November; and, though the ground was covered with snow, and they
suffered excessively from the cold, they still persevered in their
journey, and in their labour of examining and ascertaining the courses
of the rivers. They killed a great number of buffaloes and turkeys.
Steering their course in a south-westerly direction, for the head of the
Red river, one of the party found a camp which had been occupied by at
least three thousand Indians: it had a large cross in the middle. They
subsequently found many evacuated camps of Indians.

On the 18th of December, they came to a stream, about twenty-five yards
in width, which they erroneously supposed to be a branch of the Red
river. Its current flowed with great rapidity, and its bed was full of
rocks. On ascending this river, to examine its source, it was found to
run close to the mountains, in a narrow and rocky channel; and to have
its banks bordered with pine-trees, cedar, and other kinds of timber.
The whole party suffered extremely from cold; their clothing being
frozen stiff, and their limbs considerably benumbed.

Their situation, on Christmas-day, was not very enviable. All the food
they possessed, was buffalo-flesh, without salt. Before this time, they
had been accustomed to some degree of comfort, and had experienced even
some enjoyments: but now, at the most inclement season of the year, and
eight hundred miles distant from the frontiers of the United States, not
one person was properly clad for the winter; many were even without
blankets, having cut them up for socks and other articles; and all were
obliged to lie down at night, upon the snow or wet ground, one side
burning and the other frozen. For shoes and clothing they were obliged
to adopt a miserable substitute in raw buffalo hides.

In their further progress, they suffered excessive hardships for several
days. Food became so scarce, that they were obliged to separate into
eight different parties, in order to procure subsistence. The roads were
so mountainous, stony, and slippery, that it was with the greatest
difficulty the horses could be prevented from stumbling; and many of
them fell. In one instance, the whole party were four days without food;
and some of them had their feet frozen. At length, they were obliged to
leave the horses; and each man had to carry a heavy load, and, at the
same time, to march through snow two feet and half deep. Several of the
men, unable to keep pace with the rest, were l