158 AUDUBON 



the wind was adverse. Bell and Harris, however, killed a 

 cow, a single one, that had been wounded, whether by shot 

 or by an arrow no one can tell. We saw a bull on a sand- 

 bar; the poor fool took to the water and swam so as to 

 meet us. We shot at him about a dozen times, I shot him 

 through one eye, Bell, Harris, and Sprague about the head, 

 and yet the animal made for our boat and came so close 

 that Mr. Culbertson touched him with a pole, when he turned 

 off and swam across the river, but acted as if wild or crazy; 

 he ran on a sand-bar, and at last swam again to the oppo- 

 site shore, in my opinion to die, but Mr. Culbertson says 

 he may live for a month. We landed in a good harbor on 

 the east side about an hour before sundown. Moncrevier 

 caught a catfish that weighed sixteen pounds, a fine fish, 

 though the smaller ones are better eating. 



Monday, 28th. A gale all night and this morning also. 

 We are in a good place for hunting, and I hope to have 

 more to say anon. The men returned and told us of many 

 Bear tracks, and four of us started off. Such a walk I do 

 not remember ; it was awful — mire, willows, vines, holes, 

 fallen logs ; we returned much fatigued and having seen 

 nothing. The wind blowing fiercely. 



Tuesday, 29th. Heavy wind all night. Bad dreams 

 about my own Lucy. Walked some distance along the 

 shores and caught many catfish. Two Deer on the other 

 shore. Cut a cotton-tree to fasten to the boat to break 

 the force of the waves. The weather has become sultry. 

 Beavers during the winter oftentimes come down amid the 

 ice, but enter any small stream they meet with at once. 

 Apple River, or Creek, was formerly a good place for 

 them, as well as Cannon Ball River. Saw a Musk-rat this 

 morning swimming by our barge. Slept on a muddy bar 

 with abundance of mosquitoes. 



Wednesday, 30th. Started at daylight. Mr. Culbertson 

 and I went off to the prairies over the most infernal 

 ground I ever saw, but we reached the high prairies by 



