Volume 1

410 DELIGHTFUL SPOT—MARCH RESUMED.
about three acres up the hill, and for the same distance
along the lake. This is a great resort for buffalo and other
animals, to shade themselves from the heat of the sun,
and may serve as a shelter from storms in winter. The
state of the ground in this little wood shows there are
always animals in it ; for the grass does not grow, and the
bark of the trees, to the height of an animal, is worn
perfectly smooth by their continual rubbing. The prospect
from the top of this hill is very pleasant ; to the
N. lies an extensive plain, bounded by a ridge that runs
E. and W., over which Turtle mountain appears. On the
left the country is one level plain, with many small lakes.,
about which numerous herds of buffalo feed. On the right,
the plain is also level for about three leagues, where it
rises into many high, sandy hills;* stunted willows and
poplars grow in the valleys, but the barren summits display
only white sand. In this direction saw no buffalo, but
numerous herds of cabbrie supplied that deficiency.
Southward stretched an extensive plain, with many small
lakes, and buffalo moving in every direction ; the view was
only bounded by the small rising grounds we started from
this morning. Upon the whole I found this the most
delightful spot I recollect to have seen in any part of the
meadow country. We determined to enjoy it for a short
so we unloaded our horses, and having killed a good
time ;
fat cow, our fire was soon smoking with as many fine
appalats as we could crowd upon it.
At noon we loaded and began our march, but soon found
the increasing depth of water upon the plains a great
inconvenience ; it was often up to our horses' bellies, and
^
A long range of sand hills, interspersed with groves of poplars, bounds
Mouse r. for many miles on the right or E., at the apparent distance given by
Henry, whose position may now be fixed with some confidence, in the close
vicinity of the village of Lane, or Carder. This is on the opposite bank of the
river, lo m. N. of the town of Towner. At the latter point the Great Northern
Ry. crosses Mouse r. for the second time from the W. , having crossed the
other loop of the same river at Minot. Henry is thus about lo m. N. of
the railroad, and nearly up to lat. 48° 30' N., in McHenry Co.