but feel gratified at the progress that had been made. He says in one of his letters: "Last year the Feast of St. Ignatius proved for me a day of danger, trial and uneasiness. I love to recall it to my mind, for it terminated joyfully, and so gloriously that I know my companions can never forget it, and they will return lasting thanks to the Almighty for the display of his mercy. Without a chart or any knowledge of the mouth of the Columbia, we traversed, as if borne on angels' wings, the bar of this formidable river. This year I passed the Feast of St. Ignatius amidst many occupations, but they were of such a nature as to console the missionary's heart, and repay him a hundred fold for the trifling privations, pains and fatigues he endures."
The Blackfeet Indians, traditional enemies of the Flatheads and other tribes among which De Smet was operating, were at this time giving a great deal of trouble, and even menacing the continued existence of St. Mary's Mission. It seemed a necessary step to bring about some understanding with them. Father De Smet, in his capacity of spiritual envoy extraordinary, assumed, on more than one occasion, the power to make treaties of peace. With an admirable common sense he reasoned that peace could never be objectionable and no exceptions could be taken by the Government to his efforts to bring it about wherever it did not exist. Accordingly he now resolved to make a personal visit to the Blackfeet and endeavor to put some check upon their warlike operations. He traveled by the Canadian route which took him far to the north. It would have been much easier to reach the Blackfeet by going from the Flatheads direct to the Missouri river, and the only reason which suggests itself for his taking the course he did was to visit new tribes with a view of spreading his work as widely as possible. His mind was full of his vast design of building tip in this country a mighty spiritual empire and he stopped at no hardships to carry out his scheme. He speaks of " taking