N^o 1

Previous to the departure of M^r DeRochblave for the Head quarters of the North west Company on Lake Superior – M^r Caldwell and I had orders to visit the Mississourie for the purpose of Trade[.] We accordingly set out on the 4^th June accompanied by a Canadian or Freeman[.] We had Six horses belonging to the Company[.] To avoid the danger of falling in with war parties and Strange Indians we went by a round about away and arrived on the Banks of the Mississourie without any accident[.]

The face of the Country looked beautiful but the natives appeared more gloomy than usual, owing as we learnt afterwards to the recent loss of some of their Young men killed on a war expedition – to the absence of a party who had gone to revenge that loss – and to the Hooping Cough which was then raging throughout the Country[.] The aged who were attacked by this disorder met with little or no attention – if they recovered it was well if they did not their bodies remained unnoticed until the Stench commanded their their removal[.] But the attention paid to

Children

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