144 Expedition to the 



more particularly of this river. Its mouth now exhibited 

 a great extent of naked sandbars, the water, which was trans- 

 parent and. of a greenish colour, flowing almost unseen 

 through a number of small channels. Masses of sand accu- 

 mulate at the mouth of the Platte, rendering the navigation 

 of the Missouri at that point extremely difficult. The Platte, 

 during its floods, pours into the Missouri a volume of 

 water, considerably exceeding in magnitude that of the lat- 

 ter river, occasioning a reflux of the waters for many miles. 

 From the Platte upward, the annual range from high to low 

 water in the Missouri, may be rated at about eighteen feet. 

 Above the Platte, the scenery of the Missouri becomes 

 mush more interesting. The bluffs on each side are more 

 elevated and abrupt, and being absolutely naked, rising into 

 conic points, split by innumerable ravines, they have an im- 

 posing resemblance to groups of high granitic mountains, 

 seen at a distance. The forests within the valley, are of 

 small extent, interspersed with wide meadows covered with 

 Carices and Cyperaceae, with some species of Limnetis, 

 Polypogon, and Arundo, sometimes sinking into marshes 

 occupied by Saggittarias, Alismas, and others of the Hydro- 

 charidse. The woodlands here, as on the whole of the Mis- 

 souri below, are filled with great numbers of pea vines,* 

 which afford an excellent pasturage for horses and cattle. 

 The roots of the Apios tuberosa were much sought after, 

 and eaten by the soldiers, who accompanied us in our as- 

 cent. They are little tubers about half an inch in diameter, 

 and when boiled are very agreeable to the taste. Two and 

 an half miles above the mouth of the Platte, and on the same 

 side, is that of the Papilion, a stream of considerable length, 

 but discharging little water. Here we found two boats 



belonging to the Indian traders at St. Louis. They had 



• 



* Species of Apios, the Glycine of Lin. 



