The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1843-07-10
AUDUBON.

The following extract from letter Just received
by DIR. Gideon B. Smith, of Baltimore, from this
distinguished naturalist will be read with great int.
rest by his frends
Missouri RIVER, May "a, lS43.
My Dear Friend AS it happens that we are now
fast on bar, about $50 miles below Fort ST Pierre
one of the many establishments of the American Fur
Company, have taken it into my head to bore YOU
with an Their letter and you must make the best OF it,
WILL however, try to give il some interest as far
] can. Since my last to you dated Ma, Is the
country has assumed different aspect, and that for
the worse. The river has become more contracted
between the bills through which il passes, and has
also become more straight; meet with less water
lever snags and many more sand bars. The bluff
have become more abrupt and more picturesque in
their FORMS for the effects Of cold and thaws take
place, their upper portions lose their softer parts and
the harder parts assume the shapes of b9ttlemcnts,
towers, &c, and when viewed from o distance look
not unlike curousy built cities. The trees are be-
coming scarcer, and Of extremely sunted growth and
in the ravines, that wind their way between the bills,
the growth is principally red cedar. The hills them
selves, which gradually ascend TO plains Of immense
extent are one and all of the very poorest descrp
ton much so that one scarcely conceive how
millions of buff locs, anteopes, deer, &c, manage 10
subss and yet they do So and grow fat between this
and autumn. Then, my dear friend, we have reach
ed these wild, and, to my eye, melancholy looking
districts on which those countless muttudes OF mon
sirous sized animals live, and die by the arrow
and rife bullet than by drowning whilst at
tempting to cross the rapid Missouri. The shores
strcwed with their carcasses, which the wolf
the raven and the vultute gorge themselves at lei
AID unmolested for hunters rarely If ever shoot
at any of these. We have seen many elks album
dance of deer antelopes, buffaloes wild cats wolves
and one bear Our olks have shot buffalo 8, but |
have not done so, simply because they are worth
less through poverty, and when killed only display
mass Of bones and skin, with very thin portion OF
flesh; and il you shoot bull, the rankness of It's
better parts is quite enough to revolt the stomach Of
all but starving men.
The winter has been very seve c that buffal cs
have been or 400 miles lower down the river than
they bad been for twenty years The calves have
been nearly all destroyed In the way Of plants, we
have seen some cactuses unknown TO us previously,
and intend to take plenty Of specimens home with US
We have also found beautiful dwarf sweet-scented
pea, that perfumes the whole atmosphere. II grows
over all the sandy and gravelly, droary Plains and
hills of which have spoken. There exists a root
caed here the white apple, which is farInaceous
and makes good mush when dried and pounded
fine. OF these also shall take specimens. We
have collected every thing that was in bloom, and
shall continue to do when in seed and ripe Tor all
our friends, far and near. In zoology have done
pretty FAIR IN ornothology better, have already
four at,o birds, and will, no doubt find more. We
have felt all the transitions of weather that we have
AT the eastward, the thermometer ranging from "A TO
90 deg. IN the same dav. We are sadly annoyed by
heavy and almost constant winds that retard pro-
gre 8, more or less, almost daily We have caught
only few catfish, and these | do not much relish
No offers, beavers, musk-ras, or even minks, are
found in about the turbd waters of this almighty
stream, the water of which looks more like hog
puddle than any thing else that can compare il to
About onetenh If ds bulk forms deposit in half
hour. Springs Of magnesia abound in many of the
ravines. Sulphur and oxide of iron show thems Ives
frequently. Immense bluffs Of white, blue and yellow
sandstone are also found, well as banks of granite,
even the tops of the highest hills. But sin