36 BOTANICAX INFORMATION'. 



of the adjoining gravelly plain, we cross the South Fork of 

 the Platte, (lat. 41° 14'), pass over high sterile plains, and 

 arrive at the northern arm, passing the " Chimney,"* the 

 argillaceous hills, and Scott's Bluffs,t we stop at Fort 



* The Chimney is an elegant natural obelisk of new sandstone, visible 

 at a great distance, and said to be 350 feet high. In the Report of Captain 

 Fremont there is a good lithographed drawing of it, 



t Scott's Bluffs, a solitary truncated sandstone rock, in the shape 

 of a fortress, showing two precipitous fronts towards north and east 

 of about 500 feet in height, its western sides connected by deep ravines 

 with the other sandstone ranges. It is the most westerly of a whole series 

 of grotesque rocks, disposed in an almost complete half circle, fronting the 

 wide valley of the Platte, wherein Sir Wm. Stewart had struck his camp. 

 On the following day, Sir Wm, Stewart desired Dr. Mersh and myself to 

 take a special survey of Scott's Bluffs, where we had an opportunity ot 

 witnessing a curious meeting between the grizzly bear and antelope. Return- 

 ing from the survey, we two separated from three other companions, and 

 rode down to the banks of the river, where we watered our animals and 

 allowed them to graze for half an hour. Mounting again, we at once 

 observed a grizzly bear about sixty yards from our right, who, observing 

 us, distanced himself a little more, and, always keeping his eyes on us, 

 followed us for a short distance, when, to our astonishment, another 

 came, who, a little ahead of the former, likewise followed us at the same 

 distance, watching us closely. We trotted on as fast as our horses could 

 go, but the bears also accelerated their pace, gaining on us at the same 

 time. It was with difficulty that I prevented Dr. Mersh from firing, 

 he being unacquainted with the revengefulness and ferocity of that animal ; 

 and an attack on our part would have been almost certain death, for Dr. 

 Mersh had but one gun, and myself a brace of pistols ; our animals, 

 too, being already tired. The two bears, however, had no ill intentions, 

 but seemed impatient to get out of our way ; to that end they mended 

 their pace, and gaining upon us, they soon crossed our path some 

 distance ahead of us ; their eyes still upon us ; they then reached an ele- 

 vation, upon the brow of which there suddenly appeared three antelopes, 

 who stopped short in their swift course as soon as they recognized the 

 two monsters. The next moment they commenced cutting every sort of 

 caper, as young goats do, and all at once, as if at a signal, they all three 

 rushed and passed the bears, still capering, so closely that the latter could 

 have struck them down at once. The bears, however, took no notice of their 

 folly, and trotted heavily onward. Three or four times the antelopes this 

 manoeuvre, to the same effect, exhibiting every possible caper and repeated 

 grimace so peculiar to their tribe. Presently the bears gained the height, 



