Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-07-14

tons lose their softer parts and the harder parts assume
the shapes of battlemens, towers, &C., and wnen
ewed from distance look not unlike cufously built
cities The trees are becoming scarcer, and Of extreme
~ suned growth, and in the rsviDes, that wind their
way between the hills the growth is principally red ce-
dar. The hills themselves which gradually as-end TO
plains of immense extent one and all OF the very
poorest description, much that one can scarcely
conceive how millions Of buHaloe5 anteopes, deer,
&c manage to sutsist, and yet they do SO, and grow
fat between this and Autumn. Then, my dear friend,
have reached these Wild and, TO my eye, melancholy
looking districts, which those countless multitudes
of monstrous sized animals live and die, by the
arrow end rifle bullet than even BY drowning, whilst
attempting to The rapid Missouri. The shores
are strewed with their carcasses, on which the wolf,
the raven and the vuure gorge themselves at leisure
and unmoesieG fc. hunters rarely it ever shoot at any
Of these. We have seen many elks, abundance OF
DEER anelopes, bualoes, wild cats, wolves, aud one
bear. Our folks have shot bufaloes, but have not
done So simply because they worthless through pc
verify and when killed only display mass OF bones
and skim with very thin portion of flesh; and if you
shoot bull, the rankness of it's better parts IS quite
enough revolt the stomach Of all but starving men,
The Winter has been very severe that buHa!oes
have been three four hundred miles lower do~n,h
river Than they had been for twenty years The calves
have been nearly all destroyed In the way of plants
we have seen Cactuses unknown TO rs previously,
and intend to lake plenty of specimens home with
We have also found beautiful dwarf sweet-scented
Pea, that perfumes the whole atmosphere. 1t grows
all the sandy and gravey dreary plains and hills,
of which | have spoken. There exists q root called
here the white apple, which is farnaceous and makes
good mush when dried and pounded fine. OF these,
Also shall take specimens. We have collected eve
ry thing that in bloom, and shall continue TO do so,
when in seed and ripe for all friends, far and
In Zoology, have done pretty fair; IN Ornithoogy
better as we have already four BIRDS and will
doubt, find more We have felt all the transitions Of
weather that we have at the Eastward the thermometer
ranging from "a 10 81 degrees in the same day. We
sadly annoyed by heavy and almost constant winds
that retard progress, more or less, almost daily -
We have caught only few cat fish, and these do not
much relish. No offers, beavers, musk rats, or even
mnks are found in about the turbd waters Of this
all mighty stream, the water of which looks like
ill.,. Of hog puddle than any thing else can compare
to- About one tenth Of its bulk forms deposte in
half an hour Springs Of magnesa abound in many
of the ravines. Sulphur, and oxide Of iron show
themselves frequently. Immense bluffs of white, blue
and yellow sandstone, also found, well banks
Of granite to the tops Of the highest hills But not
SINGLE specimen OF fossil remains as yet, although
we assured that tbey abounded along these bluffs
We were equally assured, we should gee no email
birds and we have seen millions of them, including
almost every species find in the Eastern States
May give are now at Fort George, not more
than twenty miles from Fort ST. Pierre, but may have
to pull ashore half of our cargo as the waller is
lo@ now as ii high when we left St. Louis This
is great disappointment to ALL Fort ST. Pierre
the place where onehafo of cargo has 10 be deliver
ed No one can form idea Of the quantity of bufa.
loes have since writing the above. The prai-
ree the hills and the ravnes all dotted with these
heavy looking animals. We had pleasant excursion
across The Great Bend where the river run. twenty.
SIX miles, and our walk exceeded not three and half
We encamped night and fed entirely upon the best
venson ever ate-t Of that species Of deer called
the black tailed mule deer. We saw, the next day,
upwards Of FIVE thousand 5utfaloes feeding in the pra
around Us, but they TOO poor present 10 eat,
and for this none, few were killed. have
with opportunity for forwarding this to ST. Louis
quite Unexpectedly, and will take t-therefore excuse
further details, at present Remember me TO ALL and
believe yours, ever and sincerely.
JOHN J. AUDUBON.