University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER XXI.

RETURN FROM FORT MC KENZIE TO FORT UNION, FROM THE 14TH TO THE 29TH OF SEPTEMBER.

The morning of the 14th of September was fine and bright, and promised us a pleasant
voyage. By noon all our effects were put on board the new boat, and it became more and more
evident that we had not sufficient room in this vessel. The great cages, with the live bears, were
placed upon the cargo in the centre, and prevented us from passing from one end of the boat to
the other; besides this, there was not room for us to sleep on board; this was a most unfavourable
circumstance, because it obliged us always to lie to for the night. At one o'clock in the
afternoon, we took leave of our kind host, Mr. Mitchell, and of his only companion, Mr. Cuthbertson;
all the inhabitants of the fort accompanied us to the river, where a cannon was placed to
salute us. We had lived so long together in this wilderness, that we naturally took a lively
interest in the fate of those who remained behind to pass the winter in a place where they would
be exposed to so many dangers and privations, and wished them courage and perseverance to
encounter them. Our boat glided rapidly along, and we soon took a last look at the fort and its
inhabitants, to whom we waved our hands to bid them a last farewell. In half-an-hour we reached
the place where we had passed the last night before we arrived at the fort in the keel-boat, and the
steersman now chose the northern channel, which led, about half past two o'clock, by the ruins
of the old fort. Opposite the mouth of Maria River we saw a herd of eight antelopes, and several
others at other places; likewise Virginian deer, and many birds, especially jays and sparrow-hawks.

On Maria River, in particular, there were various kinds of birds in the high trees. Here
Mr. Mitchell had shot a blue-headed jay which was hopping on the ground.

Towards four o'clock a thunder-storm came on, and the sky became entirely covered with
thick clouds. As we had reason to be on our guard against the Indians, we regretted that my
two bears were unusually dissatisfied with their confinement, and manifested their feelings by
moaning and growling, which might very easily have attracted some hostile visitors. We lay to,
before twilight, at a prairie on the right, where we had an extensive view, kindled a fire, and
dressed our meat, part of which was put on board, and we continued our voyage. When night
was fully set in, we were on the steep high bank on the south side of the Missouri, and, as it was
too dark to proceed, we fastened the boat to some trunks of trees, and passed a very uncomfortable
night, lying on our deck, while a heavy cold rain prevented us from sleeping.

On the next morning, the 15th of September, we were in a lamentable plight. We were all
of us, more or less, wet and benumbed, as the boat had no deck, and we found, to our great
dismay, that this new vessel was very leaky, so that the greater part of our luggage was wet
through. The rain had ceased, and a bleak wind chilled our wet limbs; as soon, therefore, as we
had baled out the greater part of the water, we hastened to proceed on our voyage. When
we approached the Gate of the Stone Walls, the sun was just rising behind that interesting opening.
Some numerous herds of antelopes and bighorns looked down from the singular sandstone
walls on the early disturbers of their repose. We would gladly have gone in pursuit of
these animals, in order to obtain some game; but it was high time to ascertain the damage done
by the water. When the sun had risen a little higher, we landed on the south bank, and made a
large fire, for which we took the wood of an old Indian hunting-hut, in a wood of tall poplars.
Our drenched buffalo robes and blankets were brought on shore to dry, and I discovered, to my
great regret, that the pretty striped squirrel (Tamias quadrivittatus, Say), which I had hoped
to bring alive to Europe, was drowned in its cage. Morrin, who rambled in the neighbouring
wood with his rifle, while breakfast was getting ready, killed a fine skunk with a shot, which did
not differ from those in Pennsylvania.

