TRAIL OF THE ASTORIANS 229 desire to identify other portions of their trail, and so for several years every fact that might throw light upon the subject was eagerly sought. Through the courtesy of Gen. H. M. Chit- tenden in lending manuscript notes used in the preparation of his most valuable work, the "American Fur Trade of the Far West," and with much assistance from Mr. T. C. Elliott, of Walla Walla, Wash., and from very many others, the entire route has been approximately ascertained. The first stage of the journey was along well known water- ways. Mr. Hunt and Mr. McKenzie started from Montreal, Canada, in July, 1810, and went by way of the Ottawa River and Georgian Bay to Mackinaw, Mich., where they obtained recruits for the expedition. Crossing Lake Michigan, they went by Green Bay across Wisconsin, by the Fox and Wiscon- sin Rivers, to the Mississippi, down which they sailed to St. Louis, Mo., where they arrived September 3rd,, 1810 (Chap- ter 13). Having obtained recruits, they left St. Louis October 21st, and ascended the Missouri River to near the present site of St. Joseph, Mo., where the expedition went into winter quar- ters, while Mr. Hunt returned to St. Louis. (Chapter 14.) Mr. Hunt, with additional recruits, left St. Louis March 12th, 1811, and having passed St. Charles, Mo., saw the famous hunter, Daniel Boone, at La Charette, near Marthasville, War- ren County, Missouri. At Fort Osage, near Sibley, Mo., he was met by a detachment of the expedition under Ramsay Crooks, who was destined, upon his return journey from As- toria, to taste bread at this place for the first time in nearly a year. (Chapter 15.) Having rejoined the expedition near St. Joseph, Mo., Mr. Hunt started April 21st and, following the route of Lewis and Clark, ascended the Missouri, passing the mouth of the Platte River and the present site of Omaha, little knowing how much time and suffering would have been saved if he had abandoned the river at that point and struck westward across the country. Continuing up the Missouri, they passed the hill, on the Ne- braska side of the river, a short distance below Sioux City,
