The Stag River. 



539 



of the atmosphere, instead of being planets, as a learned European 

 has imagined ? I did not doubt it ; and I have lately acquired a new 

 proof. I was going, by night, to visit a sick person, when I saw fall 

 by my side the most beautiful flying-star that I ever beheld. I had 

 full time to examine it, for its progress continued at least for ten se- 

 conds : besides the spark which it sends forth, it divided into three 

 parts before it was extinguished. I questioned the catechist who 

 accompanied me. He also said that it was a star. The name cer- 

 tainly is not well applied. — Annals of the Propagation of the Faith. 



Extract of a Letter from Father Smet, Jesuit Missionary, to the 

 Reverend Father General of the Society. 



"University of St. Louis, 7th February, 1341. 



" We arrived the 18th of May upon the banks of the Nebrastas, 

 or Stag River, which is called by the French by the less suitable 

 name of the Flat River. It is one of the most magnificent rivers of 

 North America ; from its source, which is hidden among the remotest 

 mountains of this vast continent, to the river Missouri, to which it is 

 tributary, it receives a number of torrents descending from the Rocky 

 Mountains ; it refreshes and fertilizes immense valleys, and forms at 

 its mouth the two great geographical divisions of the upper and lower 

 Missouri. As we proceeded up this river, scenes more or less pictur- 

 esque opened upon our view. In the middle of the Nebrastas, thou- 

 sands of islands, under various aspects, presented nearly every form 

 of lovely scenery. I have seen some of those isles which, at a dis- 

 tance, might be taken for flotillas, mingling their full sails with ver- 

 dant garlands, or festoons of flowers ; and as the current flowed 

 rapidly around them, they seemed, as it were, flying on the waters, 

 thus completing the charming illusion, by this apparent motion. 

 The tree which the soil of these islands produces in the greatest 

 abundance is a species of white poplar, which is called cotton tree ; 

 the savages cut it in winter, and make of the bark, which appears 

 to have a good taste, food for their horses. 



" Along the banks of the river, vast plains extend, where we saw, 

 from time to time, innumerable herds of wild goats. We saw only 



