Norman Lindsay - "The Magic Pudding"

Amy Prentice - "Mouser Cats' Story"

Samuel Pepys - "The Diary of Samuel Pepys"

Louisa May Alcott - "An Old fashioned Girl"

New Philadelphia Book Publisher Highlights Local Talent
Book and Publishing News from Publishers Newswire(tm)

Looking for Child to be on Cover of a New Book, 'The Model Child'
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- The Philadelphia literary world will celebrate the launch of two new players today, April 10th: Kay Square Press, a new publishing company focused on Philadelphia-area artists, their stories, and their art; and Kay Square's first release, 'With the Rich and Mighty: Emlen Etting of Philadelphia' (ISBN: 978-0-9815129-0-7), a critical biography by Kenneth C. Kaleta.

FlatSigned Press Alleges Don Imus Remarks Damage Legacy of President Gerald R. Ford
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Nathan Yungerberg, an accomplished model scout and professional child photographer is launching a nation-wide casting call to find the cover model for his highly anticipated book release, 'The Model Child: A Parents Guide to the Child Modeling Industry' (ISBN: 978-0-9817018-0-6).

Books: The Journals of Lewis and Clark

M >> Meriwether Lewis et al >> The Journals of Lewis and Clark




I saw a small bird today which I do not recollect ever having seen
before. it is about the size of the blue thrush or catbird, and it's
contour not unlike that bird. the beak is convex, moderately curved,
black, smoth, and large in proportion to its size. the legs were black,
it had four toes of the same colour on eah foot, and the nails appeared
long and somewhat in form like the tallons of the haulk, the eye black
and proportionably large. a bluish brown colour occupyed the head,
neck, and back, the belly was white; the tail was reather long in
proportion and appeared to be composed of feathers of equal length of
which a part of those in the center were white the others black. the
wings were long and were also varigated with white and black. on each
side of the head from the beak back to the neck a small black stripe
extended imbrasing the eye. it appeared to be very busy in catching
insects which I presume is it's usual food; I found the nest of this
little bird, the female which differed but little in size or plumage
from the male was seting on four eggs of a pale blue colour with small
black freckles or dots.- the bee martin or Kingbird is common to this
country tho there are no bees in this country, nor have we met with a
honey bee since we passed the entrance of the Osage river.

[Clark, June 10, 1805]
June 10th Monday 1805
a fine day dry all our articles arrange our baggage burry Some Powder &
lead in the point, Some Lead a canister of Powder & an ax in a thicket
in the point at Some distance, buried on this day and in the large
cache or whole we buried on the up land near the S. fork 1 mile up S.
S. we drew up our large Perogue into the middle of a Small Island in
the North fork and covered her with bushes after makeing her fast to
the trees, branded several trees to prevent the Indians injureing her,
at 3 oClock we had hard wind from the S. W. thunder and rain for about
an hour after which we repaired & Corked the Canoes & loadded them- Sah
cah gah, we a our Indian woman verry Sick I blead her, we deturmined to
assend the South fork, and one of us, Capt. Lewis or My self to go by
land as far as the Snow mountains S. 20° W. and examine the river &
Countrey Course & to be Certain of our assending the proper river, Capt
Lewis inclines to go by land on this expedition, according Selects 4
men George Drewyer, Gibson, Jo. Fields & S. Gutrich to accompany him &
deturmine to Set out in the morning- The after noon or night Cloudy
Some rain, river riseing a little.

