31st.  Gen. Cass writes from Paris that he is on the eve of setting out, with his family, for the Levant, to embark on a tour to the East, to visit the ancient seats of oriental power.  “We proceed directly to Toulon, where we shall embark on board the frigate Constitution.  From thence we touch at Leghorn, Civita Vecchia, Naples, and Sicily, and then proceed to Alexandria.  After seeing Cairo, the Pyramids, Memphis, and, I hope, the Red Sea, we shall proceed to Palestine, look at Jerusalem, see the Dead Sea, and other interesting places of Holy Writ, pass by and touch at Tyre and Sidon, land at Beyrout, and visit Damascus and Baalbec, and probably Palmyra; touch at Smyrna, proceed to Constantinople and the Black Sea, and then to Greece, &c.; after that to the islands of the Archipelago, then up the Adriatic to Venice and Trieste, and thence return to this place.  So, you see, here is the programme of a pretty good expedition, certainly a very interesting one.”

April 6th.  By letters received from Albany, a singular chapter of the inscrutable course and awards of Providence for parental disobedience and youthful deception is revealed.  Alfredus, who departed from my office in Detroit early in March last, to receive a warrant as a cadet at West Point, has not appeared among his friends.  He was a young man of good mind, figure, and address, and would doubtless have justified the judgment of his friends in giving him a military education.  His father had been one of the patriots of 1776, and served on the memorable field of Saratoga.  But the young man was smitten with the romance of going to Texas and joining the ranks of that country, striving for a rank among nations.  This secret wish he carefully concealed from me, and, setting out with the view of returning to his father’s roof, and solacing his age by entering the military academy, he secretly took the stage to Columbus, Ohio.  Thence he pushed his way to New Orleans and Galveston.  The next intelligence received of him, was a careful measurement of his length, by unknown hands, and the statement that, in ascending the Brazos, he had taken the fever and died.

10th.  Issued notice to claimants for Indian debts, under the 5th article of the treaty of March 28th, 1886; that additional claims would be considered, and that such claims, with the evidence in support of them, must be produced previous to the first of June next.

26th.  Received notice of my election as a corresponding member of the Hartford Natural History Society, Connecticut.

I have filled the pauses of official duty, during the season, by preparing for the press the oral legends which have been gleaned from the Indians since my residence at Sault St. Marie, in the basin of Lake Superior, and at Michilimackinack, under the name of Algic Researches, vol. i.

10th.  By the treaty of 9th May, 1836, with the Swan Creek and Black River Chippewas, the United States agree to furnish them thirteen sections of land West, in lieu of the cessions relinquished in Michigan, besides accounting to them for the nett proceeds of the land ceded.  Measures were now taken to induce them to send delegates to the Indian territory west of the Missouri, to locate this tract, and an agent was appointed to accompany them.