the pine is scattered along the sides down to the plain in some places, though the greater part of their surface has no timber and exhibits only a barren soil with no covering except dry parched grass or black rugged rocks.  On entering the valley the river assumes a totally different aspect; it spreads to more than a mile in width, and though more rapid than before, is shallow enough in almost every part for the use of the pole, while its bed is formed of smooth stones and some large rocks, as it has been indeed since we entered the mountains:  it is also divided by a number of islands some of which are large near the northern shore.  The soil of the valley is a rich black loam apparently very fertile, and covered with a fine green grass about eighteen inches or two feet in height; while that of the high grounds is perfectly dry and seems scorched by the sun.  The timber though still scarce is in greater quantities in this valley than we have seen it since entering the mountains, and seems to prefer the borders of the small creeks to the banks of the river itself.  We advanced three and a half miles in this valley and encamped on the left side, having made in all fifteen and a half miles.

Our only large game to-day was one deer.  We saw however two pheasants of a dark brown colour, much larger than the same species of bird in the United States.  In the morning too, we saw three swans which, like the geese, have not yet recovered the feathers of the wing, and were unable to fly:  we killed two of them, and the third escaped by diving and passing down the current.  These are the first we have seen on the river for a great distance, and as they had no young with them, we presume that they do not breed in this neighbourhood.  Of the geese we daily see great numbers, with their young perfectly feathered except on the wings, where both young and old are deficient; the first are very fine food, but the old ones are poor and unfit for use.  Several of the large brown or sandhill crane are feeding in the low grounds on the grass which forms their principal food.  The young crane cannot fly at this season:  they are as large as a turkey, of a bright reddish bay colour.  Since the river has become shallow we have caught a number of trout to-day, and a fish, white on the belly and sides, but of a bluish cast on the back, and a long pointed mouth opening somewhat like that of the shad.

This morning captain Clarke wishing to hunt but fearful of alarming the Indians, went up the river for three miles, when finding neither any of them nor of their recent tracks returned, and then his little party separated to look for game.  They killed two bucks and a doe, and a young curlew nearly feathered:  in the evening they found the musquitoes as troublesome as we did:  these animals attack us as soon as the labours and fatigues of the day require some rest, and annoy us till several hours after dark, when the coldness of the air obliges them to disappear; but such is their persecution that were it not for our biers we should obtain no repose.