9th, the wind was so high from northwest that we
could not proceed, but being less violent on

Saturday, 20th, we set off about seven o'clock, and had nearly lost one
of the canoes as we left the shore, by the falling in of a large part of
the bank. The wind too became again so strong that we could scarcely
make one mile an hour, and the sudden squalls so dangerous to the small
boats, that we stopped for the night among some willows on the north,
not being able to advance more than six and a half miles. In walking
through the neighbouring plains we found a fine fertile soil covered
with cottonwood, some box, alder, ash, red elm, and an undergrowth of
willow, rosebushes, honeysuckle, red willow, gooseberry, currant, and
serviceberries, and along the foot of the hills great quantities of
hysop. Our hunters procured elk and deer which are now lean, and six
beaver which are fatter and more palatable. Along the plain there were
also some Indian camps; near one of these was a scaffold about seven
feet high, on which were two sleds with their harness, and under it the
body of a female, carefully wrapped in several dressed buffaloe skins;
near it lay a bag made of buffaloe skin, containing a pair of moccasins,
some red and blue paint, beaver's nails, scrapers for dressing hides,
some dried roots, several plaits of sweet grass, and a small quantity of
Mandan tobacco. These things as well as the body itself had probably
fallen down by accident, as the custom is to place them on the scaffold.
At a little distance was the body of a dog not yet decayed, who had met
this reward for having dragged thus far in the sled the corpse of his
mistress, to whom according to the Indian usage he had been sacrificed.

Sunday, 21st. Last night there was a hard white frost, and this morning
the weather cold, but clear and pleasant: in the course of the day
however it became cloudy and the wind rose. The country is of the same
description as within the few last days. We saw immense quantities of
buffaloe, elk, deer, antelopes, geese, and some swan and ducks, out of
which we procured three deer, four buffaloe calves, which last are equal
in flavour to the most delicious veal; also two beaver, and an otter. We
passed one large and two small creeks on the south side, and reached at
sixteen miles the mouth of Whiteearth river, coming in from the north.
This river before it reaches the low grounds near the Missouri, is a
fine bold stream sixty yards wid