OCR Text |
Show -.."..".. .;: ·..-.... · ~ ,.. ...... :: ~ '- -"' •."-' ·- -:.. " -::.. ~~. ... ::;,., .......... .............. ··- -~ . ............. ··~ -· :::::. Up tiL~ .MiSSDU1'i. of the river which become more level at some distance back, and contain but few stl·eams of water. On the southern bank, dm·ing this day, the grounds have not been so elevated. Captain (;Iarke crossed the river to examine the 'remains of the fortification we had just passed. 'rhis interesting object is on the south side of the Missouri, opposite the upper extremity of Bonlaomme i land, and in a low level plain, the hills being tht·ee miles ft·om the river. It begins by a wall composed of earth. rising im. mediately from the bank of the river and running in a di .. rect course S. 76°, ,V. ninety six yat·ds; the base of this wall or mound is seventy-five feet, and its height about eight. It then divt•rges in a cour·se S. 84° ,V. and continues at the same height and depth to the distance or fifly-tlu·ee yards, the angle being fot·med by a sloping descent; at the junction of these two is an appearance of ahornwor·k of the same height wi01 the first anglf': the same wall then pur-sues a cout·se N. 69° \V. for three hundr·ed yat·ds: near its western extremity is an opening or gateway at right angles to the wall, and projecting inwat•ds; this gateway is defended by two neal'ly semicii·cular walls placed before it, lower than the large walls; and ft•om the gateway there seems to have been a covered way communicating with the interval between these two walls: westward of the gate, the wall becomes much lal'ger, being about one hundred and five feet at its base, and twelve feet high: at the end of this high ground the wall extends for fifty-six yards on a course N. S2o W; it then tm•ns N. 23Q W. for seventy-three yards: these two walls seems to have had a double ot· covered way; they are ft•om ten to fif'tecn feet eight inches in height, and from seventy-five to one hundred and five feet in width at the base; the descent inwards being steep, whil~t outwards it forms a sort of' glacis. At the distance of seventy-three yards, the wall euds abruptly at a lat·ge hollow place much lower than the generallevt•l ol" the plain, and ft'om 'vhicl1 is some iDdicat.ioo of a eeTered way to the \rater. The spaf'e |