[Lewis, June 11, 1805]
Tuesday June 11th 1805
This morning I felt much better, but somewhat weakened by my disorder.
at 8 A.M. I swung my pack, and set forward with my little party.
proceeded to the point where Rose River a branch Maria's River
approaches the Missouri so nearly. from this hight we discovered a herd
of Elk on the Missouri just above us to which we desended and soon
killed four of them. we butchered them and hung up the meat and skins
in view of the river in order that the party might get them. I
determined to take dinner here, but before the meal was prepared I was
taken with such violent pain in the intestens that I was unable to
partake of the feast of marrowbones. my pain still increased and
towards evening was attended with a high fever; finding myself unable
to march, I determined to prepare a camp of some willow boughs and
remain all night. having brought no medecine with me I resolved to try
an experiment with some simples; and the Choke cherry which grew
abundanly in the bottom first struck my attention; I directed a parsel
of the small twigs to be geathered striped of their leaves, cut into
pieces of about 2 Inches in length and boiled in water untill a strong
black decoction of an astringent bitter tact was produced; at sunset I
took a point of this decoction and abut an hour after repeated the dze
by 10 in the evening I was entirely releived from pain and in fact
every symptom of the disorder forsook me; my fever abated, a gentle
perspiration was produced and I had a comfortable and refreshing nights
rest. Goodrich who is remarkably fond of fishing caught several douzen
fish of two different species- one about 9 inches long of white colour
round and in form and fins resembles the white chub common to the
Potomac; this fish has a smaller head than the Chubb and the mouth is
beset both above and below with a rim of fine sharp teeth; the eye
moderately large, the puple dark and the iris which is narrow is of a
yellowish brown colour, they bite at meat or grasshoppers. this is a
soft fish, not very good, tho the flesh is of a fine white colour. the
other species is precisely the form and about the size of the well
known fish called the Hickory Shad or old wife, with the exception of
the teeth, a rim of which garnish the outer edge of both the upper and
lower jaw; the tonge and pallet are also beset with long sharp teeth
bending inwards, the eye of this fish is very large, and the iris of a
silvery colour and wide. of the 1st species we had caught some few
before our arrival at the entrance of Maria's river, but of the last we
had seen none untill we reached that place and took them in Missouri
above it's junction with that river. the latter kind are much the best,
and do not inhabit muddy water; the white cat continue as high as the
entrance of Maria's R, but those we have caught above Mandans never
excede 6 lbs. I beleive that there are but few in this part of the
Missouri. saw an abundance of game today even in our short march of 9
miles.

[Clark, June 11, 1805]
June 11th Tuesday 1805
a fair morning wind from the S W. hard we burry 1 keg in the Cash & 2
Canisters of Powder in 2 seperate places all with Lead; & in the Cash 2
axes, auger, Plains, 1 Keg flour, 2 Kegs Pork, 2 Kegs Parchd meal 1 Keg
salt, files Chisel, 2 Musquits, Some tin cups, bowel, 3 bear Skins,
Beaver Skins, Horns, & parts of the mens robes & clothes.- Beaver Traps
and blacksmith's tools. Capt. Lewis Set out at 8 oClock we delayed to
repare Some guns out of order & complete our deposit, which took us the
day the evening fair and fine wind from the N. W. after night it became
cold & the wind blew hard, the Indian woman verry Sick, I blead her
which appeared to be of great Service to her both rivers riseing fast

[Lewis, June 12, 1805]
Wednesday June 12th 1805.
This morning I felt myself quite revived, took another portion of my
decoction and set out at sunrise. I now boar out from the river in
order to avoid the steep ravines of the river which usually make out in
the plain to the distance of one or two miles; after gaining the leavel
plain my couse was a litte to the West of S. W.- having traveled about
12 miles by 9 in the morning, the sun became warm, and I boar a little
to the south in order to gain the river as well to obtain water to
allay my thirst as to kill something for breakfast; for the plain
through which we had been passing possesses no water and is so level
that we cannot approach the buffaloe within shot before they discover
us and take to flight. we arrived at the river about 10 A.M. having
traveled about 15 m. at this place there is a handsom open bottom with
some cottonwood timber, here we met with two large bear, and killed
them boath at the first fire, a circumstance which I beleive has never
happend with the party in killing the brown bear before. we dressed the
bear, breakfasted on a part of one of them and hung the meat and skins
on the trees out of the reach of the wolves. I left a note on a stick
near the river for Capt. Clark, informing him of my progress &c.- after
refreshing ourselves abut 2 hours we again ascended the bluffs and
gained the high plain; saw a great number of burrowing squirrels in the
plains today. also wolves Antelopes mule deer and immence herds of
buffaloe. we passed a ridge of land considerably higher than the
adjacent plain on either side, from this hight we had a most beatifull
and picturesk view of the Rocky mountains which wer perfectly covered
with Snow and reaching from S. E. to the N. of N. W.- they appear to be
formed of several ranges each succeeding range rising higher than the
preceding one untill the most distant appear to loose their snowey tops
in the clouds; this was an august spectacle and still rendered more
formidable by the recollection that we had them to pass. we traveled
about twelve miles when we agin struck the Missoury at a handsome
little bottom of Cottonwood timber and altho the sun had not yet set I
felt myself somewhat weary being weakened I presume by late disorder;
and therfore determined to remain here during the ballance of the day
and night, having marched about 27 miles today. on our way in the
evening we had killed a buffaloe, an Antelope and three mule deer, and
taken a sufficient quantity of the best of the flesh of these anamals
for three meals, which we had brought with us. This evening I ate very
heartily and after pening the transactions of the day amused myself
catching those white fish mentioned yesterday; they are here in great
abundance I caught upwards of a douzen in a few minutes; they bit most
freely at the melt of a deer which goodrich had brought with him for
the purpose of fishing.

