25.950, thermometer 81 deg., with a strong wind from S. 20 deg. E., and the sky
partially covered with heavy masses of cloud, which settled a little
towards the horizon by ten o'clock, leaving it sufficiently clear for
astronomical observations, which placed us in latitude 40 deg. 33' 26", and
longitude 103 deg. 30' 37".

8th.--The morning was very pleasant. The breeze was fresh from S. 50 deg. E.,
with few clouds; the barometer at six o'clock standing at 25.970, and the
thermometer at 70 deg.. Since leaving the forks our route had passed over a
country alternately clay and sand, each presenting the same naked waste.
On leaving camp this morning, we struck again a sandy region, in which the
vegetation appeared somewhat more vigorous than that which we had observed
for the last few days; and on the opposite side of the river were some
tolerably large groves of timber.

Journeying along, we came suddenly upon a place where the ground was
covered with horses' tracks, which had been made since the rain, and
indicated the immediate presence of Indians in our neighborhood. The
buffalo, too, which the day before had been so numerous were nowhere in
sight--another sure indication that there were people near. Riding on, we
discovered the carcass of a buffalo recently killed--perhaps the day
before. We scanned the horizon carefully with the glass, but no living
object was to be seen. For the next mile or two, the ground was dotted
with buffalo carcasses, which showed that the Indians had made a surround
here, and were in considerable force. We went on quickly and cautiously,
keeping the river bottom, and carefully avoiding the hills; but we met
with no interruption, and began to grow careless again. We had already
lost one of our horses, and here Basil's mule showed symptoms of giving
out, and finally refused to advance, being what the Canadians call
_reste_. He therefore dismounted, and drove her along before him; but