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Show 6 Lewis and Clarke':; E~:pcdition bank fell in so fast as to oblige us to cross the river instant· ly, between the northern side and a sandbar which is constantly moving and banking with the violence of the current. The boat struck on it, and would have upset immediately, if the men had not jumped into tl1e watet· and held her, till the sand washed from under her. We encamped on the south side, having ascended ten miles, and the next day, May 25, passed on the south side the mouth of Wood river, on the north, two small creeks and several islands, and stopped for the night at the entrance of a creek on the north side, called by the French La Charrette, ten miles from our last encampment, and a little above a small village of the same name. It consists of seven small houses, and as many poor families who have fixed themselves here for the convenience of trade, and form the last establishment of whites ou the lUissouri. It rained last night, yet we found this morning that the river had fallen several inches. 1\fay 26. 'l'he "ind being favourable we made eighteen miles to-day. 'Ve pasr;cd iu the morning several islands, the lat•gest of which is Buffaloe island, sellarated from the southern side by a small channel which receives the waters ofBuffaloe creek. On the same side is Shepherd's creek, a litHe beyond which we encamped on the no1·thcrn side. 'The next day we sailed along a large island called Otter island, on the northern side, extending nearly ten miles in length, narrow but high in its situation, and one of the most fertile in the ''hole river. Between it and the nol'thcrn shore, three sm~ll creeks, one of which has the same name with the island, empty themselves. On the southern shore is a creek twenty yards wide, called Ash creek. In the eo~rse of the day we met two canoes loaded with furs, which had been two months on their route from the Mahar Jtation, re~iding more than seven hundred miles up the river- one lat·ge raft from the Pawnees on the river Platte, and three others from the Grand Osage river. At the distance of fifteen miles we encamJled on a willow island, at Up the JJlissouri. ,., ' the entrance of the river Gasconade. This river falls into the l\fissouri from the south, one hundred miles fa·om the Mississippi. Its length is about one hundred and fifty miles iu a course generally nortbeast through a hilly country. On its banks arc a numher of saltpetre caves, and it is believed some mines of lead in the vicinity. Its width at the mouth is one hundt•cd and fifty-seven yards, and its llepth nineteen feet. Here we halted for the purpose of bunting and drying our provisions, ami making the necessary celestial observations. This being completed, we set sail on the 29th at fout• o'clock, and at four miles distance encamped on the southside, above a small creek, called Deer creek. 'rhc next day, 30th, we set out early, and at two miles distant reached a large cave, on the north, called Montbrun's tavern, after a French trader of that name, just above a creek called after the same person. Beyond tl1is is a large island, and at the distance of four miles, Rush creek comhtg in fron1 the south, at eleven, Big-muddy river on the north, about fifty yards wide; three miles further, is Little-muddy river ou the same side, opposite to which we encamped at the mouth of' Grindstone creek. The rain which began last night continued through the day, accompanied with high wind and some hail. The river has been rising fast for two days, anu the country arroun<l a}lpears full of water. Along the sides of the river to day we observe much tim her, the cotton wood, ihe sycamore, hickory, white walnut, some grapevines, and rushes-the high west wind and rain compelled us to.remain all the next day, ~lay S1. In the afternoon a hoat came down from the Grand Osage river, bringing a letter from a person sent to the Osage nation on the Arkansaw river, which mentioned that the letter announcing the cession of Louisiana was committed to the flamei-tbat the Indians wouid not believe that the Americans were owners of that country, and disregarded St. I~ouis and its supplies. 'The party was o-crnpied in hunting~ in the course of which, they caught ia |