After stopping about an hour, during which time we had warmed and refreshed ourselves
with coffee and meat, we proceeded, and at half-past nine reached the commencement of the
Stone Walls, properly so called, the last black tower-like rock of which, on the north bank, first
met the eye. At any other time I should have been again highly interested by the remarkable
features of this spot; but now I was extremely impatient to know the extent of our loss. Numbers of
wild sheep were everywhere seen; but the still more numerous colonies of swallows had retired at the
coming of autumn, and, instead of these, we saw flocks of magpies on the mountains. We gave
chase in vain to a couple of very large elks. At half-past eleven we passed the mouth of Stonewall
Creek, and lay to about 200 paces above, at the steep declivity of the prairie on the

north bank. As the sun now shone with considerable power, we hastened completely to unload
the boat, to open and unpack all the chests and trunks, one by one. How grieved were we to
find all our clothes, books, collections, some mathematical instruments, in a word, all our effects,
entirely wet and soaked. The chests were, for the most part, open in all the joints, and quite
useless; but what afflicted me the most, was my fine botanical collection of the Upper Missouri,
made with labour and expense of time, which I could not now put into dry paper, and which
therefore, was, for the most part, lost, as well as the Indian leather dresses, which became mouldy.
We had now no resource but to remain where we were till most of our things were dried; a
most disagreeable necessity. A large spot of the prairie was covered with our scattered effects,
and a wind arising caused some disorder among our goods, and we were obliged to take care
that nothing might be lost. My extensive herbarium had to be laid, on account of the wind,
under the shelter of the eminences of a small lateral ravine, which took me the whole day, and yet
all the plants became black and mouldy.

At this place, Morrin killed, for the use of our kitchen, a deer (Cervus macrotis),
which had already assumed its grey under coat. This kind of deer is distinguished and well
known by its long ears, which are especially remarkable in the female, as the annexed woodcut
shows. When the flesh was cooked, we all wrapped ourselves in our blankets, and lay down to

sleep on the high bank of the river, while two persons constantly kept guard, and were relieved
every two hours. I had to keep watch with Thiebaut from nine to eleven o'clock, which was not
an unpleasant time, as the night was warm and still, and rather moonlight. A deer crossed the
river pretty near us, as it began to dawn, but nobody fired, in order not to make any unnecessary
noise. We remained at this place till nearly evening on the 16th of September. Happily
for us the sun was again very warm, and, combined with the wind, saved a part of our effects.

After our cooking was finished, and all the chests put on board again, we continued our
voyage, passed the Citadel Rock, to which we bid adieu for ever, not without regret; saw wolves,
wild sheep, and a multitude of bats, the latter of which flew rapidly over the bright mirror of the
river, and halted for the night at a sandy flat below a high bank, where I had the first watch. While
the remainder of the company lay on the ground, wrapped in their blankets, and sunk in deep
sleep, I amused myself with contemplating the grotesque ghost-like formation of the white sandstone
of the Stone Walls, amidst the howling of the wolves, and the melancholy note of the owl
(Strix Virginianus).

The next morning (17th September) we passed rapidly through the Gate of the Stone Walls,
where the wonders described in a preceding chapter passed us as in a dream. They would, perhaps,
have left but an indistinct and gradually fading impression, had not the skilful hand of the
draughtsman rescued them from oblivion. Only trappers (beaver hunters) and the engagés of
the Fur Company sometimes look with indifference on these interesting scenes of nature, the
value of which few of them can appreciate; the greater number esteem a few dollars above all
the wonders of the Rocky Mountains. Towards eight o'clock we prepared our breakfast in a
prairie on the northern bank, and warmed our benumbed limbs, while herds of buffaloes were
grazing on the hills. On the beach we saw the track of a large bear, and of many stags, elks, and
buffaloes. Eagles, ravens, crows, and magpies flew about the river. At ten o'clock we reached
the place where, on our journey up the river, we had met the Gros Ventres des Prairies; now we did
not see a living creature—a most striking contrast! Towards noon we were at the flat, extensive
prairie at the mouth of Judith River, which we passed at twelve o'clock. Large herds of buffaloes
were feeding here, which we did not disturb, because we conjectured that there were Indians
in the neighbourhood, and therefore proceeded very cautiously. Large buffalo bulls swam backwards
and forwards across the river, very near us; we did not, however, fire at them. The flesh
of these animals is, besides, not good at this season. A little further down we again saw, on the
north bank, a herd of several hundred bulls, cows, and calves. The bellowing of the bulls was
incessant, and we lay to at a sandy island, covered with poplar and willow thickets, in order to
surprise them, in which, however, we did not entirely succeed. Morrin, indeed, crept softly
amongst the herd, but was obliged to fire as he lay on the ground, and missed his aim three times.
As we could not get a cow, we were forced to be content with a bull, which Morrin shot, a little
further down, out of a small herd of twenty-four. We might easily have killed more of these
animals, for, after the shot was fired, they were so frightened, that they ran about in confusion,
without observing their enemy. We took the flesh of the bull that was killed, and at half-past
five lay to above Dauphin's Rapid, to dress our meat. At this place Morrin shot a couple of

