Bi a a ll i ta rae 
sso 
Capt. Blakiston’s Explorations in the Rocky Mountains. 325 
Crossing Spetchee or High-woods River on leaving the In- 
dians in the morning, we travelled over undulating prairie all 
the forenoon, crossing another tributary of this river. Durin 
the latter part of the day, we passed through a narrow woode 
ravine between rugged hills, covered with burned forest, and 
¢ nasmall creek. Here I determined to make a cache. 
Therefore selecting a good thick spruce tree, we enclosed in a 
x some ammunition, tobacco, and a few other things, which 
with half the bag of pemmican still remaining intact, rolled up 
ina piece of buffalo robe, we suspended from a branch about 
fifteen feet from the ground. 
We were delayed some time next morning by some of the 
horses having strayed a distance into the wo i : 
ight; however, when found they were quickly unhobbled, 
saddled, and packed, and we started not very long after our 
usual hour. The Indian trail led between numerous wooded 
ridges, namely, a little east of south, and usually dip from, + 
Vertical angle. 
In the afternoon we passed ¢lose on the left hand a very re- 
markable feature; it was a mass of rock projecting upwards from 
the top of a hill, and visible at a considerable distance ; from its 
Peculiar form I called it the “Chopping Block.” Soon after, we 
gained the height of land between the waters of the Spetchee 
and Mocowans, or Belly River, and the wide prairie valley of 
the latter broke upon our view. We descended a short distance 
and camped at the first wood and water. ; ; 
fore gaining Belly River in the moron quick and 
Practised eye of the Indian caught sight of a of Buffalo in 
the valley, he therefore went Re and by the time we had 
halted on the river, and I had obtained an observation, he had 
killed one animal. I remained here until noon, in order to ob- 
tain a meridian altitude, and so complete my observation for 
latitude and longitude, occupying a portion of the time in meas- 
uring the heights of the successive river levels with the aneroid 
Trometer. 3 
These « river levels” are a very general feature in this portion 
of the Western Cuasiited: I have observed them on all parts of 
