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From March 24 through April 10, Maximilian's journal describes his stay at St. Louis. During this period the Prince met several individuals who proved helpful to his plans for further travel, including the explorer William Clark, then serving as superintendent of Indian affairs for the western tribes. From the city's resident Swiss artist, Peter Rindisbacher, he ordered several watercolors of Indian subjects, which were delivered to him on April 2. Bodmer meanwhile made studies of his own, including four portraits of Indians dated between March 27 and April 8. This drawing of prehistoric Indian mounds near St. Louis carries conflicting notations as to its date. According to an entry in Maximilian's journal, it may have been made in 1834 on the artist's return to the area from his adventures on the Missouri. In St. Louis, Maximilian met Kenneth McKenzie, principal shareholder in the Northwest Fur Company, and Pierre Chouteau of the American Fur Company. At the house of Major Benjamin O'Fallon, Clark's nephew, he inspected a collection of paintings by George Catlin, who the year before had visited the trading posts on the upper Missouri and painted portraits among the Indians of that region. In his journal for June 11 during the return visit to St. Louis, Maximilian mentions having crossed to the eastern side of the Mississippi to visit the Cahokia site, Trappists Hill, and other Indian mounds in that vicinity; he notes there that "Mr. Bodmer made sketches of a few of them with the greatest speed." This view of Trappists or Monks Hill is undated, but probably was made at this time.

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