ered - at last, on the 30th of July, we saw a long train of wagons arrive from Benton, to transport the freight of the boat. The good Fathers of the Mission of St. Peter, among the Blackfeet, sent me a comfortable conveyance for the journey, and I took possession of it with the two Brothers.
A journey of 3oo miles, with carts loaded with 5,ooo to 6,ooo pounds, through the midst of a wilderness, where grass had almost entirely disappeared, by reason of the great drought of the spring and summer-- for not a drop of water had fallen in months - where all the rivers were dry, leaving only here and there a little pool of stagnant salty water - altogether, this passage was no small affair for the travelers, and for their horses and oxen as well; the whole region bore the imprint of desolation.
We encamped every evening beside one or several of these water holes, which supplied us with fish in abundance. Our cattle and horses scattered over a vast expanse, to graze on the dry and scanty herbage. By night we formed a corral, or circle of wagons and carriages, wherein to keep the animals in safety, protected against attacks from horsethieves, whether white or Indian, by whom this region is infested. By the way our hunters raised from time to time buffalo, elk, deer, bighorn, beaver, prairie chickens, wild ducks and geese, furnishing us more or less our portion of fresh meat. NVe crossed three branches of Milk river, the diviere au FranSois [Willow creel.?], the Beaver and the Sureau [NVhite Horse creek ?],the -.%LIarias and Teton rivers, tributaries of the Missouri, and passed below the Little Rocky and Bear Paw Mountains, two isolated chains standing in the plains, east of Benton.
After a somewhat painful journey, we arrived at Fort Benton on the day of the glorious Assumption.of the Holy Virgin. There I had the great consolation of meeting Father Itnoda, of the R'lission of St. Peter, who had come thither to see rile. We tarried here several days, to recover from our fatigue as well as to instruct and baptize a goodly number of Crow or Absaroka children. They reached the