e. For several days past we have
seen great numbers of buffaloe lying dead along the shore, and some of
them partly devoured by the wolves; they have either sunk through the
ice during the winter, or been drowned in attempting to cross, or else,
after crossing to some high bluff, found themselves too much exhausted
either to ascend or swim back again, and perished for want of food; in
this situation we found several small parties of them. There are geese
too in abundance, and more bald-eagles than we have hitherto observed;
the nests of these last being always accompanied by those of two or
three magpies, who are their inseparable attendants.

CHAPTER VIII.

Unusual appearance of salt--The formidable character of the white
bear--Porcupine river described--Beautiful appearance of the
surrounding country--Immense quantities of game--Milk river
described--Extraordinary character of Bigdry river--An instance of
uncommon tenacity of life in a white bear--Narrow escape of one of
the party from that animal--A still more remarkable
instance--Muscleshell river described.

Sunday 28. The day was clear and pleasant, and the wind having shifted
to southeast, we could employ our sails, and went twenty-four miles to a
low ground on the north opposite to steep bluffs: the country on both
sides is much broken, the hills approaching nearer to the river, and
forming bluffs, some of a white and others of a red colour, and
exhibiting the usual appearances of minerals, and some burnt hills
though without any pumicestone; the salts are in greater quantities than
usual, and the banks and sandbars are covered with a white incrustation
like frost. The low grounds are level, fertile and partially timbered,
but are not so wide as for a few days past. The woods are now green, but
the plains and meadows seem to have less verdure than those below: the
only streams which we met to-day are two small runs on the north and one
on the south, which rise in the neighbouring hills, and have very little
water. At the distance of eighteen miles the Missouri makes a
considerable bend to the southeast: the game is very abundant, the
common, and mule or blacktailed deer, elk, buffaloe, antelope, brown
bear, beaver, and geese. The beaver have committed great devastation
among the trees, one of which, nearly three feet in diameter, has been
gnawed through by them.

Monday 29. We proceeded