ere ag oe 
*x¥ Qce fo dialaucto We be mh td 4 pf. th, vr 
om F+, dc daun h ah- we nah aa oy ~ Cul 
ry % Ft, Se > as ae eae mf 
bed d : a 
et erous trunks of large trees were scattered about on the ground. In 
“many similar places I had occasion to remark an apparent progressive de- 
in the timber. Ten miles farther we reached the mouth of Lodge 
% Pole creek, a clear and handsome stream, running through a broad valley. 
In its course through the bottom it has a uniform breadth of twenty-two 
feet, aud six inches in depth. A. few willows on the banks strike pleas- 
antly on the eye, by their greenness, in the midst of the hot and barren 
sands. 
The amorpha was frequent among the ravines, but the sundowér (heli- 
_anthus) was the characteristic ; and flowers of deep warmcolorsseem most ~ 
to love the sandy soil. The impression of the country travelled over to- 
day was one of dry and-barren sands. We turned in towards the river at 
noon, and gave our horses two hours for food and rest. I had no other 
thermometer than the one attached to the barometer, which stood at 89°, 
the height of the column in the barometer being 26.235 at’ meridian. 
sky was clear, with a high wind from the south, At 2, we continued our’ 
journey ; the wind had moderated; and it beeame almost unendurably hot, 
and our animals suffered severely. - In the course of the afternoon, the wind 
rose suddenly, and blew hard from the southwest, with thunder and oe 
ning, ot squalls of rain; these were blown against us with violence by 
the wind ;.and, halting, we turned our backs to the storm until it blew. 
over.  haaiee were tolerably frequent, with ala arge gray hare; but the 
former were shy, and the latter hardly worth the delay of stopping to shoot 
them ; so, as the evening drew near, we again had recourse to an old bull, 
and encamped.at sunset on an island in the Platte. 
We ate our meat with a good relish this evening, for we were all in fiir 
health, aud had ridden nearly all of a long summer’s day, with a burnitig 
sun, reflected from the sands. My companions slept rolled up in- their 
blankets, and the ae jay in the grass near the fire; but my sle: pd 
place generally had an air of more pretension. Our rifles ‘were 
gether near the muzzle, the butts resting on the ground, and a knife laid 
on the.rope, to cut away in case of an alarm. Over this, which made a 
kind of frame, was thrown a large. India rubber cloth, which. we used to — 
cover our packs. This made a tent suficieptly large to receive about half 
of my bed, and ‘was a place of shelter for Soa instruments; andas I was 
careful .always.to put. this part against the wind, I could lie here witha 
sensation of satisfied enjoyment, and hear the wind blow, and the rain 
patter close to my head, and know that I:should be at least half dry» Cer- 
tainly, I never slept more soundly. . The barometer at sunset was 26.010, 
thermometer 81°, and cloudy; but a gale from the west sprang up with 
- the setting sun, and in a few = saphedt swept away every cloud from the 
sky. ie evening was very fine, and I remained up to take some astro- 
Labeareacionss which made our position in latitude. 4¢ 40° 51' oe 4 ant 
lon, stder 103°07’ . 
ly 7.—At i this. morning, at 6-0’ raloelk, the. barometer wassait 
26,183, thermometer.69°, and clear, with a light wind from the southwest. 
The-past night had been easel with high winds, and occasionally a few 
ip ah Our cooking ot om ipy much time, and we left camp 
early. Nothing: of pao: -occurred during the morning, The same 
paimentiee., except that a hard. marly clay had replaced- a pe 
2 abapinie’y covered. the ‘plain on both sides the river,and = 
scended the hills, scattered herds gave life to the view — 
