Page:A Topographical Description of the State of Ohio, Indiana Territory, and Louisiana.djvu/196

This page has been validated.

186

horses, one I had hired for myself, and Mr. Pardo had two for himself and squaw. About noon we left the village, and proceeded up the Batteau river, until we passed the second large fork, and then we crossed it to the north side. The river here was about an hundred yards wide, and fordable. The country was barren and hilly. On the 7th, we came to Salt springs, where buffaloe and cabree were very plenty; and the country much infested with wolves, which were very ravenous. Some Indians had very lately removed from this place. We supposed them to have been some of the Gens-di-foulers, who live three miles below the Gross-Ventres, on the Missouri. We occupied their camp, and continued here until the 9th, when we proceeded a western course, crossing a barren country destitute of timber. On the 10th, we came to a branch of the Jaun, called Road river, and followed this branch down to its mouth; where, on the 15th, we arrived at the River Jaun, and encamped in a cotton wood grove. The country near the Jaun is more level, and some of the intervals are very rich; but large barren hills are to be seen at a distance from the river. A party of the Gens-des-corbeau, or Crow Indians, had lately encamped at this place, and their tent poles accommodated us. The river is about half a mile wide, and shallow, but not fordable. We supposed ourselves about a hundred miles from the mouth. Here we caught a number of very fine fish, mostly pike and cat, On the