The narrow leafed cottonwood grows here in common with the other
species of the same tree with a broad leaf or that which has
constituted the major part of the timber of the Missouri from it's
junction with the Mississippi to this place. The narrow leafed
cottonwood differs only from the other in the shape of it's leaf and
greater thickness of it's bark. the leaf is a long oval acutely
pointed, about 21/2 or 3 Inches long and from 3/4 to an inch in width;
it is thick, sometimes slightly grooved or channeled; margin slightly
serrate; the upper disk of a common green while the under disk is of a
whiteish green; the leaf is smoth. the beaver appear to be extremely
fond of this tree and even seem to scelect it from among the other
species of Cottonwood, probably from it's affording a deeper and softer
bark than the other species.- saw some sign of the Otter as well as
beaver near our camp, also a great number of tracks of the brown bear;
these fellows leave a formidable impression in the mud or sand I
measured one this evening which was eleven inches long exclusive of the
tallons and seven and 1/4 in width.

[Clark, June 12, 1805]
June 12th 1805 Wednesday
last night was Clear and Cold, this morning fair we Set out at 8 oClock
& proceeded on verry well wind from the S. W. The interpreters wife
verry Sick So much So that I move her into the back part of our Covered
part of the Perogue which is Cool, her own situation being a verry hot
one in the bottom of the Perogue exposed to the Sun- Saw emence No. of
Swallows in the 1st bluff on the Lard. Side, water verry Swift, the
bluff are blackish Clay & Coal for about 80 feet. the earth above that
for 30 or 40 feet is a brownish yellow, a number of bars of corse
gravil and Stones of different Shape & Size &c. Saw a number of rattle
Snakes to day one of the men cought one by the head in Catch'g hold of
a bush on which his head lay reclined three canoes were in great danger
today one diped water, another was near turning over &c. at 2 oClock P
M a fiew drops of rain I walked thro a point and killed a Buck Elk &
Deer, and we camped on the Stard Side, the Interpreters woman verry
Sick worse than She has been. I give her medison one man have a fellon
riseing on his hand one other with the Tooth ake has taken cold in the
jaw &c.

