Little Bow, who being displeased with Blackbird, the late king, seceded
with two hundred followers and settled at this spot, which is now
abandoned, as the two villages have reunited since the death of
Blackbird. We have great quantities of grapes, and plums of three kinds;
two of a yellow colour, and distinguished by one of the species being
longer than the other; and a third round and red: all have an excellent
flavour, particularly those of the yellow kind.

August 27. The morning star appeared much larger than usual. A gentle
breeze from the southeast carried us by some large sandbars, on both
sides and in the middle of the river, to a bluff, on the south side, at
seven and a half miles distant; this bluff is of white clay or chalk,
under which is much stone, like lime, incrusted with a clear substance,
supposed to be cobalt, and some dark ore. Above this bluff we set the
prairie on fire, to invite the Sioux. After twelve and a half miles, we
had passed several other sandbars, and now reached the mouth of a river
called by the French Jacques (James river) or Yankton, from the tribe
which inhabits its banks. It is about ninety yards wide at the
confluence: the country which it waters is rich prairie, with little
timber: it becomes deeper and wider above its mouth, and may be
navigated a great distance; as its sources rise near those of St.
Peter's, of the Mississippi, and the red river of lake Winnipeg. As we
came to the mouth of the river, an Indian swam to the boat; and, on our
landing, we were met by two others, who informed us that a large body of
Sioux were encamped near us: they accompanied three of our men, with an
invitation to meet us at a spot above the river: the third Indian
remained with us: he is a Maha boy, and says that his nation have gone
to the Pawnees to make peace with them. At fourteen miles, we encamped
on a sandbar to the north. The air was cool, the evening pleasant, the
wind from the southeast, and light. The river has fallen gradually, and