Missouri River near Niobrara River — Patrick Gass: September 5, 1804

wind, and had a clear day. We passed a long island covered
with timber, and three men went to hunt on it. On the north
side are yellow bluffs, out of which issue several beautiful
springs. Opposite the head of the island, on the south side,
flows in a river, called Pania river; and about three miles
higher up, on the north side, a creek, called Goat creek. On
the hills above this creek we saw some goats or antelopes,
which the French called cabres. About 4 we encamped on an
island, where we made and put in a new mast. The three men,
who went to hunt on the long island, killed a deer and an elk;
and two more went out from camp and killed another deer
and an elk, both young.
T bursday 6th. We set out early and had a cloudy morning:
passed a handsome bottom prairie on the north side; at the
upper end of which is a grove of cotton wood, and a long
LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION 29
range of dark coloured bluffs on the south side. About 9
o’clock it began to rain and we had strong wind ahead. There
are a great number of sand bars, and we had much difficulty
in getting along. We encamped on the north side and one of
our men killed two deer.