514 



AUDUBON 



captain asked me whether I would like to go off and 

 camp, and await his arrival on the other side to-morrow. 

 I assured him that nothing would give us more pleasure, 

 and he gave us three stout young men to go with us to 

 carry our blankets, provisions, etc., and to act as guides 

 and hunters. All was ready by about five of the after- 

 noon, when Harris, Bell, Sprague, and I, as well as the 

 three men, were put ashore ; and off we went at a brisk 

 walk across a beautiful, level prairie, whereon in sundry 

 directions we could see small groups of Buffaloes, grazing 

 at leisure. Proceeding along, we saw a great number of 

 Cactus, some Bartram Sandpipers, and a Long-billed Cur- 

 lew. Presently we observed a village of prairie Marmots, 

 Arctomys \^Cynomys\ litdovicianus, and two or three of our 

 party diverged at once to pay them their respects.- The 

 mounds which I passed were very low indeed; the holes 

 were opened, but I saw not one of the owners. Harris, 

 Bell, and Michaux, I believe, shot at some of them, but 

 killed none, and we proceeded on, being somewhat anxious 

 to pitch our camp for the night before dark. Presently we 

 reached the hills and were surprised at their composition; 

 the surface looked as if closely covered with small broken 

 particles of coal, whilst the soil was of such greasy or 

 soapy nature, that it was both painful and fatiguing to 

 ascend them. Our guides assured us that such places 

 were never in any other condition, or as they expressed 

 it, were "never dry." Whilst travelling about these re- 

 markable hills, Sprague saw one of Townsend's Hare, and 

 we started the first and only Prairie Hen we have seen 

 since our departure from St. Louis. Gradually we rose 

 on to the very uppermost crest of the hills we had to 

 cross, and whilst reposing ourselves for some minutes we 

 had the gratification of seeing around us one of the great 

 panoramas this remarkable portion of our country affords. 

 There was a vast extent of country beneath and around us. 

 Westward rose the famous Medicine Hill, and in the oppo- 



