90 VIEWS OF LOUISIANA. 
the fur trade of Louisiana, may not be uninteresting in this 
place. 
He set off in the spring following the return of Lewis and 
Clark. Besides his own boats there were two others in company, 
which constituted a tolerable force. This trading expedition was 
very different from a journey of discovery The difficulties would 
necessarily be much greater. A party of men well armed and 
equipped, and under proper submission to their officers, with pre¬ 
sents to bestow to the different tribes, and not incumbered with 
goods or effects, might, with prudence, pass through with 
much less difficulty. The case is different where the trader 
has unruly hands to manage, who think themselves perfectly at 
liberty when once out of the reach of law: without discipline, 
badly armed, and coming to the nations, not for the purpose of 
making presents, but of trade All these obstacles were encoun¬ 
tered by Lisa and the traders who accompanied him. 
At the river Platte, Lisa met one of Lewis and Clark’s men, 
of the name of Coulter, who had been discharged at the Mandan 
villages, at his own request, that he might make a hunt before 
he returned. Coulter was persuaded to return : his knowledge 
of the country and nations rendered him an acquisition. Lisa passed 
the country of the Sioux, without finding any of tnat nation. On his 
arrival at the Ankara villages, his reception was such as to require 
the exhibition of prudence and courage. Two or three hundred 
warriors were drawn up, and on his approach, such as had fire 
arms fired a volley before his boat, to indicate the place where he 
should land. He accordingly put to shore, but instantly made it 
known, that no one of them was to enter his boat: the chiefs at 
the same time appointed warriors to stand guard and keep off 
the crowd. The women, who always trade amongst these na¬ 
tions, came to the beach with bags of corn, which they offered : 
anTndian rushed forward, cut open the bags with his knife, 
while the women took to flight. Lisa, who was perfectly ac¬ 
quainted with the Indian character, knowing that the leastappear- 
ance ot alarm would be dangerous, instantly called his men to 
arms, pointed a couple of swivels which were fixed on his boats, 
and made every preparation for defence. The Indians perceiv- 
iijg this, dispersed in confusion ; and after some time, the chiefs 
