& went with Ashe's people as far as the crossing. Overtook Hill with three cart loads of indian presents on the road. Saw four buffalo close at hand & great herds on the W. side of the river visible with a glass. on arriving at the crossing found Campbells train of waggons just starting off to join Leut. Galway who had gone on four miles to stop for lunch. Got a heavy mail of papers & some letters which had come through from [Fort] Benton. An American scout brought them in to one of American camps. He left Benton with a horse besides his own to carry the mail. Was chased by indians & took refuge in the "Bad Lands" for two days. Got back to Benton. Started out again, & the second time got through safely. Some of the papers however nearly worn out.

Went on to where Galway stopped & remained for lunch.

Travelled on about 20 miles & till quite dark before reaching water for camp. The heat intense & dust suffocating. A little water distibuted among the horses from the water carts helped them through. One of the scouts nearly stepped on a rattlesnake which was, when this found, promptly killed. It was rather torpid from repletion & had 5 rattles.

Camped at a pool with very poor water.

Daily meteorological cycle. The air on this upper prairie step is exceedingly dry & rain seldom or never falls in the summer season unless a local thunder storm passes. Even these are few as it would appear there is scarcely water enough to cause them. The vegetation appears to depend almost entirely on the saturation of the ground in spring which being exhausted about this season brings the growing season of many plants to a close as effectually as winter would. On the lower prairie level where water more abundant a very well marked meteorological cycle each day. The morning generally clear but soon small cumulous & cirro-cumulous clouds appear as evaporation begins. These growing continually larger & more numerous drift with the prevailing wind & sooner or later in the afternoon thunder storms developer many often being in view at once. These can go on & coalesce into larger storms but generally not. During the night all calms down & equilibrium established again.

Geol. At the crossing of the Milk R. 8 m. S. of the line [t]he beds already described are again exposed. The very gentle Easterly dip appears to be persistent as the sandstone zone is now about the top of