29th.  Moderate temperature continues.  A meeting of some of the leading persons of the place, citizens and officers, at which statements, embracing the above narrative, were made, which were quite satisfactory in regard to the reports above mentioned.  The reports are traced to a knot of free livers, free drinkers, and infidels, who meet a-nights, in the village, to be merry, and who drew some of the mission boys into their revelries.  A case of discipline in the church, which led, finally, to the excommunication of one of the leading persons of the place, has raised enemies to the Rev. Mr. F., who were present at these orgies, and helped to spread the report.

30th.  Service as usual, but more than usually interesting.

31st.  Mild weather continues; clear and sunny; snow melts.  The remaining ice is completely broken up by an easterly wind.  Visit Mr. Stuart’s child, which is very low.

April 1st.  A dark drizzly morning terminates before ten o’clock in rain.  It cleared away at noon; the broken ice of the day and night previous, is mostly driven down the lake by westerly winds.

Satisfied of the excellency of the mission school, I sent my children to it this morning.  The Rev. Mr. Ferry, Rev. Mr. Barber, Mr. Mitchell, Mr. D. Stuart, and Mr. Chapman dine with me.  In the evening, Capt. and Mrs. Barnum, and Lieut.  Kingsbury make a visit.

2d.  The harbor is now entirely clear of ice, with a west wind.  Wrote to Rev. D. Greene, Missionary Rooms, Boston, giving my opinion respecting the establishment of a mission among the Odjibwas at Fond du Lac, Lake Superior.

3d.  Pleasant, mild, clear.  Winter has now clearly relaxed his hold.  Indians who came in to-day from L’Arbre Croche, report that the ice is, however, still firm at Point Wa-gosh-ains (Little Fox Point), on the straits above.  This point forms the bight of the straits, some twenty miles off, at their entrance into Lake Michigan.  Attended the funeral of William Dolly, a Metif boy, of Indian extraction.

4th.  The season is visibly advancing in its warmth and mildness.  Began to prepare hot-beds.  Set boxes for flowers and tubs for roots.

5th.  The mission schooner “Supply” leaves the harbor on her first trip to Detroit, with a fine west wind, carrying our recent guests from St. Mary’s.  Transplant flowering shrubs.  Miss McFarland passes the day with Mrs. Schoolcraft at the agency.

7th.  Cloudy but mild.  Adjusting fixtures for gooseberry bushes, &c.

8th.  Superintending the construction of a small ornamental mound and side wall to the piazza, for shrubbery and flowers.  Books are now thrown by for the excitement of horticulture.  Some Indians visit the office.  It is remarkable what straits and suffering these people undergo every winter for a bare existence.  They struggle against cold and hunger, and are very grateful for the least relief. Kitte-mau-giz-ze Sho-wain-e-min, is their common expression to an agent—­I am poor, show me pity, (or rather) charity me; for they use their substantives for verbs.