166 Expedition to the 



late hour. The men had been compelled to wade a great 

 part of the way, and drag the canoe over the sand. 



9th. We had proceeded a mile or two from our encamp- 

 ment, when we discovered a herd of twenty or thirty elk, 

 some standing in the water, and some lying upon the sand 

 beach, at no great distance before us. The hunters went for- 

 ward, and singling out one of the finest bucks, fired upon 

 him; at which the whole herd plunged into the thicket, and 

 disappeared. We had, however, too much confidence in the 

 skill of the hunter, to doubt but his shot had been fatal, and 

 several of the party dismounting, pursued the herd into the 

 woods, where they soon overtook the wounded buck. I'he 

 noble animal, finding his pursuers at his heels, turned upon 

 the foremost, who saved himself by springing into a thicket, 

 which the elk could not penetrate, but in which he soon be- 

 came entangled by his enormous antlers, and fell an easy 

 victim. His head was enveloped in such a quantity of cissus, 

 smilax, and other twining vines, that scarce the tips of his 

 horns could be seen: thus blindfolded, he stood until most 

 of those, who had followed into the woods, had discharged 

 their pieces, and did not finally yield to his foes, until he was 

 stabbed to the heart with a knife. He was found in excellent 

 condition, having more than two inches of fat on the brisket. 

 The meat was carried to the river, and deposited on a pro- 

 jecting point of rocks, with a note addressed to the men who 

 were behind with the canoe, directing them to add this sup- 

 ply of provisions to their cargo. 



At this point, and again at an inconsiderable distance be- 

 low, a soft green slaty sandstone forms the bed of the river, 

 and occasions a succession ot rapids. • 



At noon an observation by the meridian altitude of the 

 sun's lower limb gave us ZS" 80' as an approximation to our 

 latitude. This was much greater than we had anticipated, 

 from the position assigned to Red river on the maps, and 

 ♦ended to confirm the unpleasant fears we had entertained of 



