river, and followed this nearly to its source in the pass over the divide at the foot of the Great Glacier - Here (May 1st) they encamped to await the arrival of the annual brigade of the Hudson Bay Company from the Columbia - About May 6th started across the mountains on snowshoes - Descended to the Columbia at the mouth of Canoe river amid the greatest hardship and suffering, to which Father De Smet declares that he would surely have succumbed if it had not been for the aid of a small band of Indians that he encountered.
May 10th left Boat Encampment in a skiff and descended the Columbia - Arrived at Fort Colville " toward the end of the month " of May - Continued his journey in company with a Hudson Bay party and arrived in due time at Vancouver.
Father De Smet visited the establishments in the Willaniette valley and then returned to Fort Vancouver \\-here lie procured supplies for the missions and started on his return to the mountains - Traveled via Fort Walla Walla and the Coeur d'Alène Mission and arrived ~ft St. Mary's Mission, probably about August 10th.
"The expenses for the support of all our establishments had been great and it was thought necessary to send a Father to the States to provide for them. The Fathers unanimously expressed their desire that I undertake again this long and hazardous voyage." Left St. Mary's August 16th - Crossed the divide to Jefferson river - Traveled by way of the Three Forks and Bozeman Pass to the Yellowstone - Descended the Yellowstone to the mouth of the Big Horn about September 7th - Set out with Flatheads in northwest direction to find Blackfeet and conclude peace - Succeeded in accomplishing this in Judith Basin not far from Fort Lewis (later Fort Benton)- Proceeded with all the Indians to the fort.
September 28th Father De Smet set out in a skiff for St. Louis - Arrived at Fort Union October 11th; at Fort