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TUE MISSOURI RIVER JOURNALS 



151 



ncan channel. In these valleys, and sometimes on the 

 tops of the hills, are holes, called "sink holes;" these 

 are formed by the water running in a small hole and work- 

 ing away the earth beneath the surface, leaving a crust 

 incapable of supporting the weight of a man; and if an 

 unfortunate steps on this crust, he soon finds himself in 

 rather an unpleasant predicament. This is one of the 

 dangers that attend the hunter in these lands; these holes 

 eventually form a ravine such as I have before spoken of. 

 Through these hills it is almost impossible to travel with 

 a horse, though it is sometimes done by careful manage- 

 ment, and a correct knowledge of the country. The sides 

 of the hills are very steep, covered with the earth and 

 stones of which I have spoken, all of which are quite loose 

 on the surface; occasionally a bunch of wormwood here 

 and there seems to assist the daring hunter; for it is no 

 light task to follow the Bighorns through these lands, 

 and the pursuit is attended with much danger, as the least 

 slip at times would send one headlong into the ravines 

 below. On the sides of these high hills the water has 

 washed away the earth, leaving caves of various sizes; 

 and, in fact, in some places all manner of fantastic forms 

 are made by the same process. Occasionally in the val- 

 leys are found isolated cones or domes, destitute of vege- 

 tation, naked and barren. Throughout the Mauvaises 

 Tcrres there are springs of water impregnated with salt, 

 sulphur, magnesia, and many other salts of all kinds. 

 Such is the water the hunter is compelled to drink, and 

 were it not that it is as cold as ice it would be almost im- 

 possible to swallow it. As it is, many of these waters 

 operate as cathartics or emetics; this is one of the most 

 disagreeable attendants of hunting in these lands. More- 

 over, venomous snakes of many kinds are also found here. 

 I saw myself only one copperhead, and a common garter- 

 snake. Notwithstanding the rough nature of the coun- 

 try, the Buffaloes have paths running in all directions, 



