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^vhiIe in falling water the stream is lowest in the middle, and will therefore 

 carry the drift there. My observation on two rises in the Missouri do not 

 confirm that theory. I noticed that the drift has always been found in the 

 current whether that he near the shore or in the middle-, and Capt. Durack 

 confirms this opinion, saying that such is the case generally in rising and 

 falling waters; the drift always floats in the current. The shores to-day are 

 generally gently ascending — occasionally abrupt and of sand and white 

 clay. 



Friday, June 14. — We are still in the Big Bend, which we entered 

 last night, and shall not be out of it until we reach Knife river coming in 

 from the north. This I take to be the stream marked on the map, Onion 

 creek. There is also a Knife river below, on the south side, a few miles 

 above Fort Clark. The Little Missouri is placed wrong on the map ; it 

 comes in a few miles heloic the Big Bend, not above. This bend is about 

 ten miles across and thirty around. The weather is windy and cloudy — 

 buffalo are plenty ; early this morning some of our hunters went a-head of 

 our boat and killed three bulls, which we stopped to take in. Soon after 

 this was accomplished, a small herd was discovered trying to get up the 

 bank on the w^st side, having just crossed the river. Many guns were 

 fired, and three bulls killed, which we took on board. Further on, we 

 overtook a large herd of cows in the middle of the river, and had the engine 

 not been stopped, we would have run them down ; but as it was, all, even 

 the calves escaped, with no other harm than a very great fright. 



The banks thus far on this bend have been Mauvaise Terre. We had 

 to-day for lunch, one of the dainties of this country — the milk gut of a 

 buffalo roasted on coals. It tastes somewhat like white pudding, having 

 in it a substance that when cooked has also the appearance of stuffing. 

 Mr. Picotte in speaking of the dislike persons in the States have to such 

 things, says, that in the north, the dung of the reindeer is eaten and very 

 much relished, and that he himself has eaten it ; it is esteemed because of a 

 jieculiar weed eaten very much by the animals and is taken out of them 

 before being completely digested. 



Evening. — Have traveled finely to-day ; river continues rising ; banks, 

 prairie and bad lands ; passed Knife river about noon, and this evening 

 White river, which is about fifty miles from the British dominions, and said 

 by some to be the most northern point of the river. We shall reach Fort 

 Union probably on Sunday. 



S(tturday, June 15. — Last night wc landed early, because of heavy 

 clouds in the west, threatening a severe storm of wind and rain ; it rained 

 all night, but the storm was by no means as severe as it threatened to be. 

 I went out on the prairie as soon as we landed, and got several new flowers 

 for the herbarium. Durins; the mornintr, the banks have exhibited fre- 

 quently the burned appearance, and some of the hills have been very high, 

 irregular and steep. About eleven o'clock we stopped to take in wood, and 

 I had the first opportunity of examining the hills that have appeared so 

 often, exhibiting signs of containing fossil remains. As I pushed my way 

 along a buffalo path, through the bushes, I catight a glimpse of the first 

 snake I haue seen since leaving Fort Pierre ; it was hurrying off and got 

 away before I could overtake it. I next got specimens of several beau- 

 tiful flowers jrrowino; at the edg-e of the woods on the small hills. I then 

 pressed on to the large hills ; they are about sixty feet high, composed 



