several bad sandbars in the course of the day, and made eighteen miles,
and encamped on the south, opposite to the lower point of the Oven
islands. The country around is generally divided into prairies, with
little timber, except on low points, islands, and near creeks, and that
consisting of cottonwood, mulberry, elm, and sycamore. The river falls
fast. An Indian dog came to the bank; he appeared to have been lost and
was nearly starved: we gave him some food, but he would not follow us.

Thursday, July 19. The Oven islands are small, and two in number; one
near the south shore, the other in the middle of the river. Opposite to
them is the prairie, called Terrien's Oven, from a trader of that name.
At four and a half miles, we reached some high cliffs of a yellow earth,
on the south, near which are two beautiful runs of water, rising in the
adjacent prairies, and one of them with a deerlick, about two hundred
yards from its mouth. In this neighbourhood we observed some iron ore in
the bank. At two and a half miles above the runs, a large portion of the
hill, for nearly three quarters of a mile, has fallen into the river. We
encamped on the western extremity of an island, in the middle of the
river, having made ten and three quarter miles. The river falls a
little. The sandbars which we passed to-day, are more numerous, and the
rolling sands more frequent and dangerous, than any we have seen; these
obstacles increasing as we approach the river Platte. The Missouri here
is wider also than below, where the timber on the banks resists the
current; while here the prairies which approach, are more easily washed
and undermined. The hunters have brought for the last few days, no
quadruped, but deer: great quantities of young geese are seen to-day:
one of them brought calamus, which he had gathered opposite our
encampment, and a large quantity of sweet-flag.

Friday, July 20. There was a heavy dew last night, and this morning was