[1] 



44 



of the Yellowstone. From St. Louis they proceeded to St. Josephs in a 

 steamboat, and thence by land, in a carriage to Fort Pierre. A day or 

 two after arriving at this fort, Mr. Culbertson started out to the " Ead 

 Lands" with a party, and after several (htys march reached the spot where 

 Mr. A. Culbertson had previously found the fossil Mammalia, (Poebrothe- 

 i-ium Wilsonii, Merycoidodon Culbertsonii, &c.,) presented by inm to the 

 Academy of Natural Sciences, and described by Dr. Leidy. Here aildi- 

 tional specimens were soon found, and a cart was laden to its utmost 

 capacity. With these, the party returned to I'ort Pierre, whence, after a 

 short rest, Mr. C. embarked on board the El Paso, and in her, ascended 

 the Missouri to a point above Milk river, some hundreds of miles beyond 

 Fort LInion, and higher than any steamboat had ever gone previously. 

 Descending the river again, after but short stops at the various trading 

 ])Osts, Mr. C. arrived in St. Louis in July, and reached his home in Cham- 

 bersburg, Pennsylvania, in August. The main object of his tiip, viz : 

 relief from a distressing cough, threatening consumption, had been gained, 

 and his renewed strength gladtlened the hearts of his friends. But shortly 

 after his return he was attacked by an unusually fatal form of bilious 

 dysentery, then prevalent in the neigliborhood, and died after an illness of 

 a few weeks. Mr. C. left a full journal of all the events connected with 

 Jiis trip, though without any view to its publication. This, which was un- 

 revi?ed by him at his death, I found to contain much interesting uiatter, 

 relative to the Natufal History and topography of the country, the manners 

 and statistics of the Lidians, &c. The manuscript was put into my hands 

 by the parents of Mr. Culbertson, with permission to select for publication 

 such portions as might be deemed desirable. I therefore present tiiis 

 journal to you, as containing the only account of the country above Fort 

 l^ierre, since 1833, when it was visited by the Prince de Wied. It maybe 

 well to observe ■ that I have not felt at liberty to alter the original to 

 any juaterial extent, which, combined with the fact of its entire lack of 

 revision by the author, will be a sufficient excuse for any imperfections 

 of style. 



The fossil remains procured by Mr. Culbertson, constitute an exceed- 

 ingly interesting series of Mammalian and Reptilian species, including 

 many that had never been desciibed. These have been referred to 

 J)r. Leidy, for examination, who has already characterized four species 

 of Mammalia : 



Rhinoceros occidentalis. * 



" Nebraskensis. 



Palaeothericm Pairdii. 

 Agriodiffirus antiquus. 



The otlier specimens brought by Mr. C. consisted of skulls, skins and 

 skeletons of the larger Mammalia, as bulTalo, grizzly bear, prairie wolf, 

 (Canis latrans) white wolf, (Coccidentalis) wolverine, (Gulo luscus,) beaver, 

 &,c., &c. Some of these he collected himself, others had been procured 

 during the previous v.-inter, by Messrs. E. T. Denig, and Fei'dinand Cul- 

 bertson, at the request of Alexander Cull)ertson. Various specimens were 

 also obtained from other gentlemen connected with the American Fur Com- 

 j)any. It is due to this company to stiite, that with their usual liberality, 

 they rendered Mr. C. every assistance in their power, as they had previously 

 done to the Prince de Wied, Nicollet, Audubon, Evans and oljser travel- 

 ers. The thanks of the Institution are due to Messrs. Denig and F. Cul- 



