ent. It is still probable
that I shall be at Potosi next tuesday Morning. To travel on Sunday, and
particularly to do so without an opportunity of preaching, will be very
hard. There will probably be only 4 passengers besides myself on the
return. There was a little boat the other [day?] a-head of us, and I
hoped she might be detained at the fort until Monday--but that prospect
has vanished, for she has just past us descending to Galena.

"It is supposed to be 500 miles from St. Louis to Prairie du Chien and
300 from there to St. Peters. We stopt at Prairie du Chien for some
hours and a Judge Lockwood came on board who with his wife is an
Episcopalian. He told me there are several in and about the town & he
thought the prospect of organizing a church a fair one if a Missionary
could be obtained (We are off the sand bar). From the prairie our voyage
has been delightful. At the distance of a mile or two from the river on
each side are ranges of lofty hills, in a great variety of shapes. Many
of them appeared as if the river had flowed for ages near to their tops.
Some of them looked as if they had been cut in two; and on the peaks of
several were large blocks of rock. As we were woodding I spoke of going
up to one of them but was told it was dangerous on account of
rattle-snakes. There is a curious fact connected with that reptile.
Cannon river flows into the Mis^i from the west--it is a long & narrow
stream--nine miles above Lake Pepin. They are never found north of that
stream, although they abound below it. One of the hills we saw yesterday
had 3 or 4 large blocks of rock upon it, called the pot and kettles from
their resemblance to those useful utensils. The prairies were frequent &
some peculiarly attractive. On Wabasa's we saw a Sioux village--and a
farmer's establishment--he being sent there by the U. S. to civilize the
Indians. This morning we passed another village called Red Wings but saw
very few of the inhabitants. The corn field was very ... [illegible] and
there were in it elevated frames where the boys are kept to scare away
the blackbirds. I saw smoke near the frames, the boys having kindled a
fire to roast ears of corn for their comfort. The Sioux have winter &
summer houses. The latter are conical made of buffalo robes
covering poles. The summer lodges looked something like poor log huts &
are made of poles & elm bark. Near Red Wings village there is a Miss^y
establishment from Switzerland.--Lake Pepin is