THE MISSOURI RIVER JOURNALS 455 



and I found the worthy old gentleman so kind and so full 

 of information about the countries of the Indians that I 

 returned to him a few days afterwards, not only for the 

 sake of the pleasure I enjoyed in his conversation, but also 

 with the view to procure, both dead and alive, a species of 

 Pouched Rat {Pseudo stoma bursarius) 1 wonderfully abun- 

 dant in this section of country. One day our friend Har- 

 ris came back, and brought with him the prepared skins 

 of birds and quadrupeds they had collected, and informed 



me that they had removed their quarters to B 's. He 



left the next day, after we had made an arrangement for 

 the party to return the Friday following, which they did. 

 I drew four figures of Pouched Rats, and outlined two fig- 

 ures of Sciurus capistratus? which is here called " Fox 

 Squirrel." 



The 25 th of April at last made its appearance, the rivers 

 were now opened, the weather was growing warm, and 

 every object in nature proved to us that at last the singu- 

 larly lingering winter of 1842 and 1843 was over. Having 

 conveyed the whole of our effects on board the steamer, 

 and being supplied with excellent letters, we left St. Louis 

 at 1 1.30 A. M., with Mr. Sarpy on board, and a hundred and 

 one trappers of all descriptions and nearly a dozen differ- 

 ent nationalities, though the greater number were French 

 Canadians, or Creoles of this State. Some were drunk, 

 and many in that stupid mood which follows a state of ner- 

 vousness produced by drinking and over-excitement. Here 

 is the scene that took place on board the " Omega " at our 

 departure, and what followed when the roll was called. 



First the general embarkation, when the men came in 



1 Described and figured under this name by Aud. and Bach., Quad. N. 

 Am. i., 1849, p. 332, pi. 44. This is the commonest Pocket Gopher of the 

 Mississippi basin, now known as Geomys bursarius. — E. C. 



2 Aud. and Bach., Quad. N. Am. ii., 1851, p. 132, pi. 68. The plate has 

 three figures. This is the Fox Squirrel with white nose and ears, now com- 

 monly called Sciurus niger, after Linnaeus, 1758, as based on Catesby's Black 

 Squirrel. S. capistratus is Bosc's name, bestowed in 1802. — E. C. 



