f dis 3 78 
sonable.addition to Our stockof provisions, At this place I had deterniined 
to make another attempt to descend the Platte by ‘Water, oe accordingly 
spent two days in the construction:of a bull-boat. Men w t on 
the evening of our arrival, the necessary number of baile | killed, and their 
skins brought to the camp. Four of the best of them were strongly” sewed 
together with buffalo sinew, and stretched over a basket frame of willow. 
The seams were then covered. with ashes.and tallow, and the boat left éx- 
posed to the-sun for the greater part of one«day, which was sufficient to 
dry and contract the skin, and make the whole. work solid and strong. © It 
-had a rounded bow, was eight feet long and five broad, and drew with 
four men about four inches water. On the morning of ihe 1éth we em- 
barked in our. hide hoat, Mr. Preuss.and myself, with two™ 
dra er over the sands for three or four miles, and then left heron a 
bar, and abandoned entirely all further attempts to navigate this river. The 
stream—* the Nebraska, or Shallow nae 2? Walkin ng stony the remain- 
der of the day, a little before dark we overtook our people’at thei r even- 
ing camp, about twenty-one miles below thé junction... The next morning 
we crossed the Platte, and continued our way down the river bottom on 
the left bank, where we found an excellent plainly beaten road. 
Ou the 18th we reached Grand island, whiclris fifty-two miles long, with 
ai average breadth of one mile and three-quarters. Ithas on it some ‘small 
excellent soil, and recommends itself to notice as nag best: point for eli 
tary. position on the Lower Platte. err: 
On the 22d we arrived at the-village of-the Geand Pawnees, on the: Faget 
bank of the river, about thirty miles above the mouth of the Loup fork. 
They were gathering intheir €orn, and we obtained from them a ace a 
come supply of: vegetables. 
The morning.ef the 24th w% reached the aw fork of vie Platte. At 
the place where we forded it, this stream was four hundred and thirty 
-yards broad, with a swift current of clear water ; ; in this respect, differing 
from the Platte, which has a yellow muddy» color, derived from the lime- 
“stone and marl formation, of which we have previously spoken. The ford 
“was difficult, as the water was so deep that it came into the body of the 
carts, and we reached. the opposite bank after repeated attempts, ascending 
_ and descending the bed of the river in order to avail ourselves.of at bars. 
% doe eucamped on the left bank of the. fork,.in the point of I 
“tion with the Platte. During the two days that we re 
mical observations, the bad weather permitted us to sea 
servation for the latitu de—a meridian altitude of ol Vie which 
days peemetsy:| I had sent forward C. Pauibe with two men, 
ith di ee from Mr.P, serpy the id oth in charge 