female bighorns, which gave us a change of diet. We afterwards passed the rapid without accident
in the twilight, and lay to below it, on the south bank, making no noise, and without a fire. While
I was keeping watch I saw, at ten o'clock, a splendid meteor, or aurora borealis, partly obscured by
clouds. A long stripe of bright white, extending from east to west, was very clearly defined, and
separated from the horizon. The phenomenon continued for about an hour, when the sky became
covered with clouds, and rain fell. Meantime the wolves had been quarrelling on the opposite
bank, as I inferred from their loud howling.

The following day (the 18th) led us through the remarkable valley of the Mauvaises Terres.
Unfortunately we had, on this day, a bleak cold wind on our backs, which frightened away the
numerous bighorns, elks, and many herds of buffaloes that were grazing on both sides of the river,
in the little prairies covered with artemisia, at the foot of the steep, bare eminences. The wind
enabled them to scent our approach at a considerable distance, as soon as our boat got into a bend
of the river, and we often landed in vain to add to our stock of provisions. On this occasion we
had many amusing scenes. A herd of twelve elks passed the river before us; the last was a large
stag with colossal horns, this being the rutting season of these animals. The herds of buffaloes
were sometimes thrown into the greatest confusion and consternation when we came too near
them: they galloped along the bank, and when they were tired of this, they turned into a lateral
ravine, where we saw these heavy animals ascend the high steep mountains. It often appeared
inconceivable how these colossal masses could make their way up the steep naked walls. Sometimes,
however, they were obliged to turn back, and we intercepted the only way to the river.
They were then frequently compelled to gallop along the narrow beach near to our boat, which,
being carried rapidly down the stream, gave us frequent opportunities of overtaking them, and we
might easily have killed several of them, but, as they were almost all bulls, we let them escape
unmolested.[1]

About ten o'clock we lay to, on the north bank, at a wild prairie, benumbed by the cold wind,
and warmed ourselves. Among the Canadian pines the note of the little tree frog was still very
loud in this cold weather. At two in the afternoon we reached the mouth of Winchers Creek,
near which a large herd of buffaloes was grazing; in fact, we had seen, on this day, many thousands
of these animals in the Mauvaises Terres, where, as we went up the river, all was still and
dead. This was a sign that there were no Indians in these parts; they had, doubtless, been hunting
in the prairies, and driven these animals away. We saw everywhere buffaloes in herds, or in small
parties, which gave much variety to our voyage. As we were rapidly carried down by the current,
in a turn of the river, we suddenly saw a herd of at least 150 buffaloes, quite near to us, standing
on a sand bank in the river. The bulls, bellowing, drove the cows along; many were in motion,

and some standing and drinking. It was a most interesting scene. My people laid aside their
oars, and let the boat glide noiselessly along within a short rifle-shot of the herd, which took no
notice of us, doubtless taking our boat for a mass of drifting timber. Scarcely sixty paces further
down, there was, on a sand bank, a troop of six elks, with a large stag, which covered one of the
animals three times in our presence. We saw him lay his horns on his back when he uttered his
singular whistling cry.[2] A stag, which stood on the steep bank, 100 paces lower down, at length
got scent of us, and galloped away, which made the elks and buffaloes aware that an enemy was
near, on which they all took flight with the utmost precipitation. Mr. Bodmer has given a very
faithful representation of this scene. (Plate XLVII.) The great number of wild animals, buffaloes,
elks, bighorns, and antelopes, which we saw on this day, afforded us much entertainment. We
checked, on this occasion, our sporting propensities, that we might be able better to observe those
interesting animals, in which we perfectly succeeded.

