country which surrounds this mound has contributed not a little to its bad reputation:  the wind driving from every direction over the level ground obliges the insects to seek shelter on its leeward side, or be driven against us by the wind.  The small birds, whose food they are, resort of course in great numbers in quest of subsistence; and the Indians always seem to discover an unusual assemblage of birds as produced by some supernatural cause:  among them we observed the brown martin employed in looking for insects, and so gentle that they did not fly until we got within a few feet of them.  We have also distinguished among numerous birds of the plain, the blackbird, the wren or prairie bird, and a species of lark about the size of a partridge, with a short tail.  The excessive heat and thirst forced us from the hill, about one o’clock, to the nearest water, which we found in the creek, at three miles distance, and remained an hour and a half.  We then went down the creek, through a lowland about one mile in width, and crossed it three times, to the spot where we first reached it in the morning.  Here we gathered some delicious plums, grapes and blue currants, and afterwards arrived at the mouth of the river about sunset.  To this place the course from the mound is S. twenty miles, E. nine miles; we there resumed our periogue, and on reaching our encampment of last night set the prairies on fire, to warn the Sioux of our approach.  In the mean time, the boat under serjeant Pryor had proceeded in the afternoon one mile, to a bluff of blue clay on the south, and after passing a sandbar and two sand islands fixed their camp at the distance of six miles on the south.  In the evening some rain fell.  We had killed a duck and several birds:  in the boat, they had caught some large catfish.

Sunday, August 26.  We rejoined the boat at nine o’clock before she set out, and then passing by an island, and under a cliff on the south, nearly two miles in extent and composed of white and blue earth, encamped at nine miles distance, on a sandbar towards the north.  Opposite to this, on the south, is a small creek called Petit Arc or Little Bow, and a short distance above it, an old village of the same name.  This village, of which nothing remains but the mound of earth about four feet high surrounding it, was built by a Maha chief named Little Bow, who being displeased with Blackbird, the late king, seceded with two hundred followers and settled at this spot, which is now abandoned, as the two villages have reunited since the death of Blackbird.  We have great quantities of grapes, and plums of three kinds; two of a yellow colour, and distinguished by one of the species being longer than the other; and a third round and red:  all have an excellent flavour, particularly those of the yellow kind.