[Lewis, June 13, 1805]
Thursday June 13th 1805.
This morning we set out about sunrise after taking breakfast off our
venison and fish. we again ascended the hills of the river and gained
the level country. the country through which we passed for the first
six miles tho more roling than that we had passed yesterday might still
with propryety he deemed a level country; our course as yesterday was
generally S W. the river from the place we left it appeared to make a
considerable bend to the South. from the extremity of this roling
country I overlooked a most beatifull and level plain of great extent
or at least 50 or sixty miles; in this there were infinitely more
buffaloe than I had ever before witnessed at a view. nearly in the
direction I had been travling or S. W. two curious mountains presented
themselves of square figures, the sides rising perpendicularly to the
hight of 250 feet and appeared to be formed of yellow clay; their tops
appeared to be level plains; these inaccessible hights appeared like
the ramparts of immence fortifications; I have no doubt but with very
little assistance from art they might be rendered impregnable. fearing
that the river boar to the South and that I might pass the falls if
they existed between this an the snowey mountains I altered my course
nealy to the South leaving those insulated hills to my wright and
proceeded through the plain; I sent Feels on my right and Drewyer and
Gibson on my left with orders to kill some meat and join me at the
river where I should halt for dinner. I had proceded on this course
about two miles with Goodrich at some distance behind me whin my ears
were saluted with the agreeable sound of a fall of water and advancing
a little further I saw the spray arrise above the plain like a collumn
of smoke which would frequently dispear again in an instant caused I
presume by the wind which blew pretty hard from the S. W. I did not
however loose my direction to this point which soon began to make a
roaring too tremendious to be mistaken for any cause short of the great
falls of the Missouri. here I arrived about 12 OClock having traveled
by estimate about 15 Miles. I hurryed down the hill which was about 200
feet high and difficult of access, to gaze on this sublimely grand
specticle. I took my position on the top of some rocks about 20 feet
high opposite the center of the falls. this chain of rocks appear once
to have formed a part of those over which the waters tumbled, but in
the course of time has been seperated from it to the distance of 150
yards lying prarrallel to it and forming a butment against which the
water after falling over the precipice beats with great fury; this
barrier extends on the right to the perpendicular clift which forms
that board of the river but to the distance of 120 yards next to the
clift it is but a few feet above the level of the water, and here the
water in very high tides appears to pass in a channel of 40 yds. next
to the higher part of the ledg of rocks; on the left it extends within
80 or ninty yards of the lard. Clift which is also perpendicular;
between this abrupt extremity of the ledge of rocks and the
perpendicular bluff the whole body of water passes with incredible
swiftness. immediately at the cascade the river is about 300 yds. wide;
about ninty or a hundred yards of this next the Lard. bluff is a smoth
even sheet of water falling over a precipice of at least eighty feet,
the remaining part of about 200 yards on my right formes the grandest
sight I ever beheld, the hight of the fall is the same of the other but
the irregular and somewhat projecting rocks below receives the water in
it's passage down and brakes it into a perfect white foam which assumes
a thousand forms in a moment sometimes flying up in jets of sparkling
foam to the hight of fifteen or twenty feet and are scarcely formed
before large roling bodies of the same beaten and foaming water is
thrown over and conceals them. in short the rocks seem to be most
happily fixed to present a sheet of the whitest beaten froath for 200
yards in length and about 80 feet perpendicular. the water after
decending strikes against the butment before mentioned or that on which
I stand and seems to reverberate and being met by the more impetuous
courant they role and swell into half formed billows of great hight
which rise and again disappear in an instant. this butment of rock
defends a handsom little bottom of about three acres which is
deversified and agreeably shaded with some cottonwood trees; in the
lower extremity of the bottom there is a very thick grove of the same
kind of trees which are small, in this wood there are several Indian
lodges formed of sticks. a few small cedar grow near the ledge of rocks
where I rest. below the point of these rocks at a small distance the
river is divided by a large rock which rises several feet above the
water, and extends downwards with the stream for about 20 yards. about
a mile before the water arrives at the pitch it decends very rappidly,
and is confined on the Lard. side by a perpendicular clift of about 100
feet, on Stard. side it is also perpendicular for about three hundred
yards above the pitch where it is then broken by the discharge of a
small ravine, down which the buffaloe have a large beaten road to the
water, for it is but in very few places that these anamals can obtain
water near this place owing to the steep and inaccessible banks. I see
several skelletons of the buffaloe lying in the edge of the water near
the Stard. bluff which I presume have been swept down by the current
and precipitated over this tremendious fall. about 300 yards below me
there is another butment of solid rock with a perpendicular face and
abot 60 feet high which projects from the Stard. side at right angles
to the distance of 134 yds. and terminates the lower part nearly of the
bottom before mentioned; there being a passage arround the end of this
butment between it and the river of about 20 yardes; here the river
again assumes it's usual width soon spreading to near 300 yards but
still continues it's rappidity. from the reflection of the sun on the
spray or mist which arrises from these falls there is a beatifull
rainbow produced which adds not a little to the beauty of this
majestically grand senery. after wrighting this imperfect discription I
again viewed the falls and was so much disgusted with the imperfect
idea which it conveyed of the scene that I determined to draw my pen
across it and begin agin, but then reflected that I could not perhaps
succeed better than pening the first impressions of the mind; I wished
for the pencil of Salvator Rosa or the pen of Thompson, that I might be
enabled to give to the enlightened world some just idea of this truly
magnifficent and sublimely grand object, which has from the
commencement of time been concealed from the view of civilized man; but
this was fruitless and vain. I most sincerely regreted that I had not
brought a crimee obscura with me by the assistance of which even I
could have hoped to have done better but alas this was also out of my
reach; I therefore with the assistance of my pen only indeavoured to
traces some of the stronger features of this seen by the assistance of
which and my recollection aided by some able pencil I hope still to
give to the world some faint idea of an object which at this moment
fills me with such pleasure and astonishment, and which of it's kind I
will venture to ascert is second to but one in the known world. I
retired to the shade of a tree where I determined to fix my camp for
the present and dispatch a man in the morning to inform Capt. C. and
the party of my success in finding the falls and settle in their minds
all further doubts as to the Missouri. the hunters now arrived loaded
with excellent buffaloe meat and informed me that they had killed three
very fat cows about 3/4 of a mile hence. I directed them after they had
refreshed themselves to go back and butcher them and bring another load
of meat each to our camp determining to employ those who remained with
me in drying meat for the party against their arrival. in about 2 hours
or at 4 OClock P.M. they set out on this duty, and I walked down the
river about three miles to discover if possible some place to which the
canoes might arrive or at which they might be drawn on shore in order
to be taken by land above the falls; but returned without effecting
either of these objects; the river was one continued sene of rappids
and cascades which I readily perceived could not be encountered with
our canoes, and the Clifts still retained their perpendicular structure
and were from 150 to 200 feet high; in short the river appears here to
have woarn a channel in the process of time through a solid rock. on my
return I found the party at camp; they had butchered the buffaloe and
brought in some more meat as I had directed. Goodrich had caught half a
douzen very fine trout and a number of both species of the white fish.
these trout are from sixteen to twenty three inches in length,
precisely resemble our mountain or speckled trout in form and the
position of their fins, but the specks on these are of a deep black
instead of the red or goald colour of those common to the U. States.
these are furnished long sharp teeth on the pallet and tongue and have
generally a small dash of red on each side behind the front ventral
fins; the flesh is of a pale yellowish red, or when in good order, of a
rose red.

