onger, finer, and
more abundant; his liver, lungs, and heart, much larger even in
proportion to his size, the heart particularly being equal to that of a
large ox; his maw ten times larger; his testicles pendant from the belly
and in separate pouches four inches apart: besides fish and flesh he
feeds on roots, and every kind of wild fruit.

The antelope are now lean and with young, so that they may readily be
caught at this season, as they cross the river from S.W. to N.E.

Monday 6. The morning being fair and the wind favourable, we set sail,
and proceeded on very well the greater part of the day. The country
continues level, rich, and beautiful; the low grounds wide and
comparatively with the other parts of the Missouri, well supplied with
wood. The appearances of coal, pumicestone, and burnt earth have ceased,
though the salts of tartar or vegetable salts continue on the banks and
sandbars, and sometimes in the little ravines at the base of the low
hills. We passed three streams on the south; the first at the distance
of one mile and a half from our camp was about twenty-five yards wide,
but although it contained some water in standing pools it discharges
none; this we called Littledry creek, about eight miles beyond which is
Bigdry creek; fifty yards wide, without any water; the third is six
miles further, and has the bed of a large river two hundred yards wide,
yet without a drop of water: like the other two this stream, which we
called Bigdry river, continues its width undiminished as far as we can
discern. The banks are low, this channel formed of a fine brown sand,
intermixed with a small proportion of little pebbles of various colours,
and the country around flat and without trees. They had recently
discharged their waters, and from their appearance and the nature of the
country through which they pass, we concluded that they rose in the
Black mountains, or in the level low plains which are probably between
this place and the mountains; that the country being nearly of the same
kind and of the same latitude, the rains of spring melting the snows
about the same time, conspire with them to throw at once vast quantities
of water down these channels, which are then left dry during the summer,
autumn, and winter, when there is very little rain. We had to-day a
slight sprinkling. But it lasted a very short time. The game is in such
plenty that it has become a mere amusement to supply the party with
provisions. We ma