lis EXPEDITION TO THE 



these we regret that it is not in our power to give more 

 than a very brief and imperfect outline. We had heard at 

 various places of a citizen of the United States, who had 

 been at an early age taken prisoner by a party of Indians, 

 and who, having been educated among them, had acquired 

 'their language, habits, and manners, to the exclusion of 

 those of his country. While at the Red river settlement, 

 we were informed that he had been assaulted by an In- 

 dian and severely, some added mortally, wounded. On our 

 arrival at Rainy Lake Fort, Mr. M'Gillivray requested 

 Mr. Say to visit this man and examine his wound; Mr. 

 Say found John Tanner, for such was his name, in a neat 

 European tent, resting on a good comfortable bed, with his 

 two daughters beside him. On inspecting the wound it 

 was found that the ball had passed through the right arm 

 above the elbow, and thence through the breast. The as- 

 sault having been made about forty days previous, the 

 breast had healed, and the bones of the arm had united 

 perfectly and properly ; but the wound in the arm was 

 still open, though apparently in an improving condition ; 

 the patient was able to walk about. 



At the time that the shot was fired. Tanner was on his 

 way to the United States with his family ; this had inter- 

 rupted his voyage. Feeling himself better, but still una- 

 ble to travel alone, he applied to Major Long for a pas- 

 sage in our canoes for himself and his daughters ; this re- 

 quest was granted. He removed his tent from the en- 

 closure within the British pickets to our camp ; all his pre- 

 parations were made, and the poor man's heart was light 

 and happy at the idea of resuming his journey in such 

 company as secured him against apprehensions of an attack, 

 when his happiness met with a terrible and unexpected 

 check. We had appointed to depart on the morning of 



