The Indian life is a hard one; the climate here is very severe. A great number of children succumb before the age of reason, unable to resist the fatigues, privations and maladies which we understand, but for which they have no remedies.
It is a real feast day to baptize these poor little innocents baptism will have opened heaven to a great number whom I have had the good fortune to meet in my long excursions. I am firm in the conviction that they are interceding with God for me.
The council and baptismal ceremonies lasted until far into the evening. It was a lovely day. I return thanks to heaven and to the Blessed Virgin Mary for all favors received.
May 28th. I said mass late in the morning and gave an instruction at Fort Thompson. The garrison is principally composed of Irish, Germans and French, all Catholics. It was the first visit they had received from a priest. Accordingly a good number made haste to profit by my presence to approach the sacraments. I spent part of the day with them, and employed the remainder in conferences with the Indians, which was the main object of my mission.
May 29th. Early in the morning I became aware that one mule and my horse had strayed away during the night. I was not altogether easy about them: it was quite possible that the hostile Indians, who often roam this region, especially in the dark, had carried them off. I had recourse to the good Saint Anthony, and to my great joy, the two fugitives were brought back to me a short time after my prayer. Breakfast was ready. By seven o'clock we were
on the road. The country that we crossed offered the same aspect; various species of flowers continued abundant, while the singing and warbling of numerous birds enlivened to some extent those sad desert plains. We dined on the bank of the little creek called Chain of Rocks: pigeons, snipe and ducks came and offered themselves to our hunter and formed our meal. A curiosity remarkable enough to de-