river wider than usual and full of sandbars: and on the sides of the
hills are large stones, and some rock of a brownish colour in the
southern bend below us. Our latitude by observation was 46 degrees 23'
57".

Thursday 18. After three miles we reached the mouth of Le Boulet or
Cannonball river: this stream rises in the Black mountains, and falls
into the Missouri on the south; its channel is about one hundred and
forty yards wide, though the water is now confined within forty, and its
name is derived from the numbers of perfectly round large stones on the
shore and in the bluffs just above. We here met with two Frenchmen in
the employ of Mr. Gravelines, who had been robbed by the Mandans of
their traps, furs, and other articles, and were descending the river in
a periogue, but they turned back with us in expectation of obtaining
redress through our means. At eight miles is a creek on the north, about
twenty-eight yards wide, rising in the northeast, and called Chewah or
Fish river; one mile above this is another creek on the south: we
encamped on a sandbar to the south, at the distance of thirteen miles,
all of which we had made with oars and poles. Great numbers of goats are
crossing the river and directing their course to the westward; we also
saw a herd of buffaloe and of elk; a pelican too was killed, and six
fallow deer, having found, as the Ricaras informed us, that there are
none of the black-tail species as high up as this place. The country is
in general level and fine, with broken short high grounds, low timbered
mounds on the river, and a rugged range of hills at a distance.

Friday 19. We set sail with a fine morning, and a southeast wind, and at
two and a half miles passed a creek on the north side: at eleven and a
half miles we came to a lake or large pond on the same side, in which
were some swans. On both banks of the Missouri are low grounds which
have much more timber than lower down the river: the hills are at one or
two miles distance from the banks, and the streams which rise in them
are brackish, and the mineral salts appear on the sides of the hills
and edges of the runs. In walking along the shore we counted fifty-two
herds of buffaloe, and three of elk, at a single view. Besides these we
also observed elk, deer, pelicans, and wolves. After seventeen and a
half miles we encamped on the north, opposite to the uppermost of a
number of round hills, forming a cone at the top, one being about
ninet