Monday September 17th. 1804.
Having for many days past confined myself to the boat, I
determined to devote this day to amuse myself on shore with
my gun
and view the interior of the country lying between the
river and the
Corvus Creek, accordingly before sunrise I set
out with six of my best
hunters, two of whom I dispatched to
the lower side of Corvus creek, two
with orders to hunt the
bottums and woodland on the river, while I
retained two
others to acompany me in the intermediate country. one
quarter of a mile in rear of our camp which was situated in a
fine
open grove of cotton wood passed a grove of plumb trees
loaded with fruit
and now ripe, observed but little difference
betwen this fruit and that of
a similar kind common to the
Atlantic States. the trees are smaller and
more thickly set.
this forrest of plumb trees garnish a plain about 20
feet more
elivated than that on which we were encamped; this plain
extends back about a mile to the foot of the hills one mile
distant
and to which it is gradually ascending this plane
extends with the same
bredth from the creek below to the
distance of near three miles above
parrallel with the river,
and it is intirely occupyed by the burrows
of the barking
squiril hertefore described; this
anamal appears here in infinite
numbers and the shortness and virdu[r]e of
grass gave the
plain the appearance
throughout it's whole extent of beatifull
bowling-green in fine order.
it's aspect is S. E. a great
number of wolves of the small kind, halks
[hawks—
Ed.] and
some pole-cats were to be
seen. I presume that those anamals
feed on this squirril. found the
country in every direction for
about three miles intersected with deep
revenes and steep
irregular hills of 100 to 200 feet high; at the tops of
these
hills the country breakes of[f] as usual into a fine leavel plain
extending as far as the eye can reach. from this plane I had
an
extensive view of the river below, and the irregular hills
which border
the opposite sides of the river and creek. the
surrounding country had
been birnt about a month before and
young grass had now sprung up to hight
of 4 Inches presenting
the live green of the
spring to the West a high range of
hills, strech across the country from
N. to S. and appeared
distant about 20 miles; they are not very extensive
as I could
plainly observe their rise and termination no rock appeared
on them and the sides were covered with virdu[r]e similar to
that of
the plains this senery already rich pleasing and beatiful
was still farther hightened by immence
herds of Buffaloe,
deer Elk and Antelopes which we saw in every direction
feeding
on the hills and plains. I do not think
I exagerate when
I estimate the number of Buffaloe which could be compre[hend]ed
at one view to amount to 3000.
my object was
if possible to kill a female Antelope having already
procured a
male; I pursued my rout on this plain to the west flanked by
my two hunters untill eight in the morning when I made the
signal
for them to come to me which they did shortly after.
we rested our selves
about half an hour, and regailed ourselves
on half a bisquit each and some
jirks of Elk which we had
taken the precaution to put in our pouches in
the morning
before we set out, and drank of the water of a small pool
which had collected on this plain from the rains which had
fallen
some days before. we had now after various windings
in pursuit of several
herds of antelopes which we had seen on
our way made the distance of about
eight miles from our camp.
we found the Antelope extreemly shye and
watchfull insomuch
that we had been unable to get a shot at them; when at
rest
they generally seelect the most
elivated point in the neighbourhood,
and
as they are watchfull and extreemly quick of sight
and their sense of
smelling very accute it is almost impossible
to approach them within
gunshot; in short they will frequently
discover and flee from you at the distance of three
miles. I had
this day an opportunity of witnessing the agility
and the superior
fleetness of this anamal which was to me
really astonishing. I had pursued
and twice surprised a small
herd of seven, in the first instance they did
not discover me
distinctly and therefore did not run at full speed, tho'
they
took care before they rested to gain an elivated point where it
was impossible to approach them under cover, except in one
direction
and that happened to be in the direction from which
the wind blew towards
them; bad as the chance to approch
them was, I made the best of my way
towards them, freqeuntly
peeping over the
ridge with which I took care to
conceal myself from their view the male,
of which there was
but one, frequently incircled the summit of the hill on
which
the females stood in a group, as if to look out for the approach
of danger. I got within about 200 paces of them when they
smelt me
and fled; I gained the top of the eminence on which
they stood, as soon as
possible from whence I had an extensive
view
of the country the antilopes which had disappeared
in a steep reveene now
appeared at the distance of about three
miles on the side of a ridge which
passed obliquely across me
and extended about four miles, so soon had
these antelopes
gained the distance at which they had again appeared to my
view I doubted at ferst that they were the same that I had just
surprised, but my doubts soon vanished when I beheld the
rapidity of
their flight along the ridge before me it appeared
reather the rappid
flight of birds than the motion of quadrupeds.
I think I can safely venture the asscertion that the
speed of this
anamal is equal if not superior to that of the
finest blooded courser.
this morning I saw
[30]
Course Distance & refference 18th. Septr.
| N. 45.
E. |
1 |
M. to the lower pt. of an
Island (1) |
| N. 25°.
E. |
2 |
Miles to a pt. on the L. S.
passed the Isld. at one mile
and some Sand bars making
from it, a Creek on
the S. S. opsd. the upper
point. |
| N. 14°. E. |
1
1/2 |
Mls. to a pt. of
Willows on the L. Side. |
| N. 10. W. |
1
1/2 |
Mls. to a point of wood on the L.
S. |
| N. 22. W. |
1 |
Mile to a
pt. on the L. S. and the upper part of the
timber. |
|
7 |
|
