CHAPTER IX.

The party continue their route—­description of Judith river—­Indian mode of taking the buffaloe—­Slaughter river described—­phenomena of nature—­of walls on the banks of the Missouri—­the party encamp on the banks of the river to ascertain which of the streams constitute the Missouri—­captain Lewis leaves the party to explore the northern fork, and captain Clarke explores the southern—­the surrounding country described in the route of captain Lewis—­narrow escape of one of his party.

Thursday 23.  Last night the frost was severe, and this morning the ice appeared along the edges of the river, and the water froze on our oars.  At the distance of a mile we passed the entrance of a creek on the north, which we named Teapot creek; it is fifteen yards wide, and although it has running water at a small distance from its mouth, yet it discharges none into the Missouri, resembling, we believe, most of the creeks in this hilly country, the waters of which are absorbed by the thirsty soil near the river.  They indeed afford but little water in any part, and even that is so strongly tainted with salts that it is unfit for use, though 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.  This creek seems to come from a range of low hills, which run from east to west for seventy miles, and have their eastern extremity thirty miles to the north of Teapot creek.  Just above its entrance is a large assemblage of the 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 the 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 we passed a small island in a deep bend to the north, and on the same side in a deep northeastern bend of the river another small island.  None of these creeks however possessed any water, and at the entrances of the islands, the two first are covered with tall cottonwood timber, and the last with willows only.  The river has become more rapid, the country much the same as yesterday, except that there is rather more rocks on the face of the hills, and some small spruce pine appears among the pitch.  The wild roses are very abundant and now in bloom; they differ from those of the United States only in having the leaves and the bush itself of a somewhat smaller size.  We find the musquitoes troublesome, notwithstanding the coolness of the morning.  The buffaloe is scarce to-day, but the elk, deer, and antelope, are very numerous.  The geese begin to lose the feathers of the wings, and are unable to fly.  We saw five bears, one of which we wounded, but in swimming from us across the river, he become entangled in some driftwood and sank.  We formed our camp on the north opposite to a hill and a point of wood in a bend to the south, having made twenty-seven miles.