THE MISSOURI RIVER JOURNALS 52 1 



clever man, has considerable knowledge of botany, and 

 draws well. There were about fifteen lodges, and we saw 

 a greater number of squaws and half-breed children than 

 I had expected. But as every clerk and agent belonging 

 to the companies has "a wife," as it is called, a spurious 

 population soon exhibits itself around the wigwams. I 

 will not comment upon this here. We returned before 

 dark to our boat, and I am off to bed. 



Monday^ May 29. I was up early, and as soon as 

 breakfast was over. Major Hamilton and myself walked to 

 Fort George. We found the three gentlemen to whom I 

 showed the plate of quadrupeds, and afterwards I went to 

 their store to see skins of Wolves and of the Swift Fox. 

 I found a tolerably good Fox skin which was at once 

 given me; I saw what I was assured were two distinct 

 varieties (for I cannot call them species) of Wolves. 

 Both, however, considering the difference in size, were 

 old and young of the same variety. They both had the 

 top of the back dark gray, and the sides, belly, legs, 

 and tail, nearly white. When I have these two sorts 

 in the flesh, I may derive further knowledge. I looked 

 at the Indian Dogs again with much attention, and was 

 assured that there is much cross breeding between these 

 Dogs and Wolves, and that all the varieties actually come 

 from the same root. 



Harris now joined us, and found he had met a brother 

 of Mr. Cutting in Europe. The gentlemen from the fort 

 came back to the boat with us; we gave them a luncheon, 

 and later a good substantial dinner, the like of which, so 

 they told us, they had not eaten for many a day. Mr. 

 Illingsworth told us much about Buffaloes ; he says the 

 hunting is usually more or less dangerous. The Porcu- 

 pine is found hereabouts and feeds on the leaves and bark 

 as elsewhere, but not unfrequently retires into the crev- 

 ices of rocks, whenever no trees of large size are to be 

 found in its vicinity. Elks, at times, assemble in 



