, resembling, we believe, most of the
creeks in this hilly country, the waters of which are absorbed by the
thirsty soil near the river. They indeed afford but little water in any
part, and even that is so strongly tainted with salts that it is unfit
for use, though all the wild animals are very fond of it. On experiment
it was found to be moderately purgative, but painful to the intestines
in its operation. This creek seems to come from a range of low hills,
which run from east to west for seventy miles, and have their eastern
extremity thirty miles to the north of Teapot creek. Just above its
entrance is a large assemblage of the burrowing squirrels on the north
side of the river. At nine miles we reached the upper point of an island
in a bend on the south, and opposite the centre of the island, a small
dry creek on the north. Half a mile further a small creek falls in on
the same side; and six and a half miles beyond this another on the
south. At four and a half we passed a small island in a deep bend to
the north, and on the same side in a deep northeastern bend of the river
another small island. None of these creeks however possessed any water,
and at the entrances of the islands, the two first are covered with tall
cottonwood timber, and the last with willows only. The river has become
more rapid, the country much the same as yesterday, except that there is
rather more rocks on the face of the hills, and some small spruce pine
appears among the pitch. The wild roses are very abundant and now in
bloom; they differ from those of the United States only in having the
leaves and the bush itself of a somewhat smaller size. We find the
musquitoes troublesome, notwithstanding the coolness of the morning. The
buffaloe is scarce to-day, but the elk, deer, and antelope, are very
numerous. The geese begin to lose the feathers of the wings, and are
unable to fly. We saw five bears, one of which we wounded, but in
swimming from us across the river, he become entangled in some driftwood
and sank. We formed our camp on the north opposite to a hill and a point
of wood in a bend to the south, having made twenty-seven miles.

Friday 24. The water in the kettles froze one eighth of an inch during
the night; the ice appears along the margin of the river, and the
cottonwood trees which have lost nearly all their leaves by the frost,
are putting forth other buds. We proceeded with the line principally
till about nine o'clock, when a fine