fire, in order that if the Indians returned they might discover that the party were white men and friends.  Whilst making these preparations a very heavy shower of rain and hail came on, and wet them to the skin:  in about twenty minutes it was over, and captain Lewis then renewed his pursuit, but as the rain had made the grass which the horse had trodden down rise again, his track could with difficulty be distinguished.  As they went along they passed several places where the Indians seemed to have been digging roots to-day, and saw the fresh track of eight or ten horses, but they had been wandering about in so confused a manner that he could not discern any particular path, and at last, after pursuing it about four miles along the valley to the left under the foot of the hills, he lost the track of the fugitive Indian.  Near the head of the valley they had passed a large bog covered with moss and tall grass, among which were several springs of pure cold water:  they now turned a little to the left along the foot of the high hills, and reached a small creek where they encamped for the night, having made about twenty miles, though not more than ten in a direct line from their camp of last evening.

The morning being rainy and wet we did not set out with the canoes till after an early breakfast.  During the first three miles we passed three small islands, six bayous on different sides of the river, and the same number of bends towards the right.  Here we reached the lower point of a large island which we called Three-thousand-mile island, on account of its being at that distance from the mouth of the Missouri.  It is three miles and a half in length, and as we coasted along it we passed several small bends of the river towards the left, and two bayous on the same side.  After leaving the upper point of Three-thousand-mile island, we followed the main channel on the left side, which led us by three small islands and several small bayous, and fifteen bends towards the right.  Then at the distance of seven miles and a half we encamped on the upper end of a large island near the right.  The river was shallow and rapid, so that we were obliged to be in the water during a great part of the day, dragging the canoes over the shoals and ripples.  Its course too was so crooked, that notwithstanding we had made fourteen miles by water, we were only five miles from our encampment of last night.  The country consists of a low ground on the river about five miles wide, and succeeded on both sides by plains of the same extent which reach to the base of the mountains.  These low grounds are very much intersected by bayous, and in those on the left side is a large proportion of bog covered with tall grass, which would yield a fine turf.  There are very few trees, and those small narrow-leafed cottonwood:  the principal growth being the narrow-leafed willow, and currant bushes, among which were some bunches of privy near the river.  We saw a number of geese, ducks, beaver, otter, deer and antelopes, of all which one beaver was killed with a pole from the boat, three otters with a tomahawk, and the hunters brought in three deer and an antelope.