JOURNAL. 
24J* 
galled the Chienne, S. W. side. It appears as large at the 
mouth as the Cumberland or Tennessee. Saw at this place, the 
ruins of an old village, and fortification. The country here¬ 
abouts is fine, and better wooded than any I have seen for the 
last three hundred miles. A tolerable settlement might be sup-" 
ported herd. Gaihe is very abundant-elk, deer, and buffaloe, 
without number. 
Encamped a few miles above the Chienne river, in a beau¬ 
tiful bottom. No art can surpass the beauty of this spot; trees 
of different kinds, shrubs, plants, flowers, meadow, and upland, 
charmingly disposed. What coolness and freshness breathes 
around! The river is bordered with cotton wood, and a few elms, 
there is then an open space of 30 or 40 paces, after which begins a 
delightful shrubbery of small ash trees, the graisse de boeuf, the 
gooseberry, currant, Sec. forming a most delightful avenue. We 
all remark, that the singing of the birds is much sweeter than 
in the forest of the states. This isTancifully accounted for by 
Mr. Bradbury, from the effects of society: from the scantiness 
of woods, they are compelled to crowd on the same tree, and in 
the same grove, and in this way, impart improvement to each 
other. Assuming it as a fact, that the birds of Europe sing bet¬ 
ter than those of America, he asks, can it be owing to any other 
reason than this ? 
The musketoes have been exceedingly troublesome for se¬ 
veral days past. They disappear in the evenings, which are 
cool, or with the slightest wind. 
Sunday $th. Got under way this morning, with fine wea¬ 
ther. Discovered great numbers of buffaloe; on the N. W. side, 
an extensive level meadow. Numbers began to swim across 
the river, as the party of Hunt, who were before us, got oppo¬ 
site; they waited, and killed as many as they wished; a number 
which were started from an island, swam towards us, and we 
killed several also. 
Mr. Bradbury and I went out on the N. W. side, where the 
buffaloe had been first seen, and walked several miles. A very 
beautiful and extensive meadow, at least a mile wide, but with¬ 
out a tree or a shrub—the upland equally bare. Passed a Sioux 
encampment of last fall—from appearances there must bavfc 
