r
old foe, the Dacotahs. It was still possible to arrest it or break it
up. I wrote to the Indian Agent at St. Peter's. A message was dispatched
by Kabamappa to Chacopee and Buffalo at Snake Rivers, with directions to
forward it to Petit Corbeau, the leading chief of the River Sioux. I
determined to hasten back so as to meet my appointment with the large
band of Mozojeed at Lac Courtorielle, and to proceed myself to Neenaba's
village. I stated my determination to the Yellow Lake Indians, and urged
their concurrence in my plans, assuring them that I spoke the voice of
the President of the United States, who was determined to preserve and
carry out the principles of pacification which had been commenced and
agreed to, as the basis of the general treaty of Prairie du Chien of
1825. He had spoken to them at that treaty by two men whom they all well
know from St. Louis to Lake Superior--namely, by the Red-Head (so they
call General William Clark) and their Great Father at Detroit (General
Cass). He would not suffer their words to fall to the ground and be
buried. I stood up to renew them. It was by peace and not war that they
could alone flourish. Their boundaries were all plainly established by
that treaty, and there was no sound pretence why one tribe should pass
over on the lands of another. If he did pass, there was no reason at all
why he should carry a hatchet in his hand or a war eagle's feather
in his hair.

Shai-wun-e-gun-aibee responded in favorable terms as to the general
subject. The old men desired peace, but could not always control their
young men, especially when they heard that their men had been struck.
His voice and hand would be ever on the side of his great American
father, and he believed his hands were long enough to reach out and hold
them still. He concluded by some complaints against their trader
Dingley. Said that he had presented them a map of the Yellow River
country, and wished them to give it to him. That he had ill-used some of
them by taking away goods which he had before sold them, because they
had not paid all.

MOUNDS, SO CALLED.--Before quitting Yellow River, I asked Kabamappa
whether the Pe-li-co-gun-au-gun was a natural or artificial mound. He
replied, that it was natural. There were three more of these elevations
on the opposite side of the river. He knew nothing further of them. A
large pine was growing on the top of one of them.

Having concluded the business with the Indians, I d