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Show 22 JOURNAL. pt·oceecled. 'V c saw some elk, uu t could t:ot kill anr of them ; passed a rivet· on the north side, called \ Vash-ba-to-na1_1, and encamped on the south side. Sun day 15th. 'Ve got under way at six o'clock. passed a creek on the south side ; and gathered som~ 1·ipe grapes. There is hig h land anrl prairies on tbis side. Captain Clarke and two n1en went by land. At the head of an island, called F.lk is land, we foun ti some pnmmice stone among the drift wood. \Yc passed a creek on the south side, called Na-ma-ha, and encamped on the same. Monday 16th. Early in the morning we proceeded on ou~ voyage opposite a prnir ~ e ; had a tine day and fuir wmd, and passed a lnng Island, above which is a place where the bank has slipped into the river. There are high rocky cliffs on the south side, and hills and prairies on the north : on which side we enGttmped. The river here is two miles wide with ra~ pid water. Two of our hunters met us ht:re with two l_]; e-d•.· ~·:::· '· Tues&iy 17 tlz . "'VVe r emained here all day ; and one of om· hunters killed three deer. ¥Vednesday 18tll. Early this morning we ";rosecuted our voyage with a fair wind ~ind ple~sant ~eather. T his is the most open country I ever be held, ahnost one co~tillued praiiie. Two of our hunters went by land \Vlth the horses as usual. On the south sick we passed high handsome banks or bluffs~of r eel and blue straw;* found some it·on ot·e here, and enG:amped on the south side, where one of the hunters bl'ought us two elect·. Thur<>day 19th. At sun ri5e we renewed our voyage, and passed a number of sand bars, and high land on the south side . 'Vhere we halted foe dinner we !'< By Bluff.-; in the \V e stern Countt·y is understood higll steep hanks, which come close to and nre washed a-t their base by the rivc:·3. JOURNAL. found a g'l'eat quantity of rherrits, ca~ le d by some c hoak-cbcJTies. '-\' e Li t Cam pu l for t h~ night on an island uf 'Villows. .Friday 20!h. 'Ve embarked early ; pass eel high yellow bc.t1ks on the so nth ~ id e and a creek, ca lled the ' Vater-'"' hich-crics, or lne \V eeping stream, opp osite a wi iJow islanc , and encamped on a prairie on t he south side. Saturday' 2 I.~·t. \.Y c set out early. It r ained this morn in ~· hut we had a line breeze of winci . There are a g reat many willow i slands and snnd-bars in thjs 1mrt of the river. At nine the wind fell, and at one 've carne to the great river Platte, or shallow river, which comes in on the south side, and at the mouth is three quarte rs of a mile broad. The land js flat about the confluence. U p this ri,·er live three nations o~ Indians, the Otos, Panis and Loos, or vVolf Indtans. On the south side there is also a creek, called Butterfly creek. Sunday 22ncl. W cleft the river Platte and proceede~ l early .0~1 our voyage, with fait· weather. There is high pra1ne land on the ~outh side, with some timbee o n. the northcr r- parts of the hills. vVe came nine mll~s from the mouth of Platte river, and land ed on a Willow bank. The hunters killed five deer and caught two beaver. A£onday 23rd. Six men we.l'e sent out to make o.ars; an~ two to a n ations of Indians up the Platte :1ve r,. to mform them of the chang-e of government In tlns. c.ountl'y, anrJ t ha.t we were hct·e ready to treat w1th them y-,.~ ~ hojsted a flag, and sent them another. O~tr people wer~ ·.ll busily e ngaged in hunting n1Uk~n.g oars, dressmg skins, and airing our stores' l~I'OV~SIOns and bag·gage. vV e kiiJed tWO deer and c~n~g lft two beaver. Deaver appear plenty in thi~ patt o the country. |