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Show .JOCHNAL or A VO\ACI·. and nine large ratt l snakes, which frequent their villages.~· On our arrival, found the hunters had come in a boat, one hour, with two bufE1lo and one elk skin. • The Wi5htonwi~h of the Indian ~, prairie dogs of some traveller~; or ~quir· n:ls a~ I 5hould be inclined to denominate..: them; reside on the..: pr:1i1 i t· ~ uf L oui~i:m;~ in towns or villages, having an evident police established in their communities. The site~ of their towns are generally on the brow of a hill, nc:ar some: creek or JlOnd, in order to be convenient to water, :md that the high groutHI which they inhabit, may not he subject to inundation Their residence, being under ground, i ~ burrowed out, and the earth which answers the double purpose of keeping out the water, and affording w elevated pbce in wet seasons to rcpo~c on, and to gi"H them a further and more distinct view of the country. Their holes descend in J 5piral form, therefore I could never ascertain their depth; but I once had I40 kettles of water pored into one of them in order to drive out the occupant, but with· out cfTt ct. In tl c cn cuit of the village~ , they clear oJf :dl the grass, ancllcavc the earth h :~ rc Qf vcgetatiou ; but whether it is from an instinct t ht.y possc~s inducing thcm to keep the ground thus clcareu, or whether they nl'lkc usc of rhc hcrhagc, as food, I cannot prdcnu to determine. The lattt'r opinion, I think entitled to a preference, as their teeth designate!! them to bt! of the grauivorous species, and l know of no other snhst:lllce whid1 is produced in the vi cinity of their positions, 011 which they could subsif,t; aml they never extend tlH.ir cxrun ions more than half a mile from the burrows. They arc of a dark brown color, except their bel lies, which arc white. Their tails arc not :;o long as tho~c of our grey squirrels, llllt arc ~h ap ed prec isely like theirs; their teeth, head, nails, anu body, :Ire the pt rfcct squirrel, exct"pt that they arc geucrally fatter th:w th;:t animal. Their vilbges soml·t imes extend over two and thrte mik .> squar e, in whith there must be inuumcnblc hosts of them, as thtrc i gull rally a burrow every ten sups in which there arc two or more, and you sec ll l'W ones p:1rtly excavated on all the bonkrs of the town. We killed great numl>t'l'~ of them with otlr riilcH aud found them excellent meat, after they ·.vere cxpo~cd a 11ight or two to the frost, by which means the raukncs~ acquired by their subtcranneous tlwell ing is corrected. .i\ ~ you approach th eir towns, you arc salut<.d on all c;itlc; by the rry of Wi~htorl\\ ilh , from which they deri ve their name with the..: 111diam, uttered in a brill amt p ic rc in~ manner You then nb~ervc them all retreating to the em ranee of their burrows, where rhcy post thcmsdvrs, 1nd rcgarJ every, c• cn the ~l ig htt~t, move· ment that you mr~ k c . It rcquirl's a very nice ~ hot with a rille to kill th em, as the)' must be killcJ dead, for a'\ Jon~ as !if,· exi~ts, they eontiuue to work into their cdls. 1t is cxtn:mdy da u~ crous to pa~q tlu ough their t own~ , a~ they Jbound " ith rat· tle snake~ . both of the ydl•1W anu black ~ 11ecies ·, and ~t r au.c,r e :.hit m.1y :~ppc:rr, 1 h:wc seen the Wishtonwi·h, the rntrlc snr~ke, the horn frog, of which tho.: pr.1irk abmmtls, · termed lry the ~pani·mls the cammclliou, from their takrng no vi;,iblc ll' t ' nancc) and :1 land t11rtoise all take refuge in the ::.anw hok. 1 do not prcrrnJ t n r~ssc r t , that it was th eir rommon1 la" · trf rt soa. h• 1• l b 1'. • w;· nc_,ul the abovt ~.1 r:. more th:m in out: ir .t L. ••• TO THE SOURCES OF TfiE AHJ\:ANSA \V, &c . Li7 25th October, Saturday.-Took an observation, passed the day in writing, and preparing for the departure of Lt. Wilkinson. 26th October, Sunday.-Delivered out a ration of corn by way of distinction of the Sabbath. Preparing for our departure. 27tb October, Monday.-Delivered to lieutenant Wil .. kinson, letters for the general and our fri nds, * with other papers, consisting of hi~ instrurtinn s~ tr;JvC'rs tablt s of our voyage and a draught of our route, to that p1acL rnmplcte; in order that if we were lost, and he arrived in saf ty ; we might not have n1acle the tour, without some benefit to our country. He took with him in corn and m at, 21 clays provisions and all the necessary tools, to build canoes or cabbins. Launched his canoes. We conclucl 'cl we• would separate in the morning. l-Ie to tlcsccnd and w' e to ascend to the mountains. 28th October, T ucsday. - As soon as po~sibl c, all was in motion, my party cro~sing the riv ·r to the north side . ' and lieutenant Wilkin 'on, launching his canoes of skins and wood. We breakfasted together and then fil t'cl oil'· but I suffered my party to march, and' I r emained to se<'' lieutenant vVilkinson sail, which he did at ten o'clock, having one skin canoe, made of four bufl~Llo skin~ and two elk skins; this held three rnen besides himself and on , Osage. ~n his wooden canoe, were, one soldier, one o~age and their baggage ; one oth<:r soldier marched on shore. We parted with " God bless you" from both parties; they appeared to sail very well. In the pursuit of our parl y, Doctor Robinson, Baroncy, onr· ~olclicr and mysdf, hll<'d a brelau and a buffalo, of the latter we took only his mar-row bo n~s ancI 1I· v~r. Arn· ved wh,..~re our me 11 h:td <' TJ campeu, about duC)k. DiC)tance 14 mile'). • ~rc .>\ ppc-ndi~ to p .. rt II. , '"· r~. l p:~v•· ~ . |
