Memories of a Bear Hunter 



of July 2i,I boarded the steamer Western for the 

 Upper Missouri River, sleeping on board, for, as 

 the steamboats did not commonly run at night, the 

 Western was not to start until early next morning. 3 

 The mosquitoes here were very numerous, vora- 

 cious and troublesome. However, during the latter 

 part of the night, the weather turned cool, and this, 

 with the motion of the boat, which started at 

 seven, gave some relief. 



The immediate bottom of the Missouri here does 

 not differ greatly from that of the Lower Missouri, 

 or the Mississippi below Cairo. Just back of the 

 timbered bluffs, however, the ground rises in high 

 hills, often abrupt and precipitous. Late in the 

 afternoon we saw two antelope, and at midnight 

 came to the site of Old Fort Clark, and there tied 

 up for the night. At 2 o'clock the next day we 

 reached Fort Stevenson, 4 a two-company military 

 post in the bottom between the highlands and the 

 river. In the evening we reached Fort Berthold, 5 

 said to have been established by a Frenchman of 

 that name, where lived the Arikara 6 Indians, who 

 at this time were occupying lodges made of canvas. 

 Near the fort was their burial ground, where the 

 bodies were placed on scaffolds supported by poles, 

 and from every grave fluttered something which 

 looked like flags, but which really were offerings 



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