76 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA. 



Meanwhile the Mississippi began to rise, and the 

 blocks of ice threatened destruction to our keel boat. 

 With the aid of the Indian women, we lightened our 

 boat of all that could be taken out of her ; and with 

 some trunks of trees we surrounded her with floating 

 fenders, so as to protect her from the ice. When 

 these precautions were concluded we managed to 

 spend our days very pleasantl}^ and collected such 

 quantities of game that the carcases of bears and 

 stags, and the gelinottes and snipes, that we had 

 slain, hung up on the branches of the trees, and also 

 the hares which we had managed to knock over, 

 gave our camp quite the appearance of a market. 

 The lakes around were full of excellent fish, which 

 the Eed Skins caught easily with harpoons and nets, 

 furnishing our table with magnificent trout and 

 pike. The women spent their days in tanning the 

 skins of the stags and otters, and in weaving rush 

 baskets. In the evening my friend, who had a 

 wretched violin, supplied the squaws with an excuse 

 for a little dancing, whilst the men of our keel boat 

 rivalled the Osages in their attentions to these 

 copper-coloured " fair " ones. But for the enormous 

 calumet which circulated freely, the scene would 

 have reminded one of an ancient eclogue. 



Three weeks passed in this manner, when one 

 morning the camp was visited by a party of Black 

 Feet Indians, who had come to pay a visit to the 

 Osages. At first, the two tribes looked at each 



