OCR Text |
Show so Lewi~ and Clarke'~ ~xpedition same side, of allum rock, of a dat•k brown colour, containing in its crevices great quantities of cobalt, cemented shells, and red earth. From this the river bends to the eastward, and approaches the Sioux river within three or four miles. We sailed the greater part of the day, and made nineteen miles to our camp on the north side. The sandbars arc as usual numerous: there are also considerable traces of ell(; but none are yet seen. Captain Lewis in proving the quality of some of the substances in the first cliff, was considerably injured by the fumes and taste of the cobalt, and took some strong medicine to relieve him ft·om its effects. 'l'he appear-ance of these mineral substances enable us to account for disorders of the stomaeh, with w hieh the ]>al'ty had been affected since they left the river Sioux. We had been in the habit of dipping up the water of the river inadvertently and making use of it, till, on examination, the sickness was thought to proceed from a scl1m covering the surface of the 'vater along the southern shore, and which, as we now dis· covered, proceeded from these bluffs. The men had been ordered, before we reached the bluffs, to agitate the water, so as to disperse the scum, and take the wate1·, not at the surface, but at some depth. The consequence was, that these disorders ceased: the biles too which had afflicted the men, were not observed beyond the Sioux river. In ordci' to supply the place of sergeant Floyd, we permitted the men to name three persons, and Patrick Gass having the greatest number of votes was made a sergeant. August 23. We set out early, and at four miles came to a small run between cliffs or yellow and blue earth: the wind, however, soon changed, and blew so hard ft·om the west, that we proceeded very slowly; the fine sand from the bar being driven in such clouds, that we could scat·ccly see. rrhree and a quarter miles beyond this run, '"e came to a willoW island, .and a sand island O)lposite, and encam)led on the south s1de, at ten and a quarter miles. On the north side is an extensive and delightful prairie, which we called Buffaloe • Up tlw JJliss01U'i. 51 :prairie, from our having here killed the first buffaloe. Two elk swam the river to-day and were fired at, but escaped: a deer was killed from the boat; one beaver was killed; and several prairie wolves were seen. August 21J. It began to rain last night, and continued this morning: we J>roeeeded, however, two and a quarter miles, to the commencement of a Uluff of blue clay, about one hundred and eighty,or one hundred and ninety feet on the south side: it seems to have been lately on fit·e; and even now the ground is so warm that we cannot keep our hands in it at any depth: there are strong appearances of coal, aml also greatquantitiesof cobalt, or a crystalized substance resembling it. There is a fruit now ripe which looks like a currant, except that it is double the size, and grows on a bush like a privy, the size of adamson, and of a delicious flavour; its Indian name means rabbit-berries. 'Ve then passed, at the distance of about seven miles, the mouth of a cr·eck on the north side, called by an Indian name, meaning 'Vhitestone river. The beautiful prairie of yesterday, has changed into one of greater height, and very smootl1 and exten .. sive. 'Ve encamped on the south side, at ten and a quar. ter miles, and found onrsehes mucl1 annoyed by the musquit or~. |