246 KXI'EDITION TO TUfc 



country, a much higher reputation for intelligence and ob- 

 servation, than they were led to ascribe to him, and as the 

 information which he contributed was but trifling, it has 

 been thought proper to embody it with that resulting from 

 personal observations, and from conversations with the in- 

 terpreters who subsequently accompanied the expedition. 

 With a view to proceed, with as much speed as possible, to 

 Fort St. Anthony, where the last preparations were to be 

 made, Major Long divided the party here, and travelled 

 by land with Mr. Colhoun ; while the other gentlemen as- 

 cended the Mississippi in a boat. The land party was 

 accompanied by George Bunker, (a soldier,) John Wade, 

 (a boy of the garrison, who acted as Sioux interpreter,) 

 and Andrew, (the black boy.) Tommo, a Dacota (Sioux) 

 Indian, acted as guide to the party ; he was a tall, gaunt 

 Indian, probably about fifty years old. After having 

 crossed the river in the boat, the two parties separated ; 

 and Major Long continued his journey on horseback, along 

 the right bank of the Mississippi. 



The route from Prairie du Chien to Fort St. Anthony, 

 was attended with greater difficulties than had been anti- 

 cipated. It was extremely rough and hilly ; thei'e being no 

 beaten track, the party were frequently led to the edge of 

 a precipice, and compelled to retrace their steps and seek 

 a more gradual descent. These difficulties arose from their 

 travelling, for the most part, at a distance from the river, 

 with a view to shorten the road ; the highlands, which they 

 had attempted to keep, were frequently cut by trans- 

 verse valleys, opened by streams, tributary to the Missis- 

 sippi. In the crossing of these streams, much difficulty was 

 experienced from the swampy nature of the ground, in 

 which the horses were frequently mired. The distance at 

 which they travelled from the Mississippi seldom exceeded 



