considerable party of Indians and white men started on their long and important journey upon that day. There were representatives from the Assimboins, Minnetarees and Crows and tile party consisted in all of thirty-two men. Their route took them across tile desolate waste west of the Yellowstone river in eastern Montana to Fort Alexander, which Father De Smet had visited twice or three times before. Thence they made their way southwardly, along the eastern base of the Bighorn mountains to the Platte river near tile present town of Casper, Wyoming. At this point they came upon the Oregon Trail, which was then the route of the vast emigration that was on its way to California and Oregon. It was an impressive sight, even to white men, and as to the Indians, let Father De Sinet tell of its effect upon them:
"Our Indian companions, who had never seen but the: narrow hunting-paths, by which they transport themselves and their lodges, were filled with admiration on seeing this noble highway, which is as smooth as a barn-floor swept by the winds, and not a blade of grass can shoot up on it on account of the continual passing. They conceived a high idea of the countless White Nation, as they express it. They fancied that all had gone over that road, and that an immense void must exist in the land of the rising sun. Their countenances testified evident incredulity when I told them that their exit was in nowise perceived in the lands of tile whites. They styled tile route the great medicine road of the whites. * * * They visited and examined in detail all tile forsaken camping-grounds on tile way; they brought a great variety of objects to me to have their use and signification explained; they filled their pouches with knives, forks. spoons, basins, coffee-pots and other cooking articles, axes, hammers, etc. With the bits of earthenware which bore any figure or inscription, they fabricated some ornament for their necks and ears. How wonderful will be tile accounts given of the great medicine road by our unsophisticated Indians when they go back to their villages and sit in the midst of an admiring circle of relatives."