unters), they
resolved to strike the Medicine, or Sun, River and hunt down its banks.
On that river the journal, July 10, has this to say:--

"In the plains are great quantities of two species of prickly-pear now
in bloom. Gooseberries of the common red kind are in abundance and just
beginning to ripen, but there are no currants. The river has now widened
to one hundred yards; it is deep, crowded with islands, and in many
parts rapid. At the distance of seventeen miles, the timber disappears
totally from the river-bottoms. About this part of the river, the wind,
which had blown on our backs, and constantly put the elk on their guard,
shifted round; we then shot three of them and a brown bear. Captain
Lewis halted to skin them, while two of the men took the pack-horses
forward to seek for a camp. It was nine o'clock before he overtook them,
at the distance of seven miles, in the first grove of cottonwood. They
had been pursued as they came along by a very large bear, on which they
were afraid to fire, lest their horses, being unaccustomed to the gun,
might take fright and throw them. This circumstance reminds us of
the ferocity of these animals, when we were last near this place, and
admonishes us to be very cautious. We saw vast numbers of buffalo below
us, which kept up a dreadful bellowing during the night. With all our
exertions we were unable to advance more than twenty-four miles, owing
to the mire through which we are obliged to travel, in consequence of
the rain."

The Sun, or Medicine, River empties into the Missouri just above the
great falls of that stream; and near here, opposite White Bear Islands,
the expedition had deposited some of their property in a cache dug
near the river bank, when they passed that way, a year before. On the
thirteenth of the month, having reached their old camping-ground here,
the party set to work making boat-gear and preparing to leave their
comrades in camp well fixed for their stay. The journal adds:--

"On opening the cache, we found the bearskins entirely destroyed by the
water, which in a flood of the river had penetrated to them. All the
specimens of plants, too, were unfortunately lost: the chart of the
Missouri, however, still remained unhurt, and several articles contained
in trunks and boxes had suffered but little injury; but a vial of
laudanum had lost its stopper, and the liquid had run into a drawer
of medicines, which it spoiled beyond recovery. The mosquitoes wer