July 20, 1833
The night was windy and cool; the morning, bright, windy, and cool. At 7:30, 64°F [17.8°C]. Early in the morning we covered about 2 miles along the strange chain of clay hills, formed [of] nipplelike smooth, round hills with a dark, grayish brown color, very devoid of plants. Here the river turns right and makes a bend of 15 miles, whereas by land one can make a shortcut of 300 to 400 paces. During winter the ice here rushes straight across the low neck of land that fills up the bend of the river, and tall, old, thick cottonwoods were sliced halfway through at the bottom by ice. Forest and willow thickets on both banks; sandbars to the left. Two large buffalo bulls were walking separately here in the mud. We boarded the skiff but because of the powerful current could not make progress. Meanwhile the buffalo reached the willow thickets. The keelboat could sail swiftly here, for the favorable wind was strong. Therefore, we went aboard again.
We crossed over to the right bank, where we followed the steep, 10-foot-high bank of the prairie. The current here was very strong, and [although] the cordelle was very heavily manned, we struggled ahead only slowly. At the same time, the collapsing steep clay bank, which our sizable crew was trampling apart, continually threatened to strike our ship or hurl such a mass of water against it that the boat could be capsized; for this reason we always kept the cabin door closed on this side. As soon as we had come into the shelter of the hills, which were quickly approaching the river, the wind changed, [and] we halted to wait for calm weather. We remained near a thicket on the narrow prairie, whitish from Artemisia, behind which the withered hills of clay and grass arose. Here I found the big shrike (Lanius septentrionalis), the magpie (Corvus pica), and several birds that occur everywhere; I hunted for some of them, as well as for butterflies.
Our helmsman, Henry Morrin, went out and shot a big antelope, the skull of which we prepared for our collection. Its meat, as well as that of the bison bull killed yesterday, provided our lunch. The latter already had an unpleasant smell. Some of our men went hunting right away, [while] some went into the nearby thickets to collect the now-ripening poire (Mespilus [— —]) [and then] asserted that they had seen a bear, whereupon several [other] hunters went out but instead of this animal saw only a wolf. Today Mr. Bodmer drew the pale yellow-brownish head of the she-bear killed yesterday. At noon both hunters, Deschamps and Papin, had not yet returned. At twelve o’clock, 74°F [23.3°C]. At three o’clock the hunters were fetched on the other side; they had shot twelve bison along the riverbank: four bulls, five cows, and three calves or heifers. They brought back only the meat of the cows; bears, wolves, and a few bald eagles, whose nests are there, will benefit from the rest. Deschamps had shot at another bear but missed it.
About 3:30 we continued on, moved over to the left bank, and followed the high clay hills, which upstream join a forest and willow woods; [there] beyond the point, the killed buffalo have to remain until tomorrow. We want to get the meat tomorrow, but the wolves and bears will surely take the best part for themselves. Because [the] channel along this bank was too shallow, we crossed over to the right bank and stayed there for the night. Today [we] had covered just a short stretch. Mr. Bodmer and Saucier, who went out in the evening, missed a buffalo bull. The place where we lay at anchor was only a few miles from the Milk River by land. A tall cottonwood forest here had a short understory of roses; it alternated with open spaces overgrown with tall grass, Artemisia, Xanthium, and several other plants. The evening was somewhat cool but pleasant and calm, and the sunset very beautiful.