THE MISSOURI RIVER JOURNALS 



n 



hearing much of the prevalence of scurvy, from living so 

 constantly on dried flesh, also about the small-pox, which 

 destroyed such numbers of the Indians. Among the 

 Mandans, Riccarees, and Gros Ventres, hundreds died in 

 1837, only a few surviving; and the Assiniboins were 

 nearly exterminated. Indeed it is said that in the various 

 attacks of this scourge 52,000 Indians have perished. 

 This last visitation of the dread disease has never before 

 been related by a traveller, * and I will write more of it 

 when at Fort Union. It is now twenty minutes to mid- 

 night ; and, with walking and excitement of one kind or 

 another, I am ready for bed. Alexis and another hunter 

 will be off in an hour on a hunt. 



June 10, Saturday. I rose at half-past three this morn- 

 It was clear and balmy; our men were cutting wood, 



ing. 



and we went off shooting. We saw a female Elk that 

 was loath to leave the neighborhood; and Bell shot a 

 Sharp-tailed Grouse, which we ate at our supper and 

 found pretty good, though sadly out of season. As we 

 were returning to the boat, Alexis and his companion 

 went off after Buffaloes that we saw grazing peaceably 

 on the bank near the river. Whilst they were shooting 

 at the Buffaloes, and almost simultaneously, the fawn 

 of the female Elk was seen lying asleep under the bank. 

 It rose as we approached, and Bell shot at it, but missed; 

 and with its dam it went briskly off. It was quite 

 small, looking almost red, and was beautifully spotted 

 with light marks of the color of the Virginia Deer's fawn. 

 I would have given five dollars for it, as I saw it skipping 

 over the prairie. At this moment Alexis came running, 

 and told the captain they had killed two Buffaloes; and 

 almost all the men went off at once with ropes, to bring 

 the poor animals on board, according to custom. One, 



* At this time the account of the Prince of Wied had not been published 

 in English ; that translation appeared December, 1843, two years after the 

 German edition. 



