p51 1817 Journal Thomas Dean

August 4th. This morning it thundered and there was a hard shower of rain and some hail. It soon cleared oif, and they gave us about three pints of boiled corn, which we ate. We had but two spoons to use among five of us at this place. The women boiled some dried venison for us. We could only get one horse. My companions went forward and left me to follow. When we started, which was about 8 o'dock, the old man went on foot to ride my horse back, and his son, the one that came from the fort with us, rode with me and took part of our baggage. We traveled hard through the woods, brush, weeds, etc., in a small path, it being very muddy and in some places swampy for many miles. We overtook the old man, and then my company. They went very fast, sometimes on the run. We startled many turkeys in out way, one of which Fowler killed with his staff, hav- ing left the other gun and the ax where we stayed, but we took a hatdiet. Jacob Dick took a turn on horseback. I went on foot awhile to rest him. We continued traveling rapidly until we came to the village, about 5 ie. M. The vil~ lage is on a prairie containing thirty or forty houses in different places. I had a letter of introduction from Lit Lafo to the French trader at the village. He invited us to his cabin to lodge. The man who rode with me shot a young deer as we rode along. We had some of it cooked for our supper. There were many Indians who came to see us where we put up, and we gaged two horses to go to White River, one for me and one for jacob. We came about thirty-live or forty miles this day.

August 5th. We took breakfast early this morning. Thomas, Paul, and R. Fowler started on foot and left Jacob