to hear the complaints of the Indians and make a faithful report of them to the Great Father. The chief answered and promised to make use of his influence to bring the young men to peace.
Toward three in the afternoon, we started for the new Fort Sully by a fine road. We made twenty-five miles in three hours. The steamboat Graham was there with five companies of soldiers destined for the different forts. Our arrangements were quickly made; we left at the fort our vehicles, animals and baggage, and took our places on the boat.
June loth. The steamboat made an early start, but advanced scarcely twenty miles in the day. All the time was consumed in cutting and taking on wood to supply the furnaces. They are so greedy that they devour each day twenty-five cords of this combustible. The Graham is 249
feet in length. It is a floating palace, and the largest boat that has ever come up the Upper Missouri.
My quality of envoy extraordinary of the Government carries with it the title of Major, strangely mated, it must be owned, with that of Jesuit. Still, it must be said in its behalf that it gives me readier access among the soldiers, a great many of whom are Catholics. I gave them, not
as a major but as a priest, all my spare moments. Sunday, I said mass in public, in the spacious ladies' cabin; and every day I offered the holy sacrifice in my private stateroom, with the consolation of being able to distribute holy communion
to several. I found myself conducting a small mission on board: my days were passed in doing the catechism, and instructing and confessing the soldiers, who hastened to
come before me. As we went along, I baptized a lady and her children.
June 16th. We arrived at Fort Rice, 26o miles distant from Fort Sully. Head-winds and the necessity of cutting wood had delayed us greatly. At Rice, on both sides of the river, were about 530 lodges encamped and waiting for
our coming. All the tribe of the Yanktonnais, 380 lodges, 56