with a like incumbrance[.] Travelling from the break of the day to the dusk of the Evening – still our daily progress was small[.] Our route was through plains or meadows so thickly covered with Buffaloes that we were often under the necessity of frightening them out of our way, by virtue of Gunpowder And we were in constant dread of being over run and crushed by them at night in our Encampments[.] The flies were extremely troublesome and tormenting – and we had no means for fire but dry dung which burnt like spunk[.] Provisions were supplied daily as required from the chace[.]

After leaving the Buffaloe meadows a dreadful scarcity of water ensued[.] We had to alter our course and steer to a distant lake where we meant to encamp but when we got there we found the lake dry[.] However we dug a pit – that produced a kind of stinking liquid of which we all drank[.] It was salt and bitter and caused an inflamation of the mouth and left a disagreeable roughness of the throat – and less seemed rather to increase than diminish our thirst[.] Our horses also partook of this unsavory Beverage[.] We passed the night under great uneasiness[.] Next day

we

[49]