f small sticks, leaves and grass, open at top: the
egg is of a bluish brown color, freckled with reddish brown spots. We
also killed a large hooting owl resembling that of the United States,
except that it was more booted and clad with feathers. On the hills are
many aromatic herbs, resembling in taste, smell and appearance the sage,
hysop, wormwood, southern wood, juniper and dwarf cedar; a plant also
about two or three feet high, similar to the camphor in smell and
taste, and another plant of the same size, with a long, narrow, smooth,
soft leaf, of an agreeable smell and flavour, which is a favourite food
of the antelope, whose necks are often perfumed by rubbing against it.

Monday 15. We proceeded under a fine breeze from the south, and clear
pleasant weather. At seven miles we reached the lower point of an island
in a bend to the south, which is two miles in length. Captain Clarke,
who went about nine miles northward from the river reached the high
grounds, which, like those we have seen, are level plains without
timber; here he observed a number of drains, which descending from the
hills pursue a northeast course, and probably empty into the Mouse
river, a branch of the Assiniboin, which from Indian accounts approaches
very near to the Missouri at this place. Like all the rivulets of this
neighbourhood these drains were so strongly impregnated with mineral
salts that they are not fit to drink. He saw also the remains of several
camps of Assiniboins; the low grounds on both sides of the river are
extensive, rich, and level. In a little pond on the north, we heard for
the first time this season the croaking of frogs, which exactly
resembles that of the small frogs in the United States: there are also
in these plains great quantities of geese, and many of the grouse, or
prairie hen, as they are called by the N.W. company traders; the note of
the male, as far as words can represent it, is cook, cook, cook, coo,
coo, coo, the first part of which both male and female use when flying;
the male too drums with his wings when he flies in the same way, though
not so loud as the pheasant; they appear to be mating. Some deer, elk,
and goats were in the low grounds, and buffaloe on the sand beaches, but
they were uncommonly shy; we also saw a black bear, and two white ones.
At fifteen miles we passed on the north side a small creek twenty yards
wide, which we called Goatpen creek, from a park or enclosure for the
purpose of cat