But they were not destined to remain undisturbed in their comfortable quarters. Early in December they \vere visited by a score or more of hungry Indians, professing friendship after the manner of the early redmen when destitute and hungry. They were fed from the abundant stores of the Stuart party and sent upon their way with several days rations.

This visit, the travelers knew, would be only a beginning, so they reluctantly broke camp on the 13th of December and proceeded down the river.

It was late in the month when the party reached the prairies of Nebraska. They traveled on until about the line between the present counties of Morrill and Garden, where the white dreary solitude looked so destitute of subsistence that they retraced their steps for three days before finding a suitable location for their camp.

On New Year's day, 1813, they were in a Cottonwood grove on the north bank of the river at a point about four miles west of the present city of Scottsbluff. Here there were trees large enough to make canoes, and the Platte, though frozen over had an appearance of being navigable for small boats.

In the years that have passed since then, the river has changed its course, and has cut into the lower end of Spring creek, leaving the location of the old camp upon what is know n as Big Island just at its lower extremity.

At this place some of the older dwellers of the valley -- Theo. D. Deutsch and others -- can recollect the very old cottonwood stumps, possibly the very trees cut by this party and made into canoes. And Mr. Deutsch is the owner of a hand forged ax, found on this is-