SOURCE OF ST. PETER's RIVER. 13 



three weeks. By the most active exertions, Mr. Scott had 

 been enabled to descend the Mississippi to Prairie da 

 Chien and return to Fort St. Anthony, then to ascend along 

 the St. Peter a certain distance, when his horse failing, he 

 was obliged to retrace his steps to the fort. After which 

 he reascended the river, and finally overtook us, having 

 travelled upwards of eight hundred miles, part of which 

 was perfonned alone, and without any other subsistence 

 than that obtained by hunting. His anxiety to overtake the 

 party had led him to neglect his health and comfort dur- 

 ing that journey. On his arrival, he took the direction of 

 the escort which, until then, Mr. Denny had commanded. 

 Our numbers remained, however, the same, as Renville 

 parted from us that morning. 



The Bois des Sioux is supposed to be the northernmost 

 limit of the undisputed property of the Sioux on Red 

 River. Beyond this they never hunt without being pre- 

 pared for war, as the prairies between this place and the 

 Wild Rice River to the east, and Turtle River to the west 

 of Red River, form a sort of debatable land, which both 

 Chippewas and Dacotas claim, and upon which both fre- 

 quently hunt, but always in a state of preparation for hos- 

 tilities. 



After travelling nine miles beyond the Bois des Sioux, 

 the party came to a stream, called Red River. This stream 

 branches out, at about four miles above the place where we 

 struck it ; one of its branches rises, as we have mentioned, 

 in Lake Travers, but is dried up during some parts of the 

 year. The other rises in Otter-tail Lake, which is in the neigh- 

 bourhood of the head of the Riviere de Corbeau. By the 

 Indians this branch is called Otter-tail River, and the stream 

 continues, after the junction of the two, to be called by 

 them Sioux or Swan River, until it receives the Red Fork 



Vol.. IL 3 



