stations: St. Paul at Kettle Falls and St. Francis Regis at Lake De Boey -
August 9th Father De Smet set out for the Blackfoot country via the upper Columbia - He went to Lake Pend d'Oreille by canoe - Thence crossed the country through thick forests to the Kootenai river, called by him Flatbow or McGillivray river - Met the Kootenai Indians - Ascended the Kootenai to where it comes close to the source of the Columbia - Crossed over to the Columbia September 4th - Descended the Columbia past a number of lakes near its source - Recrossed the dividing ridge to the Kootenai near the mouth of the Vermillion river -Ascended this tributary to its source in the Continental Divide - Crossed to the headwaters of the south fork of the Saskatchewan September 15th -Traveled through dense forests and a rugged mountainous country to the Rocky Mountain House on the North Fork October 4th - Met a small band of Blackfoot here - Set out on a long expedition to the south in search of the main Blackfoot band but could not find it, on account of heavy snowfalls which destroyed the trail - After three weeks of intense suffering, returned to Rocky Mountain House, and went thence to Fort Augustus on the Saskatchewan, arriving there December 31st.
Distance traveled, 3,480 miles.
1846.
Father De Smet spent the winter at Fort Augustus making one excursion to Lake St. Anne and St. Anne Mission - March 12th he set out for Fort Assiniboin on the Athabasca on a sled drawn by four dogs - Arrived at Fort Assiniboin on the 18th- Ascended the river on the ice to Fort Jasper - Provisions being scarce, nearly the whole population of the post went to the Lake of Islands where game and fish were more plentiful and remained until April 25th - Father De Smet then started on his return journey - Ascended the Athabasca to a tributary, Trou or Hole