1796-7: behind this, hills, much higher than usual, appear to the north,
about eight miles off. Before reaching this house, we came by three
small islands, on the north side, and a small creek on the south; and
after leaving it, reached another, at the end of seventeen miles, on
which we encamped, and called it Boat island: we here saw herds of
buffaloe, and some elk, deer, turkies, beaver, a squirrel, and a prairie
dog. The party on the north represent the country through which they
passed, as poor, rugged, and hilly, with the appearance of having been
lately burnt by the Indians; the broken hills, indeed, approach the
river on both sides, though each is bordered by a strip of woodland near
the water.

Sunday, September 9. We coasted along the island on which we had
encamped, and then passed three sand and willow islands, and a number of
smaller sandbars. The river is shallow, and joined by two small creeks
from the north, and one from the south. In the plains, to the south,
are great numbers of buffaloe, in herds of nearly five hundred; all
the copses of timber appear to contain elk or deer. We encamped on a
sandbar, on the southern shore, at the distance of fourteen and a
quarter miles.

September 10, Monday. The next day we made twenty miles. The morning was
cloudy and dark, but a light breeze from the southeast carried us past
two small islands on the south, and one on the north; till, at the
distance of ten and a half miles, we reached an island, extending for
two miles in the middle of the river, covered with red cedar, from which
it derives its name of Cedar island. Just below this island, on a hill,
to the south, is the backbone of a fish, forty-five feet long, tapering
towards the tail, and in a perfect state of petrifaction, fragments of
which were collected and sent to Washington. On both sides of the river