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Show Jjc'/VIS ancL Ulat·ke's EXJJedition ncar the camp, below a small island from which he tool~ a course N. so o ,V. for four and a half miles to a commanding eminence. If ere we observed that the North mountain, changing its direction parallel to the 1\'Iissouri, turned towards the north and terminated abruptly at the distance ot' about thirty miles, the point oft~rmination bearing N. ~8° E. rrhe South mountain too diverges to the south, and terminates abruptly, its extremity bearing S. 8° ,V. distant about twenty miles: to the right of, and t·etreating from this cxtrcm~ ty, is a separate mountain at the distance of thirty-five miles in a direction S. 38° \V. which ft·om its resemblance to the roof of a barn, we called the Barn mountain. The no~th fork, w11ich is now on the left, makes a considerable bend to the northwest, and on its western border a 1·angc of hills about ten miles long, and bearing from this spot N. 60<1 lV. run" parallel witb it: north of this range of hills is an elevated 11oint of the river bluff on its south side, bearing N. 72° ,V. about twelve miles from us; towards this he di~~ ected his course across a high, level, dry O}Wn plain; which m fact embraces the whole country to the toot of the mountains. 'l,hc soil is dark, rich, and fertile, yet t}1c g1·ass IJy ~o means so luxuriant as might have been expected, for it Is short and scarcely more than sufficient to cover the gro~nd. There are vast quantities of prickly pears, aml myrmds of grasshoppers, which afford food for a species or curlew which i~ in great numbers in the plain. He then r>rocecded UI> tl~e river to the point of ohser\'ation they had fixed on; from wlue.h he went two miles N. 15° ,V. to a bluff point on the north side of the river: thence his course was N. 30° W. for two miles to the entrance of a large creek on the south. '"I'he pal't of the ri''CI' alo1 h. 1 h . • 1g w 1c 1 e 11assed 1s from forty to s1.x ty .v, ards wide ' tile carrent strong, the water deep and turbid, the banks falling i,n, the salts, coal and mineral ap-p. earanc~s ~re as usual, and in every respect, exce11t as to size, tins riVer •·e·s embl es th e M.I ssout•J. . 'l,he low grounds are narrow but ,vcll suppI 1' ed W·i th wood: the bluffs are prm. · UJJ the .,llissou1•i. <·ipally or tlark brown yellow, and some white day with fr·eeitonc in some places. From this point the river bore N. 20° E. to a bluff on the south, at the distance of twehe miles: towards this he directed his course, ascending the hills which are about two hundrC(l feet high, and passif\g through plains for three miles, till he found the d1·y ravines so steep and numerous tl1at l1e resolved to return to the river and follow its banks. lie reached it about four miles from the beginning of his course, and encamped on the north in a benU among some bushes which sheltered the party from the wind: the air was very cold, the northwest wind high, and the rain wet them to the skin. Besides the game just mentioned, he observed buffaloc, elk, wolves, foxes, and we got a blah·eau and a weasel, and wounded a large brown beat~, whom it was too late to pursue. · Along the t·iver are immense quantities of roses which are now in full bloom, and which make the low gl'ounds a perfect garden. Wednesday 5. The rain fell during tl1e greater part of the last night, and in the mot·ning the weather was cloud~ ami cold, with a high northwest wind: at sunrise he proceeded up the river eight miles to the bluff on the left side, towards which he had been directing his course yesterday. Here he found the bed of a creek twenty-five yards wide at the entt•ance, with some timber, but no water, not' vithstanding the rain: it is, imlced, astonishing to observe the vast quantities oi" water absorbed by the soil of th4? plains, whieb bdng opened in large crevices presents a fine J•icb loam: at the tnouth of this stream (which he called Lark creek) the bluff!!! are very steep ami approach the rivet so that he ascended them, aml crossing the plains rea.chftl th.c river, which f1·om the last point bo1·c N. 50° 'V: four mile ~ from this place jt extended not·th two miles. Ilet·c he dis covered a lofty mountain f;tanding alone at the distance of mot·e than eighty miles io t.,hc direction of N. SOQ W. and whiclt from its conical figut·e he call~~~ Tower mountain. • |