COTTON-WOOD GKOVES — INDIAN FORTS. 245 



behind at the morning's encampment, nor was the incident dis- 

 covered until near the end of the day's march. Two men were 

 immediately sent back to recover him, but returned unsuccessful. 

 They declared that the creature must have hidden himself pur- 

 posely in the thicket near the camp — a trick to which it is said 

 some of these animals are addicted. A detail of six men was 

 ordered to start back for him early in the morning. 



Archambault killed a remarkably fat buflfalo cow to-day, which 

 gave us plenty of the finest beef. Side and hump ribs, and buffalo 

 hump — that precious morsel of all mountain connoisseurs — graced 

 our humble board, (or rather the top of our mess-chest,) and we 

 only needed the presence of dear but absent friends to render our 

 dainty repast all that an epicure could desire. Another cow was 

 also killed, which contained a dead and thoroughly dried foetus, 

 about one-third grown, which had apparently been enclosed in the 

 uterus and preserved for a long time. The hunters say that such 

 is not an unfrequent occurrence. 



Sunday^ September 22. — We remained at this pleasant camp all 

 the day, being Sunday. The detail sent after the missing pack- 

 horse returned about one o'clock, having discovered him, with his 

 pack undisturbed, hidden in the brush in the vicinity of the camp 

 of yesterday morning. 



The day was warm and balmy, with fresh breezes from the north- 

 west. The evening closed with heavy gusts of wind from the 

 south-west, with appearance of rain. Several herds of buffalo 

 were seen during the day. 



Monday^ September 23. — Morning warm and cloudy. High 

 wind during the night, with a slight sprinkle of rain. We followed 

 up the left bank of the Platte, in an eastern direction, when we 

 crossed it on a ripple, with a depth of eighteen inches. Swift 

 current, clear, transparent water, rolled stones and pebbly 

 bottom. 



A large portion of the way from camp was through a natural 

 park of noble cotton-wood trees, sixty feet high, and two and three 

 feet in diameter, and over a rich level bottom, covered with a luxu- 

 riant growth of grass. Major Bridger informs me that, for twenty 

 miles above, the river presents the same beautiful appearance, every 

 little bottom formed by the windings of the stream being covered 

 by a growth similar to that through which we had just passed. 



Immediately above where we crossed, were about twenty Indian 

 forts, or lodges constructed of logs set up endwise, somewhat in 



