wenty yards wide, called Split Rock creek, from a fissure in the point
of a neighbouring rock. Three miles beyond this, on the south is Saline
river, it is about thirty yards wide, and has its name from the number
of salt licks, and springs, which render its water brackish; the river
is very rapid and the banks falling in. After leaving Saline creek, we
passed one large island and several smaller ones, having made fourteen
miles. The water rose a foot during the last night.

The next day, June 7, we passed at four and a half miles Big Manitou
creek, near which is a limestone rock inlaid with flint of various
colours, and embellished, or at least covered with uncouth paintings of
animals and inscriptions. We landed to examine it, but found the place
occupied by a nest of rattlesnakes, of which we killed three. We also
examined some licks and springs of salt water, two or three miles up
this creek. We then proceeded by some small willow islands, and encamped
at the mouth of Good Woman river on the north. It is about thirty-five
yards wide, and said to be navigable for boats several leagues. The
hunters, who had hitherto given us only deer, brought in this evening
three bears, and had seen some indication of buffaloe. We had come
fourteen miles.

June 8, we saw several small willow islands, and a creek on the south,
near which are a number of deerlicks; at nine miles distance we came to
Mine river. This river, which falls into the Missouri from the south,
is said to be navigable for boats eighty or ninety miles, and is about
seventy yards wide at its mouth. It forks about five or six leagues from
the Missouri, and at the point of junction are some very rich salt
springs; the west branch in particular, is so much impregnated, that,
for twenty miles, the water is not palatable: several branches of the
Manitou and Good Woman are equally tinctured. The French report also,
that lead ore has been found on different parts of the river. We made
several excursions near the river through the low rich country on its
banks, and after dinner went on to the island of Mills, where we
encamped. We met with a party of three hunters from the Sioux river;
they had been out for twelve months, and collected about nine hundred
dollars worth of peltries and furs. We ascended this river twelve miles.

On the 9th, we set out early, and reached a cliff of rocks, called the
Arrow Rock, near to which is a prairie called the Prairies of Arrows,
and