ground completely; and on collecting some of it, it lasted during the
day and served to cool the water. The red and yellow currant is abundant
and now ripe, although still a little acid. We have seen in this
neighbourhood what we have not met before, a remarkably small fox which
associates in bands and burrows in the prairie, like the small wolf, but
have not yet been able to obtain any of them, as they are extremely
vigilant, and betake themselves on the slightest alarm to their burrows
which are very deep.

Sunday 7. The weather is warm but cloudy, so that the moisture retained
by the bark after the rain leaves it slowly, though we have small fires
constantly under the boat. We have no tents, and therefore are obliged
to use the sails to keep off the bad weather. Our buffaloe skins too,
are scarcely sufficient to cover our baggage, but the men are now
dressing others to replace their present leather clothing, which soon
rots by being so constantly exposed to water. In the evening the hunters
returned with the skins of only three buffaloe, two antelope, four deer,
and three wolf skins, and reported that the buffaloe had gone further
down the river; two other hunters who left us this morning could find
nothing except one elk: in addition to this we caught a beaver. The
musquitoes still disturb us very much, and the blowing-flies swarm in
vast numbers round the boat. At four in the afternoon we had a light
shower of rain attended with some thunder and lightning.

Monday 8. In order more fully to replace the notes of the river which
he had lost, and which he was prevented from supplying by the storm of
the twenty-ninth ult. captain Clarke set out after breakfast, taking
with him nearly the whole party with a view of shooting buffaloe if
there should be any near the falls. After getting some distance in the
plains the men were divided into squads, and he with two others struck
the Missouri at the entrance of Medicine river, and thence proceeded
down to the great cataract. He found that the immense herds of buffaloe
have entirely disappeared, and he thought had gone below the falls.
Having made the necessary measurements, he returned through the plains
and reached camp late in the evening; the whole party had killed only
three buffaloe, three antelopes and a deer; they had also shot a small
fox, and brought a living ground-squirrel somewhat larger than those of
the United States.

The day was warm and fair, but a slight r