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ore sti BaPadHDE W ich® 
2 — ae eda? theif barges, mad 
« 
- June 27.—The animals” were somewhat fatigued by their march of yes- ~ 
rina, and, after a short journey of eighteen miles along the river bottom, 
I encamped near the head of Grand island, in longitude, by observation, 
99° 05' 24", latitude 40° 39’ 32”. The soil here w 3 light but rich, though 
. the places rather sandy; and, with the exception ofa seattered fringe 
the bank, the timber, consisting principally of poplar, ( populus mo- 
fera,) elm, and hackberry, (celéis crassifolia,) is confined almost en-" 
pees to the islands. 
June 28.—We halted to noon at an open reach of the river, which: oc 
cupies rather more than a fourth of the valley, here only about four miles 
d.. The camp had been disposed with the usual precaution, the 
es ‘grazing at alittle distance, attended by the guard, and we were all 
sitting quietly at our dinner on the grass, when suddenly we heard the 
- startling cry “du monde!’ In an instant, every man’s weapon was in 
his hand, the horses were driven in, hobbled and picketed, and horsemen: 
were galloping at full speed in the direction of the new coniers, screa aming 
-and yelling with the wildest excitement. “Get ready, my lads!” said 
the leader of the approaching party to his men, when our wild- looking 
horsemen were discovered bearing down upon them ; “nous allons aliriper 
des coups de baguette”? They proved to be a small party of fourteen, — 
under the charge of a man named John Lee, and, with their baggage and 
provisions strapped to their backs, were making ‘their way on foot to the 
frontier. A brief account of their fortunes will give some idea of na 
tion in the Nebraska. Sixty days since, they had left the mouth of. eye 
amie’s fork, some three hundred miles above, in barges laden ‘with th 
furs of the American Fur Company. They s ls Rain the annual flo 
and, drawing but nine inches water, hoped & spéédy ‘and ‘ 
perous voyage to St. Louis; but, after a lapse of ny days; 
ves only one-hundred and thirty se: from their “pont! 6 
crt came down rapidly as far as Scott’s ‘biufis; where’ thei 
~ Sometimes they came upon hae! where the ‘water. * 
pay a a great extent, and here theytoiled” front tora g uiritifs 
deavoring to drag their boat ae ge ney or it ca ‘only two’ or 
sa cape Ar ‘Son neti mes | dist Gis ‘an . 
| appeared a ‘chitnniel ‘a 
i to return, 7 dragetee 
and at others, es came nce 
Spe lg ert ii ewrerag 
Ap ara ttisin! aide fel oie 
on hei ‘and or _petidhal Be 
in trees on the bank, and, Pp 
iy, Had Goinimn ctieed, hadi 
“tidt io St. Tenis: %2)"=) 
t 10°St. 
17 tee 
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