I am induced to believe that the Brown, the white and the Grizly bear
of this country are the same species only differing in colour from age
or more probably from the same natural cause that many other anamals of
the same family differ in colour. one of those which we killed
yesterday was of a creemcoloured white while the other in company with
it was of the common bey or rdish brown, which seems to be the most
usual colour of them. the white one appeared from it's tallons and
teath to be the youngest; it was smaller than the other, and although a
monstrous beast we supposed that it had not yet attained it's growth
and that it was a little upwards of two years old. the young cubs which
we have killed have always been of a brownish white, but none of them
as white as that we killed yesterday. one other that we killed sometime
since which I mentioned sunk under some driftwood and was lost, had a
white stripe or list of about eleven inches wide entirely arround his
body just behind the shoalders, and was much darker than these bear
usually are. the grizly bear we have never yet seen. I have seen their
tallons in possession of the Indians and from their form I am perswaded
if there is any difference between this species and the brown or white
bear it is very inconsiderable. There is no such anamal as a black bear
in this open country or of that species generally denominated the black
bear

my fare is really sumptuous this evening; buffaloe's humps, tongues and
marrowbones, fine trout parched meal pepper and salt, and a good
appetite; the last is not considered the least of the luxuries.

[Clark, June 13, 1805]
June 13th Thursday 1805
a fair morning, Some dew this morning the Indian woman Verry sick I
gave her a doste of Salts. We Set out early, at a mile & 1/2 passed a
Small rapid Stream on the Lard Side which heads in a mountain to the S.
E 12 or 15 miles, which at this time covered with Snow, we call this
stream Snow river, as it is the conveyance of the melted snow from that
mountain at present. numbers of gees & goslings, the gees cannot fly at
this Season- goose berries are ripe and in great abundance, the yellow
Current is also Common, not yet ripe Killed a buffalow & Campd on the
Lard Side near an old Indian fortified campy one man Sick & 3 with
Swellings, the Indian woman verry Sick. Killed a goat & fraser 2
Buffalow

The river verry rapid maney Sholes great nos of large Stones passed
Some bluffs or low cliffts of Slate to day