We had reached Lewis and Clarke's Tea Island, to which we had given the name of Elk Island,
and where, on our voyage up, we had found plenty of game. I landed Morrin and Dreidoppel
on the upper end, to go in quest of game: the rest of us proceeded down towards the lower end,
where we stopped to cook. Buffaloes and elks had crossed the river before us, and we heard the
noise they made in the water at a considerable distance. The island was covered with lofty trees,
and, in many places, with tall plants, especially artemisia, but had many grassy and open spots, and
we found on it five buffaloes, and several troops of elks and Virginian deer. A white wolf looked at
us from the opposite bank, and the great cranes flew slowly and heavily before us. Our fire soon
blazed in the forest, and Morrin brought in some game, which afforded us a good supper.
While it was getting ready, we rambled about the island, and heard in all directions the bellowing
of the buffalo bulls, and the whistling of the elks. I found the rutting places of the latter in the
high grass, but soon returned to the fire, as the cry of the owl warned us of the approach of
night. On consideration we judged this place to be ill suited for our night's quarters, as we might
easily have been surprised by the Indians; we, therefore, went on board again, as soon as the
meat was dressed, and continued our voyage, in the bright moonlight, till near nine o'clock. The
evening was warm and pleasant. We often heard the noise made by the buffaloes crossing the
river. The forests on the bank to the right and left resounded with the whistling of the elks, alternating
with the howling of the wolves; and the shrill cry of the owl completed the nocturnal
chorus of the wilderness. Our blankets and buffalo robes, which were still wet, froze during the
night, as we had lain down on the strand by the river-side, where we had a cold, uncomfortable

couch. The manner in which we passed these nights was not calculated to afford any very
refreshing sleep; for, to be ready, in case of an alarm, we could never venture to undress, but lay
down in a buffalo skin and a blanket, and the same to cover us, with our loaded guns under the
blanket to keep them dry. We were pretty safe from a surprise, two persons always keeping
watch, relieved every two hours.

On the 19th of September we set out early: a fog rose from the river, and we sat wrapped
up in our cloaks, quite benumbed with cold, while the whistling cry of the elks was heard all
around us. Five females of this species, followed by a proud stag, swam through the river before
us; we fired too soon, on which the stag turned round; the animals came near us, and thereby
afforded an opportunity to fire with effect; one of the animals was wounded, but proceeded on
its way, and we did not get possession of it. At the moment, when the other animals sought to
reach the bank, another noble stag appeared, which stopped at the distance of fifty paces, and
uttered a loud cry. I quickly threw off my cloak, and took my rifle; but at that moment my
pilot, Morrin, fired his long piece, and the stag fell. We immediately lay to, ascended the steep
bank, and were astonished at finding a most magnificent stag of twenty antlers stretched on
the ground. I immediately took the measure of the gigantic animal, and found the horns, from
the head to the point of the uppermost antler, in a straight line, four feet one inch; the weight
of both horns, sawn off at the head, was twenty-six pounds. The colour of the stag in this
autumnal season was very beautiful: the whole body of a pale yellowish brown; the head, neck,
the under side of the belly and extremities, a dark blackish-brown, which looked very handsome,
especially at a distance. We soon had an excellent fire in the thick forest, which revived our
chilled limbs. Breakfast was quickly got ready, and the enjoyment of it was much enhanced by
our success. The stag was cut up, and the beautiful skin prepared entire for the zoological
collection,[3] which gave us full employment till dinner-time. Meantime our beds and other
baggage, which had been wetted by the rain, were dried, the sun shining pretty bright.

