Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 26.djvu/143

 ters and they were two days' march from their fort, which is on the bank of the Missouri.

We reached their fort on the 19th and were received with great demonstrations of joy. I applied myself to learning their language and found it very easy. There was one man among them who had been brought up among the Spaniards and spoke their language as his native tongue. I questioned him often, and he told me all that had been related to me concerning them, that he had been baptized and had not forgotten his prayers. I asked him if it was easy to get there, (to the Spanish country). He replied that it was very far and there were many dangers to be met on account of the Snake tribe, and that it took at least twenty days to make the trip on horseback.

I inquired about their commerce. He told me that they made articles of iron and carried on a large trade in buffalo skins and slaves, giving in exchange horses and merchandise, according as the Indians desired, but no guns or ammunition.

He informed me that three days' distance away from them there was a Frenchman who had settled there several years before. I should have gone to find him, if our horses had been in condition. I determined to write him and induce him to come to us, saying that we would wait for him until the end of March, since we were expecting to leave at the beginning of April to return to the Mantanes and thence to Fort La Reine, and that, if he should not come, he should at least send us news of himself.

I placed upon a hillock near the fort a lead plaque with the arms and inscription of the king and formed a pyramid of stones for the general. I told the Indians, who had no knowledge of the lead plaque which I had placed in the ground, that I was setting up these stones in memory of our coming to their country. I should