196 ON FOOT. 



I noticed several varieties of cJays in the river banks exposed by the 

 attrition of the water — of these were the white, red, black, yellow, blue, 

 and green. 



The white clay is much used by the Indians in cleaning skins and robes ; 

 ail operation performed by mixing it with water till the compound as- 

 sumes the color and about four times the consistency of milk, when it is 

 applied to the surface of the article in hand ; the robe or skin thus wash- 

 ed, alter being thoroughly dried in the sun, is rubbed until it becomes 

 soft and pliable from friction, and the grosser particles of the preparation 

 are loosened and removed. 



By this simple process skins assume a milky whiteness, and every spot 

 of grease or dirt is made to disappear. 



All kinds of skin may be thus cleansed, and will readily attain an un- 

 soiled purity, surpassing that originally possessed. Red, yellow, black, 

 blue, or any other kind of clay, may be used for like purposes, and will 

 readily impart to the cleansed articles their own color. 



In case a single application is insufficient, repeat the process for tw"o 

 or three times, and there can be no possible failure in the result, provid- 

 ed the clay is pure and good. 



Some twenty miles above the Forks, we passed a ridge of rocky hills 

 exhibiting layers of limestone and sandstone in bold escarpments, that 

 jutting into the river from the right, formed a high embankment covered 

 with pines and cedars, known as Cedar Bluff. 



At the upper side of this point stood the remains of an old Pawnee 

 village, which had been deserted by its inhabitants immediately after 

 the bloody battle between that nation and the Sioux, at the mouth of Ash 

 creek. 



The bottom, for several miles above, is rarely excelled in fertility. 

 The islands are generally timbered, but the river banks upon both sides 

 are almost entirely destitute of trees of any kind. 



From Cedar Bluff, in about eight miles, we came to the mouth of a 

 large and beautiful creek, forcing its way, with a clear and rapid current, 

 from the high rolling prairies to the north. This presented the appear- 

 ance of being skirted with broad and fertile bottoms, well supplied with 

 timber among the hills. Though vested with some importance on ac- 

 count of its size and locality, it is as yet nameless — the abundance of 

 plovers in its vicinity at the time of my passing, suggested the term ''Plo- 

 ver creek" as a proper appellation. 



Five or six miles further on, we came to a large grove of cottonwood 

 upon the right shore. Here, some five years since, a company of traders, 

 while descending the Platte in boats loaded with furs, made cache of one 

 hundred and sixty packs of robes, which they were compelled to leave on 

 account of the low stage of the water. The luckless party, after enduring 

 great hardships, arrived in the States ; but their cache was subsequently 

 plundered by Pawnees. 



The confluence of the North and South Forks made but little perceptirble 

 difference in the size of the river. From the junction, in five days' time 

 we reached the vicinity of Grand Island, about two hundred and twenty 

 miles from the nearest white settlements. 



