30th.  Moazomonee, nephew, and brother-in-law, came for some muskrat traps I had promised him on his last visit.  As this man belongs to a band on the head of River St. Croix, 700 miles inland, and will return there in the spring, the opinions he may imbibe of our government may have an important influence with his relatives, and I therefore determined to make a favorable impression upon him by issuing some presents.  In his lodge are four men, three women, and a number of children.  Issued sixteen rations.

Decr. 1st.  Cath. and Gikkaw applied for awls.

2d.  Oshawano and his youngest son.  Said he had three daughters who had to cut wood every day, and had no axe of their own; that he was in want of an ice-chisel; fever in family.  Gave him twenty rations.  Thanked me and bade me good-day.

4th.  Caubamossa, nephew, wife, and child.  Twelve rations.

4th.  Odawau, Refused provisions.  Elder brother to Oshawano, alias Weenekiz.

4th.  Getsha Akkewaize.  Refused provisions.  Told him that on account of visits to D.I., &c.

4th.  Moazonee came for traps promised him, also a knife and fire-steel.  Told him to hunt assiduously, but if he could procure nothing, to come to me for provisions.

7th.  Merchand.  Old iron to mend.

7th.  Nauwaquaygahig. 12, axe, &c.

9th.  Namewunagunboway. 12.

9th.  Merchand.  Twenty rations, five persons.

9th.  Meesho.

13th.  Ketetckeewagauboway.  Axe and spears.

13th.  Gitshee Ojibway.

13th.  Metackossegay.

17th.  Naugitchigome called at house.  Sent off with, a reprimand never to call on Sunday.

18th.  Iaubence brought some birds.  Gave rations.

My correspondence during the autumn was by no means neglected.  Col.  McKenney, Com.  Ind.  Affairs, writes (Oct. 17th) in his usual friendly vein.  The official influence of his visit to this remote portion of the country is seen in several things.  He has placed a sub-agent at La Pointe.  He has approved the agent’s course of policy pursued here, and placed the Indian affairs generally on a better basis.

In his “sketches” of his recent tour, he seeks to embody personal and amusing things which daily befell the party—­matters upon which he was quite at home.  I had mentioned to him, while here, that the time and labor necessary to collect information on Indian topics, of a literary character, imposed a species of research worthy of departmental patronage; that I was quite willing to contribute in this way, and to devote my leisure moments to further researches on the aboriginal history and languages, if the government would appropriate means to this end.  I took the occasion to put these views in writing, and, by way of earnest, enclosed him part of a vocabulary.