When our work was finished, the boat was again loaded, and we put off from the bank. After
the shot we had fired, the cry or whistle of the elks had ceased; but we saw several of those
animals, and also buffaloes, flying in different directions. A little lower down we saw the fine
deer killed by Dreidoppel, hanging on the drift-wood, but the stream carried us too rapidly for us
to think of taking it. We often saw the black water-hen (Fulica Americana) and the magpie;
and wounded some buffaloes, but did not stop to take them, because they did not immediately
fall. Soon after four in the afternoon, the stags began again to whistle, and, amidst this strange
concert, we came, after five o'clock, to the place where we had fastened to a tree in the forest

the skeleton of the bear shot by Doucette. I landed full of hopes, and we proceeded into the
thick, shady forest; but, alas! not a trace of the skeleton was to be found, except a few fragments
of bone. The surrounding bushes and the high grass had been trodden down by the wolves
and bears, the rope had been torn, the skeleton pulled down, and it had wholly vanished. The
marks of the bears' claws were evident on the bark of the tree, and all our searching in the solitude
of this forest was fruitless; we found nothing, and my hopes were entirely disappointed.
We had the same ill fortune with some bears' heads which we had left a little further down; and
I now regretted that I had not kept those interesting specimens. When evening came, bats flew
about over the river, and eagles and falcons appeared on the bank. As soon as twilight commenced,
we proceeded softly and cautiously down the river. Our boat glided noiselessly along,
while profound silence, which was seldom interrupted, reigned in the extensive wilderness that surrounded
us, and in the dark forests on the banks. Man naturally seeks and takes pleasure in the
sight of his fellows; but we were very glad that there were no human beings here besides ourselves.
We continued our voyage for a long time by moonlight; but the dark shadows of the banks were
dangerous, for the water dashed and foamed against the visible and invisible snags, which it
required the greatest care to avoid. It was fortunate for us that Morrin was a very good pilot,
who was well acquainted with the Missouri. We passed the night on the flat sandy beach, where
we might have been betrayed by the disagreeable roaring of our bears. Those who kept watch
had the pleasure of seeing a fine aurora borealis, which continued for half an hour in all its
splendour.

On the following morning (the 20th of September), we were again benumbed with cold.
Very early we saw a large bear, which was pursued without success. A large herd of buffaloes
being found in a favourable situation, Morrin and Dreidoppel landed to approach them behind the
willow thickets, and they succeeded in killing two fat cows, which furnished us with an ample
supply of excellent meat. The immense horns of an elk, fixed at the head of the boat, the
sixteen antlers of which were all hung with joints of meat, had a singular appearance. These provisions
sometimes procured us a visit from the forward magpies, which, without the least shyness,
perched on the stem of the boat, and uttered their note, which is quite different from that of the
European magpie. This magpie is a droll bird, much more so than those of Europe, and often
diverted us by its impertinence. We saw some numerous flocks of small birds setting out on
their autumnal migration, and I observed, among others, a flock of the beautiful bluefinch
(Fring. amoena), which flew across the river. At noon we lay to at an old poplar grove to
prepare our dinner. Buffaloes and elks were very numerous at this place, and we might have
shot several of them had we not thought it prudent to avoid all unnecessary noise. After we
had enriched our collections, at some places on the bank, with very beautiful impressions of shells,
all of which were, unfortunately, lost in the sequel, I lay to for the night about a mile above the

