I had never regarded these manuscripts, gleaned from the lodges with no little pains-taking, as mere materials to be worked up by the literary loom, although the work should be done by one of the most popular and fascinating American pens.  I feared that the roughness, which gave them their characteristic originality and Doric truthfulness, would be smoothed and polished off to assume the shape of a sort of Indo-American series of tales; a cross between the Anglo-Saxon and the Algonquin.

28th.  Switzerland enters the missionary field of America for the purpose of improving the condition of the aborigines.  This impressed me as well.  We leave the red man sitting in every want, at our doors, and rush to India.  It is true, that field counts its millions, where we can thousands.  But an appeal to the missionary record shows, if I am not greatly mistaken, that the proportionate number of converts from an Indian tribe is greater than that of the tribes of Asia, and that an infinitely greater sum is expended by our churches for every convert to Christianity made among the heathen of Asia than of America.  The Rev. Henry Olivier, from the Evangelical Society in Switzerland, visited me, this day, with a companion in his labors.  He detailed to me his plans.  It is his design to select the Dacotah tribe, on the Upper Mississippi, as the object of his exertions.

June 2d.  Commenced setting new pickets in front of the agency lot, and removing the old ones of white cedar, which, tradition says, have stood near half a century.

15th.  The editors of the Knickerbocker Magazine (Clark and Edson) solicit contributions to its pages.  This periodical has always maintained a respectable rank, and appears destined to hold on its course.  I am too far out of the world to judge well.  The conflict of periodicals appears to increase; but I do not think that the number of sound readers, who seek useful knowledge, keeps pace with it.  I think not.  We seem to be on the eve of a light and trifling kind of literature, which is hashed up with condiments for weak stomachs.

July 2d.  The weather, for the entire month of June, was most delightful and charming.  On one of the latter days of the month the fine and large steamer “Michigan” came into the harbor, with a brilliant throng of visitors, among the number the Secretary of War (Gen. Cass) and his daughter.  The arrival put joy and animation into every countenance.  The Secretary reviewed the troops, and visited the Agency, and the workshops for the benefit of the Indians.  He, and the gay and brilliant throng, visited whatever was curious and interesting, and embarked on their return to Detroit, after receiving the warm congratulations of the citizens.  I took the occasion to accompany the party to Detroit.