Volume 1

406 ON THE COTEAU NEAR THE DOG DEN.
shore was a beautiful white sand and gravel. Here we
stopped for the night. I took a walk up to the top of a
high hill on the N. W. side of the lake, whence I could discern
with the naked eye the heights of Loge de Serpent,
not less than 15 leagues distant.
July jist. It rained hard last night, and continued this
morning with a thick fog and a strong S. E. wind, which
kept down the mosquitoes. I had been unwell all night,
and found myself no better this morning. We sheltered
ourselves as best we could from the rain, and passed the
day. I continued unwell all day and night.
Friday, Aug. ist. Rain and fog until ten o'clock, when
the weather cleared up. I was scarcely able to keep my
seat on horseback. At eleven o'clock we were under way,
keeping our course still N. At three o'clock we came to
the ridge of high land,' which runs
from E. to W., and separates
the waters between the Missourie and Riviere la
Souris. This ridge adjoins the Dog's House, which we
could plainly see about three leagues eastward—supposed
to be the highest hill for many miles. It stands nearly due
S. from the S. E. bend or elbow of Riviere la Souris, and
may be seen at a considerable distance. We could also
discern the banks of that river to the N. about five leagues
distant ; and had the weather been clear, doubtless we
could have distinguished the Snake's Lodge, which bears S.
about 20 leagues. By what idea I can foriri of the country,
3 Henry has been holding about N. since he left the Missouri, and is considerably
E. of the roundabout route by which he reached that river at the
mouth of Riviere Bourbeuse, or Miry cr. The " ridge of high land " on which
which he now stands is the Coteau du Missouri, separating the watershed of
the latter from that of Mouse r., as he says. The Dog's House of which he
speaks is that high hill on the Mouse river side of the Coteau, already noted on
p. 316, q. V. I find it clearly displayed on Twining's reconnaissance map No.
IV., lettered " Dog's Den." The trail from Fort Stevenson to Fort Totten
(on Devil's 1.) passes about 8 m. S. of the Den. Henry being, as he says, on
the Coteau, 3 leagues E. of the Dog's House, and about 5 leagues S. of the
bight of Mouse r., is in the immediate vicinity of Sabine Spring, from which
Sabine cr. flows due E. into Mouse r. This direct route Henry is pursuing to
the Assiniboine is dotted on Clark's map of 1814.