consideration by Pope Gregory XVI. He returned to Belgium in December and spent the first part of the year 1865 in visiting the principal cities of that country and of Holland, England and Ireland. He sailed from Liverpool June 7th and was back in St. Louis on the last day of that month. He spent the rest of that year in St. Louis. (5)
In the year 1866 Father De Street made his last trip to Fort Benton. It was an interesting and profitable voyage and is told in great detail in the Letters. In particular, he prepared, at the request of a friend, descriptions of the Missouri river, the steamboats that plied it in his day, and the dangers and perils of its navigation, which are undoubtedly the most complete that have come down to us. Father De Street left St. Louis April 9th. At Fort Sully he met many
(5) Soon after Father De Smet sailed from Europe on this occasion he was made Chevalier of the Order of Leopold by the Belgian king. Following is a record of the event in the official journal, Le Moniteur Belge, of June 24, 1865:
(I) Ministères de la justice et des Affaires Etrangères.
Ordre de Léopold.- Nomination.
LEOPOLD, Roi des Belges,
A tous présents et à venir, SALUT.
Voulant donner au Révérend Père De Smet (P.-J.), missionnaire dans l'Amérique du Nord, un témoignage de Notre bienveillance;
Sur la proposition de Nos Ministres de la justice et des Affaires Etrangères,
Nous avons arrêté et arrêtons:
Art. 1er. Le Révérend Père De Smet (P.-J.) est nommé chevalier de l'Ordre de Léopold.
Il portera la décoration civile.
Art. 2. Il prendra rang dans I'Ordre à dater de ce jour.
Art. 3. Notre Ministre des affaires étrangères, ayant l'administration de l'Ordre, est chargé de l'exécution du présent arrêté.
Donné à Laeken, le 18 juin 1865.
LEOPOLD.
Par le Roi.
Le Ministre de la justice,
VICTOR TESCH.
Le Ministre des Affaires Etrangères.
Ch. ROGIER.