Mr.M'Dougal, the resident agent, being confined to his room by sickness, the duty of receiving the strangers devolved on me.

My astonishment was not slight, when one of the party called me by name, as he extended his hand, and I recognised Mr.Donald M'Kenzie, the same who had quitted Montreal, with Mr.W.P.Hunt, in the month of July, 1810.

He was accompanied by a Mr.Robert M'Lellan, a partner, Mr.John Reed, a clerk, and eight _voyageurs_, or boatmen.
After having reposed themselves a little from their fatigues, these gentlemen recounted to us the history of their journey, of which the following is the substance.
Messrs.

Hunt and M'Kenzie, quitting Canada, proceeded by way of Mackinac and St.Louis, and ascended the Missouri, in the autumn of 1810, to a place on that river called _Nadoway_, where they wintered.
Here they were joined by Mr.R.M'Lellan, by a Mr.Crooks, and a Mr.
Mueller, traders with the Indians of the South, and all having business relations with Mr.Astor.
In the spring of 1811, having procured two large keel-boats, they ascended the Missouri to the country of the _Arikaras_, or Rice Indians, where they disposed of their boats and a great part of their luggage, to a Spanish trader, by name _Manuel Lisa_.

Having purchased of him, and among the Indians, 130 horses, they resumed their route, in the beginning of August, to the number of some sixty-five persons, to proceed across the mountains to the river Columbia.