of the river along which he passed is from forty to sixty yards wide, the current strong, the water deep and turbid, the banks falling in, the salts, coal and mineral appearances are as usual, and in every respect, except as to size, this river resembles the Missouri.  The low grounds are narrow but well supplied with wood:  the bluffs are principally of dark brown yellow, and some white clay with freestone in some places.  From this point the river bore N. 20 degrees E. to a bluff on the south, at the distance of twelve miles:  towards this he directed his course, ascending the hills which are about two hundred feet high, and passing through plains for three miles, till he found the dry ravines so steep and numerous that he resolved to return to the river and follow its banks.  He reached it about four miles from the beginning of his course, and encamped on the north in a bend among some bushes which sheltered the party from the wind:  the air was very cold, the northwest wind high, and the rain wet them to the skin.  Besides the game just mentioned, he observed buffaloe, elk, wolves, foxes, and we got a blaireau and a weasel, and wounded a large brown bear, whom it was too late to pursue.  Along the river are immense quantities of roses which are now in full bloom, and which make the low grounds a perfect garden.

Wednesday 5.  The rain fell during the greater part of the last night, and in the morning the weather was cloudy and cold, with a high northwest wind:  at sunrise he proceeded up the river eight miles to the bluff on the left side, towards which he had been directing his course yesterday.  Here he found the bed of a creek twenty-five yards wide at the entrance, with some timber, but no water, notwithstanding the rain:  it is, indeed, astonishing to observe the vast quantities of water absorbed by the soil of the plains, which being opened in large crevices presents a fine rich loam:  at the mouth of this stream (which he called Lark creek) the bluffs are very steep and approach the river so that he ascended them, and crossing the plains reached the river, which from the last point bore N. 50 degrees W:  four miles from this place it extended north two miles.  Here he discovered a lofty mountain standing alone at the distance of more than eighty miles in the direction of N. 30 degrees W. and which from its conical figure he called Tower mountain.  He then proceeded on these two hills and afterwards in different courses six miles, when he again changed for a western course across a deep bend along the south side:  in making this passage over the plains he found them like those of yesterday, level and beautiful, with great quantities of buffaloes, and some wolves, foxes, and antelopes, and intersected near the river by deep ravines.  Here at the distance of from one to nine miles from the river, he met the largest village of barking squirrels which we had yet seen:  for he passed a skirt of their territory for seven miles.  He also saw