having passed the last winter in this river.  Two miles further, we reached on the south Little Manitou creek, which takes its name from a strange figure resembling the bust of a man, with the horns of a stag, painted on a projecting rock, which may represent some spirit or deity.  Near this is a sandbar extending several miles, which renders the navigation difficult, and a small creek called Sand creek on the south, where we stopped for dinner, and gathered wild cresses and tongue grass from the sandbar.  The rapidity of the currents added to our having broken our mast, prevented our going more than twelve and a half miles.  The scouts and hunters whom we always kept out, report that they have seen fresh tracks of Indians.  The next morning we left our camp, which was on the south side, opposite to a large island in the middle of the river, and at five miles reached a creek on the north side, of about twenty yards wide, called Split Rock creek, from a fissure in the point of a neighbouring rock.  Three miles beyond this, on the south is Saline river, it is about thirty yards wide, and has its name from the number of salt licks, and springs, which render its water brackish; the river is very rapid and the banks falling in.  After leaving Saline creek, we passed one large island and several smaller ones, having made fourteen miles.  The water rose a foot during the last night.

The next day, June 7, we passed at four and a half miles Big Manitou creek, near which is a limestone rock inlaid with flint of various colours, and embellished, or at least covered with uncouth paintings of animals and inscriptions.  We landed to examine it, but found the place occupied by a nest of rattlesnakes, of which we killed three.  We also examined some licks and springs of salt water, two or three miles up this creek.  We then proceeded by some small willow islands, and encamped at the mouth of Good Woman river on the north.  It is about thirty-five yards wide, and said to be navigable for boats several leagues.  The hunters, who had hitherto given us only deer, brought in this evening three bears, and had seen some indication of buffaloe.  We had come fourteen miles.

June 8, we saw several small willow islands, and a creek on the south, near which are a number of deerlicks; at nine miles distance we came to Mine river.  This river, which falls into the Missouri from the south, is said to be navigable for boats eighty or ninety miles, and is about seventy yards wide at its mouth.  It forks about five or six leagues from the Missouri, and at the point of junction are some very rich salt springs; the west branch in particular, is so much impregnated, that, for twenty miles, the water is not palatable:  several branches of the Manitou and Good Woman are equally tinctured.  The French report also, that lead ore has been found on different parts of the river.  We made several excursions near the river through the low rich country on its banks, and after dinner went on to the island of Mills, where we encamped.  We met with a party of three hunters from the Sioux river; they had been out for twelve months, and collected about nine hundred dollars worth of peltries and furs.  We ascended this river twelve miles.