1870. September 14, 1870.
Dear Doctor:
A short notice of my visit and missionary excursion among the Indian tribes of the upper Missouri river, in the course of last summer (June, July and August) may be acceptable to you. Notwithstanding the excessive heat and the fatigues of our long journey, we have had the consola
tion of gathering some spiritual fruit. On this occasion I had for companion the Reverend Father Pauken, a fervent and zealous laborer, filled with the spirit of his holy voca tion. In every locality the Indians received us with marked tokens of joy and kindness and paid great attention to our religious instructions and advices, in regard to their actual
position with Government. They occupy extensive " reservations " of land, they are clothed and fed and receive their weekly allowances, consisting of sugar, coffee, flour, corn, pork and fresh meat, and with this timely assistance they are kept from misery and starvation, for the buffalo, heretofore their daily bread, and other great animals are fast disappearing from their hunting grounds.
The Indians, everywhere, asked earnestly for missionaries. It is to be hoped that this ardent desire on their part may be accomplished and that early next spring, a permanent mission may be opened in their midst.
The nation of the Dacotahs or Sioux is divided in a great number of tribes with distinctive names who form a total number variously estimated at from 50,000 to 8o,ooo souls, roving over a far-extended wilderness. It is the most numerous nation in the United States. In our lasts missionary excursion, we have visited from 15,000 to 20,000 Sioux Indians. The number of baptisms of adults and children amount to 434.
a This word has a significance here which Father De Smet did not intend. The expedition of 1870 was the last of his many journeys into the Indian country.