opening a Highway to the Pacific 53
Indian council; Council Bluff; death of Charles Floyd. On the east side of the Missouri, near the mouth of Platte River, Lewis and Clark held councils with the Oto and Missouri Indians, giving the chiefs medals to hang about their necks, distributing flags, and leaving other tokens of Am^erican supremacy. The place of the gathering they named Council Bluff, noting that here was a good situation for a fort and trading house. The soil was good for brick, wood was convenient, and the air was "pure and healthy." One other incident of this part of the journey is deserving of notice. On the 20th of August, when the party was passing the site of the present Sioux City, Sergeant Charles Floyd died and was buried by his companions near the river. This is the only death that occurred on the entire journey.
Missouri River landscape. Buffalo. The country afforded little variety of landscape as day by day the exploring party moved along the course of the Missouri. Almost everywhere was the narrow fringe of forest, running down to the water's edge, while here and there a wood-covered island divided the current of the river. Parallel to the stream, and at varying distances from it, low ranges of hills separated the valley from the broad prairie beyond. Deep ravines, cutting across the line of bluffs, opened natural highways from river to upland, and these were often worn down by the hoofs of the buffalo, which regularly followed such paths in search of water. Immense herds of these animals were seen, and many were slain by the
