THE MISSOURI RIVER JOURNALS 



185 



huts or houses. Behind the kitchen there are five of such 

 houses, leaving at the same time plenty of space between 

 them and the other buildings. The first of these is a 

 stable for Buffalo calves, which are annually raised here, 

 being caught during the severe storms of winter ; the sec- 

 ond a hen-house, well lined, plastered, and filled with 

 chickens; third, a very pleasant room intended as an art- 

 ist's work-room, fourth, a cooper's shop, and then the 

 milk house and dairy. Several houses of the f^ame kind 

 and construction are also built on the west and south 

 sides; one contains coal for the blacksmith, and ten 

 stables, in all 117 ft. long, and 10 ft. wide, with space 

 enough to quarter fifty horses. These are very useful, as 

 the Company have always a number of horses and cattle 

 here. These buildings, it will be understood, do not inter- 

 fere with the Area or Parade of the fort, and are hardly 

 noticed by a casual observer, but occupy the space under 

 the balcony that would otherwise be useless and void. 

 Fifty more of the same kind could be put up without in- 

 truding upon any portion of the fort used for other pur- 

 poses. On the front side, and west of the gate, is a house 

 50 by 21 feet, which, being divided into two parts, one half 

 opening into the fort, is used as a blacksmith's, gun- 

 smith's, and tinner's shop; the other part is used as a 

 reception-room for Indians, and opens into the passage, 

 which is made by the double gate. There are two large 

 outside gates to the fort, one each in the middle of the 

 front and rear, and upon the top of the front one is a 

 painting of a treaty of peace between the Indians and 

 whites executed by J. B. Moncr^vier, Esq. These gates 

 are 12 ft. wide, and 14 ft. high. At the front there is an 

 inside gate of the same size at the inner end of the Indian 

 icception room, which shuts a passage from the outside 

 gate of 32 ft. in length, and the same width as the gate ; 

 the passage is formed of pickets. The outside gate can 

 be left open, and the inside one closed, which permits the 





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