racks of Indians, but they appeared three or four weeks old. This
day was warm.

September 22. A thick fog detained us until seven o'clock; our course
was through inclined prairies on each side of the river, crowded with
buffaloe. We halted at a point on the north side, near a high bluff on
the south, and took a meridian altitude, which gave us the latitude of
44 degrees 11' 33-3/10". On renewing our course, we reached first a
small island on the south, at the distance of four and a half miles,
immediately above which is another island opposite to a creek fifteen
yards wide. This creek, and the two islands, one of which is half a mile
long, and the second three miles, are called the Three Sisters: a
beautiful plain extending on both sides of the river. This is followed
by an island on the north, called Cedar island, about one mile and a
half in length and the same distance in breadth, and deriving its name
from the quality of the timber. On the south side of this island, is a
fort and a large trading house, built by a Mr. Loisel, who wintered here
during the last year, in order to trade with the Sioux, the remains of
whose camps are in great numbers about this place. The establishment is
sixty or seventy feet square, built with red cedar and picketted in
with the same materials. The hunters who had been sent ahead joined us
here. They mention that the hills are washed in gullies, in passing over
which, some mineral substances had rotted and destroyed their moccasins;
they had killed two deer and a beaver. At sixteen miles distance we came
to on the north side at the mouth of a small creek. The large stones
which we saw yesterday on the shores are now some distance in the river,
and render the navigation dangerous. The musquitoes are still numerous
in the low grounds.

Sunday, September 23. We passed, with a light breeze from the southeast,
a small island on the north, called Goat island; above which is a small
creek, called by the party Smoke creek, as we observed a great smoke to
the southwest on approaching it. At ten miles we came to the lower point
of a large island, having passed two small willow islands with sandbars
projecting from them. This island, which we called Elk island, is about
two and a half miles long, and three quarters of a mile wide, situated
near the south, and covered with cottonwood, the red currant, and
grapes. The river is here almost straight for a considerable distance,
wide and shallow, wit