JOURNAL. 
211- 
iiful situations for farms and plantations. The hills rise with a 
most delightful ascent from the water’s edge, to the height of 
forty or fifty feet; the woods open and handsome. The lands 
on the Mine river, reputed excellent. The bottoms on the N. 
E. side the Missouri, uncommonly fine. There is a flour¬ 
ishing settlement here. As this is Sunday, the good people 
were dressed out in their best clothes, and came in groups to 
the bank to gaze upon us, as we passed by under sail. We put 
to shore, at the farm of Braxton Cooper, a worthy man, who has 
the management of the saltworks. The settlement is but one 
year old, but is already considerable, and increasing rapidly; it 
consists of seventy-five families, the greater part living on the 
bank of the river, in the space of four or five miles. They are, 
generally, persons in good circumstances, most of them have 
slaves. Mr. Cooper informed me that the upland, back, is the 
most beautiful ever beheld. He thinks that from the mouth of 
the Missouri to this place, the country for at least forty miles 
from the river, may bear the character of rich woodland: the 
prairies forming but trifling proportions. This place is two hun¬ 
dred miles up. We inquired for the party of which we were 
in chase—-they had passed by nineteen days before ^is. 
Monday 1 5 th. Rain last night, but without lightning—from 
this it is prognosticated that the wind will continue favorable to 
day . Set off with a fair wind, but the course of the river became 
unfavorable. At half past seven, again fair—continued under 
sail until twelve. Passed handsome upland S. W. side, and the 
two Chareton rivers N. E. Had to oppose in the course of the 
day some very difficult places—the river extremely crooked. 
While the men were towing, they chased a she bear into a hol¬ 
low tree; we set about chopping the tree, while several stood 
with guns presented to the hole at which she had entered, about 
twenty feet up. In a short time she put out her head and shoul¬ 
ders, but on receiving a volley, instantly withdrew. The chop¬ 
ping was renewed; madam Cuff again appeared, and was saluted 
as before, but without producing the same effect, as she leisure¬ 
ly crawled down the tree, and attempted to make off, amidst the 
shouts of fifteen or twenty barbarians,, who were bent on the de¬ 
struction of a mother and her little family. She was killed with 
