THE EQUINOX. 143 



my selected sleeping-place, for the confining rope was 

 single and rather slack, and it seemed in no way improb 

 able that I might go from the upper deck, waggon and 

 all, into the waters of the Missouri. Having descended 

 from my waggon, I found the mate on the look-out ahead, 

 so from him I obtained an order for the better security of 

 my waggon ; this done, having sought my berth, then 

 indeed I rejoiced in the warmth it afforded. To show 

 the state that that berth was likely to be in in hot weather, 

 I have only to say that the floor of it was as warm as a 

 toast, from the vicinity of the engine-room beneath no 

 uncomfortable thing that on the night in question. 



The foliage, as we ascended the river, every hour in 

 creased in the autumnal tints and still more varied crim 

 son, scarlet, and gold, as well as in the ferruginous reds 

 which now so frequently intersected the masses of green ; 

 rocks also occasionally margined the stream, and promised 

 to afford dens or earths to bears, wolves, and foxes. 

 The whole way along the river I had opportunities of 

 observing the graceful flight of hundreds of the turkey 

 buzzards. On one sandbank they had found something 

 which had been alive ; but it was so devoured that I could 

 not be certain as to what it had been ; from it they idly 

 soared away, winged aldermen from a feast of carrion, 

 and then, perched on the bare boughs of old dead trees, 

 with outspread but stationary pinions, they invited the 

 sun to assist to dry their feathers of the filth and promote 

 the interests of digestion. From the sides of the river 

 there also frequently arose small flocks of the common or 

 English teal, and everywhere the common summer snipe 

 and sand-piper abounded. During the voyage we passed 

 some most fertile-looking land, still known by the Indian 

 name as the " Wakendah" Prairies; the effect of the 



