Journey from Cantonment Leavenworth to the Grand Bend and the Little Missouri
Dangerous place – Wåssóbä-Wakándagä – Independence Creek – Blacksnake Hills with trading house – Nodaway River – Wolf River – Grand Nemaha River – Land of the Half-breeds – Nishnabotna River – Little Nemaha River – Violent storm – Weeping Water Creek – Platte River – Bellevue – Omaha Indians – Their dance – Council Bluff – Boyer Creek – Little Sioux River – Blackbird Hill – Floyd’s Grave and River – Big Sioux River – Iowa River – Vermillion River – Jacques River – The Ponca Indians – Meeting with the steamboat Assiniboine – Striking hills – Cedar Island – Long halt because of lack of water – First view of bison and antelope – Long stay near the Bijou Hills – Cedar Fort – Sioux Agency – The Dacota (Sioux) Indians – Big Bend – Medicine River – Teton River – Fort
May 20, 1833
Early in the morning, nice, clear weather, no wind. At 7:30, 63°F [17.2°C]. This morning the Assiniboine came to the spot near the bluffs of the other bank where we recently lay aground. After eight o’clock we could see its boat taking soundings; and since the water had risen somewhat, ours, too, was launched for the same purpose. We had hoped we [might] perhaps leave this place today. Nothing came of this hope.
I undertook a long walk into the prairie hills, which I found completely colored in many places by the beautiful violet-red [— —]. I saw many large burrows, probably of the prairie wolf, where only a small bush in the prairie provided some protection; also many small holes and flat earth mounds. In the ravines, where there were some trees, doves (Columba carolinensis) sent out their gentle melancholy call consisting of four or five tones, and everywhere in the prairie were big larks (Sturnella) and Fringilla melodia.
In the afternoon Mr. Bodmer went out the woodcutters went out. Toward evening they brought back numerous live bats, which I described under the name Vespertilio ursinus, and several snakes: a nice Heterodon and a Coluber eximus, a nice big specimen. Mr. Bodmer went out later but found nothing new or particularly interesting. During the day it had been hot, but on the prairie there was a strong wind, which greatly facilitated our walks across the endless grassy hills, which make the hunter’s shoes smooth and slippery. The evening became cool.