Rocky Moimtains. 225 



narrow and fertile, supporting a tolerably thick grov/th of 

 mossy cup oaks, with walnut, cotton-wood, elm, and much 

 underwood, through which it is sometimes rather difficult to 

 force a passage. The river is now more serpentine ii' its 

 course, than it was remarked to be nearer the mountains; 

 but it is here wide, and still thickly studded with sand bars. 



One of the hunters rescued the body of a small fawn from 

 the wolves, that had killed and embowelled it. This afforded 

 us all a good dinner; and as we had, in the morning, drawn 

 upon our almost exhausted store of sweet corn for a gill 

 to each man, as a breakfast, we are to-day comparatively 

 well fed. 



Near our evening encampment were the remains of a 

 large Indian hunting camp. 



Our distance to day nineteen miles. 



On the following day we set out again fasting, and pur- 

 sued our journey over a beautiful, open, level bottom. The 

 bluffs on our left, of but moderate height, were partially 

 clothed with oaks, and the river on the right skirted with the 

 cotton tree. But a simple ravine crossed our morning route. 

 At eleven o'clock the mercury in the thermometer indicated 

 93 degrees. 



At the distance of about two miles from our resting place 

 of noon, we again hailed, and pitched the tents in anticipa- 

 tion of a violent storm, as a nimbus of an unusually menacing 

 aspect, was imposingly announced by wind and thunder, and 

 seemed rapidly approaching from the south. In order to 

 make amends for this delay, the hunters were sent out to en- 

 deavour to procure some food. Rut as the storm passed 

 round, they were soon recalled, bringing with them the sea- 

 sonable supply of four turkeys. On the subsequent part of 

 the day we passed over a small stream, which we call Bit- 

 ter-apple creek, with but a slow moving current, of the 

 width ot about ten yards, and three feet deep. Its bed was 

 so muddy, that two of the pack-horses were mired, but 



VOL. II. 29 



