ARTICLES SELECTED FOR THE AUTHOR'S JOURNEY. 23 
with them immense wealth. Hence originated all the 
obstacles which prevented the success of the enterprise. 
I calculated, therefore, that I ougiit to provide for the wants 
of fifteen months, and regulated my demands accordingly. 
The following is what I received from the government 
storehouses : Two double barrelled guns ; ten pounds of 
gunpowder ; fifty gun-flints ; fifty musquet balls ; three 
pounds and a half of coral, numbers three and two ; two 
pounds and two ounces of unwrought yellow amber ; eighteen 
packets of beads ; fourteen pounds of tobacco ; one hatchet ; 
one third of a yard of scarlet cloth. This small quantity ot 
merchandize could not tempt the avidity of the negroes, and 
yet sufficed for the execution of my undertaking. 
I also provided myself with a blanket, two leathern bottles 
for water ; a powder-horn and a portmanteau : lastly, I placed 
two daggers by my side, and in order to ascertain the direction 
of the routes I followed, I furnished myself with three pocket 
compasses. 
An ass was necessary to carry my baggage, I bought it. 
So much was I afraid of exciting suspicion by giving the bridle 
and saddle of my horse to a workman at St. Louis to repair, 
that I undertook the task myself. 
When I was ready to depart, M. Fleuriau gave me the 
following instructions : they were partly compiled from the 
plan I had had the honour to present to him ; they have 
generally guided me in my journey, and insurmounta])le 