mouth of Muscleshell River. Here, too, there were numbers of impressions of shells and
baculites, of which we collected a great many. Having reached Muscleshell River early the next
morning (the 21st of September), I stopped, in order to look for the remarkably large horns of an
elk, which Mr. Mitchell had seen here the year before, and found to measure above five feet.
Accompanied by Dreidoppel, I went two miles up the river, which was narrow and shallow; its
banks were thickly grown with poplars, and the bones of buffaloes and elks were everywhere
scattered about. We followed a path trodden by the buffaloes along the bank of the river. A
small prairie, covered with artemisia and sarcobatus, joined the chain of hills beyond the forest.
This was the place where the great stag's horns had lain, but we did not find them. A little
further on, a high steep wall formed the right bank of the river, and here we found a great number
of those animal remains of the ancient world, to which the name of baculites has been given, and
which are met with in most parts near the Upper Missouri. We returned to our boat, loaded
with these valuable specimens, and immediately continued our voyage. Provisions were soon
obtained from a numerous herd of buffaloes standing on the bank: a shot from our boat killed a
calf. We immediately lay to, and, following the bloody trace, found the animal dead in the grove
of poplars. It was of a dark brown colour, the nose and muzzle rather lighter; its horns were
just sprouting. Our firing, and the smell of the meat while breakfast was preparing, immediately
attracted the wolves. We soon heard them howling in the vicinity, and, in a short time, saw
them assembling on a sand bank on the other side of the river. Twelve of them, of different
colours and sizes, had galloped up on hearing the shot, stopped a moment and looked at us, then
turned back for a short distance, lay down or seated themselves, and entertained us with a concert
of their sweet voices. Some of them were quite white, others rather grey on the back, many very
old and corpulent, others small, young, and slender.

We left this place about nine o'clock, and, with the help of my skilful pilot, passed, without
accident, some parts of the river which were full of snags. The foliage of the poplar woods was
now quite yellow, especially that of the young trees. A few swallows were still to be seen; the
red-tailed woodpecker and the magpie were frequent in these parts. We saw some very large
male elks, many Virginian deer, and buffaloes; some of the latter were rolling on their backs in
the parched prairie, making the dust fly in clouds. Numbers of wolves were seen the whole day,
doubtless attracted by the scent of the pieces of meat that were hung up about the boat. Herds
of buffaloes were likewise met with, which we often overtook as they were swimming in the
river, but did not fire at them; there were also large troops of elks, among which were some
stags of extraordinary size. This great abundance of wild animals was a very satisfactory proof
to us that the Indians were at a distance from this part of the river. The weather had been, on
the whole, very favourable; on this day it had been very warm, but the evening was rather cool.
The people laid aside their oars, and suffered the boat to drift down the stream. A solemn silence

prevailed in the vast solitary wilderness, where Nature, in all her savage grandeur, reigned
supreme. Not a breath of air was stirring; buffaloes were quietly grazing on the sides of the
hills, and even my bears lay still, after a fresh bed of poplar branches had been made for them:
nobody spoke a word; it seemed as if we were involuntarily led by the impressions made by the
scene, at the solemn evening hour, to give way to serious contemplation, for which there was
ample matter. It was our constant caution to let our boat glide silently along in the evening,
because it was necessary, at that time, to be more on our guard against the Indians, who are
said, generally, to return to their tents in the evening. We passed to-day, after dark, the White
Castles, which have been mentioned before, and much regretted not having once more seen these
extraordinary formations, below which we lay to. We enjoyed a remarkably fine, quiet moonlight
night.

Our voyage, early the following morning (22nd of September), was very pleasant and
interesting. A herd of buffaloes raised a great cloud of dust in their flight, and it seemed that
they must be pursued by the Indians. Kingfishers, which we had not seen in our progress up the
river, were now pretty numerous on all these banks; and when we lay to at eight o'clock to get
our breakfast ready, the note of the little tree frog, with which I did not become acquainted,
was heard among the wormwood bushes. We often passed what are called Indian forts, and our
people generally looked very anxiously to see if they were occupied, which, luckily for us, was
nowhere the case. My Canadians were so timid that they did not venture to speak loud, and, if we
stopped for a moment, they testified, by their restless gestures, their apprehensions and their impatience.
At half-past eleven o'clock, between Muscleshell and Milk Rivers, we passed the Half-way
Pyramid (Plate XXXV. Fig. 15), which lay to the south of us. During the whole day we saw many
buffaloes and elks, and a skunk on the bank, which escaped us, and a small flock of the hooping
crane, one of the finest birds of North America, which was on its flight to warmer regions. The
moon shone with extraordinary splendour when we lay to for the night, while the howling of
the wolves and the whistle of the elks were heard all around. At half-past nine there was a fine
aurora borealis, at first obscured by clouds, then blazing up, and coruscating, in lofty columns.
The night was not disagreeably cool, and the following morning (the 23rd) was fine and
pleasant; but so violent a wind soon arose, that we were compelled to lie to at the prairie near
a poplar wood. We took this opportunity of drying our damp baggage in the wind, setting a
watch in the prairie, that we might not be surprised by the Indians. During this time a great
bear came out of the willow bushes, and swam directly towards us, across the river; we had already
posted ourselves behind some trees to receive him with a volley at his coming on shore, when,
perhaps, he perceived the smell of our boat, lying near the bank, and, to our no small chagrin,
quietly turned back. He had scarcely reached the thicket on the other side, when a large
male elk appeared at the same place, and continued, for a long time, to graze undisturbed.

