em
from him, but the next moment they appeared on a second ridge at the
distance of three miles. He doubted whether it could be the same, but
their number and the extreme rapidity with which they continued their
course, convinced him that they must have gone with a speed equal to
that of the most distinguished racehorse. Among our acquisitions to-day
was a mule-deer, a magpie, the common deer, and buffaloe: captain Lewis
also saw a hare, and killed a rattlesnake near the burrows of the
barking squirrels.

Tuesday, September 18. Having everything in readiness we proceeded,
with the boat much lightened, but the wind being from the N.W. we made
but little way. At one mile we reached an island in the middle of the
river, nearly a mile in length, and covered with red cedar; at its
extremity a small creek comes in from the north; we then met some
sandbars, and the wind being very high and ahead, we encamped on the
south, having made only seven miles. In addition to the common deer,
which were in great abundance, we saw goats, elk, buffaloe, the black
tailed deer; the large wolves too are very numerous, and have long hair
with coarse fur, and are of a light colour. A small species of wolf
about the size of a gray fox was also killed, and proved to be the
animal which we had hitherto mistaken for a fox: there are also many
porcupines, rabbits, and barking squirrels in the neighbourhood.

September 19. We this day enjoyed a cool clear morning, and a wind from
the southeast. We reached at three miles a bluff on the south, and four
miles farther, the lower point of Prospect island, about two and a half
miles in length; opposite to this are high bluffs, about eighty feet
above the water, beyond which are beautiful plains gradually rising as
they recede from the river: these are watered by three streams which
empty near each other; the first is about thirty-five yards wide, the
ground on its sides high and rich, with some timber; the second about
twelve yards wide, but with less timber; the third is nearly of the same
size, and contains more water, but it scatters its waters over the large
timbered plain, and empties itself into the river at three places. These
rivers are called by the French Les trois rivieres des Sioux, the three
Sioux rivers; and as the Sioux generally cross the Missouri at this
place, it is called the Sioux pass of the three rivers. These streams
have the same right of asylum, though in a less degree than Pipes