98 



AUDUBON 



ii 



passage or communication, and on my pointing out a hole 

 to Bell where one had entered, he pushed his arm in and 

 touched the little fellow, but it escaped by running up 

 his arm and away it flew. Black clouds now arose in the 

 west, and we moved homewards. Harris and Bell went 

 to the mowers to get a drink of water, and we reached 

 home without getting wet, though it rained violently for 

 some time, and the weather is much cooler. Not a word 

 yet from Provost and Squires. 



July 19, Wednesday. Squires and Provost returned 

 early this morning, and again I give the former my jour- 

 nal that I may have the account of the hunt in his own 

 words. "As Mr. Audubon has said, he left Provost, 

 Basil, and myself making ready for our voyage down the 

 Yellowstone. The party for the fort were far in the 

 blue distance ere we bid adieu to our camping-ground 

 We had wished the return party a pleasant ride and safe 

 arrival at the fort as they left us, looking forward to a 

 good supper, and what I now call a comfortable bed. We 

 seated ourselves around some boiled Buffalo hump, which, 

 as has been before said, we took good care to appropriate 

 to ourselves according to the established rule of tiiis 

 country, which is, ' When you can, take the best,' and we 

 had done so in this case, more to our satisfaction than to 

 that of the hunters. Our meal finished, we packed every- 

 thing we had in the skiff, and were soon on our way 

 down the Yellowstone, happy as could be; Provost act- 

 ing pilot, Basil oarsman, and your humble servant seated 

 on a Buffalo robe, quietly smoking, and looking on the 

 things around. We found the general appearance of the 

 Yellowstone much like the Missouri, but with a stronger 

 current, and the water more muddy. After a voyage of 

 two hours Charbonneau River made its appearance, issu- 

 ing from a clump of willows; the mouth of this river we 

 found to be about ten feet wide, and so shallow that we 

 were obliged to push our boat over the slippery mud fof 



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