ment already on the Nishnabotna. Messrs. Allis, Curtis (3) and Dunbar are still in Bellevue, waiting for their respective flocks to become more steady and to settle permanently.
In the beginning of last November, two young Potawatomies, a grandson of old Blackfoot (who died last summer) and a son of old Miami, were killed on the head waters of the Des Moines. Not ascertained as yet whether the party were Sauks, Iowas, or Santees of the St. Peters river. Mr. Caldwell and family, P. Le Clair, the families La Framboise are all doing very well at present. There has been a great deal of sickness among the nation. I do not think that anybody escaped the fever. I had my first trial of it. * * * Mr. Harden's family well except little David who for some time past has been much subject to fits and fever. He is somewhat improving at present. Mrs. Scugin and her son Ramsay, Miss Henrietta, Messrs. Dick and Allen are below at Westport.
Dear friend, from the above statement you may easily gather, that our prospects are not so very bright and flattering, surrounded as we are by so many evils and obstacles, which all our efforts to the contrary are not able to stem. Indians are weak, laws disregarded, money a powerful temptation for the wicked white man and half-breed. We have not lost courage, however; a short sketch of our little mission will show that our endeavors have not been altogether fruitless and unavailing. We performed the ceremonies of marriage for twenty-three couples who have so far remained very steady and promised to remain so till death will part them for better or for worse. We baptized in all 242, among whom were upward of eighty adults, most of them half breeds and some Indians. Forty have been admitted already to the Lord's Supper. Some I must own have slackened,
(3) See previous note, page 154. "Mr. Curtis could preach a good sermon and probably would be useful in the states, where all was pleasant and agreeable, but did not succeed with the Indians."-Allis.