266 Journal of Col. Croghan. 



the Indians, which reside hereabouts, to go either to the Illinois, 

 or elsewhere, to fetch their necessaries. 



16th. We were obliged to stay here to get some little apparel 

 made up for us, and to buy some horses for our journey to Oui- 

 catonon, promising payment at Detroit, for we could not pro- 

 cure horses from the French for hire ; though we were greatly 

 fatigued, and our spirits much exhausted in our late march, they 

 would lend us no assistance. 



17th. At midday we set out ; travelling the first five miles 

 through a fine thick wood. We travelled eighteen miles this day, 

 and encamped in a large, beautiful, well watered meadow. 



18th and 19th. We travelled through a prodigious large meadow, 

 called the Pyankeshaw's Hunting Ground : here is no wood to be 

 seen, and the country appears like an ocean ; the ground is ex- 

 ceedingly rich, and partly overgrown with wild hemp ; the land, 

 well watered, and full of buffaloe, deer, bears, and all kinds of 

 wild game. 



20th and 21st. We passed through some very large meadows, 

 part of which belong to the Pyankeshaws on Vermilion River ; 

 the country and soil much the same as that we travelled over 

 for these three days past ; wild hemp grows here in abundance ; 

 the game very plenty : at any time, in half an hour we could kill 

 as much as we wanted. 



22d. We passed through part of the same meadow as men- 

 tioned yesterday ; then came to a high woodland, and arrived at 

 Vermilion River, so called from a fine red earth found here by 

 the Indians, with which they paint themselves. About half a mile 

 from the place where we crossed this river, there is a village of 

 Pyankeshaws, distinguished by the addition of the name of the 

 river. We then travelled about three hours, through a clear high 

 woody country, but a deep and rich soil ; then came to a meadow, 

 where we encamped. 



23d. Early in the morning we set out through a fine meadow, 

 then some clear woods ; in the afternoon came into a very large 

 bottom on the Ouabache, within six miles of Ouicatanon ; here 

 I met several chiefs of the Kicapoos and Musquattimes, who spoke 

 to their young men who had taken us, and reprimanded them 

 severely for what they had done to me, after which they re- 

 turned with us to their village, and delivered us all to their 

 chiefs. 



