Rocky Mountains. 195 



appeared most singular was, that they should be withdrawn 

 without any appearance of moisture upon them ; that they 

 might not be deceived they repeated the experiment again 

 and again. A couple of iron nails were then thrown upon 

 the mercury, and as these did not sink to the bottom, they 

 pressed them down with their fingers ; but finding that the 

 nails constantly arose again to the surface, the Big Elk re- 

 turned the vessel to me, saying, with a smile of pleasure 

 strongly impressed on his strongly marked countenance, that 

 the fluid was the Omawhaw's Wahconda. 



The last load of stone, which was taken from the quarry 

 early in December last, was prevented from reaching camp 

 Missouri by the floating ice ; the boat was driven ashore 

 and abandoned. It was now observed floating down the 

 river, with a large quantity of drift ice, and, when op- 

 posite our cantonment, was readily secured by Major Ketch- 

 um, without having received any injury whatever. Major 

 Ketchum, with a detachment of men, has been engaged for 

 two or three days past in cutting out of the ice, three of the 

 boats from our harbour. These, together with one, which is 

 at Camp Missouri, are intended to convey the sick from that 

 camp down the river to Fort Osage. Camp Missouri has 

 been sickly, from the commencement of winter ; but its situa- 

 tion is at this time truly deplorable. More than three hun- 

 dred soldiers are, or have been sick, and nearly one hundred 

 have died. This fatality is occasioned by the Scurvy (Scor- 

 butus). Individuals who are siezed rarely recover, as they 

 cannot be furnished with the proper aliments ; they have no 

 vegetables, fresh meat, nor antiscorbutics, so that the patients 

 grow daily worse, and entering the hospital is considered 

 by them as a certain passport to the grave. Yet it is some 

 consolation to reflect that all the- science, care, and attention 

 of the healing art have been exerted for the relief of the suf- 

 ferers by Doctors Gale and Moore, as far as their present 

 insulated situation will admit. The causes, which have been 