[Lewis, June 14, 1805]
Friday June 14th 1805.
This morning at sunrise I dispatched Joseph Fields with a letter to
Capt. Clark and ordered him to keep sufficiently near the river to
observe it's situation in order that he might be enabled to give Capt.
Clark an idea of the point at which it would be best to halt to make
our portage. I set one man about preparing a saffold and collecting
wood to dry the meat Sent the others to bring in the ballance of the
buffaloe meat, or at least the part which the wolves had left us, for
those fellows are ever at hand and ready to partake with us the moment
we kill a buffaloe; and there is no means of puting the meat out of
their reach in those plains; the two men shortly after returned with
the meat and informed me that the wolves had devoured the greater part
of the meat. about ten OClock this morning while the men were engaged
with the meat I took my Gun and espontoon and thought I would walk a
few miles and see where the rappids termineated above, and return to
dinner. accordingly I set out and proceeded up the river about S. W.
after passing one continued rappid and three small cascades of abut for
or five feet each at the distance of about five miles I arrived at a
fall of about 19 feet; the river is hereabout 400 yds. wide. this pitch
which I called the crooked falls occupys about three fourths of the
width of the river, commencing on the South side, extends obliquly
upwards about 150 yds. then forming an accute angle extends downwards
nearly to the commencement of four small Islands lying near the N.
shore; among these Islands and between them and the lower extremity of
the perpendicular pitch being a distance of 100 yards or upwards, the
water glides down the side of a sloping rock with a volocity almost
equal to that of it's perpendicular decent. just above this rappid the
river makes a suddon bend to the right or Northwardly. I should have
returned from hence but hearing a tremendious roaring above me I
continued my rout across the point of a hill a few hundred yards
further and was again presented by one of the most beatifull objects in
nature, a cascade of about fifty feet perpendicular streching at
rightangles across the river from side to side to the distance of at
least a quarter of a mile. here the river pitches over a shelving rock,
with an edge as regular and as streight as if formed by art, without a
nich or brake in it; the water decends in one even and uninterupted
sheet to the bottom wher dashing against the rocky bottom rises into
foaming billows of great hight and rappidly glides away, hising
flashing and sparkling as it departs the sprey rises from one extremity
to the other to 50 f. I now thought that if a skillfull painter had
been asked to make a beautifull cascade that he would most probably
have pesented the precise immage of this one; nor could I for some time
determine on which of those two great cataracts to bestoe the palm, on
this or that which I had discovered yesterday; at length I determined
between these two great rivals for glory that this was pleasingly
beautifull, while the other was sublimely grand. I had scarcely infixed
my eyes from this pleasing object before I discovered another fall
above at the distance of half a mile; thus invited I did not once think
of returning but hurried thither to amuse myself with this newly
discovered object. I found this to be a cascade of about 14 feet
possessing a perpendicular pitch of about 6 feet. this was tolerably
regular streching across the river from bank to bank where it was about
a quarter of a mile wide; in any other neighbourhood but this, such a
cascade would probably be extoled for it's beaty and magnifficence, but
here I passed it by with but little attention, determining as I had
proceded so far to continue my rout to the head of the rappids if it
should even detain me all night. at every rappid cateract and cascade I
discovered that the bluffs grew lower or that the bed of the river rose
nearer to a level with the plains. still pursuing the river with it's
course about S. W. passing a continued sene of rappids and small
cascades, at the distance of 21/2 miles I arrived at another cataract
of 26 feet. this is not immediately perpendicular, a rock about 1/3 of
it's decent seems to protrude to a small distance and receives the
water in it's passage downwards and gives a curve to the water tho it
falls mostly with a regular and smoth sheet. the river is near six
hundred yards wide at this place, a beatifull level plain on the S.
side only a few feet above the level of the pitch; on the N. side where
I am the country is More broken and immediately behind me near the
river a high hill. below this fall at a little distance a beatifull
little Island well timbered is situated about the middle of the river.
in this Island on a Cottonwood tree an Eagle has placed her nest; a
more inaccessable spot I beleive she could not have found; for neither
man nor beast dare pass those gulphs which seperate her little domain
from the shores. the water is also broken in such manner as it decends
over this pitch that the mist or sprey rises to a considerable hight.
this fall is certainly much the greatest I ever behald except those two
which I have mentioned below. it is incomparably a geater cataract and
a more noble interesting object than the celibrated falls of Potomac or
Soolkiln &c. just above this is another cascade of about 5 feet, above
which the water as far as I could see began to abate of it's valosity,
and I therefore determined to ascend the hill behind me which promised
a fine prospect of the adjacent country, nor was I disappointed on my
arrival at it's summit. from hence I overlooked a most beatifull and
