paralleled in the history of Indian nations. I got to Vinceunes after encountering ex- treme low water, having to carry our goods which were made up in small packages ex- pressly to be carried from shoal to shoal by the hands, distance of one-quarter to one- half a mile, sometimes longer, and rolling our pirogues on rollers over every rapid until we got them in deep water. This was our daily occupation. We arrived at Vincennes after being out about two months. During our trip we were very much exposed, the weather be- ing excessively warm and not having any- thing to protect us from the hot sun and bad weather; not even a tent, which latter was not used or hardly known at that early period, and being short of provisions, a little salt pork and a few hard biscuit and some lye hominy composed our diet, no tea, no cof- fee, no sugar ; the latter article in those times was in but little use and scarcely known. From extreme exposure and hard living I was taken down violently with chills and fever. My hands knew that Gabriel Hunot, who was trading for my uncle at New Ma- drid, had a sister in Vincennes by the name of Pagey. I sent for one of her sons to come and see me. He did so, and seeing my criti- cal situation invited me to his mother's house, and by his request I went there, and fortun- ate it was for me I did so. If I had remained where I was I must have died. Every care and attention and good nursing was given me night and day, by Mrs. Pagey and her kind sons. I owe my existence now to that kind lady's attention to me, which I shall forever remember with gratitude and esteem. I re- mained at Vincennes for some time to regain mv strength. While there I became ae-