surrounding it, about six feet in height. The young willows along the
water, joined to the general appearance of the two shores, induce a
belief that the bank of the island is encroaching, and the Missouri
indemnifies itself by washing away the base of the fortification. The
citadel contains about twenty acres, but the parts between the long
walls must embrace nearly five hundred acres.

These are the first remains of the kind which we have had an opportunity
of examining; but our French interpreters assure us, that there are
great numbers of them on the Platte, the Kanzas, the Jacques, &c. and
some of our party say, that they observed two of those fortresses on the
upper side of the Petit Arc creek, not far from its mouth; that the wall
was about six feet high, and the sides of the angles one hundred yards
in length.

September 3. The morning was cold, and the wind from the northwest. We
passed at sunrise, three large sandbars, and at the distance of ten
miles reached a small creek, about twelve yards wide, coming in from the
north, above a white bluff: this creek has obtained the name of Plum
creek, from the number of that fruit which are in the neighbourhood, and
of a delightful quality. Five miles further, we encamped on the south
near the edge of a plain; the river is wide, and covered with sandbars
to-day: the banks are high and of a whitish colour; the timber scarce,
but an abundance of grapes. Beaver houses too have been observed in
great numbers on the river, but none of the animals themselves.

September 4. We set out early, with a very cold wind from S.S.E. and at
one mile and a half, reached a small creek, called Whitelime creek, on
the south side. Just above this is a cliff, covered with cedar trees,
and at three miles a creek, called Whitepaint creek, of about thirty