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The Countrey from the Missourie to the black mountain is much like the Countrey on the Missourie, less timber & a greatr perpotion of Ceder.
Lewis went out with 8 men & brought the buffalow to the river at this bend, C. Lewis Killed a Goose, wind blew hard of the flying Sands which rasies like a Cloud of Smoke from the Bars when the wind Blows, the Sand being fine and containing a breat perpotion of earth and when it lights it Sticks to every thing it touches at this time the grass is white S 48° 3 miles to a point of willows on the S. S. haveing passed the Sand Island L. S Camped on the L S above the Island Saw an elk Standing on a Sand bar.
We Camped on a large Sand bar off the mouth of Otter Creek on the S. S. this Creek is about 22 yards wide at the mouth and contains a greater perpotion of water than Common for Creeks of its Sise Squar no timbr high and Covered with grass wild rye and Contains Great numbers of Grouse, we proceeded on a Short distance above the Island and Camped on the S. S. a fine evening.
The Nation of the Rickerries is about 600 men able to bear arms a Great perpotion of them have fusees they appear to be peacefull, their men tall and perpotiend, womin Small and industerous, raise great quantities of Corn Beens Simmins &c. also Tobacco for the men to Smoke they Collect all the wood and do the drugery as Common amongst Savages.
Side the bend of which as far as we went up it or could See from a high hill is as large as that of the Missouri at this place which is near half a mile this river did not Contain one drop of running water, about a mile below this river a large Creeke joins the river L. S. which is also Dry- Those dry Streams which are also verry wide, I think is the Conveyance of the melted Snow, & heavy rains which is Probable fall in from the high mountanious Countrey which is Said to be between this river & the Yellow Stone river- I walked on Shore the fore part of this day, & observed Great quantities of the Shining Stone which we view as quarts, I killed 2 Bucks & a Buffalow, Capt Lewis also killed one which verry good meat, I saw emunerable herds of buffalow, & goats to day in every derection- The Missouri keeps its width which is nearly as wide as near its mouth, great number of Sand bars, the water not So muddy & Sand finer & in Smaller perpotion.
The Indians on those waters do not appear to be Sickly, Sore eyes are Common and maney have lost their eyes, Some one and, maney both, they have bad teeth, and the greater perpotion of them have worn their teeth down, maney into the gums, They are rather Small high Cheeks, women Small and homely, maney of them had Sweled legs, large about the knees,-owing to the position in which they Set on their hams, They are nearly necked only a piece of leather tied about their breech and a Small robe which generally comes to a little below their wastes and Scercely Sufficely large to cover arround them when confined- they are all fond of Clothes but more So of Beeds perticularly blue & white beeds.
There are 4 Species of the larus or gull on this coast and river. 1st a Small Species the Size of a Pegion; white except some black spots about the head and the little bone on the but of the wing. 2d a Species Somewhat larger of a light brown colour, with a mealy coloured back. 3rd the large Grey Gull, or white larus with a greyish brown back, and light grey belly and breast, about the Size of a well grown pullet, the wings are remarkably long in perpotion to the Size of the body and it's under chap towards the extremity is gibbous and protuberant than in either of the other Species. a White Gull about the Size of the Second with a remarkable beak; adjoining the head and on the base of the upper Chap there is an elivated orning of the Same Substance with the beak which forms the nostriels at A; it is Somewhat in this form. the feet are webed and the legs and feet of a yellow colour. the form of the wings body &c are much that of the 2d Species this bird was Seen on Haleys bay.
I took two men and walked down three miles to examine the Shute and river below proceeded along an old Indian path, passd. an old village at 1 mile on an ellevated Situation of this village contained verry large houses built in a different form from any I had Seen, and laterly abandoned, and the most of the boads put into a pond of water near the village, as I conceived to drown the flees, which was emencely noumerous about the houses-. I found by examonation that we must make a portage of the greater perpotion of our Stores 21/2 miles, and the Canoes we Could haul over the rocks, I returned at Dark Capt Lewis and 5 men had just returned from the village, Cap L. informed me that he found the nativs kind, they gave him berries, nuts & fish to eate; but he could get nothing from them in the way of information.
This is a likeness of it; it was 2 feet 8 inches long, and weighed ten pounds. the eye is moderately large, the puple black with a Small admixture of yellow and the iris of a Silvery white with a Small admixture of yellow and a little tirbed near its border with a yellowish brown. the position of the fins may be seen from the drawing, they are small in perpotion to the fish. the fins are honey but not pointed except the tail and back fins which are a little So, the prime back fin and venteral ones, contain each ten rays; those of the gills twelve, and the Small Finn placed near the tail above has no long rays, but is a tough flexable Substance covered with Smooth Skin. it is thicker in perpotion to it's width than the Salmons. the tongue is thick and firm beset on each border with small subulate teeth in a Single Series. the Teeth of the mouth are as before discribed. neither this fish nor the Salmon are cought with the hook, nor do I know on what they feed.-now begin to run &c. &c.
The White Brant is very common in this country particularly below tide water where they remain in vast quantities dureing the winter. they feed like the Swan Goose &c. on the grass and roots & Seeds which they find in the marshes this bird is a little larger than the brown brant and a fourth less than the common wild or Canadian goose. the head is proportionably with the goose reather large; the beak thicker Shorter and of the Same form, being of a yellowish white colour except the edges of the Chaps, which are frequently of a dark brown. the legs and feet are of the Same form of the goose and are of a redish white or pail flesh colour. the tail is composed of Sixteen feathers of equal length as those of the geese and brown brant are, and bears about the Same perpotion in point of length. the Eye is of a dark colour and nothing remarkable as to Size. the wings are reather longer compared with those of the goose, but not as much So as is the brown or pieded brant. the colour of the plumage of this bird is uniformly a pure white except the large feathers of the extremities of the wings which are black.
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