466 Expedition to the 



Mr. Stewart and his companions had fifteen horses, but 

 soon afterwards met with a band of the Crow Indians, near 

 the Rocky Mountains, who hehaved with the most unbound- 

 ed insolence, and finally stole every horse belonging to the 

 party. 



They now found themselves on foot, with the Rocky 

 Mountains, and a journey of two thousand miles before them; 

 fifteen hundred of which was through a countrv wholly un- 

 known, as their route lay considerably to the south of that 

 of Lewis and Clark. 



Putting the best face upon their prospects, they pursued 

 their journey towards the Rocky Mountains, travelling east 

 southeast, until they struck the " head waters of the great 

 river Platte," which they followed to its mouth, having spent 

 the winter upon it, six hundred miles from the Missouri.* 



The confluence of the North fork and the Platte is, ac- 

 cording to our estimate of distances, one hundred and forty- 

 nine miles by our courses, from the Pawnee Loup village. 



Some of the upper branches of the Wolf river, head about 

 thirty miles to the north of this point. 



After fording the North fork, we crossed a narrow point 

 of low prairie to the Platte, where, as it was now near 

 night, we resolved to encamp, and attempt the passage of the 

 river on the following day. 



Our view of the opposite margin of the Platte, during this 

 day's march, had been intercepted by an elevated swell of 

 the surface, which extended along, parallel to the river, that 

 we were now approaching. Immediately upon surmounting 

 this undulation we saw before us, upon the broad expanse of 

 the left margin of the river, immense herds of bisons, graz- 

 ing in undisturbed possession, and obscuring, with the den- 

 sity of their numbers*, the verdant plain; to the right and left, 

 as far as the eye was permitted to rove, the crowd seemed 



* The narrative from which this sketch is taken, was published in the 

 Missouri Gazette. 



