the middle of the river opposite a high handsome prairie, which extends
to the hills four or five miles distant, though near the bank the land
is low, and subject to be overflowed. This day was exceedingly fine and
pleasant, a storm of wind and rain from north-northeast, last night,
having cooled the air.

July 14. We had some hard showers of rain before seven o'clock, when we
set out. We had just reached the end of the sand island, and seen the
opposite banks falling in, and so lined with timber that we could not
approach it without danger, when a sudden squall, from the northeast,
struck the boat on the starboard quarter, and would have certainly
dashed her to pieces on the sand island, if the party had not leaped
into the river, and with the aid of the anchor and cable kept her off:
the waves dashing over her for the space of forty minutes; after which,
the river became almost instantaneously calm and smooth. The two
periogues were ahead, in a situation nearly similar, but fortunately no
damage was done to the boats or the loading. The wind having shifted to
the southeast, we came at the distance of two miles, to an inland on the
north, where we dined. One mile above, on the same side of the river, is
a small factory, where a merchant of St. Louis traded with the Ottoes
and Pawnees two years ago. Near this is an extensive lowland, part of
which is overflowed occasionally, the rest is rich and well timbered.
The wind again changed to northwest by north. At seven and a half miles,
we reached lower point of a large island, on the north side. A small
distance above this point, is a river, called by the Maha Indians,
Nishnahbatona. This is a considerable creek, nearly as large as the Mine
river, and runs parallel to the Missouri the greater part of its course,
being fifty yards wide at the mouth. In the prairies or glades, we saw
wild-timothy, lambsquarter, cuckleberries, and on the edges of the
river, summer-grapes, plums, and gooseberries. We also saw to-day, for