94 THE FORMER RANGE OF THE BUFFALO. 
serted lands, we had the addition also of hunger during the wh 
of our journey. It was not because we did not see great numb 
of stags and deer and particularly of buffaloes, but our Indians — 
were not able to kill any. A rumor they had heard the day be 
our departure, that the country was infested by parties of the ene 
my (probably the Sioux), prevented them from carrying their gt 
for fear of being discovered by the report when they fired, or 
being embarrassed, if it should be necessary for them to seek 
to be burnt at last before a slow fire, or to be used for food in the 
feasts.” * i 
From the same letter, written at Kaskaskia in 1712, we le 
pany the Indians in their hunts. There were during the year 
great hunts; that of the summer, which scarcely lasted t 
weeks, and that which took place during the winter, which 
four or five months. With but a slight exertion of the im 
tion one can see the motley group of Indians, French and 
breeds, headed by the Blackgown,} issuing from the old has ~ 
of 1712, where the wigwams of the savage and the rude huts 0 
the French indicated the contact of civilization and barb 
and turning their faces to the north toward the great pral 
where they were to engage in the chase of the deer, the elk 
the buffalo. 
These old missionaries soon learned to love the rivers and | 
ries of Illinois and, if duty called them to Canada or the 
Lakes, to rejoice upon their return to the Illinois missions. 
ther Marest remained a short time with the Peorias and then ' 
tinued his journey on to Michilimakinak. After stopping ' 
few days he started to return in the bark canoe by the way 
Lakes and the St. Joseph River, called now Miami River 
* Early Jesuit Missions, Kip, p- 216, et seq. the 
tEverywhere among the western Indians the Jesuits were known PY 
Blackgowns. 
