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Show ~2~ Ltwis ttncl Clcu·ke's E.xpeditio1t, &c. three miles beyond this we came to the entrance ot• a e1•eek twenty y~1·ds wide, though with little water, which we called Grouse creek, from observing near its mouth a quantity of the prairie hen with pointed tails, the fi1·st we have seen in sueh numbers for several days: the low grounds are somewhat wider than usual and apparently fertile, though the short and scanty grass on the bills does not imlicate much richness of soil. rrhe country around is not so bro .. ken as that of yesterday, but is still waving, the southera hills possessing more pine than usual. and some appearing on the northern bills, which are accompanied IJy the usual salt and mineral appearancei. The river continues about two hundred and fifty yards wide, with fewer sandbars. and the current. more gentle and regular. Game is no longer in sueh abundance, since leaving the Muscleshell. We have caught very l'ew fish on this side of the Mandans, and these were the white catfish of two to five pounds. We killed a deer and a bear: we have not seen in this quarter the black bear. common in the United States and on the lower parts of the Missouri. nor bave we discerned any of their tracks, which may easily be distinguished by the shortness ofits talons from the brown, grizzly, or white bear, all of which seem to be of the same family, whi"h assumes those colours at different seasons of the year. We halted earlier than usual, and encamped on the north, in a point of \Voodi~ at the distanee of sixteen ~nd a half miles. CHAPTER IX. The party continue their route--description of Judith river-Indian moue of taking the buffaioe-Slaughter river dcscribed-phen('mena of nature-of walls on the banks of the Missoud-the party encamp on the banks of the river to ascerblin which of the streams constitute the Missouri-captain Lewis leaves the party to explore the northern fork, nnd captain Clarke explores the southern-the surrounding country described in the route of captain Lcwi~ -narrow escape of one of his party. Thursday 23. LAsT night the frost was severe, and t11is morning the ice appeared along the edges of the ri~er, and the water froze on our oars. At the distance of a mile 've passed the entrance of a creek on the north, which we na .. med Teapot creek; it is fifteen yards wide, and although it has running water at a small distance from its moutb, yet it discharges none into the Missouri, resembling, we believe, most of the creeks in this hilly country, the waters of whick are absorbed by the thirsty soil ncar the river. They in· deed aftord but little water in any part, and even that is so strongly tainted with salts that it is unfit for use, thougl1 all the wild animals are very fond of it. On experiment it "Was found to be moderately purgative, but painful to the intestines in its operation. 'rbis creek seems to come from a range of low hills, which run f1·om east to west for seventy miles, and have their ea!iitern extremity thirty miles to the north of Teapot creek. ,Just above its entrance is a large assemblage of tbe burrowing squirrels on the north side of the river. At nine miles we reached the upper point. of an island in a bend on the south, and opposite tbe centre of the island, a small dry creek on the north. Half a mile further a small creek falls in on the same side; and six and a half miles beyond this another on the south. At four and a half VOL. J~ G g |