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The extensive country on the Jaun, or Yellow 

 river, is exceedingly fertile. Towards its head 

 waters the land is covered with large timber. 

 Grapes grow in great abundance wherever any 

 trees or brush are to be found. There are vast 

 thickets of plumbs, cherries, and crab apples. The 

 country is mostly level to the foot of the Black 

 mountains, which the Indians say, are completely 

 separated from Rocky mountains. A large river 

 passes between them, which runs to the southward. 

 The range of the Black mountains is from east to 

 west, but the Rocky mountains extend, from 

 north to south. The former are about four hun- 

 dred miles south of our winter encampment, as 

 the Indians compute the distance. They repre- 

 sent the country as fertile beyond description, 

 and as inhabited by numerous bands of Indians. 

 The buffaloe, elk, cabree, deer, black and white 

 bears, are found there, in vast multitudes. The 

 Manciarie Indians are often at war with a nation, 

 which resides in the Black mountains, called, 

 J-a-kar-tha, who speak the same tongue with the 

 Snake Indians or the Aliatans of the Rocky 

 mountains. This nation has also obtained the 

 nick name of Snake Indians, from the same cir- 

 cumstance ; that is, because they hide themselves 

 in caverns and among the rocks, to conceal them- 

 selves from their enemies, from whence they are 

 dragged out and killed like snakes. They are also 

 held in great contempt by other nations, who 

 consider them to be too mean to have existence. 



