THE MISSOURI RIVER JOURNALS 515 



site direction were the wanderings of the Missouri for 

 many miles, and from the distance we were then from it, 

 the river appeared as if a small, very circuitous streamlet. 

 The Great Bend was all in full view, and its course almost 

 resembled that of a chemist's retort, being formed some- 

 what like the scratch of my pen thus: — 

 The walk from our landing 

 crossing the prairies was 

 quite four miles, whilst the 

 distance by water is computed 

 to be twenty-six. From the 

 pinnacle we stood on, we 

 could see the movements of 



our boat quite well, and whilst the men were employed cut- 

 ting wood for her engines, we could almost count every 

 stroke of their axes, though fully two miles distant, as the 

 crow flies. As we advanced we soon found ourselves on 

 the ridges leading us across the Bend, and plainly saw that 

 we were descending towards the Missouri once more. 

 Chemin faisant, we saw four Blackmailed Deer, a shot at 

 which Michaux or Bell, who were in advance, might per- 

 haps have had, had not Harris and Sprague taken a route 

 across the declivity before them, and being observed by 

 these keen-sighted animals, the whole made off at once. 

 I had no fair opportunity of witnessing their movements ; 

 but they looked swiftness itself, combined with grace. 

 They were not followed, and we reached the river at a spot 

 which evidently had been previously camped on by Indians ; 

 here we made our minds up to stop at once, and arrange for 

 the night, which now promised to be none of the fairest. 

 One man remained with us to prepare the camp, whilst 

 Michaux and the others started in search of game, as if 

 blood-hounds. Meantime we lighted a large and glowing 

 fire, and began preparing some supper. In less than half 

 an hour Michaux was seen to return with a load on his back, 

 which proved to be a fine young buck of the Black-tailed 



