He killed a beaver, an elk and eight buffaloe.  One of the men who was sent a short distance from the camp to bring home some meat, was attacked by a white bear, and closely pursued within forty paces of the camp, and narrowly escaped being caught.  Captain Clarke immediately went with three men in quest of the bear, which he was afraid might surprise another of the hunters who was out collecting the game.  The bear was however too quick, for before captain Clarke could reach the man, the bear had attacked him and compelled him to take refuge in the water.  He now ran off as they approached, and it being late they deferred pursuing him till the next morning.

CHAPTER XI.

Description and romantic appearance of the Missouri at the junction of the Medicine river—­the difficulty of transporting the baggage at the falls—­the party employed in the construction of a boat of skins—­the embarrassments they had to encounter for want of proper materials—­during the work the party much troubled by white bears—­violent hail-storm, and providential escape of captain Clarke and his party—­description of a remarkable fountain—­singular explosion heard from the Black mountains—­the boat found to be insufficient, and the serious disappointment of the party—­captain Clarke undertakes to repair the damage by building canoes, and accomplishes the task.

On the 19th, captain Clarke not being able to find the bear mentioned in the last chapter, spent the day in examining the country both above and below the Whitebear islands, and concluded that the place of his encampment would be the best point for the extremity of the portage.  The men were therefore occupied in drying the meat to be left here.  Immense numbers of buffaloe are every where round, and they saw a summer duck which is now sitting.  The next morning, 20th, he crossed the level plain, fixed stakes to mark the route of the portage, till he passed a large ravine which would oblige us to make the portage farther from the river:  after this there being no other obstacle he went to the river where he had first struck it, and took its courses and distances down to the camp.  From the draught and survey of captain Clarke, we had now a clear and connected view of the falls, cascades, and rapids of the Missouri.

This river is three hundred yards wide at the point where it receives the waters of Medicine river, which is one hundred and thirty-seven yards in width.  The united current continues three hundred and twenty-eight poles to a small rapid on the north side, from which it gradually widens to one thousand four hundred yards, and at the distance of five hundred and forty-eight poles reaches the head of the rapids, narrowing as it approaches them.  Here the hills on the north which had withdrawn from the bank closely border the river, which, for the space of three hundred and twenty poles, makes its way over the rocks with a descent