No. 15 of the immense fleet of steamboats that were going this year to Benton, a distance of 3,i6o miles.
At the great melting of the snows which cover with their white shroud our vast plains and the Black Hills, the Missouri river and its numerous tributaries overflow, flooding all the alluvial bottom-lands. This spring rise never lasts long. When we embarked the river was already going down - the most critical and difficult moment for naviga tion. During high water all the different channels become filled with mud and sand and thus raise and level the bed of the river through all its width. As the water subsides new channels are formed little by little. At that time the great obstacles for steamboats, aside from the high winds of the West which prevail in the spring, are the numerous bars or sand-banks. Often hours or whole days are required to cross one or two.'
Above Sioux City we noticed a recent cut-off where the impetuous Missouri when bank-full had forced a passage through an immense forest of large cottonwoods a mile in extent and had scoured out a deep channel. It was only a matter of a few hours. This passage shortens the river fifteen miles. The Guidon was among the first to try it, always on the lookout for the threatening snags with which this new stretch of the river is studded. Without any other incidents than the bars, snags and winds, the boat took six days in going from Sioux City to the Yankton reservation, a distance of 26o miles.
The head chief, Pananniapapi, and his traveling companions were received with open arms by their families and friends after three months of absence. I too shared, in my capacity of Black-robe, in their friendly demonstrations. They were all delighted to see us again in such good health.
I took up my lodging in the house of the excellent interpreter of the nation, Mr. Alexis Giou, who loaded me with
4 This observation upon the habits of the Missouri river is literally correct. The most experienced pilot could not have stated the case more exactly.