458 Expedition, &c. 



where little grass was to be found. When we remained in 

 camp during the day they were suffered to range more at 

 liberty, a watch being kept out to prevent their wandering 

 too great a distance. Notwithstanding the Sabbath was de- 

 voted to the refreshment of our horses, and the relaxation of 

 the men who accompanied us, some attention was given to 

 the great objects of the Expedition. Astronomical observa- 

 tions for the correction of our time-piece, and for other pur- 

 poses, were made. At Engineer Cantonment we had fur- 

 nished ourselves with port folios of paper to receive speci- 

 mens of such plants as we might collect, but we found that 

 the precautions which had been used to protect these from 

 the weather had been insufficient, some of our collections 

 being in part wet, and others having been made during the 

 heavy rains which fell before we readied the Pawnee vil- 

 lages required much attention. The Sabbath also afforded 

 us an opportunity to devote a little attention to the impor- 

 tant objects of personal cleanliness and comfort. The plain 

 about our encampment was strewed with the bones of the 

 bison and other animals ; and among the rest we distinguish- 

 ed some of men. We picked up a number of human skulls, 

 one of which we thought it no sacrilege to compliment with 

 a place upon one of our pack-horses. Our guides could give 

 us no satisfactory information of the time and manner in 

 which the several persons, to whom these bones formerly 

 belonged, had been compelled to lay them down in this place; 

 it is certain, however, that at no very distant period a battle 

 had been fought, or a massacre committed, on this spot. 



We had now arrived at a point about two hundred miles 

 distant from the confluence of the Platte and Missouri, yet 

 the character of the former river was but little changed. It 

 was still from one to three miles in breadth, containing nu- 

 merous islands, covered with a scanty growth of cotton wood 

 willows, the Amorpha fruticosa, and other shrubs. 



