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across, and six or eight around. Ten or twelve antelopes were seen grazing 

 quietly on the beautiful prairie, but they scampered up the hill as soon as 

 they caught a sight and a smell of the boat. VVild geese have been seen at 

 three different times on this bend, and each time in pairs accompanied with 

 their young. Saw a beaver this afternoon. We are now half a mile above 

 the bend on the south side ; veins of coal in a bank fifty f(?et perpendicular 

 above the river. The formation is sand stone. 



Appearance of the action of fire on the tops of several hills ; stones 

 being of a red brick color. Just passing a place where there are high hills 

 on both sides ; those on the south are off from the river ; those on the north 

 are close to the water ; they are high and steep with much of the red burnt 

 clay. Wood plenty. 



We are now approaching a spot on the north shore where the burnt 

 appearances of the earth assumes a form more resembling a crater than at 

 any other place I have ever before seen. They appear in section on the 

 perpeiidicular foce of the hill, the wall like appearance and the circular 

 form may be easily traced. They are red like the remains of an old brick 

 kiln broken in two, and the one half washed away. I do not pronounce the 

 formations to be really the craters of extinct volcanoes, but simply wish to 

 convey an idea of their appearance. These appearances have been seen 

 continually to day where the hills approach the river. Coal also here ap- 

 pears in strata about two feet thick. The hills are formed of a soft sand 

 stone and exhibit no soil except the burnt earth. Opposite this is a fine 

 bottom, but the hills beyond exhibit an appearance similar to these. 



Five o'clock. — We are now taking in fuel at a point on the soulh side, 

 where we have the greatest abundance of dry wood. I found here the first 

 roses I have seen — indeed the very first buds, for below this there was no 

 signs of a rose coming out. The appearance of the action of fire still con- 

 tinue in great abundance on both siiles. I was informed that the white 

 earth of these hills becomes of a red color when subjected to heat. These 

 red places do not extend far into the earth and are rarely more than fi^ e or 

 six feet deep ; below them appears the light colored earth. 



Six and a. half o'clock. — A little below the Big Muddy River a change 

 takes place in the appearance on either side ; on the north the hills leave 

 the river, ascend gradually, and are covered with grass, and a broad bot- 

 tom intervenes ; on the south the change is similar but not so great. 



We are encamped just above the mouth of Eig Muddy River, about fifty 

 or sixty miles from Fort Union. This river is probably the one marked 

 Ibex on the map, as I can learn nothing of a river of this name from those 

 knowing the country. There is a long and wide prairie here. 



Tuesday, June 18. — This morning the appearance of the country is 

 about the same, prairie to the north and hilly to the south; hills with short 

 grass showing occasionally the white earth. The Mackinaw boat in tow 

 was sunk this morning by the steamboat taking a sheer and running against 

 the shore. Some hunters sent out last night, have just come in, and I 

 have been so fortunate as to get an elk calf, taken from the mother, and an 

 elk horn some weeks in the velvet, both of which I have in alcohol. I 

 again experienced the kind liberality of Mr. Picotte, who furnished me 

 alcohol, without which it would have been impossible to keep these speci- 

 mens, as my own supply was almost entirely gone before I reached Fort 

 Pierre. It is not the pecuniary value of the article that makes this so great 

 a favor, but the impossibility of getting any more for a year to come. 



