406 EXPEDITION TO THE 



ed, that he would consult the little man, and ascertain 

 where he had found the tohacco, and how he came by it. 

 This he did by putting interrogatories to him, to which he 

 pretended that audible answers were returned, though of 

 the many present, not one heard them beside himself. 

 The purport of these answers, however, as he subsequent- 

 ly informed them was, that at a spot on the St. Peter, near 

 to Redwood river, there was a boat, loaded with goods ; 

 that her commander, a French trader, having been mur- 

 dered by the Sioux, the crew had been alarmed, and had 

 run awa)^, leaving the boat unguarded, together with her 

 cargo, consisting principally of tobacco ; that the little man 

 had seen her, and finding a piece of tobacco on a keg, had 

 brought it up. The prophet having invited them to seek 

 for it, they repaired to the spot, found the boat, took the 

 tobacco, and returned the rest of the goods to the first 

 French traders that passed up the river. This event hap- 

 pened, as we were informed, in the presence of Renville 

 and Frenieres, two French traders of reputation, both con- 

 sidered as intelligent and enlightened men ; they were the 

 fathers of the two half-breed traders with whom we were 

 acquainted. The story is given with all the particulars 

 that might be wished for ; the name of the owner of the 

 boat was Benjamin La Goterie, a name well known in that 

 country. The story has been current ever since. The 

 traders, who appear to credit it, state that it was impossi- 

 ble for the prophet to have visited the spot and returned 

 without his absence being known, as the distance exceeds ♦ 

 one hundred miles ; from whom he received his intelli- 

 gence they never knew. As to the Dacotas themselves, 

 they never considered it possible that it might be a knavery 

 of the prophet's, but attributed it altogether to his " mys- 

 tic lore.'' 



