ounds becoming narrower; the tops of the hills on the north
exhibits some scattered pine and cedar, on the south the pine has not
yet commenced, though there is some cedar on the sides of the hills and
in the little ravines. The chokecherry, the wild hysop, sage,
fleshy-leafed thorn, and particularly the aromatic herb on which the
antelope and hare feed, are to be found on the plains and hills. The
soil of the hills has now altered its texture considerably: their bases,
like that of the river plains, is as usual a rich, black loam, while
from the middle to the summits they are composed of a light
brown-coloured earth, poor and sterile, and intermixed with a coarse
white sand.

Monday, 13th. The wind was so strong that we could not proceed till
about one o'clock, when we had to encounter a current rather stronger
than usual. In the course of a mile and a half we passed two small
creeks on the south, one of eighteen the other of thirty yards width,
but neither of them containing any water, and encamped on the south at a
point of woodland, having made only seven miles. The country is much the
same as yesterday, with little timber in the low grounds, and a small
quantity of pine and cedar on the northern hills. The river however
continues to grow clearer, and this as well as the increased rapidity
induces us to hope for some change of country. The game is as usual so
abundant that we can get without difficulty all that is necessary.

Tuesday, 14th. There was some fog on the river this morning, which is a
very rare occurrence. At the distance of a mile and a half we reached an
island in a bend on the north, which continued for about half a mile,
when at the head of it a large creek comes in on the north, to which we
gave the name of Gibson's creek. At seven and a half miles is a point of
rocks on the south, above a creek on the same side, which we called
Sticklodge creek: five miles further is a large creek on the south,
which like the two others has no running water; and at sixteen and a
half miles a timbered point on the north, where we encamped for the
night. The country is like that of yesterday, except that the low
grounds are wider; there are also many high black bluffs along the
banks: the game too is in great abundance. Towards evening the men in
the hindmost canoes discovered a large brown bear lying in the open
grounds, about three hundred paces from the river: six of them, all good
hunters, immediately went to at