Volume 1

3IO
SOUTH ANTLER CREEK—MOUSE RIVER LEFT.
At eight o'clock we crossed another little river [South
Antler creek], which takes its rise out of the same Tete a
la Biche. This branch is much broader and deeper than
the other [North Antler creek]. The banks appeared tolerably
well wooded, as far as we could see. At its junction
with Riviere la Souris the latter ceases to have anywood.
The banks here diminish, so that only a few miles
higher up the water appears upon a level with the plains,
and looks more like a chain of lakes surrounded by rushes
and long, coarse grass. Here it also changes its course,
coming from the S. E.; this direction it keeps for about 20
leagues, as far up as Riviere aux Saules [Willow creek],
when it again assumes the appearance of a river, is well
wooded upon both sides, and the banks are much higher.
On this little river [South Antler creek] we found plenty of
pears, nearly ripe ; we gathered a good stock, as our guide
informed us that we had an extensive plain to cross, and
should see no more wood until to-morrow, and even water
would be scarce.
At nine o'clock we left [Mouse] river and directed our
course S. S. W. on a level plain." We soon fell in with
buffalo, all in motion, from E. to W., bellowing and tearing
up the ground as they went on. We killed a bull,
the flesh of which is more palatable at this season than the
cow. We took each a few slices and continued on our
journey. We saw numbers of cabbrie" of two different
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Henry has by this time crossed the boundary of the United States, and entered
North Dakota, in the N. W. corner of Bottineau Co. He leaves Mouse
r. on his left as he proceeds S. S. W. over the prairie. It will be difficult to
follow him exactly, as his itinerary is not very precise;
his courses and distances
are mere estimates, and there are few good landmarks in the great loop of
Mouse r. upon which he has entered. Regarding his compass-points, it may
be observed that the magnetic variation is here about 17° E., so that his
assumed " S. S. W." is considerably out of the way, and his actual course is more
westerly. The first stream he strikes is his Riviere Pie, now Cut Bank cr. R.
aux Saules or Willow cr. is higher up, and on the other side of Mouse r.
It is scarcely necessary to remark here that there is but one species of
''^
" cabbrie" in North America ; and that the differences noted by Henry, so far
as actually existent, are due to the age and sex of the common antelope,