Rocky Mountains, 203 



ty, and which no other than one habituated to this mode of 

 life would have devised. During leisure intervals, he had 

 communicated an historical narrative of his life and adven- 

 tures, more particularly in as far as they were relative to the 

 country which we have been exploring. He particularized 

 the adventures of Choteau and Demun's hunting and trading 

 party, their success in beaver hunting, the considerable quan- 

 tity of merchandise they took with them, their adventures 

 with the natives, and the singular circumstances attendant on 

 • their capture by the Mexican Spaniards, and the transfer of 

 the merchandise to Santa Fe, without, hovvever, venturing 

 to express any conjectures relative to the latter transaction. 

 Much still more important information was derived from 

 him, concerning the manners and habits of these mountain 

 Indians, their history, affinities, and migrations. 



A copious addition to our vocabulary of words of the 

 Pawnee language, was obtained from Ledoux, together with 

 an account of the manners and habits of that nation. 



All these, however, composed a part of the manuscripts 

 of Mr, Say, that were subsequently carried off by deserters 

 from our camp. 



Travelled this day twenty-seven miles. The soil is becom- 

 ing in many districts more exclusively sandy, the finer par- 

 ticles of which, driven by the wind, have formed numerous 

 large hillocks on the opposite side of the river, precisely re- 

 sembling those which are accumulated on our sea coast. On 

 the northern side, or that which we are traversing, the prai- 

 rie still offers its unvaried flatness, and cheerless sterility, 

 so that during a portion of the day's journe)', not a solitary 

 bush seen on the river bank, relieved the monotonous scene 

 before us. 



Proceeded early on the following morning, and at the dis- 

 tance of twelve miles crossed a creek of clear running water, 

 called by Bijeau, Demun's creek, from the circumstance of 

 that hunter losing here a fine horse. At a considerable dis- 



