"The Rifle Regiment-Give them latitude, and the longitude of the Missouri is within their scope."

Major B. O'Fallon's: "The officers of the Rifle Regiment-My heart was rejoiced to join you thus far up the Missouri." (From a communication dated Martin Cantonment, 16 August 1819.)

LEWIS AND CLARK'S ROCKY MOUNTAIN PASS

Oct. 6. Quotes from Brackenridge, Views of Louisiana: "The route taken by Lewis and Clarke across the mountains was perhaps the very worst that could have been selected. Mr. Henry, a member of the Missouri fur company, and his hunters have discovered several passes, not only very practicable, but even in their present state less difficult than those of the Allegheny Mountains. These are considerably south of the source of the Jefferson river."

YELLOWSTONE EXPEDITION

Argues that persons at a distance ought not to furnish the supplies for the troops of the Upper Missouri and Mississippi this year. "This is the way it was done last year. The Messrs. Johnson had the contract (what contract have they not had for the last six years?), failed to furnish, and the commissary department at St. Louis has expended some sixty or eighty thousand dollars to bring up the deficiency. . . . The Boon's-lick country alone would perhaps be competent to the supply of the posts at the Council Bluffs and the Mandan villages."

Oct. 30. "Maj. Long and Dr. Jessup, from the Council Bluffs, arrived in St. Louis on the 25th inst. They left the Bluffs on the 15th.

"Col. Atkinson with his command had arrived there on the 29th ultimo. . . ." The Western Engineer had arrived some time before the troops, "and might have gone several hundred miles further, but it was not deemed

advisable to precede the military expedition until the temper of the Indians was better ascertained.

"On their descent Maj. Long and Dr. Jessup saw the steam boat Expedition at Cow Island, three hundred miles short of Council Bluffs; the Johnson near the mouth of the Kanzas; and the Jefferson at the mouth of the Osage; all lying bye, and at the highest points to which they had respectively ascended. Their ladings had gone on in keel boats."

PAWNEE IN 1819

Quotes from Council Bluffs letters saying that, "The Panis live up the Platte in three bands, but perfectly united, have 2000 warriors, and are the terror of the surrounding tribes. They have never felt the arms of the U. S. and have not been very careful to avoid giving us displeasure."

Council Bluffs is "a most beautiful situation. . . . It is a fine position for a strong military post, being a point which will hold in check the Panis, Otto's, Iowa's, Maha's, and some bands of the Sioux, all living within three or four days' march and able to bring into the field four thousand warriors."

YELLOWSTONE EXPEDITION

Nov. 24. Two letters written by James Johnson and one by R. M. Johnson, showing close collusive relations between them and the Bank of St. Louis. One undated, one January 8, 1818, the other, December 21, 1819. Also a letter from Major Thomas Biddle about the robbery of his party by the Pawnee-date, August 24, 1819.

Nov. 27. "The National Intelligencer states that the steamboat Expedition and the keel boats arrived at Cow Island on the same day, thereby intimating that they made equal progress in ascending the Missouri, when the fact was, that the keels waited several weeks at Fort Osage for the Expedition to come up.

"The troops, in their ascent, abandoned the steam boat transportation at Martin's Cantonment, and went from thence to the Council Bluffs in 23 days (270 miles) from 6th to 29th September.-They had consumed 76 days, embarrassed with steam boats, in getting from Belle Fontaine to Martin's Cantonment (from 14th June to 29th Aug.) 350 miles.

"The following is the position of the steam boats. Western Engineer, nine miles below the Cantonment, safely moored for the winter.

The Expedition, at Cow Island, in the river, and exposed to much danger, if not removed.

The Johnson, near the mouth of the Kanzas, probably safe.

The Thomas Jefferson, near the mouth of the Osage, in the river, and doomed to almost certain destruction.

"Quere: If the three latter vessels are destroyed by ice this winter, or by floods in the spring, on whom will the loss fall? The people of the United States, or the Messrs. Johnson's? The latter have them in charge, but it is believed the people built them."

June 7, 1820. "The Expedition, on her way to Council Bluffs carrying supplies to the troops, passed Boon'slick on the 8th day after leaving St. Louis, and was going on well."

May 17, 1820. "The Missouri Packet" on her way to Council Bluffs with provisions for the troops ran against a snag some distance above Boon's-lick, bilged, and was run aground on a sand bar to prevent sinking. "The cargo is said to be saved and probably the boat." This was the first accident to a steamboat on the Missouri. This boat "was mastering the current."

Wednesday, May 24. The Expedition sailed on Saturday last (20th).