512 AUDUBON 



place we saw a large gang swimming across the river; 

 they fortunately reached a bank through which they cut 

 their way towards the hills, and marched slowly and 

 steadily on, paying no attention to our boat, as this was 

 far to the lee of them. At another place on the west 

 bank, we saw eight or ten, or perhaps more, Antelopes 

 or Deer of some kind or other, but could not decide 

 whether they were the one or the other. These animals 

 were all lying down, which would be contrary to the gen- 

 eral habit of our common Deer, which never lie down dur- 

 ing rain, that I am aware of. We have had an extremely 

 dull day of it, as one could hardly venture out of the 

 cabin for pleasure. We met with several difficulties 

 among sand-bars. At three o'clock we passed the en- 

 trance into the stream known as White River; 1 half an 

 hour ago we were obliged to land, and send the yawl to 

 try for the channel, but we are now again on our way, and 

 have still the hope of reaching Great Cedar Island 2 this 

 evening, where we must stop to cut wood. Later. Our 

 attempt to reach the island I fear will prove abortive, as 

 we are once more at a standstill for want of deeper water, 

 and the yawl has again gone ahead to feel for a channel. 

 Within the, last mile or so, we must have passed upwards 

 of a hundred drowned young Buffalo calves, and many 

 large ones. I will await the moment when we must 

 make fast somewhere, as it is now past eight o'clock. 

 The rain has ceased, and the weather has the appearance 

 of a better day to-morrow, overhead at least. Now it is 



1 La Riviere Blanche of the French, also sometimes called White Earth 

 River, and Mankizitah River ; a considerable stream which falls into the right 

 bank of the Missouri in Lyman Co., South Dakota, at the 1056 mile point 

 of the Commission charts. E. C. 



2 So called from its size, in distinction from the Cedar Island already 

 mentioned on p. 505. This is Second Cedar Island of Warren's and Nicol- 

 let's maps, noticed by Lewis and Clark, Sept. 18, 1804, as " nearly a mile in 

 length and covered with red cedar." It was once the site of an establish- 

 ment called Fort Recovery. The position is near the lojoth-mile point of 

 the Missouri. E. C. 



