3S7                            [7]
its tendrils and was growing so luxuriantly that it was with great difficulty one on horsebatk could force his way through.
On the hill sides the wild rose was slill in bloom, and mingled its pink flowers with the beautiful white clusters of the Jersey tea, (ceOnothus Americanus.) Toe prairies were covered with tall stalks of the rattlesnake weed, (rudbeckia purpurea.)
Some of our mules proved very refractory, but we soon conquered them with the aid of the "iazo," or cabrtsto, as it is often called—a rope of hair or plaited hide, 50 to 60 feet long, in which a noose is formed that, by a skilful hand is easily thrown over the mule's head; the noose being gradually tightened, the animal soon falls to all appearance lifeless. Now, the bridle, the saddle, and packs are fixed, the noose loosened, and the mule rises ready for the journey.
After a march of twelve miles we encamped near a log house, close to a fine spring of cold clear water. Here we noticed the white hickory, or downy hickory, (juglans pubescens,) the chestnut oak, (querous primus acuminata,) the spicewood, (laurus benzoin,) and, deep in the woods, the modest May apple, (podophyl-Jum peltatum,) and bloodroot, (sanguinaria canadensis.)
As'we retired to rest, the sky became cloudy, and in a little time a plentiful shower of rain fell, which annoyed us greatly as it ¦drove through our tents.
28th.—During the early portion of the morning, the rain continued with some abatement, aad. as the sky showed signs of clearing off, we commenced making our arrangements for the march. I went down to a log-house close by, and, whilst examining it, was attracted by the chirping of birds, and, on searching, found that the sound proceeded from the chimney, and I there discovered a beautiful nest, in the shape of a hah basket, firmly attached to the chimney walls with clay, lined internally with horse hair and soft grass, and covered externally with moss; within were five unhedged birds, their eyes scarcely open, and at every sound they heard they would open their mouths and scream for food. The anxious parent several times darted down near my head. I wished much to ascertain its species, but, although it lit on the trees near the house, I could not get near enough to make any decision, and, jis I did not desire to kill a bird with young, I had to content myself with the name some of my people gave it, to whom I pointed it out, and who called it the "grey bird."
After some little trouble with the mules, we got off about 7 o'clock, the rain had made the roads slippery, and the wheels cut into the soft mould so that the mules labored hard; at length we reached a sudden rise where, in spite of our efforts, we were obliged to remain until one of the volunteer teamsters, seeing our difficulty, kindly brought us three yoke of oxen, and soon drew us up the slope. Passing on over gently rising and falling swells aad Tallies, with the delightful breeze that one almost, always meets on the prairies, we felt our spirits rising with the clearing away of the clouds, and when the sun broke forth in splendor, the sensation was truly exhilirating.    Whenever we rode to one side of the.