THE MISSOURI RIVER JOURNALS 487 



places along this bluff we saw clusters of nests of Swal- 

 lows, which we all looked upon as those of the Cliff 

 Swallow, although I saw not one of the birds. We 

 stopped again to cut wood, for our opportunities are not 

 now very convenient. Went out, but only shot a fine 

 large Turkey-hen, which I brought down on the wing 

 at about forty yards. It ran very swiftly, however, 

 and had not Harris's dog come to our assistance, we 

 might have lost it. As it was, however, the dog pointed, 

 and Harris shot it, with my small shot-gun, whilst I 

 was squatted on the ground amid a parcel of low bushes. 

 I was astonished to see how many of the large shot I 

 had put into her body. This hen weighed 1 1| pounds. 

 She had a nest, no doubt, but we could not find it. We 

 saw a good number of Geese, though fewer than yes- 

 terday ; Ducks also. We passed many fine prairies, and 

 in one place I was surprised to see the richness of the 

 bottom lands. We saw this morning eleven Indians of 

 the Omaha tribe. They made signals for us to land, 

 but our captain never heeded them, for he hates the 

 red-skins as most men hate the devil. One of them 

 fired a gun, the group had only one, and some ran along 

 the shore for nearly two miles, particularly one old 

 gentleman who persevered until we came to such bluff 

 shores as calmed down his spirits. In another place we 

 saw one seated on a log, close by the frame of a canoe ; 

 but he looked surly, and never altered his position as 

 we passed. The frame of this boat resembled an ordi- 

 nary canoe. It is formed by both sticks giving a half 

 circle ; the upper edges are fastened together by a long 

 stick, as well as the centre of the bottom. Outside of 

 this stretches a Buffalo skin without the hair on; it 

 is said to make a light and safe craft to cross even the 

 turbid, rapid stream— the Missouri. By simply looking 

 at them, one may suppose that they are sufficiently large 

 to carry two or three persons. On a sand-bar afterwards 



