174 IN THE DAYS OP AUDUBON 



off on a rich prairie to the hills in the background in a 

 gentle slope, that renders the whole place a fine and very 

 remarkable spot. 



" We tied up for the night about three miles above 

 them, and all hands went ashore to cut wood, which begins 

 to be somewhat scarce of a good quality. Our captain cut 

 and left several cords of green wood for his return trip at 

 this place; Harris and Bell went on shore, and saw several 

 bats and three turkeys. This afternoon a deer was seen 

 scampering across the prairies until quite out of sight. 

 Wild-gooseberry bushes are very abundant, and the fruit 

 is said to be very good." 



Little can the enterprising settlers in the fine cities 

 along this part of the Missouri now imagine these vanished 

 days of animal life. 



The buffaloes were being destroyed. Mr. Audubon tells 

 us of four boats on which were ten thousand buffalo-skins. 

 The people on these boats lived on buffalo meat. Geese, 

 ducks, gulls, filled the marshes and creeks. The heads of 

 elks rose in safe distances, and antelopes bounded along 

 wood-skirted hills. 



The sun rose red morning after morning; the prairies 

 were filled with bloom, over which south winds blew; 

 meadow-larks sang, all the world was full of life and joy. 

 Enormous elk horns were found along the shores. In some 

 places the ground bristled with horns. 



Here and there white pelicans were seen, and the won- 



