88 Expedition to the 



feature of the country. The immediate valley of the Mis 

 souri preserves great uniformity in breadth, and is bounded 

 on both sides by chains of rocky bluffs rising from one to 

 two hundred feet above the surface of the included valley, 

 and separating it from those vast woodless plains which 

 overspread so great a part of the country. Meandering from 

 right to left along this valley the river alternately washes 

 the base of the bluffs on either side, while, from a person 

 passing up or down the stream, the heavy forests intercept 

 the view of the bluffs, except at the points where they are 

 thus disclosed. Opposite the Big Manito rocks, and the 

 island of the same name, is the Little Saline river, on the 

 left side ; and three or four miles above, on the opposite side, 

 a stream called the Big Manito creek. Here we passed the 

 night of the 12th July. About midnight so violent a storm 

 arose that we were compelled to leave our encampment on 

 shore, the tent being blown down, and to seek shelter on 

 board the boat. Though the storm did not continue long, the 

 water fell to the depth of one inch and an half. 



After taking in a supply of wood, we departed on the 

 morning of the 13th, and the same day arrived at Franklin. 

 This town, at present increasing more rapidly than any other 

 on the Missouri, had been commenced but two years and an 

 half before the time of our journey. It then contained 

 about one hundred and twenty log houses of one story, se- 

 veral framed dwellings of two stories, and two of brick, 

 thirteen shops for the sale of merchandise, four taverns, two 

 smiths' shops, two large team mills, two billiard rooms, a 

 court house, a log prison of two stories, a post office, and a 

 printing press issuing a weekly paper. At this time bricks 

 were sold at ten dollars per thousand, corn at twenty-five 

 cents per bushel, wheat one dollar, bacon at twelve and 

 an half cents per pound ; uncleared lands from two to ten or 

 fifteen dollars per acre. The price of labour was seventy- 

 five cents per day. 