In the prairie near us no other animals were seen, except large grasshoppers, two inches long,
which had black wings edged with white; at first we took them for butterflies, but those more
delicate flower hunters had already disappeared before the breath of autumn. It was not till
five o'clock that the wind abated so as to allow us to proceed. We were entertained by the
loud whistle of the elks, many of which were lying in the river to cool themselves. Morrin
wounded a young deer at a great distance, and we immediately saw a wolf go after it, which,
doubtless, soon put an end to the poor animal. Our bivouac for the night was lighted by an
aurora borealis, which occurred almost every evening, the weather at the same time being warm
and pleasant.

We reached the mouth of Big-Dry River by eight o'clock the next morning, just after we
had shot from our boat a male elk, of twelve branches, whose horns we took away, but were
obliged, to our great regret, to leave the carcase for the wolves. We saw herds of antelopes, and
numerous flocks of prairie hens, which were sitting on the snags in the river. Autumn had
already tinged the foliage with various colours. We did not indeed see here the scarlet stag's-horn
sumach (Rhus typhinun), but a couple of other species of that genus were, in some degree, substitutes
for that colour. At half past two in the afternoon, we passed near the mouth of Milk
River, where we remarked great numbers of bears, elks, deer, and wolves on the bank, and some
wild geese and sandpipers on the strand. At the place where we killed the three bears, on our
voyage up the river, we now found numerous elks; magpies, blackbirds, and the great prairie
larks abounded. We saw to-day several beaver dens, and counted twenty-seven in all from Fort
Mc Kenzie to Fort Union. Early on the following morning, the 25th of September, we passed
the Riviére Bourbeuse. Morrin had just before shot a very fat elk, which afforded us a good
breakfast, so that we did not leave this place till eleven o'clock. Towards three o'clock such a
violent storm arose, that we hastened to secure our heavily-laden boat on the bank, behind a snag:
this was 400 or 500 paces from the spot where the keel-boat was wrecked the year before.
The bank was very steep, and on the summit there was a wood of poplars with an undergrowth
of symphoria. The storm increased in violence to such a degree that it seemed as if it would
throw down the trees on our heads; and it brought clouds of dust from the opposite sand banks
into our forest, so that the air was darkened. Sparrowhawks, ravens, crows, and blackbirds, took
refuge in the recesses of the forest; a herd of antelopes had also sought protection at the skirts
of the wood, and we observed the buck pursue and drive back any of the females that attempted
to leave the herd. We built ourselves a fort in the Indian fashion, of trunks of trees and branches,
where we took up our lodging for the night, when we could scarcely hear the cry of the elks
or the growling of a bear for the roaring of the storm. Towards morning, on the 26th, the storm
abated, and allowed us to proceed on our voyage, so that by day-break we reached Mr. Mitchell's
Petit Fort, of which the prairie hens had taken possession. Swans and ducks (Anas boschas et sponsa)

animated the river, and flocks of the little finch were flying about on the bank. In the evening
we had a heavy rain, and our bivouac was very uncomfortable; after mounting guard for a couple
of hours, we had to lie down under our buffalo skins and blankets, which were wet through, and
rose in the morning thoroughly chilled and benumbed.

