THE MISSOURI RIVER JOURNALS 48 1 



in a cage, that had been caught in nooses, by the legs ; 

 and their actions, voice, and general looks, assured me 

 as much as ever, that they are the very same species as 

 that found in Europe. Prairie Wolves are extremely 

 abundant hereabouts. They are so daring that they 

 come into the camp both by day and by night; we found 

 their burrows in the banks and in the prairie, and had 

 I come here yesterday I should have had a superb speci- 

 men killed here, but which was devoured by the hogs 

 belonging to the establishment. The captain and the 

 doctor — Madison 1 by name — returned with us to the 

 boat, and we saw many more Yellow-headed Troupials. 

 The high Bluffs back of the prairie are destitute of stones. 

 On my way there I saw abundance of Gopher hills, two 

 Geese paired, two Yellow-crowned Herons, Red-winged 

 Starlings, Cowbirds, common Crow Blackbirds, a great 

 number of Baltimore Orioles, a Swallow-tailed Hawk, 

 Yellow Red-poll Warbler, P^ield Sparrow, and Chipping 

 Sparrow. Sprague killed another of the beautiful Finch. 

 Robins are very scarce, Parrakeets and Wild Turkeys 

 plentiful. The officers came on board, and we treated 

 them as hospitably as we could ; they ate their lunch 

 with us, and are themselves almost destitute of provi- 

 sions. Last July the captain sent twenty dragoons and 

 as many Indians on a hunt for Buffaloes. During the 

 hunt they killed 51 Buffaloes, 104 Deer, and 10 Elks, 

 within 80 miles of the camp. The Sioux Indians are 

 great enemies to the Potowatamies, and very frequently 

 kill several of the latter in their predatory excursions 

 against them. This kind of warfare has rendered the 

 Potowatamies very cowardly, which is quite a remark- 

 able change from their previous valor and daring. Bell 

 collected six different species of shells, and found a large 



^ No doubt Thomas C. Madison of Virginia, appointed Assist. Surg. 

 U. S. A., Feb. 27, 1840. He served as a surgeon of the Confederacy during 

 our Civil War, and died Nov. 7, 1866. — E. C. 

 VOL. I. — 31 



