JOURNAL. 
|P 
and other timber. At this place, the river makes a considerable 
bend. Instead of taking the main channel, we entered a smaller 
one between the island and the shore, which will shorten the 
distance; the current not so strong. The channel is about fifty 
yards wide, and 1 very handsome, having clean even banks, and re¬ 
sembling a small river.—-It is about four miles in length 
Through all these islands, and on the Missouri bottoms, 
there are great quantities of rushes, commonly called scrub 
grass.* They grow four or five feet high, and so close, as to 
render it very disagreeable, as well as difficult, to- pass through 
the woods. The cattle feed upon them in the winter, answer¬ 
ing the same purpose as the cane on the Mississippi. 
At the upper end of the isle auoc B'oeufs , we were compell¬ 
ed, about five o’clock in the evening, to put to shore, on account 
of a violent storm, which continued until after dark. In the bad¬ 
ly constructed cabin of our boat, we were wet to the skin: 
the men were better off in their tents, made by a blanket stretchr 
ed over twigs. 
We have been accompanied for these two days past, by a 
man and two iads, ascending in a canoe. This evening they en¬ 
camped close by us, placing the canoe under shelter of our boat. 
Unsheltered, except by the trees on the bank, and a ragged 
quilt drawn over a couple of forks, they abode “ the pelting of 
the pitiless storm/’ with apparent indifference. These people 
are well dressed in handsome home made cotton cloth. The 
man seemed to possess no small share of pride and seif import¬ 
ance, which, as l afterwards discovered, arose from his being a 
captain of.militia. He borrowed a kettle from*us-, and gave it 
to one of his boys. When we were about to sit down to supper, 
he retired, but returned when it was over; when asked, why he 
had not staid to do us the honor of supping with us; “ I thank 
you, gentlemen,” said he, licking his lips with satisfaction, “ I 
have just been eating an excellent supper.”—He had scarcely 
spoken, when the patron\ came to inform Mr, Lisa, they were 
* This is the case for several hundred miles up the Missouri. 
f The Patron is the fresh water sailing-master. 
