Editing 1:54:166

to satisfy the Hon Com<sup>r</sup> Ind<sup>n</sup> affairs that the excuse given to Co<sup>l</sup> Vaughan is a poor one, it is only necessary to state that the very men who were sent as a delegation in 1845 to examine & explore their new country were present & composed, in part, the council on the 10th inst. when through [their?] principal Chief Lafontaine, they were heard to say that their country had been grossly misrepresented to them by white men, & that they had found it much better than they anticipated &c. By this I suppose they meant Mssrs Avaline, Miller & Falk as these three white men accompanied the exploring delegation in August 1845.

They who [illeg] sat in this last council did come here in August 1845 as an authorized delegation from the nation namely, Tuk-wak-ke-ah, alias Capt. Brewyett, Pim-y-o-tem-ah, Shop-pen-doceah Os-sos-son-gah alias George Hunt, an educated half-breed, and acting U.S. Interpreter, and also Louis the eldest son of Chief Lafontaine, a young man about 20 years of age. These men came to this country in 1845 at the expense of the nation, to examine it & spent over $500-which was paid by the sub-Agent Mr. Sinclair in Oct of the same year. They were regularly selected as a delegation by the nation to come and examine & report upon this country. They came here in August 1845 as before stated. took an intelligent Weaw Indian who knew their country well, for their guide, explore the country, passed down (as they now admit) the valley of the<u> identical</u> creek where the Emigration is now camped, they were accompanied by the three white men I have named.

I saw them in St. Louis on their return from