34 NARHATIVE OF A JOUnNEY 



The Indians stopped our caravan almost by force, and 

 evinced so much anxiety to trade with us, that we could not well 

 avoid gratifying them. We remained with them about two 

 hours, and bought corn, moccasins and leggings in abundance. 

 The lodges here are constructed very differently from those of 

 the lower village. They are made of large and strong timbers, 

 a ridge pole runs along the top, and the different pieces are fast- 

 ened together by leathern thongs. The roofs, — which are sin- 

 gle, making but one angle, — are of stout poplar bark, and form 

 an excellent defence, both against rain and the rays of the sun, 

 which must be intense during midsummer in this region. These 

 prairies are often visited by heavy gales of wind, which would 

 probably demolish the huts, were they built of frail materials 

 like those below. We encamped in the evening on a small stream 

 called Little Vermillion creek, where we found an abundance of 

 excellent catfish, exactly similar to those of the Schuylkill 

 river. Our people caught them in great numbers. Here we 

 first saw the large ravens, (Corvus corax.) They hopped about 

 the ground all around our camp ; and as we left it, they came in' 

 pell-mell, croaking, fighting, and scrambling for the few frag- 

 ments that remained. 



Sth. — This morning Mr. Sublette lefl us to return to the set- 

 tlements. He has been suffering for a considerable time with a 

 fungus in one of his legs, and it has become so much worse since 

 we started, in consequence of irritation caused by riding, that he 

 finds it impossible to proceed. His departure has thrown a 

 gloom over the v/hole camp. We all admired him for his amia- 

 ble qualities, and his kind and obliging disposition. For myself, 

 I had become so much attached to him, that I feel quite melan- 

 choly about his leaving us.* 



*1 have since learned that his liml) was twice amputated; but notwitlistanding this, 

 the disease lingered in the system, andal)outa year ago, terminated his life. 



