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roar；　and　such　was　his　extraordinary　tenacity　of　life；　that；　although　he　had　five　balls　passed　through　his　lungs；　and　five　other　wounds；　he　swam　more　than　half　across　the　river　to　a　sand…bar；　and　survived　twenty　minutes。　He　weighed　between　five　and　six　hundred　pounds　at　least；　and　measured　eight　feet　seven　inches　and　a　half　from　the　nose　to　the　extremity　of　the　hind　feet；　five　feet　ten　inches　and　a　half　round　the　breast；　three　feet　eleven　inches　round　the　neck；　one　foot　eleven　inches　round　the　middle　of　the　fore　leg；　and　his　claws　five　on　each　foot；　were　four　inches　and　three…eighths　in　length。　This　animal　differs　from　the　common　black　bear　in　having　his　claws　much　longer　and　more　blunt；　his　tail　shorter；　his　hair　of　a　reddish　or　bay　brown；　longer；　finer；　and　more　abundant；　his　liver；　lungs；　and　heart　much　larger　even　in　proportion　to　his　size；　the　heart；　particularly；　being　equal　to　that　of　a　large　ox；　and　his　maw　ten　times　larger。　　Besides　fish　and　flesh；　he　feeds　on　roots　and　every　kind　of　wild　fruit。〃

On　May　8　the　party　discovered　the　largest　and　most　important　of　the　northern　tributaries　of　the　Upper　Missouri。　　The　journal　thus　describes　the　stream：

〃Its　width　at　the　entrance　is　one　hundred　and　fifty　yards；　on　going　three　miles　up；　Captain　Lewis　found　it　to　be　of　the　same　breadth　and　sometimes　more；　it　is　deep；　gentle；　and　has　a　large　quantity　of　water；　its　bed　is　principally　of　mud；　the　banks　are　abrupt；　about　twelve　feet　in　height；　and　formed　of　a　dark；　rich　loam　and　blue　clay；　the　low　grounds　near　it　are　wide　and　fertile；　and　possess　a　considerable　proportion　of　cottonwood　and　willow。　It　seems　to　be　navigable　for　boats　and　canoes；　by　this　circumstance；　joined　to　its　course　and　quantity　of　water；　which　indicates　that　it　passes　through　a　large　extent　of　country；　we　are　led　to　presume　that　it　may　approach　the　Saskaskawan　＇Saskatchewan＇　and　afford　a　communication　with　that　river。　　The　water　has　a　peculiar　whiteness；　such　as　might　be　produced　by　a　tablespoonful　of　milk　in　a　dish　of　tea；　and　this　circumstance　induced　us　to　call　it　Milk　River。〃

Modern　geography　shows　that　the　surmise　of　Captain　Lewis　was　correct。　Some　of　the　tributaries　of　Milk　River　（the　Indian　name　of　which　signifies　〃The　River　that　Scolds　at　all　Others〃）　have　their　rise　near　St。　Mary's　River；　which　is　one　of　the　tributaries　of　the　Saskatchewan；　in　British　America。

The　explorers　were　surprised　to　find　the　bed　of　a　dry　river；　as　deep　and　as　wide　as　the　Missouri　itself；　about　fifteen　miles　above　Milk　River。　　Although　it　had　every　appearance　of　a　water…course；　it　did　not　discharge　a　drop　of　water。　Their　journal　says：

〃It　passes　through　a　wide　valley　without　timber；　the　surrounding　country　consists　of　waving　low　hills；　interspersed　with　some　handsome　level　plains；　the　banks　are　abrupt；　and　consist　of　a　black　or　yellow　clay；　or　of　a　rich　sandy　loam；　though　they　do　not　rise　more　than　six　or　eight　feet　above　the　bed；　they　exhibit　no　appearance　of　being　overflowed；　the　bed　is　entirely　composed　of　a　light　brown　sand；　the　particles　of　which；　like　those　of　the　Missouri；　are　extremely　fine。　　Like　the　dry　rivers　we　passed　before；　this　seemed　to　have　discharged　its　waters　recently；　but　the　watermark　indicated　that　its　greatest　depth　had　not　been　more　than　two　feet。　This　stream；　if　it　deserve　the　name；　we　called　Bigdry　＇Big　Dry＇　River。〃

And　Big　Dry　it　remains　on　the　maps　unto　this　day。　In　this　region　the　party　recorded　this　observation：

〃The　game　is　now　in　great　quantities；　particularly　the　elk　and　buffalo；　which　last　is　so　gentle　that　the　men　are　obliged　to　drive　them　out　of　the　way　with　sticks　and　stones。　　The　ravages　of　the　beaver　are　very　apparent；　in　one　place　the　timber　was　entirely　prostrated　for　a　space　of　three　acres　in　front　on　the　river　and　one　in　depth；　and　great　part　of　it　removed；　though　the　trees　were　in　large　quantities；　and　some　of　them　as　thick　as　the　body　of　a　man。

Yet　so　great　have　been　the　ravages　of　man　among　these　gentle　creatures；　that　elk　are　now　very　rarely　found　in　the　region；　and　the　buffalo　have　almost　utterly　disappeared　from　the　face　of　the　earth。　Just　after　the　opening　of　the　Northern　Pacific　Railway；　in　1883；　a　band　of　sixty　buffaloes　were　heard　of；　far　to　the　southward　of　Bismarck；　and　a　party　was　organized　to　hunt　them。　The　BOLD　hunters　afterwards　boasted　that　they　killed　every　one　of　this　little　band　of　survivors　of　their　race。

The　men　were　now　（in　the　middle　of　May）　greatly　troubled　with　boils；　abscesses；　and　inflamed　eyes；　caused　by　the　poison　of　the　alkali　that　covered　much　of　the　ground　and　corrupted　the　water。　Here　is　an　entry　in　the　journal　of　May　11：

