ction from all that we have
seen lower down the Missouri or elsewhere. The form of it was a circle
two hundred and sixteen feet in circumference at the base, and composed
of sixteen large cottonwood poles about fifty feet long, and at their
thicker ends, which touched the ground, about the size of a man's body:
they were distributed at equal distances, except that one was omitted to
the east, probably for the entrance. From the circumference of this
circle the poles converged towards the centre where they were united and
secured by large withes of willow brush. There was no covering over this
fabric, in the centre of which were the remains of a large fire, and
round it the marks of about eighty leathern lodges. He also saw a number
of turtledoves, and some pigeons, of which he shot one differing in no
respect from the wild pigeon of the United States. The country exhibits
its usual appearances, the timber confined to the river, the country on
both sides as far as the eye can reach being entirely destitute of trees
or brush. In the low ground in which we are building the canoes, the
timber is larger and more abundant than we have seen it on the Missouri
for several hundred miles. The soil too is good, for the grass and weeds
reach about two feet high, being the tallest we have observed this
season, though on the high plains and prairies the grass is at no season
above three inches in height. Among these weeds are the sandrush, and
nettle in small quantities; the plains are still infested by great
numbers of the small birds already mentioned, among whom is the brown
curlew. The current of the river is here extremely gentle; the buffaloe
have not yet quite gone, for the hunters brought in three in very good
order. It requires some diligence to supply us plentifully, for as we
reserve our parched meal for the Rocky mountains, where we do not expect
to find much game, our principal article of food is meat, and the
consumption of the whole thirty-two persons belonging to the party,
amounts to four deer, an elk and a deer, one buffaloe every twenty four
hours. The musquitoes and gnats persecute us as violently as below, so
that we can get no sleep unless defended by biers, with which we are all
provided. We here found several plants hitherto unknown to us, and of
which we preserved specimens.

Serjeant Ordway proceeded with the six canoes five miles up the river,
but the wind becoming so high as to wet the baggage he was oblige