VIEWS OP LOUISIANA. 
This bear is not usually seen lower than the Mandan villa- 
ges. In the vicinity of the Roche Jaune, and of Little Missouri, 
they are said to be most numerous. They do not wander much 
in the prairies, but are usually found in points of wood, in the 
neighbourhood of large streams. The Indians haroly ever ven¬ 
ture into the fringe of wood, which borders the rivers, in that 
great extent of open country, without first setting up a loud and 
continued shout, in order that the bears, if there be any, may 
either come forth to attack them, or retire, if they happen not 
to be so disposed. 
In shape, he differs from the common bear in being propor-^ 
tionably more long and lank. He does not climb trees, a circum¬ 
stance which has enabled hunters with whom I am acquainted, 
to make their escape. The Indians complain that some of their 
best warriors, have fallen victims to this animal. Lewis and 
Clark’s men, on several occasions, narrowly escaped from their 
attacks. The Grizzly bear is sufficient to disprove, the idle the¬ 
ories of Buffon or Raynal, as to the impotency of the new 
world in the production of animals. 
Antelope, was thought to be a non-descript species of deer, it 
is a beautiful little animal, and is found on the Missouri above 
the Platte. The antelope goes in flocks of several hundreds; the 
Indians frequently take them, by driving them into the water 
and attacking them with clubs. 
Grosse Come , so called from the large size of the horns, 
some of them being two feet in length, and four or five inches 
in diameter; they are extremely shy, and climb without difficul¬ 
ty to the pinnacle of the highest mountain, and sport upon the 
giddy verge of precipices. They have been called also mountain 
sheep, but have little resemblance to sheep, except in the head, 
horns, and feet. On the rump, they are white, but every where 
else of a dun color. In size they exceed the deer, and have a 
fi'ne soft hair: the horns of the male are larger than those of the 
female. This animal is thought to be the Agalia. 
The Bujfaloe , may be said to have retired north of the Illinois, 
anti west of the Mississippi. The plains of Indiana and Illinois, 
were once his places of favorite resort, and he loved to frequent 
-the banks of the beautiful Ohio; but encroaching settlements 