About eleven in the morning of the 27th of September, we reached the Prairie à la Corne
de Cerf. The sky was overcast, the weather very cool, and about noon it began to rain so
heavily, that we lay to at a lofty wood to seek for shelter, but were soon wet through while we were
erecting a slight wooden covering against the torrents of rain, which we covered with our skins
and blankets. Of half a dozen deer which we met with in the neighbourhood we killed one, the
flesh of which refreshed and strengthened us. The unfavourable weather continued till midnight,
and the storm till the morning of the 28th of September, when our thoroughly soaked
effects were brought on board about nine o'clock, and we continued our voyage. The wind
blew bleak and unpleasant the whole day: we saw many kingfishers on the bank, and on the shoals
in the river, the avoset (Recurvirostra Americana), which, with its strange, turned-up bill,
sought its food in the mud, or the shallow water. We soon came to the rude, apparently desolate
chain of hills that extends to Fort Union, proceeded till one o'clock in the morning, and then,
cold and benumbed, lay to at a sand bank, when those especially whose turn it was to keep
watch had no very enviable lot. Cranes awoke at the same time as we did, early in the morning of
the 29th, and rose with loud cries in the misty air. We were stiff with cold, till the sun, as he rose
higher in the heavens, warmed us a little. About nine o'clock we lay to at the sandy coast before
the forest, on the south bank, kindled a fire, and prepared breakfast—a blessing which only those
can appreciate, who, like us, have been long exposed to bad weather, cold, wet, storms, and privations
of every kind. It was high time for us to reach Fort Union, for our most necessary provisions
were exhausted, and, in another day, we should have been deprived of the comfort of
coffee, which we should have felt more than all the rest. A large deer but lately had his lair very
near us, and, perhaps, we had disturbed him; we, however, had no time at present to go in
pursuit of him, for it was necessary to arrange our dress, which was completely disordered, and
make ourselves a little decent, before we could show ourselves in society. The business of the
toilet took us no little time; so that it was twelve o'clock before we could set out for Fort Union.
where we arrived safe at one o'clock, after an absence of about three months.

Note to p. 287, line 2. (Blue-headed jay.)

This bird, which is nearly allied to the jay, or the roller, has not yet been mentioned by either Townsend or Audubon.
In the form of the bill, its figure, and mode of living, it much resembles the nutcracker; only the nostrils are not covered
with bristles, like those of the jay and crow, but lie quite free on the fore part of the skin of the nose. The angulus
mentalis comes out further than in niscifraga. As this bird seems to form a new genus, I call it, from the above-mentioned
peculiarity, Gymnorhinus cyano cephalus.

Note to p. 289, line 24.

The American buffalo or bison has been supposed to be, if not identical, very nearly akin, to the bison (wisent
or zuhr), which still exists in Russia; but, from all that I know of the latter, the two animals appear to me to form two
entirely different species. The American buffalo is characterized by its hair and colour. Its head is very large, and is
carried low, its neck short, the withers very high, the fore part of the body colossal and broad, the back part, in proportion,
small and weak, the tail rather short, very smooth, with short hairs, and a tuft at the end. During the summer
months, the head, neck, shoulders, fore part of the body, and thighs, till behind the shoulder blade, are covered with longer
hair, which there ceases, and is bounded by a strictly defined line from the hinder part of the body, the hair of which is
short and smooth, looking, altogether, like a shorn poodle. The forehead and upper part of the head have smooth hair
from twelve to eighteen inches long, and that on the fore legs is equally long, hanging down to the middle of the shins. In
the winter the hair of the hinder part of the body is rather longer, with a thicker wool under it.

The prints, representing the wisent or zuhr of the Poles, which is still to be found in the forest of Bialowieza, represent
that animal as very different from the American buffalo. The figure given by Bojanus (Tab. XXI.) represents the
head of a bull six years old, without any long hair; and so does Tab. XX., where the hair of the forehead of the
American buffalo is twelve inches long, and the beard hangs down to a great length. In these and other prints there is
no long hair on the fore legs; while the tail, in Bojanus's prints, has much longer hair than that of the American animal.
None of them have the long hair on the fore part of the body, nor the strictly defined limit of this longer hair.