St. Louis to Sioux City, and thence to the Yankton agency, near Fort Randall. At the agency, I had the consolation of regenerating in the holy waters of baptism more than 200 little children and some adults. Several of them are already enjoying eternal bliss. Happy innocents! They seemed to be awaiting-my arrival, to go and take their places in the celestial habitation, among the angels and saints of the Lord.
The Yankton interpreter, Mr. Alexis Giou, gave me, during my sojourn among his tribe, a small apartment in his frame cottage. In this hospitable asylum I passed many happy moments; especially; I had the happiness of offering there every day the holy sacrifice of the mass. The two Sundays that I was among the Yanktons, a chapel was improvised, where Catholics and Protestants, whites, halfbreeds and Indians, gathered to attend divine services. All showered attentions and regards upon me.
May 17th. The steamboat Bighorn, thirty-three days out from St. Louis, arrived at the Yankton agency, and landed in good order my wagon, my little traveling necessities, my two mules and my saddle horse. These three animals, on coming ashore after so long an imprisonment, performed capers without end. The attractive perfume of the fresh grass caused them a delirium of joy; they threw themselves down with all four feet in the air, rolled right and left on the sod, jumped and skipped, and carried on at such a rate that they were near playing the mischief with the spectators, assembled to admire their leaps and exploits. Still, these four-legged humorists did not forget the matter of refreshments; in a short time each was going around with a rounded paunch, looking like a bag of hay.
The captain of the steamboat deserves thanks for the care he had taken of my animals. Despite his watchfulness, however, the horse on one occasion got loose from his halter and managed to get off the boat, while it was in motion, and tranquilly went for a swim. His escape was not discovered for an hour afterward. At once the boat was