28th. Early at 4 o’clock we were again stirring. By sunrise we came to the valley or bottom of the Nishnebottona, which river we crossed on a wooden toll-bridge, newly erected. After breakfast we again struck the bluffs and traveled all day through an extensive prairie country, broken, very fertile, but lacking timber. The country here has been but lately settled, but it would be more thickly inhabited if timber were more plenty. This is all “claimed,” and the claims are held at an enormous price. To-day we saw many houses covered with prairie-sod, on account of the scarcity of board timber; the day previous we had already passed many houses, the chimneys of which were made of prairie-sod, which seems to be quite durable. The further north we proceeded the scarcer the timber became along the water courses. Some of the streams run through the prairie with no timber lining them. We had reached the end of our journey, to within five miles, when we took in a way-passenger, a Mormon, who was from Ohio, traveling to see his brethren of the faith at Kanesville, a few miles above Trading Pt., at the Council Bluffs. We soon got into a conversation with him, and, thinking from our inquiries that we were inquirers after the Mormon faith, he proceeded to give us an account of their religious opinions, telling us about the three apostacies from the time of Noah to the time when the great prophet, Joe Smith, arose in 1830! These three apostacies, according to their opinion, are: 1st, the general apostacy of all the nations of the earth to idolatry; 2dly, the apostacy of the Jews, and 3dly the apostacy of the different sects calling themselves christians, etc. About sunset we arrived at Trading Point, the commencement of a continuation of bluffs on both sides of the river, called “Council Bluffs.” On the opposite side of the river is Bellevue, the residence of Mr. Allis, who keeps a government-school for Pawnee children, and of the Pawnee, Otoe and Omahaw Agent, Maj. Barrow; there are also here two trading establishments, and blacksmith-shops for the Indians; about a mile below, on the same side of the river, is the Mission Station of the General Assembly’s (O. S.) Board, among the Otoes and Omahaws, under the superintendence of Mr. E. McKinney. Immediately after our arrival at Trading Point we had a conversation with Mr. Allis, who happened to be on that side of the river. He told us that he and Mr. McKinney had been expecting our arrival, and that the Pawnees, to whom he had mentioned our intention of coming to see them, were anxiously awaiting us.