Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 26.djvu/133

 On the 3rd of May this great band was reduced to very few.

On the 10th, Mr. Nolant, despairing at no more com- ing, asked leave to set out, representing to me that there were no more provisions and that they could not remain longer. I did my best to induce him to have patience for some time yet, being much vexed that he should go empty.

Seeing him determined to set out, I gave him per- mission.

On the same day, the 10th, in the evening, fifteen Assiniboines arrived to notify us that there were sixty huts coming and that they had been told we had gone. I sent them back with tobacco to hasten their coming. They arrived on the 18th and did their trading in a short time. These left. On the 20th, three men arrived to beg me to delay our departure, that thirty huts would arrive. I made them set out with speed, giving them tobacco to tell their people to hasten their coming.

I discovered these days a river flowing to the west. All the lakes and rivers of which.I have had any know- ledge go to Hudson's Bay, the Northern Sea, except the Mandan River.

I will obtain complete knowledge of it this summer, either by myself or some person on my behalf.

I have deferred the departure of my canoes till the 28th of the month, waiting uselessly for the people to come; only a few arrived, all postponing their coming till summer.

They are so stupid that they think they will be waited for into the summer, and that there will always be time enough to carry off their beavers.

I promised them that as soon as my son and the two men arrived, whom I had left with the Mandans, I would remove from this as quickly as possible.