220 . Expedition, ^c, 



stones which they cannot avoid. Near the summits of some 

 of these bluffs, the stratum of rock assumes an appearance of 

 such remarkable regularity as to resemble an artificial wall, 

 constructed for the support of the superincumbent soil, and 

 remind us of the extraordinary similar products of Chinese 

 industry, mentioned by Barfow, intended for the acquisition 

 of horizontal garden spaces on the sides of hills and moun- 

 tains. 



At the distance of eight miles from the small river before 

 mentioned, we encamped for the night, on the east side of a 

 creek which we call Little Verdigris. 



It is about 40 yards in breadth, and not so deep as the 

 Little Neosho; its bed is gravelly, but the foot of each bank 

 is so miry, that we experienced some difficulty in crossing. 

 There is but a slight skirting of forest, which denotes to the 

 distant spectator the locality of this creek. 



One of the hunters returned with the information, of his 

 having discovered a small field of maize, occupying a fertile 

 spot at no great distance from the camp; it exhibited proofs 

 of having been lately visited by the cultivators; a circum- 

 stance which leads us to believe that an ascending column of 

 smoke seen at a distance this afternoon, proceeded from an 

 encampment of Indians, whom, if not a war party, we should 

 now rejoice to meet. We took the liberty, agreeably to the 

 custom of the Indians, of procuring a mess of the corn, and 

 some small but nearly ripe watermelons, that were also found 

 growing there, intending to recompense the Osages for them, 

 to whom we supposed them to belong. 



During the night we were visited by a slight shower of 

 rain from the southwest, accompanied by distant thunder. 



