﻿508 
  ANNUAL 
  REPORT 
  SMITHSONIAN 
  INSTITUTION, 
  1927 
  

  

  best 
  equipped 
  boats 
  on 
  the 
  upper 
  Mississippi." 
  He 
  again 
  went 
  up 
  

   the 
  Mississippi 
  during 
  the 
  latter 
  part 
  of 
  May 
  on 
  the 
  river 
  boat 
  

   Providence^ 
  and 
  when 
  a 
  short 
  distance 
  beyond 
  Rock 
  Island 
  there 
  

   was 
  a 
  disastrous 
  explosion 
  on 
  the 
  boat 
  " 
  as 
  so 
  frequently 
  occur 
  on 
  

   North 
  American 
  steamers." 
  The 
  survivors 
  went 
  on 
  board 
  the 
  Red 
  

   Wing 
  and 
  continued 
  on 
  to 
  Galena. 
  They 
  passed 
  the 
  rapids 
  and 
  

   Kurz 
  wrote 
  in 
  his 
  journal 
  : 
  

  

  When 
  shall 
  I 
  ever 
  forget 
  Rock 
  Island 
  and 
  that 
  group 
  of, 
  apparently, 
  cold- 
  

   blooded 
  Fox 
  Indians 
  who 
  wrapped 
  themselves 
  so 
  snugly 
  in 
  their 
  blankets 
  

   and 
  watched 
  us 
  with 
  such 
  curiosity? 
  

  

  He 
  returned 
  to 
  St. 
  Louis 
  on 
  the 
  War 
  Eagle. 
  On 
  November 
  19 
  he 
  

   left 
  St. 
  Louis 
  for 
  New 
  Orleans. 
  And 
  " 
  on 
  that 
  visit," 
  so 
  he 
  wrote, 
  

   " 
  I 
  saw 
  many 
  Choctaws 
  at 
  the 
  market. 
  The 
  men 
  were 
  selling 
  wild 
  

   game, 
  rabbits, 
  turkeys, 
  venison, 
  and 
  the 
  women 
  were 
  selling 
  seeds, 
  

   grain, 
  and 
  healing 
  herbs." 
  He 
  again 
  started 
  up 
  the 
  Mississippi, 
  this 
  

   time 
  on 
  the 
  Hannibal. 
  There 
  was 
  much 
  ice 
  in 
  the 
  river 
  and 
  the 
  

   Hannibal 
  did 
  not 
  proceed 
  above 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  Ohio; 
  therefore 
  

   it 
  was 
  necessary 
  to 
  go 
  aboard 
  the 
  Oswego., 
  coming 
  from 
  Louisville, 
  

   but 
  near 
  Chester, 
  111., 
  the 
  latter 
  " 
  stuck 
  fast 
  again." 
  Here 
  Kurz 
  and 
  

   his 
  companions 
  went 
  aboard 
  the 
  Boreas 
  No. 
  3, 
  a 
  small 
  craft 
  which 
  

   landed 
  them 
  at 
  St. 
  Louis 
  December 
  24, 
  1847, 
  just 
  14 
  days 
  after 
  they 
  

   had 
  left 
  New 
  Orleans. 
  

  

  Kurz 
  had 
  decided 
  not 
  to 
  go 
  to 
  Mexico, 
  as 
  first 
  planned, 
  but 
  to 
  

   traverse 
  the 
  region 
  previously 
  visited 
  by 
  his 
  friend 
  Bodmer. 
  Con- 
  

   sequently 
  on 
  April 
  5, 
  1848, 
  he 
  left 
  St. 
  Louis 
  on 
  the 
  Tamerlane 
  bound 
  

   up 
  the 
  Missouri. 
  He 
  reached 
  St. 
  Joseph 
  April 
  18, 
  and 
  then 
  began 
  

   his 
  studies 
  of 
  the 
  Indians 
  and 
  of 
  ways 
  of 
  life 
  in 
  the 
  Indian 
  country. 
  

   To 
  quote 
  from 
  his 
  journal 
  : 
  

  

  St. 
  Joseph, 
  once 
  the 
  trading 
  post 
  of 
  Joseph 
  Robidoux, 
  is 
  situated 
  at 
  the 
  foot 
  

   of 
  the 
  Black 
  Snake 
  Hills 
  on 
  the 
  left 
  bank 
  of 
  the 
  Missouri. 
  Though 
  the 
  town 
  

   was 
  founded 
  only 
  six 
  years 
  ago,, 
  there 
  are 
  evidences 
  of 
  a 
  rapidly 
  expanding 
  

   city. 
  * 
  * 
  * 
  Indians 
  of 
  varices 
  tribes 
  — 
  the 
  Pottowatoniies, 
  Foxes, 
  Kickapoos, 
  

   lowas, 
  and 
  Otoes 
  — 
  one 
  sees 
  constantly 
  in 
  this 
  town, 
  particularly 
  at 
  the 
  lauding 
  

   where 
  they 
  take 
  the 
  ferry 
  to 
  cross 
  the 
  river. 
  * 
  * 
  * 
  Throughout 
  the 
  entire 
  

   summer 
  bourgeoise, 
  or 
  the 
  heads 
  of 
  firms, 
  clerks, 
  and 
  other 
  engagees 
  or 
  em- 
  

   ployees 
  of 
  the 
  different 
  fur 
  companies 
  crowded 
  the 
  streets 
  and 
  public 
  houses 
  

   of 
  the 
  town. 
  St. 
  Joseph 
  is 
  for 
  them 
  now 
  what 
  St. 
  Louis 
  was 
  formerly 
  — 
  their 
  

   rendezvous. 
  

  

  Soon 
  after 
  reaching 
  St. 
  Joseph, 
  with 
  its 
  ever 
  changing 
  population, 
  

   Kurz 
  began 
  to 
  recognize 
  the 
  members 
  of 
  different 
  tribes 
  and 
  to 
  be 
  

   able 
  to 
  distinguish 
  their 
  characteristics. 
  He 
  wrote 
  : 
  

  

  After 
  a 
  more 
  extended 
  acquaintance 
  with 
  the 
  various 
  tribes 
  one 
  becomes 
  

   observant 
  and 
  notices 
  their 
  definite 
  marks 
  of 
  distinction. 
  For 
  instance, 
  the 
  

   Pottowatomies' 
  skin 
  is 
  much 
  darker 
  than 
  that 
  of 
  other 
  tribes 
  of 
  this 
  region, 
  

  

  