extensive plain reaching from the river to the base of the Snowclad
mountains to the S. and S. West; I also observed the missoury streching
it's meandering course to the South through this plain to a great
distance filled to it's even and grassey brim; another large river
flowed in on it's Western side about four miles above me and extended
itself though a level and fertile valley of 3 miles in width a great
distance to the N. W. rendered more conspicuous by the timber which
garnished it's borders. in these plains and more particularly in the
valley just below me immence herds of buffaloe are feeding. the
missouri just above this hill makes a bend to the South where it lies a
smoth even and unruffled sheet of water of nearly a mile in width
bearing on it's watry bosome vast flocks of geese which feed at
pleasure in the delightfull pasture on either border. the young geese
are now completely feathered except the wings which both in the young
and old are yet deficient. after feasting my eyes on this ravishing
prospect and resting myself a few minutes I determined to procede as
far as the river which I saw discharge itself on the West side of the
Missouri convinced that it was the river which the Indians call
medicine river and which they informed us fell into the Missouri just
above the falls I decended the hills and directed my course to the bend
of the Missouri near which there was a herd of at least a thousand
buffaloe; here I thought it would be well to kill a buffaloe and leave
him untill my return from the river and if I then found that I had not
time to get back to camp this evening to remain all night here there
being a few sticks of drift wood lying along shore which would answer
for my fire, and a few sattering cottonwood trees a few hundred yards
below which would afford me at least a semblance of a shelter. under
this impression I scelected a fat buffaloe and shot him very well,
through the lungs; while I was gazeing attentively on the poor anamal
discharging blood in streams from his mouth and nostrils, expecting him
to fall every instant, and having entirely forgotton to reload my
rifle, a large white, or reather brown bear, had perceived and crept on
me within 20 steps before I discovered him; in the first moment I drew
up my gun to shoot, but at the same instant recolected that she was not
loaded and that he was too near for me to hope to perform this
opperation before he reached me, as he was then briskly advancing on
me; it was an open level plain, not a bush within miles nor a tree
within less than three hundred yards of me; the river bank was sloping
and not more than three feet above the level of the water; in short
there was no place by means of which I could conceal myself from this
monster untill I could charge my rifle; in this situation I thought of
retreating in a brisk walk as fast as he was advancing untill I could
reach a tree about 300 yards below me, but I had no sooner terned
myself about but he pitched at me, open mouthed and full speed, I ran
about 80 yards and found he gained on me fast, I then run into the
water the idea struk me to get into the water to such debth that I
could stand and he would be obliged to swim, and that I could in that
situation defend myself with my espontoon; accordingly I ran haistily
into the water about waist deep, and faced about and presented the
point of my espontoon, at this instant he arrived at the edge of the
water within about 20 feet of me; the moment I put myself in this
attitude of defence he sudonly wheeled about as if frightened, declined
the combat on such unequal grounds, and retreated with quite as great
precipitation as he had just before pursued me. as soon as I saw him
run off in that manner I returned to the shore and charged my gun,
which I had still retained in my hand throughout this curious
adventure. I saw him run through the level open plain about three
miles, till he disappeared in the woods on medecine river; during the
whole of this distance he ran at full speed, sometimes appearing to
look behind him as if he expected pursuit. I now began to reflect on
this novil occurrence and indeavoured to account for this sudden
retreat of the bear. I at first thought that perhaps he had not smelt
me before he arrived at the waters edge so near me, but I then
reflected that he had pursued me for about 80 or 90 yards before I took
the water and on examination saw the grownd toarn with his tallons
immediately on the impression of my steps; and the cause of his allarm
still remains with me misterious and unaccountable.- so it was and I
feelt myself not a little gratifyed that he had declined the combat. My
gun reloaded I felt confidence once more in my strength; and determined
not to be thwarted in my design of visiting medicine river, but
determined never again to suffer my peice to be longer empty than the
time she necessarily required to charge her. I passed through the plain
nearly in the direction which the bear had run to medecine river, found
it a handsome stream, about 200 yds. wide with a gentle current,
apparently deep, it's waters clear, and banks which were formed
principally of darkbrown and blue clay were about the hight of those of
the Missouri or from 3 to 5 feet; yet they had not the appearance of
ever being overflown, a circumstance, which I did not expect so
immediately in the neighbourhood of the mountains, from whence I should
have supposed, that sudden and immence torrants would issue at certain
seasons of the year; but the reverse is absolutely the case. I am
therefore compelled to beleive that the snowey mountains yeald their
warters slowly, being partially effected every day by the influence of
the sun only, and never suddonly melted down by haisty showers of rain.