A full half hour was consumed in crossing, and passing over two islands on our route. At length we reached the opposite bank, where we were greeted by numbers of Pawnees, who were awaiting our arrival. A difficulty which now presented itself before us was to get the wagon up the steep bluff, the sides of which had become slippery by the falling rain. To obviate this difficulty it was necessary to go nearly a mile down the river, through their cornfields, in the bottom, to a place where it was not quite so steep as elsewhere.—At length, being arrived at the village, we found, in spite of the rain, crowds standing around the chief’s lodge, to receive and to welcome the missionaries.— Having secured everything loose about the wagon that might be liable to be stolen, and entrusted our baggage, harness and animals to the care of the chief, we entered the lodge of our host. We were not a little surprised, when we came in, to find that it was a spacious apartment, a description of which will be given at another time. We had hardly reached the place when a young gentleman in the employment of the Government arrived in company with the United States interpreter at Fort Kearney, a _black_ man, who speaks the Pawnee fluently. They had travelled the whole distance, without an escort, alone;—Fort Kearney being about 150 miles further up the Platte river. This young man was sent out to the different tribes of Prairie Indians, the Pawnees among the rest, in order to invite them to attend a General Council of Tribes at Fort Laramie, to be held about the beginning of September. While Mr. Allis and ourselves, and the above-named persons from Fort Kearney lodged with Siskatuppe, the principal chief of the village, Mr. Sharpee put up at the lodge of the chief Gatarritatkutz, who had travelled with us, and with whom he is accustomed to tarry whenever he comes to the village to trade.