these maternal relatives has visibly reduced, and the poor animals have
nearly lost all the privileges of kindred.

On the afternoon of June 3, we proceeded, and at three miles distant,
reached a creek called Cupboard creek, from a rock of that appearance
near its entrance. Two miles further we encamped at Moreau creek, a
stream of twenty yards width, on the southern side. The next morning, we
passed at an early hour, Cedar island on the north, so called from the
abundance of the tree of that name; near which is a small creek, named
Nightingale creek, from a bird of that species, who sang for us during
the night. Beyond Cedar island, are some others of a smaller extent, and
at seven miles distance a creek fifteen or twenty yards wide, entering
from the north, and known by the name of Cedar creek. At seven and a
half miles further, we passed on the south side another creek, which we
called Mast creek, from the circumstance of our mast being broken by
running under a concealed tree; a little above is another creek on the
left, one mile beyond which we encamped on the southern shore under high
projecting cliffs. The French had reported that lead ore was to be found
in this place, but on examining the hills, we could discern no
appearance of that mineral. Along the river on the south, is a low land
covered with rushes, and high nettles, and near the mouths of the
creeks, supplied with oak, ash, and walnut timber. On the north the land
is rich and well situated. We made seventeen and a half miles this day.
The river is falling slowly. We continued our route the next morning
early: a small creek called Lead creek, on the south; another on the
north, known to the French by the name of Little Good Woman's creek, and
again Big Rock creek on the south were the only streams we passed this
morning. At eleven o'clock we met a raft made of two canoes joined
together, in which two French traders were descending, from eighty
leagues up the river Kanzas, where they had wintered, and caught great