While on Little Bayou Sara they learned of the formation of Mississippi Territory and the appointment of Winthrop Sargent as governor.[150] The new governor arrived in Natchez August 6th, and General Wilkinson on the 26th, but Sargent's health did not permit him to organize the government until the next month. But Ellicott was now outside civil complications. He made new encampments on the line at Big Bayou Sara (whence Dunbar returned to his home near Natchez,) Thompson's Creek, Darling's Creek and Pearl or Half Way River. At Thompson's the observations covered the satellites of Jupiter by night, and the sun by day. After leaving Thompson's Creek they had much trouble crossing swamps and rafting over deep streams. Those named on his map are Comite, Beaver Creek, Amite, Ticfaw, Tanchipahoe, and Boguechitoe, all easily recognized. The soil generally was poor, covered with pines on the sandy uplands. He naively tells us that while at Darling's a confidential letter from the Spanish governor-general to a Spanish officer "fell into my hands for a few hours." What right he had to open and read official correspondence between officials of a power with whom his country was at peace does not appear, but espionage went so far at this period that an American commandant at Natchez had tried to intercept Ellicott's own letters. Evidently Ellicott thought the end justified his own means. For he discovered that improper correspondence had been carried on between Spanish officials and "some gentlemen in the western part of the Union," and that nearly $20,000 had been shipped from New Orleans in that connection. Ellicott copied the "interesting parts" and dispatched them to the Department of State. This may account for Wilkinson's hostility. November 17-19 was occupied cutting a road through the cane brake, building rafts and ferrying across Pearl River. Here they had trouble getting provisions. Supplies and the large sector had arrived by water at a bluff at the mouth of the river, but the boat could not pass two natural rafts that blocked up the stream, as they often did. Gillespie succeeded in cutting through, but provisions meantime ran out except beef. Fortunately a small supply was secured by pack-horse from Thompson's Creek, and after two weeks Gillespie came back from New Orleans, bringing a few barrels of flour. After arranging for Gillespie to correct back to Thompson's Creek, and Daniel Burnet to carry the guide line on to the Mobile, Ellicott himself went down the river, and thence through the Rigolets to New Orleans, where he arrived January 4, 1799. There he obtained supplies, conferred with Gayoso, and took observations with his six feet sector.