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from the north ; it is about twenty yards wide, no wood at the mouth, and 

 as far as we could see, very little along its banks. It comes in at the upper 

 end of Porcupine ^jut off, sometimes called Harvey's cut off. During ail 

 this morning we have a continuation of the prairie country seen yesterday, 

 especially on the north side there has been beautiful rolling prairie all along 

 excepting occasional timbered points ; to the south low and scantily her- 

 baged hills have run close to the river. 



This Porcupine river is the place from which the military expedition under 

 the command of General Atkinson in 1825, turned back. He wintered at 

 Old Council Bluffs, and in the spring ascended with nine keel boats A part 

 of his company went by land as far as Milk river. The object ot the expe- 

 dition was to treat with the Indians. The river to-day is still in a good 

 stage, but we have had to cross frequently to keep the chaimel. 



There is always plenty of water here, say those familiar with the place, 

 but the only trouble is to find the channel. The boat is now light and has 

 passed over some places where only two antl a half feet of water was 

 sounded ; rather hard scratching however. 



A large band of buffalo cows with their calves were crossing just above 

 the mouth of the Porcupine, but Mr, Picotte would not allow the men to 

 shoot ; we passed very close to them all and it was amusing and touching 

 too, to see the very great fear they exhibited as they in vain struggled to get 

 up the steep bank. I noticed here for the first time, what I had been told 

 before, that the buffalo grunt almost exactly like a large hog ; had a person 

 heard and not seen he could easily have thought that a drove of swine was 

 passing. The men tried to catch some calves with a lasso but did not suc- 

 ceed. Buffalo have been seen in great bands for several days past ; last 

 evening probably five-hundred were in sight at one time on the river banks. 

 I have seen paths beaten by them which look like travelled roads in a 

 thickly settled country, and paths of this kind are seen at almost every 

 landing. 



Twelve o'clock. — We are now on the point immediately above Milk river 

 and will go a short distance higher up to find good timber for building a 

 boat. Milk River comes in from the north, and is at least two hundred 

 miles above Fort Union. Mr. Clark says that it passes within a hard day's 

 ride — about forty miles — of Fort Benton, and if so it must be incorrectly 

 laid down on the map. Some miles below I saw the first grizzly bear ot 

 the season ; this is unusual as they are generally seen below Fort Union ; 

 and Kelly, an old hunter, told me that the reason they are not seen on the 

 river now, is that they are out on the prairies after the pomolanche or prairie 

 turnip, of which they are very fond. 



We passed a few hours ago some black slate hills on the south side rising 

 directly from the water ; the sides in several places were marked by the 

 buffalo tracks so as almost to resemble slate roads, and to cause one to feel 

 as though he was in a much traveled country. 



The boat has been about twenty-seven hundred miles above St. Louis, and 

 a board was nailed on a large cotton wood tree near the shore, with the 

 following inscription : " N. B. El Paso, landed here June 20, ISoO, thirty- 

 five days from St. Louis — John Durack, Captain." The thirty-five days 

 is the running time. This day at twelve o'clock, we were forty days out 

 from St. Louis. I really feel very thankful that my life and health have 

 been spared me during this journey. I have reached a point to which few, 

 except traders have attained, and I hope that I have gained some valuable 



