[ 237 ] m 



the country had changed or rennained the same, so soon as we had com- 

 pleted our astronomical observations, Mr. Fremont and I ascended the bluff, 

 to obtain specimens of the rock in place. On examining them, I discovered 

 that we were still in the carboniferous formation. 



The next day we passed before the magnificent amphitheatre of hills, 

 the summit of that nearest the river being surmounted by the tomb of 

 Blackbird, a celebrated Maha chief, and murderer by poison, whose his- 

 tory was told in Major Long's first expedition, but has been since repro- 

 duced with various versions in many public prints. Several miles higher 

 up, we got a glimpse of the vale watered by tl;e Maha creek, in which is the 

 principal village of the Maha nation. Tiie hills on the left bank of the . 

 liver, of which we had lost ^ii{ht, again came into view towards the close 

 of the afternoon, covered by a soft and grateful verdure. We stopped 

 before night at the foot of the blufi' on which is Floyd's grave ; my men 

 replaced the signal, blown down by the winds, which marks the spot and 

 hallows the memory of the brave sergeant who died here during Lewis 

 and Clark's expedition. Our steamboat then started under full blast, to 

 take shelter at the mouth of the Tc/ian-kasna'ata, or Sioux river, against 

 an impending storm, that soon after broke over us, and lasted during the 

 whole night. 



I had previously, however, landed a mile or so before reaching the mouth 

 of the Sioux river, on the left bank of the Missouri, to examine a rocky bank, 

 seemingly a continuation of those apparent at Wood's hill. I found it to 

 consist of — 



1st. A carboniferous limestone ; 

 2d. An argillaceous schistose linjcstone. 



The rocks in this locality reach only to an elevation of seven or eight feet 

 above the level of the river ; and 1 take notice of them here, because I am 

 disposed to think that they are the last representatives of the carboniferous 

 series in the ascent of the Missouri, and that the mouth of the Sioux river 

 is the true limit in this direction of the old fossiliferous rocks. 



The next point of importance reached, is the great prairie known by 

 Hnppan- ^^'^ name of Hvppankuley, to which 1 have alluded before, 

 kutey It begins soon alter leaving Sioux river. Here ihe Missouri, 

 Prairie. changing its principal direction, makes a new series of bends ; 

 leaving on either side, accotding to circumstances, prairies of larger or 

 smaller extent. One of these bends brought us very nearly back to the 

 Sioux river, only a short distance from its mouth, which we had left more 

 than half a day before. Lewis and Clark make mention of a similar bend, 

 in the course of their journey, much higher up; but it probably has no 

 existence at this day, as we saw nothing of the kind. In line, after ex- 

 tricating ourselves from the difficulties of such a navigation, on the ap- 

 proach to Ayoway river we found that we had not gone over more than a 

 distance of from twelve to fifteen miles in a direct line. Yet, within this 

 brief space, the aspect of the country has visibly changed in the nature of 

 its vegetation. 



River banks are met with thirty or forty feet high, which are men- 

 tioned by Lewis and Clark as containing alum, copperas, cobalt, <fcc. ; 

 and then, seven miles higher up, there is another succession of river hills 

 of the same character. The weather being very bad, 1 had no chance 

 of visiting these two last named localities; and, moreover, the steamer's 

 next stopping-place was but at the trading-post on the Huppankutey 



