ed in fitting up a boat of skins, the frame of which
had been prepared for the purpose at Harper's ferry. It was made of
iron, thirty-six feet long, four feet and a half in the beam, and
twenty-six inches wide in the bottom. Two men had been sent this morning
for timber to complete it, but they could find scarcely any even
tolerably straight sticks four and a half feet long, and as the
cottonwood is too soft and brittle we were obliged to use the willow and
box-alder.

Tuesday, 25. The party returned to the lower camp. Two men were sent on
the large island to look for timber. J. Fields was sent up the Missouri
to hunt elk; but he returned about noon and informed us that a few miles
above he saw two white bear near the river, and in attempting to fire at
them came suddenly on a third, who being only a few steps off
immediately attacked him; that in running to escape from the monster he
leaped down a steep bank of the river, where falling on a bar of stone
he cut his hand and knee and bent his gun; but fortunately for him the
bank concealed him from his antagonist or he would have been most
probably lost. The other two returned with a small quantity of bark and
timber, which was all they could find on the island; but they had killed
two elk: these were valuable, as we are desirous of procuring the skins
of that animal in order to cover the boat, as they are more strong and
durable than those of the buffaloe, and do not shrink so much in drying.
The party that went to the lower camp had one canoe and the baggage
carried into the high plain to be ready in the morning, and then all who
could make use of their feet had a dance on the green to the music of a
violin. We have been unsuccessful in our attempt to catch fish, nor does
there seem to be any in this part of the river. We observe a number of
water terrapins. There are quantities of young blackbirds in these
islands just beginning to fly. Among the vegetable productions we
observe a species of wild rye which is now heading: it rises to the
height of eighteen or twenty inches, the beard remarkably fine and soft;
the culen is jointed, and in every respect except in height it resembles
the wild rye. Great quantities of mint too, like the peppermint, are
found here.

The winds are sometimes violent in these plains. The men inform us that
as they were bringing one of the canoes along on truck-wheels, they
hoisted the sail and the wind carried her along for some distance.