THE MISSOURI RIVER JOURNALS 



495 



gooseberry bushes, and a kind of small locust not yet in 

 bloom, and quite new to me. The honey bee was not 

 found in this country twenty years ago, and now they are 

 abundant. A keel-boat passed, going down, but on the 

 opposite side of the river. Bell and Michaux have re- 

 turned. Bell wounded a large Wolf, and also a young 

 Deer, but brought none on board, though he saw several 

 of the latter. Harris killed one of the large new Finches, 

 and a Yellow-headed Troupial. Bell intends going hunt- 

 ing to-morrow at daylight, with Michaux ; I will try my 

 luck too, but do not intend going till after breakfast, 

 for I find that walking eight or ten miles through the 

 tangled and thorny underbrush, fatigues me considerably, 

 though twenty years ago I should have thought nothing 

 of it. 



May 17, Wednesday. This was a most lovely morning. 

 Bell went ofif with Michaux at four A. M. I breakfasted at 

 five, and started with Mr. La Barge. When we reached the 

 hunting-grounds, about six miles distant, we saw Bell 

 making signs to us to go to him, and I knew from that 

 that they had some fresh meat. When we reached them, 

 we found a very large Deer that Michaux had killed. 

 Squires shot a Woodcock, which I ate for my dinner, in 

 company with the captain. Michaux had brought the 

 Deer — Indian fashion — about two miles. I was anxious 

 to examine some of the intestines, and we all three started 

 on the tracks of Michaux, leaving Squires to keep the 

 Wolves away from the dead Deer. We went at once 

 towards a small stream meandering at the foot of the hills, 

 and as we followed it. Bell shot at a Turkey-cock about 

 eighty yards ; his ball cut a streak of feathers from its 

 back, but the gobbler went off. When we approached 

 the spot where Michaux had opened the Deer, we did so 

 cautiously, in the hope of then shooting a Wolf, but none 

 had come ; we therefore made our observations, and took 

 up the tongue, which had been forgotten. Bell joined us, 



