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Show 232 Lewis and CltLI'ke's EXjJediiion we had again a slight sprinkling of rain_, attended with dis .. tant thunder, which is the first we have heard since leaving the Man dans. We employed the line generally, with the addition of the pole at the ripples and rocky points, which we find more numet·ous and troublesome 1han those we pas .. sed ye&tet·day. 'fhe water is very rapid round these points, and we arc sometimes olllige£1 to steer the <>a.noes through the points of sharp rocks rising a few inches above the sur· face of the water, and so near to each other that if our ropes give way the force of the current drives the sides of the canoe against them. and must inevitably upset th~m or dash them to pieces. '"fhese cords are very ileuder, being almost all made of elkskin, and much worn and rotted by exposure to the weather: sever·al times they gave way, l.mt fortunately ahvays in places where there was room for the canoe to turn without striking the rock; yet with all our precautions it was with infinite risk and labour that we pas~ sed these points. An Indian pole for building floated down the river, and was worn at one end as if dragged along the ground in travelling; several other articles were also brought down by the current, which indicate tbat the Indians arc p~obabJy at no great distance above us, and judging from a football which resembles tbose used by the J\iinnetarees near the Mandans, we conjecture that they must be a band of the Minnetarees of fort de Prairie. The appearance of the river and the surrounding country continued as usual, till towards evening, at about fifteen miles, we reached a large creek on the north thirty.five yards wide, discharg· ing some water, and named after one of our men 1~hompson's creek. Here the country assumed a totally different aspect; the hills retired on both sides from the •·h·er, which now spreads to more than three times its former size, and is filled with a number of smaH handsome islands covered with cottonwood. The low grounds on the river are again wide, fertile, and enriched with trees; those on the north are particularly wide, the hills being comparatively low and Up t1ze .Missotu•i. opening into three large vallies. which extend themselves for a considerable distance towards the north: these appear· ances of vegetation are delightful after the dreary bills over which we have passed, and we have now to congratulate ourselves at having escaped fr·om tl1e last ridges of the Black mountains. On leaving Thompson's creek we pas· sed two small islands, and at twenty-three miles distance encamped among some timber on the north, opposite to a small creek, which we named Bull creek. 'l'hc bigltorn is in great quantities, and must bring forth their young at a very early season, as they are now half grown. One of the party saw a large bear also, but being at a distance from the river, and having no timber to conceal him, be would not venture to fire. Wednesday, 29. Last night w~ were alarmed by a new sort of enemy. A buffaloe swam over from the opposite side and to the spot where Jay one of our canoes, over "hich he clambered to the shore; then taking fdght he ran full speed up the bank towm·ds om· fifes, and passe(l witl1it eighteen inches or the head~ of some of the men, before th~ sentinel could make him change his course: still more alarm · ed he ran down between four fit•es aml within a few inches of the head~ of a secontl row of the men, and would have· broken into our lodge if tllC tmrkin; of the dog had not stopped him. lie suddenly turned {o the right and was out of siglat in a moment, leaYing us all in .on fusion, eYery one seizing his rifle and inquit•ing the <'ause of the alarm. On learning what had happened, we had to r Pjoice at suffering no more injury than the damage to some gun~ which wc1•e in the canoe which the bnffaloc crossed. In the morning early we left our camp, and proceeded as usual by the cord. 'Yc passed an island and two sandbars, and at the dic;tance of two and a half miles we came to a handsome I:iYer which tlischarges itself on the south, and 'vhich we ascended to the distance of a mile and a half: ·;recalled it Jndith·~ 1iver: it rises in the Rook mountain£ YOL. J. 1-l h. |