MISSOURI RIVER FROM GREAT FALLS TO MOUTH OF MILK RIVER. 
495 
at that time to be kept up the most of the night watching our “ traps” and talking about the “Great 
Father at Washington,” which would have been the case had we been discovered, I gave them 
the slip by dropping down about two miles, and camping upon the foot of an island. Distance 
travelled to-day 28.7 miles. 
October 2.—There are very few points now in the channel where a rocky bottom is to be found. 
The water is quite turbid, and snags and sawyers are of frequent occurrence. The general course 
of the river after passing the mouth of the Muscle Shell about two miles, is nearly due north for 
about ten ; so that a long tongue of land is formed by the great southern bend of the river, which 
is not more than four miles wide. The banks on the south side of the river are still quite high 
and much broken, and a few scrubby pines and dwarf cedars are to be seen near their tops. 
Incrustations of glauber salt whiten the banks in many places; a peculiarity by no means local, 
but, on the contrary, of very general occurrence all along the river. On landing at noon we 
picked up some more specimens of fossil shell-fish, also some conglomerated fossil marine shells, 
in which the cementing substance was carbonate of lime. This fossiliferous region appears 
pretty extensive. What specimens I collected I picked up accidentally, as it was not my object 
to make a collection, had I had the means of carrying them. This afternoon we again entered 
the Mauvaise Terre, very similar to the Bad Lands already passed, except that the bluffs do not 
crowd the river so closely. Game is very abundant, especially beaver. One point was passed 
to-day, where, for more than a mile, they had cut down all the available trees on the banks: the 
diameter of some of those felled was at least 16 inches. Wolves and large gray owls are more 
plenty than they have been, judging from the din they keep up all night. Distance travelled 
to-day 29.5 miles. 
October 3.—There was a slight frost last night, and this morning was bright and clear; and it 
has been fair all day, but to-night it is dark and murky in the west, as if preparing for rain. The 
adjacent country preserves the broken, barren character of yesterday. Fossils, similar to those 
collected yesterday, were noticed to-day ; also spherical nodules of argillaceous iron ore, about 
as big as oranges, were found lying about on the surface in some localities. Some of these were 
simply spherical, made up of concentric layers ; while others consisted of a number of spheres in 
combination, or of a scoriaceous mass of imperfect spheres about the size of a pea, or a little 
larger. 
About 3 o’clock we passed a conical-shaped mountain, about a mile and a half from the river, 
which is so peculiar on account of its position and regularity of form, that it has become a land¬ 
mark, and is called half-way between Fort Benton and the Yellowstone, though its distance is 
somewhat greater from the former than from the latter place. A great number of buffalo have 
been seen to-day, but no other game of any consequence. Distance travelled, 32.4 miles. 
October 4.—To-day has been quite pleasant, notwithstanding the untoward appearance of last 
night. The river has now become quite similar, in every respect, to the Lower Missouri. It is 
nearly as wide; its bottom is sandy, and broad, shifting sand-bars render the channel about as 
uncertain. The adjacent bottoms increase in width, richness of soil, and density of growth. 
The bluffs on the north side have declined and receded very much, being now nothing more than 
the breaking down of the high rolling prairie to the immediate valley of the river. But to the 
south they are still quite high and abrupt, but have more grass on them. Several bands of elk, 
and some buffalo, were seen on the banks to-day, and one fine cow was killed soon after going 
into camp. Distance made, 31.3 miles. 
October 5 .—Was a warm, hazy day. The regimen of the river and topographical features of 
the banks remain the same as noted yesterday. 
About 11 o’clock, as we turned a bend in the river, we saw a grizzly bear about a mile and a 
half below us, walking leisurely towards the river, probably after a drink. He appears to have 
discovered us, too, about the same time, and to have been somewhat confused in his own mind 
as to what to make of us. He probably had never seen such a craft as ours before; and con- 
