a white flag, bordered with red, blue, and white.  The Blackbird seems to have been a personage of great consideration; for ever since his death he is supplied with provisions, from time to time, by the superstitious regard of the Mahas.  We descended to the river and passed a small creek on the south, called, by the Mahas, Waucandipeeche, (Great Spirit is bad.) Near this creek and the adjoining hills the Mahas had a village, and lost four hundred of their nation by the dreadful malady which destroyed the Blackbird.  The meridian altitude made the latitude 42 degrees 1’ 3-8/10” north.  We encamped, at seventeen miles distance, on the north side in a bend of the river.  During our day’s course it has been crooked; we observed a number of places in it where the old channel is filled up, or gradually becoming covered with willow and cottonwood; great numbers of herons are observed to-day, and the mosquitoes annoy us very much.

August 12.  A gentle breeze from the south, carried us along about ten miles, when we stopped to take meridian altitude, and sent a man across to our place of observation:  yesterday he stepped nine hundred and seventy-four yards, and the distance we had come round, was eighteen miles and three quarters.  The river is wider and shallower than usual.  Four miles beyond this bend a bluff begins, and continues several miles; on the south it rises from the water at different heights, from twenty to one hundred and fifty feet, and higher as it recedes on the river:  it consists of yellow and brown clay, with soft sandstone imbeded in it, and is covered with timber, among which may be observed some red cedar:  the lands on the opposite side are low and subject to inundation, but contain willows, cottonwood, and many grapes.  A prairie-wolf came near the bank and barked at us; we attempted unsuccessfully to take him.  This part of the river abounds in beaver.  We encamped on a sand-island in a bend to the north, having made twenty miles and a quarter.

August 13.  Set out at daylight with a breeze from the southeast, and passed several sandbars.  Between ten and eleven miles, we came to a spot on the south, where a Mr. Mackay had a trading establishment in the year 1795 and 1796, which he called Fort Charles.  At fourteen miles, we reached a creek on the south, on which the Mahas reside, and at seventeen miles and a quarter, formed a camp on a sandbar, to the south side of the river, opposite the lower point of a large island.  From this place sergeant Ordway and four men were detached to the Maha village with a flag and a present, in order to induce them to come and hold a council with us.  They returned at twelve o’clock the next day, August 14.  After crossing a prairie covered with high grass, they reached the Maha creek, along which they proceeded to its three forks, which join near the village:  they crossed the north branch and went along the south; the walk was very fatiguing, as they were forced to break their way through grass, sunflowers and thistles,