26 AUDUBON 



feat easily, had not the yawl been on deck undergoing 

 repairs. We pushed off, and very soon saw more Indians 

 on the shore, also Assiniboins. They had crossed the 

 " Bend " below us, and had brought some trifles to trade 

 with us ; but our captain passed on, and the poor wretches 

 sat and looked at the "Great Medicine" in astonishment. 

 Shortly after this, we saw a Wolf attempting to climb a 

 very steep bank of clay; he fell down thrice, but at last 

 reached the top and disappeared at once. On the oppo- 

 site shore another Wolf was lying down on a sand-bar, like 

 a dog, and might readily have been taken for one. We 

 have stopped for the night at nine o'clock; and I now have 

 done my day's putting-up of memoranda and sketches, 

 intending to enlarge upon much after I return home. I 

 forgot to say that last evening we saw a large herd of Buf- 

 faloes, with many calves among them ; they were grazing 

 quietly on a fine bit of prairie, and we were actually op- 

 posite to them and within two hundred yards before they 

 appeared to notice us. They stared, and then started at 

 a handsome canter, suddenly wheeled round, stopped, 

 closed up their ranks, and then passed over a slight knoll, 

 producing a beautiful picturesque view. Another thing I 

 forgot to speak of is a place not far below the Little Mis- 

 souri, where Mr. Kipp assured us we should find the re- 

 mains of a petrified forest, which we hope to see later. 



June 11, Sunday. This day has been tolerably fine, 

 though windy. We have seen an abundance of game, a 

 great number of Elks, common Virginian Deer, Moun- 

 tain Rams in two places, and a fine flock of Sharp-tailed 

 Grouse, that, when they flew off from the ground near us, 

 looked very much like large Meadow Larks. They 

 were on a prairie bordering a large patch of Artemisia, 

 which in the distance presents the appearance of acres of 

 cabbages. We have seen many Wolves and some Buffa- 

 loes. One young bull stood on the brink of a bluff, look- 

 ing at the boat steadfastly for full five minutes ; and as 



