June 5th. Wednesday 1805
Some little rain & snow last night the mountains to our S E.
covered with snow this morning air verry cold & raining a
little, we saw 8 buffalow opposit, the[y] made 2 attempts to
cross, the water being so swift they could not, about the time
we were setting out three white bear approached our camp we
killed the three & eate part of one & set out & proceeded on
N. 20°. W 11 miles struck the river at maney places in this
distance to a ridge on the N. Side from the top of which I
could plainly see a mountain to the South & W covered with
Snow at a long distance, The mountains opposit to us to the
S.E. is also covered with snow this morning. a high ridge
from those mountains approach the river on the S E side
forming some clifts of hard dark Stone. From the ridge at
which place I struck the river last, I could discover that the
river run west of south a long distance, and has a strong rapid
current, as this river continued its width debth & rapidity
and the course west of south, going up further would be useless,
I deturmined to return, I accordingly set out, thro'
the plain on a course N 30° E on my return & struck the little
river at 20 miles passing thro a Leavel plain,
[21]
at the little
river we killed 2 buck Elk & dined on their marrow bones,
proceeded on a few miles & camped, haveing killed 2 deer
which was verry fat, some few drops of rain today, the
evening fair wind hard from the N. E. I saw great numbers
of Elk & white tale deer, some beaver, antelope mule deer &
wolves & one bear on this little river marked my name in a
tree N. side near the ridge where the little river brakes thro'