〃About　five　in　the　afternoon　one　of　our　men　＇Bratton＇；　who　had　been　afflicted　with　boils　and　suffered　to　walk　on　shore；　came　running　to　the　boats　with　loud　cries；　and　every　symptom　of　terror　and　distress。　For　some　time　after　we　had　taken　him　on　board　he　was　so　much　out　of　breath　as　to　be　unable　to　describe　the　cause　of　his　anxiety；　but　he　at　length　told　us　that　about　a　mile　and　a　half　below　he　had　shot　a　brown　bear；　which　immediately　turned　and　was　in　close　pursuit　of　him；　but　the　bear　being　badly　wounded　could　not　overtake　him。　Captain　Lewis；　with　seven　men；　immediately　went　in　search　of　him；　having　found　his　track　they　followed　him　by　the　blood　for　a　mile；　found　him　concealed　in　some　thick　brushwood；　and　shot　him　with　two　balls　through　the　skull。　　Though　somewhat　smaller　than　that　killed　a　few　days　ago；　he　was　a　monstrous　animal；　and　a　most　terrible　enemy。　Our　man　had　shot　him　through　the　centre　of　the　lungs；　yet　he　had　pursued　him　furiously　for　half　a　mile；　then　returned　more　than　twice　that　distance；　and　with　his　talons　prepared　himself　a　bed　in　the　earth　two　feet　deep　and　five　feet　long；　he　was　perfectly　alive　when　they　found　him；　which　was　at　least　two　hours　after　he　had　received　the　wound。　The　wonderful　power　of　life　which　these　animals　possess　renders　them　dreadful；　their　very　track　in　the　mud　or　sand；　which　we　have　sometimes　found　eleven　inches　long　and　seven　and　one…fourth　wide；　exclusive　of　the　talons；　is　alarming；　and　we　had　rather　encounter　two　Indians　than　meet　a　single　brown　bear。　　There　is　no　chance　of　killing　them　by　a　single　shot　unless　the　ball　goes　through　the　brain；　and　this　is　very　difficult　on　account　of　two　large　muscles　which　cover　the　side　of　the　forehead　and　the　sharp　projection　of　the　centre　of　the　frontal　bone；　which　is　also　thick。

〃Our　camp　was　on　the　south；　at　the　distance　of　sixteen　miles　from　that　of　last　night。　　The　fleece　and　skin　of　the　bear　were　a　heavy　burden　for　two　men；　and　the　oil　amounted　to　eight　gallons。〃

The　name　of　the　badly…scared　Bratton　was　bestowed　upon　a　creek　which　discharges　into　the　Missouri　near　the　scene　of　this　encounter。　Game　continued　to　be　very　abundant。　　On　the　fourteenth；　according　to　the　journal；　the　hunters　were　hunted；　to　their　great　discomfiture。　The　account　says：

〃Toward　evening　the　men　in　the　hindmost　canoes　discovered　a　large　brown　＇grizzly＇　bear　lying　in　the　open　grounds；　about　three　hundred　paces　from　the　river。　　Six　of　them；　all　good　hunters；　immediately　went　to　attack　him；　and　concealing　themselves　by　a　small　eminence　came　unperceived　within　forty　paces　of　him。　Four　of　the　hunters　now　fired；　and　each　lodged　a　ball　in　his　body；　two　of　them　directly　through　the　lungs。　The　furious　animal　sprang　up　and　ran　open…mouthed　upon　them。

〃As　he　came　near；　the　two　hunters　who　had　reserved　their　fire　gave　him　two　wounds；　one　of　which；　breaking　his　shoulder；　retarded　his　motion　for　a　moment；　but　before　they　could　reload　he　was　so　near　that　they　were　obliged　to　run　to　the　river；　and　before　they　had　reached　it　he　had　almost　overtaken　them。　Two　jumped　into　the　canoe；　the　other　four　separated；　and；　concealing　themselves　in　the　willows；　fired　as　fast　as　they　could　reload。　They　struck　him　several　times；　but；　instead　of　weakening　the　monster；　each　shot　seemed　only　to　direct　him　towards　the　hunters；　till　at　last　he　pursued　two　of　them　so　closely　that　they　threw　aside　their　guns　and　pouches；　and　jumped　down　a　perpendicular　bank　of　twenty　feet　into　the　river：　　the　bear　sprang　after　them；　and　was　within　a　few　feet　of　the　hindmost；　when　one　of　the　hunters　on　shore　shot　him　in　the　head；　and　finally　killed　him。　They　dragged　him　to　the　shore；　and　found　that　eight　balls　had　passed　through　him　in　different　directions。　　The　bear　was　old；　and　the　meat　tough；　so　that　they　took　the　skin　only；　and　rejoined　us　at　camp；　where　we　had　been　as　much　terrified　by　an　accident　of　a　different　kind。

〃This　was　the　narrow　escape　of　one　of　our　canoes；　containing　all　our　papers；　instruments；　medicine；　and　almost　every　article　indispensable　for　the　success　of　our　enterprise。　　The　canoe　being　under　sail；　a　sudden　squall　of　wind　struck　her　obliquely　and　turned　her　considerably。　The　man　at　the　helm；　who　was　unluckily　the　worst　steersman　of　the　party；　became　alarmed；　and；　instead　of　putting　her　before　the　wind；　luffed　her　up　into　it。　　The　wind　was　so　high　that　it　forced　the　brace　of　the　square…sail　out　of　the　hand　of　the　man　who　was　attending　it；　and　instantly　upset　the　canoe；　which　would　have　been　turned　bottom　upward　but　for　the　resistance　made　by　the　awning。　　Such　was　the　confusion　on　board；　and　the　waves　ran　so　high；　that　it　was　ha